Clubbing Highlights – February 2013

Hopefully, by the time you read this column, we'll no longer be snowbound (you Edinburghers at least - at the time of writing,, Glasgow was positively tropical by comparison), and ready to kick off the dust of January's inevitably slow start to the year, and get stuck in to an action-packed month in Scotland's clubland. Or perhaps the snow will have gotten heavier, ushering in some sort of grim, bleak snowpocalypse? Only time will tell! One thing's for sure – there's no better place to hide from the elements than a packed nightclub, full of sweaty, gyrating bodies.

If you picked up this copy of The Skinny quickly enough, be advised to start your month proper with a choice of three stellar line-ups over in Glasgow on 1 Feb, as last month's featured artist Andrew Weatherall and compatriot Sean Johnston bring their justly-acclaimed night A Love From Outer Space to The Berkeley Suite (£8 adv.), promising an eclectic back-to-back mix of electro, disco, house, post-punk, dub and krautrock (or none of the above – these guys play exactly what they want to play). Down the road at The Arches, the mighty Pressure have their by-now-familiar star-packed lineup, this month featuring Speedy J, Sandwell District, Maceo Plex and Davide Squillace playing alongside the ubiquitous Slam boys (£18). But that's not all! The Optimo crew welcome hotly-tipped experimental art-rockers Aggi Doom to the Sub Club (£TBC). In the vernacular – YASS.

We've mentioned Henry Steinway's RL Grime alias before in this column – he makes deep, dirty trap and future-bass. He mans the decks on 5 Feb at Killer Kitsch, for a measly fiver – get yourself down to the Buff Club, wear some ear protectors, or prepare for tinnitus. By 8 Feb, things have started to hot up in Edinburgh – Belgian liquid drum and bass ambassador Netsky comes to The Sound of C at the Liquid Room for a hybrid DJ and live set that should prove pretty stellar (£TBC). The same night, back west, French techno savant Laurent Garnier headlines Return to Mono at Sub Club, with Slam (there they are again) backing him up (£18). Alternatively, get retro with Farley Jackmaster Funk at La Cheetah – he headlines The House Sound of Chicago on the same night (£10).

On the Saturday (9 Feb), Club Houch and Perversity take over Edinburgh's Liquid Room with DJs from Luvely, Nuklear Puppy, Pulse and Oxygen, alongside residents (£12), in a night that will bring tears of nostalgic joy to east coast clubbers over the age of 30. Meanwhile in Glasgow, justly-applauded straight-friendly lesbian night Lock Up Your Daughters (ha!) welcome Her Royal Highness for a sensuous set of funk, disco and house (£5). Alternatively, check out Work For Love at La Cheetah, who welcome analogue heroes Silk Cut to the party (Free before 12 / £3 after). The same night, party monsters Wrong Island welcome back resident, and previous star of our DJ Chart feature, Teamy back to the fold after a brief sabbatical. Their Facebook page merely states: "Daddy's back." Expect an eclectic mix of house, disco, alternative classics and unexpected gems, along with the usual hedonistic and welcoming atmosphere (£3). 

On 13 Feb, Club Together features the welcome return of those wonderful Scratch Perverts to Teviot Underground. Undisputed kings of UK turntablism, it's even a homecoming show of sorts for the Pervs – DJ Plus One honed his decksmanship right here in Edinburgh, fact-fans. How much do they want for the Perverts? Just £3 for normal humans, and absolutely free for students. No excuses for missing this one.

Looking to dance the night away on Valentine's Day? The Philanthrobeats crew have the club night for you. Taking on the Rubix clique for one night only, they welcome Fortywinks and Floyd for a versus set, alongside Toby Nicholas, Bop Gun and HaHaHa. Join them at Sub Club (£4).

15 Feb is a busy night in Glasgow, with Jim Lambie's Poetry Club launching a new night, The Burning Sand with a live performance from Correcto, who feature members of Franz Ferdinand and The Royal We among their number, plus DJ sets from Sarah Lowndes and Torsten Laushmann (£5). It's a 2am finish as well, so perfectly suited to the stamina of tired old clubbers who can't hack the pace any more (just kidding... or are we...?). If you're after something a bit more exotic, go and check out dubstep dilettante Mala at Stereo, who'll be performing live tracks from his acclaimed Mala in Cuba album (£12).

On 16 Feb, expect cosmic house and upside-down disco from the one and only Auntie Flo, who headlines Wasabi Disco at Edinburgh's Sneaky Pete's (£3, members free). Or you could check out French Express label-head Perseus, who drops in for tea and twelve-inches with the Gasoline Dance Machine crew at Cabaret Voltaire (£7/5). Over in Glasgow, Auntie Flo's pals David Barbarossa and Andrew Thompson's Huntley and Palmers night welcome Veronica Vasika and Trevor Jackson to La Cheetah for some cosmic disco and kraut-influenced sounds (£10).

By the time 22 Feb rolls around, you'll be due a rest. But no! Pump yourself full of your stimulant of choice (ours is coffee, naturally) and get yourself down to #Notsosilent at the Liquid Room, who welcome not one but two special guests to the party – Numbers' sexytime electro-hero Joy Orbison, and Germany's Roman Flugel (£12). Top notch. If you're in Glasgow, you'd be a fool to miss Weatherall collaborators Timothy J. Fairplay and Scott Fraser's revered club night Crimes of the Future – they welcome one of Warp's best-loved electronic artists, Plaid, to headline their night at The Berkeley Suite, for a mere fiver. And on 23 Feb, last moth's DJ Chart star Gerry Blythe and his partner-in-crime GK Machine welcome Les Diaboliques to their party (£3), also at The Berkeley Suite. On 23 Feb, Numbers take on Subculture at Sub Club, with special guest, New York's Leon Vincent, laying down some serious party tunes (£TBC).

On 1 March, up-and-coming house, garage and bass music crew 49Hz take over a new clubbing space, 511, located beneath The Newsroom, for a free party with residents Fault Lines and DeCourcy, who are joined by rising stars of the Edinburgh club scene Atticus Jacks and Comrade Massie. The capacity of this event is strictly limited to 120 people, so be sure and get down early. 49Hz have been building up their rep since last Summer, throwing a launch partyfor the Dimensions Festival in Croatia, and featuring guests like Auntie Flo, Boom Monk Ben, Mosca and Pasteman. If forward-thinking bass music is your thing, this is a crew to keep your eyes on in 2013.

A final shout-out to regular Edinburgh Sunday knees-upand well-loved fixture in the capital's club scene, Coalition – head honcho AF Meldrum is joined weekly by a revolving cast of Edinburgh DJs, including the mighty Ingen, who provides a very special DJ chart for us this issue (see facing page). It's free, and it has one of the best, most friendly atmospheres in Edinburgh's clubbing community. Get in! We'll see you next month.