Night out with a difference?
Paddle do nicely
BRACE yourselves, landlubbers, for the most adventurous clubbing excursion of the weekend.
Yes, it's time again for the Riverboat Shuffle: Optimo's annual cruise doon the watter aboard the Waverley, the world's last ocean-going paddle steamer.
This year's crew of DJs are anything but motley. Optimo will be joined by residents from The Admiral's monthly disco night Melting Pot, and eclectic local promoters/ DJs Vitamins.
Expect the return trip to the Holy Loch to be a raucous jamboree of deep house, disco and techno, along with whatever obscure brilliance Optimo have.
If the thought of such nautical action makes you a little nauseous, all of the above will be in attendance at the Sub Club for the afterparty, taking the action into the wee hours.
l Waverley Riverboat Shuffle, Glasgow Science Centre, tomorrow, 7pm – 11pm, £25. Afterparty at Sub Club, 11pm - 3am, £5.
Festival frolics
It's the last weekend of the West End Festival, which means a glut of celebrations spread out across Glasgow's bohemian quarter.
First up, the Hidden Lane Festival and afterparty should be enough to occupy you on Saturday.
The lane, off Argyle Street in Finnieston, becomes a haven for lovers of all things twee and indie with open studios, art installations, stalls and a barbeque.
There's music from Nevada Base, Selective Service and How To Swim, followed by DJs and a rather more raucous afterparty at nearby SWG3.
There, Phuturelabs, Joe Crogan & Frank Sinatron and NoFace bring the noise alongside DJ sets from Den Haan, Miaoux-Miaoux and a very secret, very special guest.
Sunday sees the West End Festival close with an all-day affair at Oran Mor featuring a pretty exciting line-up of new Scottish music.
Edinburgh indie rockers We Were Promised Jetpacks headline alongside Aidan Moffat and Bill Wells - makers of Everything's Getting Older, the most beautiful album of last year.
Moffat's beer-soaked and half-spoken, half-sung laments are a perfectly bittersweet way to wrap the festival up, before a short hop to the Hillhead Book Club for the closing party with Harri of Subculture and Simon Cordiner of Melting Pot.
Disco, deep house and cheap Mojitos - there could be festival-sized sore heads in store come Monday.
l The Hidden Lane Festival Afterparty, SWG3, Saturday, 9pm – 2am, free
l West End Festival Closing Party, Hillhead Book Club, Sunday, 8pm – 1am, free
Let's go Forth
The weekend's other boat party might curse Optimo's decision to sail this weekend, effectively "bagsying" the Waverley.
But those who prefer their house no-frills and a little harder might find this jaunt into the Firth of Forth more fun.
It places the Levelone DJs up against those from Bar Petite, the diminutive Bath Street basement that wears its title well.
Karen Aston, Chris McPartlin and Kris Keegan lineup alongside Iain Stirling, Robert McGloan and Alan CuloBlanco, with Lisa Littlewood.
Tickets are available from Bar Petite and West George Street's The Golf Lounge, and there's an afterparty at Charing Cross's The Berkeley Suite.
l Levelone v Bar Petite Boat Party, South Queensferry, West Lothian, Sunday, 4.30pm – 11pm, £tbc. Afterparty at The Berkeley Suite, 11pm – 3am, £5.