Born Bad/Spellbound
Komedia
Two choices for getting away from the modern world as 2009 turns into 2010 at the Komedia – Spellbound is the best for 80s underground fans who stay out of the sunshine, while rockabillies and rock’n’rollers will want to leave their switchblades at the door of Born Bad. Two killer nights – but separate, you’ll need to buy a ticket for one or the other.
Don’t Stop Believin’
Jam
An unabashed trot through every decade of amazing pop with Dynamite Sal’s crew, including DJs from Pop Muzik, Shameless, We Love Pop and Snap, Crackle & Britpop (Eddie The Goatboy, DJ Nause and DJ Halfbeat for a start). Promises to be more fun than is strictly sensible.
Floorplay NYE Special
Coalition
Another amazing year for Prok & Fitch – packed night every month, some killer singles, debut compilation – so who else could host the Coalition’s NYE (Pop Musik, maybe, but that ruins the hyperbole). Proper big room house with a community feel, this one is gonna be rammed, especially with a live set from My Digital Enemy.
Hed Kandi: The Glitter Ball
Honeyclub
NYE has traditionally been a night of glamour and there’s nothing more glamorous than Hed Kandi, always popular with girls in nice dresses who like their music. John Jones and Jamie Richards are at the decks, but no one is bigger than the Hed Kandi brand, one that really knows what its audience wants. Great house with a soulful edge.
Hold Up
Old Market
Shunted out of Life for the night, Hold Up could shine with the biggest indie night in town. Crowd-pleasing tunes mean the dancefloor should be rammed, but this should be a great venue to hang out in too.
It’s Still 1985
New Hero
For New Hero the calendar is stuck – but stuck in a great time, the mid 80s. Henron has got more enthusiasm than shame so expect to be sucked into singing along to Phil Collins with hipsters who don’t remember him the first time around. Lucky them.
Life NYE
Life
One of the biggest events of the night sees Life expand into a three-room extravaganza, taking on the garage and the café on each side. The latter is being hosted by SOURCEfest’s man behind the scenes, Dave ‘She Likes Parties’ Richards, while Kompakt and Schtumm get all acid house in the garage. Maxxi Soundsystem bring the Idjut Boys’ wonky disco house into the main club meanwhile.
Minimal Kids
Audio NYE
For the last few outings New Year’s has been maximal for Audio but for 2009 they’ve gone the other way with a proper, serious heads down dance fest. Cagedbaby is back again, this time after a year in France, joined by electro house up’n’comer Riva Starr, rounding of a great year of remixes and productions. Minimal Kids DJs will fill the gaps.
New Years Eve Spectacular
Hobgoblin
It’s not all about poncey dance music for NYE – the Hobgoblin are bringing the rock with an astounding line-up that includes Trippin’ Violet and ASBO Retards, among many of the city’s best bands, plus Brighton Rumble and Punker Bunker DJs. It’s also free, so more money for booze.
Pussycat Club/Brodinski
Digital
Always a popular NYE, the two-pronged attack of Pussycat Club and the more underground after party means there’s something for most house fans at Digital. The Pussies go with a Fabulous Las Vegas theme, including quickie weddings, while Brodinski and Blah Blah Blah get destructive at 3am with massive basslines and tougher electro house sounds.
Supercharged
Concorde 2
As you might expect from a club night that grabs amazing guests for their midweek sessions, Supercharged have got a huge line-up of beat-heavy names for this massive do. Crack House dweller Zinc conquered drum’n’bass and then turned his back on the sound for his own nasty take on fidget house. He’s joined by Loefah, Nero, Brookes Brothers and Qemists, completing a killer line-up of breakbeat at all tempos up to d’n’b.
Stick It On’s New Year’s Eve Hootenanny
King & Queen
Everybody wants to DJ on New Year’s Eve, so what better night than one where all get 15 minutes to torture everyone else. Check the website if you want to spin, don’t just turn up with a bag of 12 inches – and go wild, no minimal techno here please.
Tru Thoughts NYE Party
Funky Buddha
Brighton’s best jazzed-out post-funk and neo-soul label is starting a new free night at the Funky Buddha in 2010 called Steady On. This is a prologue to the main event, with label boss Robert Luis, Hint and Flevans behind the decks. Ought to be a good night as the three of them always throw down great tunes for dancing, and it’s only £12.
