Optimo and Retro/Grade in Glasgow

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  • Maybe it provides some ancient reconnection with our seafaring past, or maybe it's just that a change is as good as a holiday. For whatever reason, Scottish clubbers absolutely love a boat party, so 700 of them filed onto the Waverley Paddle Steamer at Glasgow's Science Centre for a jaunt down the Clyde to Greenock and back, soundtracked by Twitch and Wilkes of Optimo and Melting Pot's Simon Cordiner and Andrew Pirie. The Waverley herself is a marvel of Scottish shipbuilding—launched in 1947 and since 1972 the last working paddle steamer in the world, she is also thought to be the most photographed ship in the world. In recent years she has been restored to her former glory by generous slabs of lottery money, and her richly varnished timber decks and spotless brass fittings were in pleasing contrast with the kind of barnacle-encrusted old trawler sometimes used for these parties. Photo credit: Nic Serpell-Rand As we pulled away from the quay, Wilkes kicked off his set with Robert Wyatt's "Shipbuilding," following which he, Twitch, Pirie and Cordiner took turns crafting a largely disco-focused three hours of music, with Midnight Star's "Freak-A-Zoid" striking a particularly joyous chord from my position on the top deck. With two upper and two lower decks there was plenty of room to wander, though the main bar area became pretty crowded later on, so it was merciful that the weather stayed on the right side of awful to keep many on the outdoor levels until the final hour or so. After three hours of smooth sailing, with nary a seasickness case in sight, the boat dropped its cargo back onto the quay, and attendees were swiftly bussed to the Sub Club over the river for part two, star attraction at which was a live show from Tom Neville and Serge Santiago in their Retro/Grade guise. Glasgow club crowds have never been known for a restrained approach to intoxicants (it's partly to do with the clubs closing at 3 AM; the city's restrictive licensing is similarly culpable for a perpetual abundance of marathon afterparties), but by the time Retro/Grade appeared on stage at least five hours after the boat departed, the crowd had attained a level of merriment that made for a delirious climax to proceedings. Photo credit: Nic Serpell-Rand Neville and Santiago's set was short, to the point and excellent—thirty minutes of meaty, updated Italo disco built around their two inspired club hits of the last year: "Zoid" and "Moda." These have both been staples in every right-thinking DJ's bag for months now, and were greeted like the instant classics they are. After that it was left to Optimo and Melting Pot to bring things home via the retro-futuristic likes of Simple Minds' "Theme for Great Cities," before the stamina-stretching afterparties began in earnest. This was certainly a long night, but, to pun hideously on the sponsors' chosen trade, it was never one that dragged.
RA