A guide to the best clubs in Scotland

This article is from 2009.

Not for nothing is Scotland reputed to have some of the finest clubs in Europe. David Pollock and Henry Northmore cherry pick the best

It’s not that we want to make Edinburgh feel inferior, but Glasgow is pretty much recognised as the most vibrant city in the UK after dark, behind London. Sure, your student days aren’t complete without a stagger alongside Sauchiehall Street every now and then, particularly into venues like the Garage, the ABC and Nice’n’Sleazy, all of which run regular, student-friendly late nights. But the city is also responsible for some of the most bleeding edge electronic music clubs in the land, and you might not feel like you’ve truly experienced the best your new home has to offer until you’ve been round them.

Widely recognised as Glasgow’s most atmospheric clubbing spaces are the vastly different Sub Club and the Arches. The former is a small basement on Jamaica Street (best nights: nationally-recognised techno, hip hop and dubstep-playing monthly event Numbers; legendary and eclectic weekly Sunday-nighter Optimo), the latter a cavernous space just round the corner which is built in the caves under Central Station (you’ll want to check out monthly electroclash revival night Death Disco and Wednesday’s student party Octopussy).

Beyond these, regularly high-quality ports of call for clubbers of style and taste will be Stereo (must-attend: Huntley & Palmer’s Audio Club, a perfect blend of highbrow and dancefloor-ready sounds, and Ballers Social Club, the club wing of highly-regarded local music and design collective LuckyMe – both are monthly, both feature regular guests) and the old faithful Glasgow School of Art. Prime events here include Thursday’s weekly double bill R-P-Z and Mixed Bizness, and semi-regular dubstep session Fortified. Other places and promoter nights of interest include the indie-centric Flying Duck, particularly Gavin from Camera Obscura’s Friday night Back Tae Mine and monthly soul, mod and psych night Modern Lovers, and the Admiral Bar Basement’s peerless monthly disco club Melting Pot.

While there’s less to go round in Edinburgh, this means the nights of real quality stand out all the more. The current sound of the city is disco, both the classic version and the new style popularised by artists like Lindstrom and Prins Thomas, and the best places to hear it are the excellent Wasabi Disco (monthly at Sneaky Pete’s), the comic book styled Club For Heroes (monthly at the GRV) and the recently established Devil Disco Club (monthly at the Bongo Club).

Otherwise, Edinburgh possesses a couple of exemplary, long-running indie nights (Evol, every Friday at Faith on the Cowgate; The Egg, every Saturday at the College of Art’s Wee Red Bar), possibly Scotland’s top drum & bass night in Xplicit (monthly at the Bongo Club) and its own, original version of Modern Lovers (monthly at the GRV). Certain venue names are also a mark of quality in themselves; as well as those mentioned above, expect to make frequent visits to Cabaret Voltaire (We Are … Electric every Wednesday and the monthly Sugarbeat Club and Ultragroove are recommended for house and techno lovers) and the West End’s Berlin, a venue with a strong tendency towards straight-up house sounds.

This article is from 2009.

More: Clubs, Life & style, Student, Student Guide, Student Guide 2009

Back Tae Mine

Date	Location
Going out is the new staying in, as this night offers booze, tea, toast, bands and DJs to create a houseparty vibe. After a sabbatical it's back on weekly Saturday nights at the Flying Duck, with rotating resident DJs including Andy Divine and Chris 'Beans' Geddes from Singles Night and Jamo from Freakbeats. View full details
28 Jan–26 May Not Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri & Sun	The Flying Duck, Glasgow

The Egg

Date	Location
Indie, 60s garage, electro, northern soul, ska, 70s punk and new wave at this Edinburgh institution for those in the know after a quick fix of decent music and attitude free clubbing. View full details
3 Mar–31 Mar Not Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri & Sun	Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh

Evol

Date	Location
Edinburgh's longest running indie night. With the usual mix of the best current and classic alternative and crossover tunes, Evol's an institution (now at a new venue). View full details
13 Jan–29 Jun Fri 10.30pm–3am	Silk, Edinburgh

Numbers

Date	Location
One of Glasgow's most eclectic clubbing successes goes from strength to strength each month, with rotating residents and a diverse array of dubstep and techno-playing special guests from around the globe. View full details
2 Mar 11pm A Numbers ambition is fulfilled this month with the booking of Four Tet, with support from Spencer.	The Sub Club, Glasgow

Octopussy

Date	Location
Jacuzzis, bouncy castles and a Chapel of Love at this weekly student night of indie, pop and electro. View full details and ticket info
1 Feb–30 May Wed 11pm–3am	The Arches, Glasgow

Optimo

Date	Location
Twitch and Wilkes return mixing everything from disco to punk, from electronica to techno. View full details
2 Mar 10.30pm	The Reading Rooms, Dundee

Wasabi Disco

Date	Location
Another dose of disco, new wave, punk and New York grooves at this 'no holds barred disco death match'. View full details
18 Feb 11pm 17 Mar 11pm	Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh

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