It’s election fever week, and while you may be bored of people in suits speaking in slightly raised voices at one another, let’s not deny that the backroom West Wingisms of the whole thing are wearingly addictive. Once you’ve done your civic duty and voted, there are a number of options available to help you come down from the whole thing.
No Globe and Braw Gigs present Golden Teacher and Sofrito – Mash House, Thu May 7
Of course, we know Jeremy Vine and his hallucinogenic cocktail of bluescreen graphics and cutaways to partying middle-aged MPs in leisure centres around the nation will be hard to resist on election night, but we’ve got a better idea – spend the evening in the company of cutting-edge world music and tropical DJ Sofrito aka Hugo Mendez with a live set from Glasgow’s mighty disco-sleaze-punk contingent Golden Teacher, then wake up to the political carnage in the morning.
Karnival and Pulse present Vitalic – Liquid Room, Sat May 9
Coalition by the weekend? If not, we’ve got yer unholy marriage of convenience right here, in which Edinburgh establishment parties Karnival and Pulse campaign on a manifesto of contemporary and classic techno and house to win your vote. This month’s last-ditch pledge to secure your support is a live appearance from Pascal Arbez, aka French electroclash survivor Vitalic (pictured above), creator of bona fide club bangers ‘Poney’, ‘My Friend Dario’ and ‘Poison Lips’.
Colours present Paul Oakenfold – City Nightclub, Sat May 9
Those hoping for a return to traditional values might be well advised to take themselves off to neon-stripped nightclub in the old-fashioned sense City, where Scots dance music brand Colours welcome trance music founding father Paul Oakenfold for a party in celebration of the 25th anniversary of his Perfecto Records label. His work over the last 36 years includes a fistful of chart hits (including ‘Reach Up’ as Perfecto Allstarz and ‘Not Over Yet’ as Grace), high-profile remixes for Happy Mondays, U2 and Madonna, the support DJ gig at the Stone Roses’ seminal Spike Island show and, ahem, composing the theme song of reality show ‘Big Brother’. But he also discovered DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince and Salt ‘n’ Pepa when working as a New York A&R man in the 1980s, so we’ll let him off.