OFF THE HOOK

Carefully curated tunes and a no-phones policy give Glasgow's Hot Mess night an electric atmosphere

- Tomasz Lesniara

Hot Mess

Monthly, Saturdays at The Poetry Club, 100 Eastvale Place, G3 8QG, Glasgow

'People Make Glasgow.' That is the phrase every resident of the city knows by heart. We are reminded about Glaswegian hospitality nearly all the time. Whether it's asking for directions, taxi driver's patter or random conversations you have with people on nights out, it's impossible to deny the friendliness of Scotland's second city.

This isn't always reflected in Glasgow's mainstream gay clubs, however, where I partied a lot during my first couple of years in the city (I was 22 and more desperate than Avril Lavigne when she recorded 'Girlfriend' in seven different languages). After years of dancing to J.Lo and Pitbull's 'On the Floor' (how many times can we do that?) and fearing for my life every time I accidentally spilled my drink (they can be quite strict), I finally decided to try something new.

Hot Mess is an edgy club night that takes place in Glasgow's Poetry Club once a month. I have heard a lot about it - especially its no-photo policy and community atmosphere. It's the creation of Simon and Colin, who manage the project on top of their busy (non-clubbing) day jobs. Simon (aka Simonotron) is also the night's main DJ and musical director, designing his sets to create a unique experience for his guests.