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Something for the weekend sir? — well, there's plenty on offer

Friday, May 02, 2008

There are treats galore at city venues this holiday weekend as chart toppers and fun acts dominate the line-ups. And an extra special bonus is that you don't even need to worry about that early start on Monday morning, says Patric Baird

Another bank holiday weekend is upon us and, true to form, Northern Ireland's club promoters are rolling out the big guns, with plenty of big name DJs and special one-off events taking place over the next few days.

Amongst the highlights is Shine, taking place at Queen's Students Union tomorrow night, and, fresh from their recent mixes tour, the Radio Soulwax live show has pride of place at the top of the bill.

Headed by Belgian brothers David and Stephen Dewaele, the Soulwax brand blends rock and dance music in both live and recorded forms, as the pair are just as happy manning the decks as they are wielding guitars and a microphone.

It's as Soulwax that they will perform the live version of their 2005 album Nite Versions, followed up by a genre-mashing DJ set under their 2ManyDJs guise, the legendary cut and paste outfit which led them to mainstream international exposure.

Support comes from Ladyhawke and DJ Riton, tickets are £18 and some limited edition tickets, available from Stiff Kitten Bar include entry to the Irish premiere screening of the new Soulwax film, Part of the Weekend Never Dies.

It's on Sunday night when most of the action takes place — forget that Monday morning hangover, the public holiday means a major lie-in for most people, though fans of both electronic acts Hot Chip and Dan Le Sac will find themselves in a bit of a quandary!

Both are set to perform at different venues, with Dan Le Sac joining his pal Scroobius Pip at The Limelight for a live performance which should include last year's stunning chart debut, Thou Shalt Always Kill, a stinging indictment of modern British culture.

Joining the pair will be Co Antrim hip hopper Jee4ce and Belfast-born performer Doctor Lilt — doors open at 9pm and tickets cost a tenner, available online at www.geturticket.com or from Katy Daly's bar, or catch them at the Nerve Centre on Tuesday, May 6.

Simultaneously, over the road at Stiff Kitten, there's an equally strong line-up of acts on offer as seminal Chicago DJ/producer Green Velvet joins English electro poppers Hot Chip and the Fad DJs for another bank holiday special.

Green Velvet, AKA Cajmere, is a frequent visitor to the Province, having played Shine many times and his numerous releases, including 2007's Shake and Pop, are firm favourites with many of the world's biggest name DJs, including Carl Cox and Erol Alkan.

With two massive chart hits behind them (Ready For The Floor and Over and Over), as well as scoring both Mercury Music Prize and Ivor Novello award nominations, Hot Chip are one of biggest mainstream electro acts around at the moment.

Sadly, they'll not be performing live at this event, instead taking to the decks for a special DJ set — but, at an all-inclusive ticket price of £12, it's still pretty good value to see two performances by modern-day legends of the electro movement.

Queen's University is celebrating its 100th birthday this year and one of the events marking its milestone is the Centenary May Ball, taking place tomorrow night and the Great Hall will be transformed to recall the more formal atmosphere of years gone by.

Thankfully, there will also be a contemporary twist with performances by experimental electronic DJ Scanner and jazzman Ray Gelato, as well as an exotic cabaret provided by Penguin People at the nearby One Hundred Club.

The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival is on and one important event is the launch of the Barracuda Club, a spin off from London's Beautiful Octopus club which stages friendly club events run by, and for, people with learning disabilities.

Local Elvis impersonator Trevor Lemon will be joining in the fun at Belfast's Black Box next Wednesday and each room will be dedicated to providing either a space to dance, or to simply chill-out — doors open at 8pm and tickets cost £5.