- Eris Drew and Octo Octa deliver a life-affirming session bursting with rave, Eurohouse and pop-dance anthems.
- Late last year, the Glasgow party Shoot Your Shot hosted the only Scottish date of Eris Drew and Octo Octa's first T4T LUV NRG world tour. To have them back for round two less than six months later, this time for the only T4T show in Europe before festival season, was testament to Shoot Your Shot's founder and curator Bonzai Bonner, who has been championing inclusive club nights and safe-space events in the city for the past five years.
"Absolutely buzzing." I heard these words again and again as I made my way into The Berkeley Suite before midnight. Even by Glasgow's high standards, the energy inside was crackling. Tucked away in a basement, behind a cheekily misleading pawn shop sign, the intimate venue is set in the ballroom of a former Victorian public house. Bonner and the residents Anna Gram and Mi$$ Co$mix opened with a jubilant selection of early-'90s house bangers, an excellent, if modestly short, primer for what was about to go down.
Five-hour sets in Glasgow are a rarity, with club nights usually curbed by the strict 3 AM licensing curfew. This, then, was a treat. Eris Drew and Octo Octa brought their inimitable love for the rave from the moment they hit the decks. The crowd matched their energy all the way. The low-slung booth meant the DJs' craftsmanship was there for all to see: scratching, tight mixing and fantastic juxtapositions. Eurohouse and old-school breaks (Mix Factory's rapturous "Take Me Away") flowed into well-loved dance and pop anthems from Underworld and Gala.
Posters tacked around the space were a reminder of T4T's no-bullshit approach to club conduct. "All genders are to be acknowledged and celebrated. What matters is who you are, or who you think you might be." I'd like to think that this was a reiteration of the values already upheld by everyone present. Everywhere I looked I saw old friends embracing and new friendships being formed. It was impossible to count the number of smiles in the room.
Shoot Your Shot is named after a song by Divine—a song, Bonner told me, "that for years I have believed sums up the party spirit, fun and beauty I wanted to see on a dance floor." This ethos burst into bloom when Eris Drew and Octo Octa unleashed "Out Of Space" by The Prodigy. It was a rare moment of pure rave euphoria. The sweaty crowd bounced and threw hands in the air. The DJs embraced. When the clock ticked past 5 AM, it felt like no time had passed. The night offered a glimpse into a better world, another dimension, and the view was inspiring.
Photo credit /
Tiu Makkonen