Clubbing Highlights – June 2012

Oh summer, with your long lazy days, your football tournaments and music festivals; the galavants abroad, the carefree attitude. You end up giving us such a good time that we gorge on you without having to go in search of fun. Well, don't be fooled by it. There is a whole world of free or seriously underpriced beats happening this month and all the grizzly details are here.  

When the guests are away the residents will play, and that’s definitely the case at Tribute who throw the doors of La Cheetah open to you for their residents night on Fri 8 June, so there is no excuse not to be part of the action. If catching up with the always excellent i AM at the newly-polished Cabaret Voltaire on Thursday nights wasn’t enough of a draw, then a visit to the club’s website will help you in your quest for free guestlist passes. If free summer raves sound like your kind of thing (and if they aren't, you have to start finding more suitable reading material) then try out Substance at The Bongo Club on Fri 15 June, which is free before midnight. Melting Pot also hold a special residents only night on Sat 2 June at The Admiral before taking off on their summer break (and if you hit the pre-club between 9pm - 11pm you can try to grab some limited passes for £5). 

Pi-eyed hold their annual free party and their no money, no problems template will be delivering some pretty heavyweight action in the presence of hard core breaks and neo-rave DJ / producer Dave Skywalker, and the anarchic D‘n’B / breakcore / jungle repertoire of Wombcorps at La Cheetah on Fri 15 June. Having settled into their new ward at Studio 24, Animal Hospital return on Fri 15 June, which will see them up to all of their old zoological tricks in an unashamed attempt to make your inner animal come out and play. Joining them before 11.30pm means you can do it for free.

When Black Van released the hypnotically seductive track Yearning back in 2010, the presumption was that this was the work of some young New York upstart who had knocked together a synth disco house classic with the sole intention of getting signed by James Murphy. In reality it was the work of two Germans, Kris Menace and KoweSix who are deeply ingrained in electronic music, and have the back catalogue of albums and remixes to prove it (not to mention their other projects and the labels they run). Their output as Black Van has been sparse, but everything so far suggests that this excursion to The Berkeley Suite on Sat June 16 will be a masterclass in deep, funky house with bite, and it's just a fiver.

Finally, charity may begin at home but imagine how much better it would be if it ended up in a club? That’s the idea behind Philanthrobeats who have another exceptional one-off event to bring you whilst helping out a deserving charity. This second outing on Thur 7 June at Chambre 69 will have proceeds going towards Once Upon a Smile, and ensuring the maximum of interest is a decidedly thumping line up featuring a back to back session of head bouncing, bass-preoccupied house and garage from regular co-conspirators Floyd and NoFace, who will also be joined by Mixed Bizness luminary Boom Monk Ben, as well as Chungo Bungo and Denney & Fortywinks.