TONIGHT (Thursday)
So tonight is one of the bigger nights of the year, as most people with normal jobs (I believe they are called careers?) don’t have work on Friday, so will be out tonight hoping to hear “that” “great” “song” by Rihanna, so there’s plenty of stuff on for you to choose from.:
Monteys Cocktail bar serves, as you may have worked out, cocktails, and they’ve got some offers on. But I’m not really wanting to tell you about drinks offers, that is their job. I will say they always have a good playlist of rock music and the best bartenders in town.
Viper rooms’ Thursday night is called “YOLO” and it’s aimed squarely at the “beautiful people”, expects things like “Sexy R’n’B”, VIP Booths and Champagne on Daddy’s credit card. It’s usually busiest when the Students are back in town and tonight will be a massive night down there.
I’m dj’ing at Rehab tonight from 10pm, alongside Dj Tex who plays upstairs, Tex playing up front Hip-Hop and R’n’B plus some of the bigger chart tunes, whilst I really just play whatever fly’s. I tend towards the Rockier side of things on Thursdays, but I’m not really precious about it, it can involve either very very good Indie & Rock, or very very bad 80‘s and nineties cheese, I really don’t mind so long as it’s a laugh. It’s free entry and goes ‘til 4am.
Revolution has John Crayford Djing there now on Thursdays and tonight see’s them launch some manner of drinks partnership with Stolichnaya vodka, so one would expect them to be doing cool stuff like their Ice Louge’s and big teapots full of mental cocktails!
Finally, Lure is due to re-open tonight after a bit of a refurb, it was all floorboards and builders when I looked in but it looks like they are making some nice changes there!
FRIDAY
Top tip #a : Viper Rooms have a night on in the downstairs bar there on Friday, that would be my choice for clubbing. It’s called Knee Deep, and has guest Dj’s HUTCH & MASON alongside excellent residents DomSamba, James Moon & Sean Harris. They play House and Disco with a bit of techy stuff thrown in, and there is quite a buzz about this night, well worth a look. Don’t know what’s on upstairs there, and don’t really care if I’m honest, go downstairs and check out Knee Deep, 10pm – 4am.
Top tip #a2: Earlier in the night my destination of desire would be The Den, which has got a Hardcore Punk night on, run by some of the guys from the NYHC – the coolest gig organisers in town – who have been putting on DIY Underground punk shows for over ten years. Their nights are always really busy with a very nice set of punk rockers, very friendly and a good laugh. This gig has Sharkbait headlining who are like a punkier Motorhead, but much, much better looking. Don the tattoist from Northstar is the lead singer, and it is worth any entry fee just to see his beautiful face. Since entry is free, this is a no brainer. Also playing are Clean Shirts who are a good fast punk band, and Bad Manifest, who I have no idea about. Dj’ing is Dj Monkey, who has no idea about Dj’ing.
Revolution has the Grand Final of Miss Harrogate, which is either an archaic sexist demeaning disgrace, or a brilliant evening of watching really hot women walk around in swimwear and talk about caring for the world, dependant upon whether or not you think we’re going “to hell in a handcart”.
Christies has live music from Lucky boy Browne who has just been on The Voice, I dunno what he sings like but the voice does seem to be the only “talent” show where “talent” is actually the major “factor”, so he’s probbers well good.
SATURDAY
Dj Sean “The Bear” runs his Saturday night Pub Disco at Christies, straight up Saturday pary fun!
Dj Pieman’s “Stereotype” party rock night is on at Rehab, but I’m mentioning his quiz night on Monday this week, so I don’t want to wax TOO lyrical about his stuff as he might get an ego, and that would be UNIMAGINABLE.
My tip for Saturday, whilst being totally self serving (in that it is a night I’m involved in), would be Vigilance, a rave type night run once a month at Zoso (which is a small out the way bar, tucked down the back road behind Debenhams). It has a right mix of DJ’s, opening it this month at Karpacheta from K-town, who play Dubstep and “Moombah”, and there’s a load of people raving about seeing these guys. After them are Dub Reactions, who hail from Bradford and play very Deep Dub, Trap & Dubstep, it’s very dark and moody and really good. I’m on after that playing a ravey set including some grime, some trap, some hardcore rave and some old school, probably a few tunes played from vinly too,
like a proper dj. Headlining the night is Dj Sixus, and I’m not gonna pretend to know what he’s gonna play, as every time his set changes; in all honesty, he’s played the best sets of all the dj’s at the vast majority of the Vigilance nights, so he’s due this headlining set. It’s free to get in and runs from 8pm – 3am.
SUNDAY
Montey’s Cocktail bar have got M.F.O.R playing live on Sunday. These guys have been rocking in Harrogate for much longer than I have, I can remember seeing them playing live back when I was but a kid glass collecting at Jimmys, so my guess is these fellers must all be about 23 by now, and you don’t get allowed to keep doing it unless you are good (unless you’re me and just have friends in the right places) so I reckon this will be a right good show for a bank holiday Sunday. It starts at 9 “ish”.
I do want to go on and on about the battle of the Bands final at Rehab, as I’ve been running the battle for the last 7 weeks and it’s been awesome, but I don’t want you to feel I’m just here to force my product on to you (that is, after all, what facebook is for??) so I’ll just say it’s free in, the first band are on at 8pm and has: Pips, Recovery, The Superlatives & The Wilde competing for the grand prize. After the result Rehab has both floors open, with the Rehab Residents party downstairs, and my Metal & Punk night Bottom of the Bottle upstairs, until 4am, and all of this is FREE.
Moko has both rooms open for Bank Holiday Sunday, their Rock Box runs in the VIP Room and their housier residents are in the main room, I’m not sure how much it is to get in.
Finally, for the weekend “proper” Revolution are doing an event called “the Mad Hatters Tea Party” with Dj Tex, about which I know little, except that Tex is a nice person.
But let’s face it, this weekend doesn’t REALLY end on Sunday….
MONDAY
If you are still at it on Monday, good on you! Dj Pieman runs a pub quiz at the Alex every Monday, it’s been running for years and is a jolly decent way to while away your Monday night, involving free Chilli and some manner of rollover jackpot. I’ve not been since he updated the quiz, probably should if I’m gonna carry on writing about “what’s on” but I’ve heard that the update is an improvement, and it was already a v. good night out.
Moko are still running their Karaoke night on Mondays, which is something fun and a bit different to do in a club, whilst Tom “Smellit” Kellet does his passable impression of Russell Brand down at Zoso, in an open mic type night which is popular with some of the bar staff round town.
TUESDAY
Surely by now, you must be thinking about calling time on the bank Holiday weekend…? No….? Ok, head down to The Blues Bar, which is still one of Harrogate’s coolest places, and check out Excellent Rock band Lobo, who are playing there as part of their album launch. A good band in a good bar with good beer….
Also on, and new to Tuesdays, Zoso has an “open deck” night, which is as it sounds, a night where anyone is welcome to turn up and play some tunes… Formats supported are Vinyl, CD & Serrato ( though I assume if you are playing from Serrato or Traktor, or any of those other ways of “dj’ing” with the aid of a computer, you’ll need to take your own computer)…. I’m gonna go down one week and play something, but not this week because I’ll be at….
Fat Badge’s Beer club is a monthly night at, obvs, The Fat Badger, featuring guest speakers from various breweries around the UK. This month it’s Timothy Taylor, you get a 3 course meal coupled with beers that are selected to compliment the courses. It is always well attended and the speakers keep things short and to the point, like a good skirt. I’ve been to most of them so far and they are a good value night out, and an excuse for me to dress like a grown up for once.
If you are in rather than out on Saturday night, as ever my weekly internet radio show goes out at 10pm on www.harrogatealternativeradio.co.uk ; usually the show is to promote my night Vigilance, but since the night is actually ON on Saturday, I am doing a Bottom of the Bottle “take over” show, so lots of bl**dy heavy metal and bl**din’
punk rock… And yes, some strong language, so if that’s not your thing, don’t bother! facebook.com/djtrev is a similarly puerile barrage of mouth that you wouldn’t kiss your mother with so you’ve been warned, and if you’d like to hear some other stuff I done, visit www.mixcloud.com/djtrevuk
Thanks for reading, drink responsibly and don’t be loose with your affections.
Trev x x x
