Not Clowning Around

In a mere two years, Sunday Circus has quickly established itself on the Glasgow club scene as something rather different.

A monthly, outdoor event that makes use of The Courtyard's terraced beer garden, it merges the three elements crucial to the makings of a great party: a distinctive venue, a dedicated, up-for-it crowd and passionate, knowledgeable DJs.

“We felt like something was missing in Glasgow,” says resident DJ and promoter Ronnie Muirhead, explaining its beginnings. “We all enjoyed nights like Pressure and Subculture, but there was never really much to do on a Sunday. Myself and a couple of friends, Ian Montgomery and Dave Talbot, had often spoken about doing something in a similar vein to outdoor, daytime clubs such as Ibiza’s Circo Loco and Secret Sundaze in London, but we just couldn't find the right venue. We discovered The Courtyard by chance one night and straight away knew it was perfect.”

Their first event went well, but Ronnie admits he was a bit nervous about how things would go, moving forward.

“We weren’t quite sure if a Sunday afternoon-to-evening event would work in the longer term but word got around and things just seemed to snowball”.

Due to a relocation to London, Ian had to bow out of involvement after their first few parties, but around the same time, co-resident DJ Affi Koman was recruited.

“By coincidence, I was going to put on a similar event in the West End the same day as their first party,” he reveals. “However, the venue was shut down a few days beforehand, so I went to Sunday Circus instead. I got chatting to Ronnie and he invited me to come and play and I’ve been involved ever since.”

Rightly or wrongly, over time Sunday Circus has come to be seen as ‘minimal’ club by many looking to put a label on its music policy.

“I think the music we played starting out was probably quite minimal,” Ronnie concedes. “But this was influenced by the scene at the time, as the sound was at its peak back then. It’s never been specifically about one particular style for us. Whether it’s deep house, techno or minimal... as long as it progresses well and has a good groove, we'll play it.”

Indeed, this is probably best illustrated by their booking policy, with guests such as Dyed Sondorom, Jamie Jones, Matthias Tanzmann and Argy, as well as local DJs Harri, Jim Hutchison and Alex Smoke all making appearances, not to mention Glasgow-based live acts Sensu and Solab.

“We’ve only got a 250 capacity, which limits our budget in terms of who we can actually get to play”, says Ronnie. “Luckily, we’re in a position where people aren’t necessarily coming to see particular names which allows us book newer, less-established producers”.

“Also, because we run for almost twice the length of a typical club night, we can play a wider variation of styles,” he adds. “I’ll often play electronica and downtempo stuff earlier on, and last summer we had Mellow Submachine play live. We don’t want to get stuck in a musical rut.”

Arguably the biggest factor in the success of Sunday Circus is its ever increasing band of followers, either those keen to extend their Saturday night partying antics or others who’ve saved themselves for a Sunday blow-out.

“The crowd obviously play a massive part in making the event what it is,” agrees Ronnie. “Come rain or shine, they’re always in the mood to have a good time, and for that we’re truly grateful. I don’t think any of us could’ve predicted how things have turned out.”

This popularity has led them to host parties at larger and sometimes more unusual venues such as the Ferry, The People’s Palace and SWG3 Warehouse, and later this summer, they've got plans for the Tall Ship. It’s also seen them gain recognition from other Glasgow promoters, with Ronnie and Affi playing at the Sub Club’s Hogmanay last year, The Wee Chill and alongside Slam on two occasions.

“If anyone had told me I’d be playing with Stuart and Orde or at the Subbie a few years ago, I’d have never believed them,” confesses Ronnie.

With a series of events planned for the summer, including some Saturday-Sunday double-headers and an appearance at The Wickerman Festival, the future looks rosy, but Ronnie’s taking nothing for granted.

“There’s so many clubs starting up all the time it could be easy for us to fall away. As long as we stay focused and keep plugging away, then hopefully we’ll be able to sustain it.”