Glasgow doesn’t go in for street-partying in anything like the same way as its neighbour Edinburgh on New Year’s Eve. This end of the M8, it’s all about the clubs, gigs and other indoor celebrations, which spring up in not just all the familiar after-hours venues, but plenty of bars too, often with extended licenses. There’s lots to choose from, then, and not just on December 31 – look out for standout Glasgow happenings across the full post-Christmas period, from Boxing Day through to the first weekend of 2015.
69 Presents: Christmas Carry On with Marty, Wilba and Euan – La Cheetah, Sat Dec 27
Club 69 will unwrap a big box of fun at their yearly Christmas special, to floor-shaking sounds from La Cheetah’s massive Funktion-One sound system. Entry has been kept at a low, low £5 and they’ve got a December late licence through until 4am.
Pressure: End of Year Party – The Arches, Sat Dec 27
Glasgow dance music institution Slam’s monthly party at The Arches ends the year on a high with special guests galore. Residents Orde and Stuart will be joined by old favourites Len Faki, Blawan and Silicone Soul, plus Pressure debutants George FitzGerald and Marquis Hawkes. Better still, the event runs until 4am.
Made in Berlin presents Hardfloor (live) – SWG3, Sat Dec 27
Veteran techno, acid and trance pioneers Hardfloor – aka Oliver Bondzio and Ramon Zenker from Cologne – come to Glasgow just after Christmas for a special live set. Warming up for them will be DJs Bosco, Rob Mason and Rebecca Vasmant.
GBX NYE: Welcome 2015 – Arches, Wed Dec 31
Welcome in 2015 in raucous fashion, as GBX take over The Arches with DJs galore. It’s GBX Anthems in the main arch with George Bowie, Mallorca Lee, Steve Cocky, Sparkos and more, while arch two is all about Hardstyle Superheroes like Crypsis, Chain Reaction and Obsession, and the café bar hosts the likes of Marc Loage, Ross McFadyen and many others.
La Cheetah Club, Notsosilent and Offbeat: NYE 2014 with I-F, Funkineven, DAJB + more – La Cheetah, Wed Dec 31
La Cheetah’s Funktion-One sound system will be rolled out across not just one but two floors, as 2015 is welcomed in fine, loud style. La Cheetah Club, Notsosilent and Offbeat partner to present a mixture of resident DJs and guests including I-F, Funkineven, Dixon Avenue Basement Jams and many more.
Club Noir's New Year’s Eve Burlesque – O2 Academy, Wed Dec 31
Glasgow’s legendary tartan-fringed burlesque night Club Noir returns with another blockbuster event at the Academy to welcome the arrival of 2015. There’ll be burlesque acts, live music, roulette wheels, DJs and a host of International cabaret stars. Dressing-up is enthusiastically encouraged for all patrons.
Streetrave New Years Eve – SWG3, Wed Dec 31
It’s a Streetrave takeover at the SWG3 warehouse for New Year, as they present the soundtrack of the last 25 years, with sets from N-Joi, K-Klass, Shades of Rhythm, Together, Davos, Altern-8 and literally a dozen and more names besides.
20 Years of Subculture NYE at Sub Club: Harri & Domenic, Chez Damier, The Revenge (live) and Telford – Sub Club, Wed Dec 31
Harri and Domenic’s veteran Sub Club Saturday night residency Subculture reaches another major milestone as it turns 20 – and it’s showing no sign of stopping. For this two-decade celebration, which handily coincides with New Year, they welcome a giant of Chicago house in Chez Damier, as well as a live set from Glasgow’s The Revenge, and DJing from boy wonder Telford.
The Martinez Brothers – O2 ABC, Wed Dec 31
The ABC’s Christmas party will see a four-hour set from rising stars of underground house and techno the Martinez Brothers – two young men from the Bronx, who were DJing around the world before they had even left high school. They’ve held a residency at DC-10 in Ibiza since 2011.
Berkeley Suite NYE w/ Horsemeat Disco and Billy Woods – Berkeley Suite, Wed Dec 31
It’s a tried-and-tested and hugely successful formula so The Berkeley Suite aren’t changing a thing: for a third successive year they’ll see off the old and welcome in the in the new to a furious disco soundtrack from Horsemeat Disco and Supermax’s Billy Woods.
Sleazy’s NYE: Shoot Your Shot – Nice’n’Sleazy, Wed Dec 31
Hi-NRG and Italo-disco specialists with a fine line in NSFW poster designs Shoot Your Shot have been called in to man the decks at Nice’n’Sleazy’s New Year special, with a vow to take you higher.
IAM_Stereo_NYE – Stereo, Wed Dec 31
'A big, beautiful banger of a two-floor party,' is Stereo’s offering for Hogmanay, and who could say much fairer than that? Sub Club residents the i AM are the guest hosts. Downstairs its Beta & Kappa and DJ Greenman on the decks; upstairs expect tuneage from WSHOM (We Should Hang Out More) and Stereo and Friends (DJ Cal Monte + Fox Gut Daata).
Mono’s NYE Party 2014 with Rafla & Wako / Pulse (live) / Spread Eagle (live) / Django Django (DJ set) / Get Your Ass To Mars DJs / Derek Sexton DIY Magician – Mono, Wed Dec 31
Mono don’t tend to scrimp on the entertainment when it comes to Hogmanay and this year (and a bit of next year, when you think about it) is no exception. The Hot Club’s Rafla & Wako host, with all from 'infamous' live karaoke band Pulse to DJs from Django Django adding their own unique flavour to the fray.
Slam NYE – The Glue Factory, Wed Dec 31
New Year in Glasgow wouldn’t quite be New Year in Glasgow unless Slam were involved somewhere. The Glue Factory is the suitably scuzzy venue this year, and they bring a formidable roster of local talents in support including Silicone Soul, Animal Farm, Sunday Circus, Simon Stokes aka Petrichor and Platform 18.
No New Year: Halfrican / Catholic Action / Pinact / Herbert Powell / Insect Heroes / Froth / NYLA – 13th Note, Wed Dec 31
Surf, garage, noise, psych, lo-fi, hi-fi and more – the new wave of the Glasgow underground live music scene represent at New Year with a packed line-up in the 13th Note basement. Best of all – it’s totally free. Big Hogg DJs upstairs all night.
King Tut’s Hogmanay Party with Tijuana Bibles – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Wed Dec 31
See out 2014 and welcome the arrival of 2015 in style, together with one of Glasgow’s fastest-rising young bands, swampy blues-rockers Tijuana Bibles. Crash Club and Medicine Men support.
NYE Madchester w/ Shed Seven (acoustic) – The Admiral, Wed Dec 31
It’s New Year’s eve with added swagger, as the Madchester crew take over The Admiral for a last big night out of 2014 which will quickly become the first big night out of 2015. As well as all the classics from Happy Mondays to Oasis from the Madchester DJs, there’ll be an added live music treat in the form of an acoustic set from Shed Seven's Rick Witter and Joe Johnson.
Subculture vs Optimo Meltdown – Sub Club, Sat Jan 3
Party lightweights need not attend, as Subculture returns to the Subby just three days after their Hogmanay special, to face off against another pair of Glasgow DJ heavyweights in Optimo (pictured above), who themselves will be recovering from their own NYE bash at The Art School. Leave your hangover at the door.
Words: Malcolm Jack