Pressure 9th Birthday, The Arches, Glasgow, 30 Nov

Few 9th birthday parties can boast a world class musical line up and pull in 2000-odd people but then young Pressure was never going to be happy with some goody bags and a trip to McDonald's. Behind the doors of this veritable techno advent calendar were some of the genre's top names: Slam, Tom Middleton, Nathan Fake, Echospace, Billy Nasty, Jamie Jones, Percy X, Dave Mills and of course Mr Laurent Garnier. Dave Mill's set in the pit is a particular highlight, as is the boggy riddled mix of Jamey Jones that followed. Slam are on top form with material from Azure proving popular with excitable revellers sardined into the main room. As always, their macabre visuals were as exciting to watch as their music was to listen to, with the face of a woman doing some rather unexpected things to the beat of This World. Slam makes way for the Skinny's highlight, as the crowd packs into the main room to see the rare treat of a set on Scottish soil by Laurent Garnier. The second of his two sets starts with some Goldie-esque drum and bass, an unexpected yet very welcomed surprise; he then blends in some breaks and funky cuts. As he tommy guns his legendary sounds into the crowd it is clear that Garnier is really enjoying himself, bouncing around the decks and screaming the occasional vocal samples. His final track, The Man With a Red Face is a fittingly epic end to a fittingly epic night. [Franck Martin]