An Incoming Wave of White Heat

Dissatisfaction can be a great thing: without it, we wouldn't have had the Civil Rights movement, or the revolutions that effectively ended Soviet Communism, and we certainly would not have White Heat.

Initially started in London, White Heat is a musical carnival of calamity started by local DJs Matty (irLondon) and Olly (Rough Trade) who after spending too many nights playing upstairs in big clubs to too few people decided they could do better. "We were bored with what was going on" Matty informs The Skinny, "and we just wanted to create a night that had a little bit of whatever you want."

And thus began the little White Heat revolution; it started in Soho in Madame JoJo's with cheap drinks and bands playing until around midnight, then post-punk, punk, indie, and beats into the wee hours. Already the London night has hosted such contemporary luminaries such as Bloc Party, Mclusky (RIP), Tom Vek, Uncle John & Whitelock, and DeathFromAbove1979 whilst playing its part in introducing newcomers such as The Young Knives, Help! She Can't Swim and The Long Blondes to a whole new audience of revellers. Not content with simply hosting bands though, they have also set up White Heat records and, perhaps more importantly for you and I, White Heat has now come to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Strangely enough, they're not trying to take over the world just yet, but the northern jaunt is rather a happy accident for which we owe a debt of gratitude to Nick from Guided Promotions. "We released the ¡Forward, Russia! single and stuffed each one with a White Heat flyer", Matty says, "and obviously some of these singles found their way north, so Nick bought the single, came across the flyer and thought 'That looks like a great night, why don't they come to Scotland?' and that was kind of it."

Now happening monthly at the Art School in Glasgow and Cabaret Voltaire in Edinburgh, White Heat is set to continue the fun-filled festival of revolution in a city near you. Having already hosted Ladyfuzz and F. O. Machete and now set with the large-haired madness of The Horrors and more local representation of Skinny-featured The Low Miffs for their forthcoming nights on the 19th and 20th of July respectively, we can be sure of drunkenness, dancing and debauchery or "drunken, sonic, youth" as Matty puts it, but either way, you'll be more than satisfied.