THE MTV European Music Awards are in town on Sunday, you may have heard.

It's hard not to hear about these kinds of things when they're all over the six o'clock news and plastered across eight-foot-tall billboards around the city centre, but I'll admit that until I confronted one of them earlier this week I had no idea the awards were so soon.

Like a royal wedding or a test cricket match, it's an event that, no matter the location, isn't really on my radar.

Hosting a star-studded ceremony such as this has all sorts of economic benefits for Glasgow, but the real gains will be felt by our clubs, which play host to a vibrant selection of pre- and post-awards parties all weekend long.

Saint Judes is right in the thick of it, hosting MTV's Basement Sessions, with fast-rising Hot Creations DJ Patrick Topping - there's a pre-party upstairs from 7pm onwards.

Saturday sees the sprawling SWG3 host the official awards pre-party, which features Aussie dance act Pendulum alongside Club MTV residents R3WIRE and Varski.

Then there's an (altogether more appealing) all-Glasgow lineup downstairs, headed up by 16-year-old Stefan Janik - although surely that hinges on whether the bouncers accept his doctored Young Scot card as ID.

After the main event it's up to R&B legend Trevor Nelson to head up the official afterparty at the ABC, while the cooler kids have a secret guest at Saint Judes to look forward to. If they're still on their feet, of course.

l Patrick Topping pre-party, tomorrow, Liquor Store, 7pm-1am, free

l Club MTV Warehouse Party with Pendulum, Saturday, SWG3, 11pm-3am, £17.25

l Trevor Nelson, Sunday, O2 ABC, 10pm-3am, £11.25

l MTV Basement Sessions, Sunday, Saint Judes, 11pm -3am, £10

Sub surfacing

NOT to be outdone by the flashbulbs and celebrity cameos across town, the Sub Club's lineup this weekend is absolutely, unashamedly massive.

Tonight, British house DJ Richy Ahmed brings the disco, funk and hip-hop to Show with Theo Kottis in support.

Tomorrow, Numbers take over with the brilliantly-named Joy Orbison all night long, while on Saturday it's veteran Brit producer Andrew Weatherall who's let loose for a special four-hour set.

On Sunday local scamps Illyus and Barrientos, currently riding the crest of a wave as their Gorgon City remix reaches national attention, take over at Fly Club's MTV alternative - the so-called "We're No Goin' to the MTV Party Party". Sore heads all round on Monday then, no matter where you are.

l Richy Ahmed, tonight, Sub Club, 11pm-3am, £5

l Joy Orbison, tomorrow, Sub Club, 11pm-3am, £12

l Andrew Weatherall, Saturday, Sub Club, 11pm-3am, £12

l The We're No Goin' to the MTV Party Party, Sunday, Sub Club, 11pm-3am, £3

Best of the rest

ALL of which leaves us trying to cram the rest of the weekend into but a few words.

Tomorrow it's the seventh birthday of the brilliant Renfield Lane boozer Stereo - with interesting electronica duo Modifier playing live and Mogwai DJing for free. Where can you go wrong?

Then on Saturday, The Flying Duck hosts the Europe-wide electronica festival STFU, which features a bunch of weird, experimental acts, including Theremin Hero and I Am Blip. Hit that early then head to the Art School later for Foam, which features a four-hour set from Chicago's Hieroglyphic Being and a live audio-visual set from Londoner Posthuman.

l Stereo's 7th Birthday, tomorrow, Stereo, 8pm- 3am, free

l STFU Glasgow, Saturday, The Flying Duck, 6pm- 3am, £5

l Foam, Saturday, The Art School, 11pm-3am, £8/£6