Astrid Album Preview

Scottish four-piece tunesmiths Astrid preview new songs from their next album, due out in Feb 2001. Tickets available from Ripping Records.

Liquid

The central P1 club has always been associated with Vienna's silver spoon youngsters. Fridays however now attract an entirely different crowd of almost exclusively gay ravers to Liquid, currently the city's premier queer night-spot, popular with locals of out-of-towners alike. With the usual pumping house sounds and animation from scene divas Dusty O and Lucy McEvil, Liquid is undoubtedly the hottest night out in a city with a rather limited gay circuit.

Café Fiesta

Czech Mex food doesn't get a lot of respect, but if anyone's going to raise its rep a bit, it's Café Fiesta. True, the refried beans are actually steamed and the tortilla chips are from Tesco but the quesadillas are laced with fiery jalapeno peppers, as is the sopa Azteca (a rich spicy soup that's the house specialty). Like all other entrees at Café Fiesta, they're served in mountainous portions. Krusovice beer is on tap, a perfect complement to this cuisine.

El Grande de Coca Cola

This riotous and wacky musical comedy stars one of South Africa's all time favourite slapstick comedians, Tobie Cronje. Impresario Papa Pepe Hernandez hires a troupe of international cabaret acts to perform in Sandton Square, but they let him down. Ever resourceful, Pepe hires his own family to do the job - with chaotic consequences. A hilarious mixture of Spanish ramblings and visual humour, this is perfect festive season fare.

Hometown Holiday

The ghost of Vegas Past is conjured up easily at the Clark County Museum, where a street of restored historical local buildings will be dressed up with over one million lights in the name of the holidays. While strolling among the beautiful old homes, slathered to the rafters in period holiday finery, you can drop some cash at the Museum Guild's craft and bake sale, enjoy roving carollers or take a sleigh ride, all while the kids sit with Santa and design their own make-and-take ornaments. Live music will set the scene.

Parco Bugis Junction

Midnight Sun short

Sahara visions

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

Bierfässer vorm Haus

X-mas Mix

DJ SpigiBoy will spin in the big room, when the E-Klub has its 'X-mas Mix' party. SpigiBoy is a hard-working DJ who plays decent house music that keeps the floor throbbing on into the night. Budapest's young, happy and chemically-altered dance crowd should be out in force to celebrate Christmas their own way. Resident DJ Cool will spin in the 'UnderHouse' room, and DJ Duffy is promising 'party music' on the small dance floor. Rest your feet in preparation for this one.

James Grant

The former Love & Money frontman returns with tracks from his new solo album, My Thrawn Glory.