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DIY Local: Edinburgh: Cabaret Voltaire, Sneaky Pete’s, DFRNT

Despite its relatively small size in terms of population, Scotland’s capital has a rich musical heritage.

Posted 19th February 2012, 5:03pm in Blogs by Martyn Young
DIY Local: Edinburgh

DIY Local: Edinburgh

The latest updates from Edinburgh.

DIY Local: Edinburgh: Cabaret Voltaire, Sneaky Pete’s, DFRNT It has been a rather difficult start to 2012 for Edinburgh’s musical community, with the news that, not one but, two of the city's most loved and respected clubs and venues are to close. Cabaret Voltaire has been a lynchpin of the city's musical scene since it first opened seven years ago. Hosting club nights and gigs every night of the week, Cabaret Voltaire was the destination of choice for the discerning Edinburgh clubber. Its distinctive underground caverns created a wonderfully immersive and thrilling atmosphere and made it truly unique among club venues and it remains at the forefront of Edinburgh’s club scene. However, the club's new owners, entertainment group G1 who purchased the venue in July 2011, have announced that the venue is to close in its current form for a six week refurbishment before reopening in March under a new name. It can only be hoped that the new club retains the ethos and atmosphere that made Cab Vol so special. In the meantime, the club celebrates its final ever party on Saturday 18th February, as hosted by Gasoline Dance Machine.

Equally as distressing as the closure of Cab Vol is the news that The Bongo Club also faces closure, as the venue's proprietors, Edinburgh University, have given the club an eviction notice due to the land being required for new office space. These are no doubt worrying times for Edinburgh club culture as the city's nightlife is becoming increasingly populated with venues ill-suited to providing a hub for innovative and progressive music. There is, however, a thriving appetite for dance music in the city and it is surviving in what is now perhaps the city's best club, the small and intimate Sneaky Pete’s.

Based in the Cowgate, Sneaky Pete’s has a capacity of only 200, yet it is here that the city's most exciting dance music is being played and their ethos of playing great music they love and not bowing to commercial pressures is an example that many clubs could follow and shows that there is genuine value in Edinburgh’s club scene. Sneaky Pete’s promoter Nick Stewart believes that the secret to the club's success is in their love of music and their skill as curators of exciting local and national dance music: “We spend a lot of time and care programming the music and I hope that shows. The future holds more of the same, only better, and we’re really looking to foster more local talent.”

Staying with this month's theme of dance music, one of Sneaky Pete’s main tips for 2012 is the minimal dubstep hosted by Cut Records, the label curated by Edinburgh DJ and producer DFRNT. Cut’s most recent release is DFRNT's ‘Actaeon EP’ and there is, indeed, something wonderfully beautiful about its perfectly poised electronica. Hugely impressive stuff.

Notable gigs this month include previous favourites of this column The Machine Room who celebrate the release of their debut EP ‘Love from a Distance’ with a special show at the Wee Red Bar on Saturday 3rd March, supported by Blank Canvas and Zed Penguin.

Finally, excellent Edinburgh blog and record label Song By Toad host two of their regular Ides of Toad gigs at Henry Cellars Bar. This month features the rousing indie pop of Chris Devotion and The Expectations, My Tiny Robots and Morris Major on Saturday 18th Feb, and the rather more off kilter stylings of The Pineapple Chunks, Brown Brogues and Zed Penguin on the 24th.
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