A Wee Return (For the Wee Chill Festival)

The Wee Chill makes a very welcome return to Glasgow's Southside at the end of this month. Colin Chapman looks at what's in store within the newly renovated Glasshouse.

Feature by Colin Chapman | 27 Apr 2009

After a sabbatical last year, The Wee Chill makes a return to the Glasgow music calendar this month. The event’s seventh outing sees it return on 30 May to Queens Park’s Glasshouse on the city’s South Side, following a sojourn to the Science Centre in 2007.

Placing an emphasis on home grown talent rather than relying solely on big name guests, its unusual location and relaxed atmosphere has seen it earn a place in the heart of many a Glasgow clubber. “The idea was to come up with something different from the typical club night, [something] that people could enjoy for its various creative aspects,” offers longstanding promoter, Brian Traynor.

”Though the venue was a major factor in this, our approach to lighting and dressing it, the event’s timing as well its marketing and music were equally important”.

The then owner of the Liquid Lounge joined forces with promoters of other nights at the former club to organise the first Wee Chill in 2003. Four more were held at The Glasshouse, with acts and DJs including Stereo MCs, Bugz In The Attic, Metro Area, and Chris Duckenfield, playing alongside locals such as Harri, Engine, Michael Peck, Colin Davie and Mungo’s Hi-Fi. However, in 2007, an alternative venue had to be found, as Brian explains: “The Glasshouse had fallen in to disrepair and was closed for renovation in May. At this point Sensu promoters, Barry Price and Chris Ingram, became involved and we moved to the Science Centre. The music policy also changed, becoming more upbeat, with Masters At Work headlining”.

“Previously we’d organised the Wee Chill after-parties as part of our Sensu nights”, adds Chris ‘Junior’ Ingram. “We also got the Sub Club involved that year, with owners Mike Grieve and Paul Crawford hosting a stage which featured The Bays and Jimpster”.

Now, the Sub has come on board as a full-time partner in the event.

“We were looking to take things one step further this year… with their experience and track record of continually pushing musical boundaries, it made sense to get them more involved this time round”, offers Traynor.

So, The Wee Chill is back, with arguably its strongest line-up yet.

This time around Horse Meat Disco residents, James Hillard and Jim Stanton will be hosting their own stage, the duo taking inspiration from legendary New York parties, The Loft and The Gallery for their gay/heterosexual friendly, London Sunday night.

Joining them will be Cologne-based Kompakt Records artist, Justus Köhncke, who first came to prominence as a member of Whirlpool Productions, best known for their 1996 club hit, From Disco To Disco. After splitting in 2000, Justus went solo, releasing his first Kompakt album Was Ist Musik two years later, which combined what’s now his trademark, sci-fi-techno-disco sound and with German-sung electro-pop. Since then he’s produced a further two albums and several singles, including the underground hits, Timecode and Advance. His tracks have also featured on numerous mix-CDs and he’s also an established DJ of ten years standing.

Supporting the trio will be Optimo’s JD Twitch and JG Wilkes, as well as Glasgow’s disco don, Billy Woods.

Elsewhere, Subculture residents Harri and Domenic take control of a further stage, joined by longstanding Wee Chill collaborators Sensu, and newer additions to Glasgow’s club scene, Sunday Circus, with house music’s latest man-of-the-moment, Raresh, headlining.

One-third of Romania’s much vaunted Ar:pi:ar Soundsystem, the former Bacau resident first took to the decks in his teens, later going onto establish himself on Bucharest’s club circuit. Invited to play the Black Sea beach parties in 2004, he DJed alongside the likes of Josh Wink, Steve Bug and Richie Hawtin to great success, helping him earn a slot on Sven Väth’s Sound Of The Sixth Season Tour, two years later. Since then he’s cemented his reputation with dates worldwide.

Glasgow-based DJs Pro Vinylist Karim, Michael Peck, Kev Stevens and Paul Ingram will also be on hand in the Aspecto Bar Room, while live music fans will be catered for thanks to a Hijack Records’ showcase, featuring the likes of The I.D Parade, Pop Up, The Statler Project and The Apple Scruffs, amongst others.

Throw in the Glasshouse’s tropical plants, its menagerie of lizards, tropical fish and exotic birds, not to mention break-dancers, magicians, face painters and graffiti artists, and it’s sure to be one of hell of party!

The Wee Chill, Saturday 30 May, The Glasshouse, Queen's Park, Glasgow

Tickets: earlybird - £18 + booking fee (1 May – 8 May), thereafter - £20 + booking fee.

www.tickets-scotland.com

http://www.theweechill.com