clubsélist.co.uk
DANCE OPTIMO (ESPACIO) Venue, Edinburgh, Sat 12 Jun
When you go out of a weekend and make the choice to put your hard-earneds down on the counter, what exactly fuels your expectation of the club you’re going to? Is it the knowledge that you’re in safe hands, that the DJ will invariably play something you know and love? ls it because a trusted community of friends, drinking buddies and weekend acquaintances will be there? Or have you found the holy grail, that elusive night that actually inspires your tastes like setting off to buy the album by your new favourite band first thing on a Monday morning?
Be honest now, most clubs are lucky if they score even one of these points. Not so Optimo (Espacio), Glasgow’s Sunday night institution for students, music lovers, bank holidayers and cool kids. For sheer heart and soul (and this is an opinion shared by patrons, artists who’ve played and national magazines), it’s the best night in Scotland, if not the UK, and up there with the best in the world. Hyperbole? In New York last summer, The List visited one of the last nights of ‘Club Kid’ Larry Tee’s Brooklyn electro club Berliniamsburg (think Party Monster). The unanimous vote in the cab heading back to Manhattan? ‘lt’s not as good as Optimo . . .’
Twitch and Wilkes a nightmare to explain to taxi drivers
‘Our mission when we started was just to show that more than one genre of music can be played in a club,’ says co-founder Twitch, of the thinking behind the night’s Sub Club origins in 1997. ‘Anyone who comes along probably won’t like everything we play because it’s just so varied, but if you’re a real music fan then you want to hear music.’ Oft misrepresented as an electroclash night, a rock club and ‘the dreaded eclectic word’, Optimo (Espacio) is essentially all of the above and more. On the website (www.0ptimo.co.uk), Twitch describes he and co-founder Jonny Wilkes’ music policy as a nightmare to explain to taxi drivers, finally settling on ‘dance’, as in the complete recorded history of anything you can shake your ass to. ‘Musical sluts’, indeed (their words, not ours).
‘I did this club called Pure at the Venue for ten years,’ Twitch says modestly, regarding his decision to return to an old stomping ground. ‘I swore I would never set foot there again, because every week for ten years is brain damage,’ he laughs. ‘But the guys there are so nice and working so hard, so they talked us into it. I hope we inspire someone in Edinburgh to go and do something similar, putting some imagination into it and taking a few risks. Because people are bored.’
Not on the 12 June they won’t be - there are no alternatives. (David Pollock)
Mylo destroying rock ‘n’ roll
76 THE LIST .' .1 .i' .'
f l [CHRONIC POP DEATH DISCO The Arches, Glasgow, Sat 19 Jun
Skye-horn Mylo is in serious danger of hecoming a hona fide pop star. HIE; dehut Destroy Rock'rr'Ro/l garnered praise from a variety of credihle sources. he is in demand up and dov-xn the country and his production and remrxrng skills have earned him consider‘ahle respect. At the heart of all this is a Hehi‘idean reluctant to over- expose himself. 'l'm rarely on a hill hy myself. so I can". really tell whether I'm heing "hlown up" or not.' he says. 'l'he alhum was marketed really well '.'.’llfl the cluh Saltlrck. I'm not into plastering my face all over the place, though. ()n the alhurn cover i look like a merriher‘ of the IRA'
Judging hy hrs pr'ogr'amriie of summer appearances. he may have
little say in terms of puhlic exposure. T in the Park. Glastonhury and a handful of smaller dates iincluding Edinhurgh's Bio Rhythrii. 2 Jtllyl mean we're going to he hearing a lot more of what Mylo himself descr'ihes as electronic pop music that doesn't take itself too seriously'. Mylt 's sound has captured the imagination of trendies all over Britain. and he's heriiused ahout hrs new position as mini-cultural figur'ehead: ‘I hear my music when I'm out and I can't helieye how pop rt is. even though we did try to make the alhum accessihle and funnyf
Mylo's musical incarnation may adhere to a pop sensrhrlrty. hut hrs DJ sets reveal something of hrs darker side. llis appearance at Death Disco might he the perfect opportunity to see the sordid under'helly of a future hop hehernoth. ulohnny Regan.
WORDUP
WELL, WE’VE BROKEN THE back of this festival malarkey for another year as We Love Homelands and our very own Colorsfest kicked things off in style. If you’re still itching for more, Creamfields 2004 arrives on 28 August down in Liverpool. The live stage has to be one of the main draws with the Chemical Brothers and Goldfrapp, but, of course, their DJ selection across the fest is pretty damn impressive, taking in everyone from Deep Dish and Paul Oakenfold to Jeff Mills and Dave Clarke (live). Obviously there are many, many more on the bill than we have space for here so check www.cream.co.uk/creamfields for more info.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO TAKE your festival experience to the next level there are Creainlield events in Moscow. Russia (12 Junei with Faithless. Paul Oakenfold. Goldie and more the: Istanbul. Turkey it? July): Prague. Czech Republic ('6 Augustr: Murcia. Spain {14 Augusti with Fat Bey Slim. Massive Attack. Goldfrapp. the Orb. Miss Kittin and many more: Santiago. Chile (12 November): Buenos Aires. Argentina 413 November) and Sao Paulo. Brazil (20 Novemberl. Again. use the above weblink for more details. This lot should keep you going for the rest of the year. CLOSER TO HOME WE HAVE A couple of club nights at the Arches, Glasgow that are well worth making a note of in the ol’ diary, the Slam Year Zero sessions in particular, on 27 August with Derrick May and Slam (live). Then we have the Funk Room with Norman Jay MBE on 17 September.
AS PER USUAL. DON'T FORGET our A-List card your passport to money oft or even free entry to some of your favourite clubs. Check listings and p79 for more details.
Goldfrapp