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The Vinyle Word

Taipei's baddies better watch out this weekend. PHOTO: COURTESY OF TIMMY MOORE

Taipei's nightlife — more so than down South, it seems — is awash with rubbish gimmicks and it gives The Vinyl Word great pleasure to snort with derision at some of the utterly brainless naffness that passes for original marketing strategies. Hardly a week goes by without there being something to cackle at: whether it's complicated sticker games, free entry for jugglers, every fifteenth tequila half price for people wearing cowboy hats, or the ultimate tired-and-testing "pimps-and-ho-ho-hoes' nights"; we've seen it all. And it's boring. Largely it's just a facade for the fact that the music isn't all that great, the bar staff is often rude, or the beer is warm.

So it is genuinely a pleasure to this week present a theme party that actually has a bit of cleverness behind it. Superparty II is no less than a superhero costume ball, which first kicked off last year and was awesome fun. The return is eagerly anticipated: customers at bars across the city last week were attempting to weasel out the details of each other's costumes, in a healthy bit of one-upmanship. But getting everyone to come and don a cape and a pair of tights is not just a clever idea: it's not either a cover for there being no entertainment on offer. Marcus Aurelius is always a solid bet for some good tunes and he's joined by Michaelphonic: a gent who has been described as "the thinking man's DJ" and whose rare appearances make him all the more worth seeing. He'll also be giving away a double mix CD to the first 100 people through the door. It's at Club 151 Jiangguo North Road Sec. 2 No. 65 B1 (just south of Minsheng Rd, 台北市建國北路二段65號B1). It's NT$500, all you can drink — which normally is a bad sign, but at Club 151 they can pour a decent drink.

Elsewhere this weekend: tonight Luxy presents the launch party for Tiesto's new CD Elements of Life. Unfortunately, the man himself won't be there, as he will be collecting an internationally-judged award for "Least Inspiring Album Title." But expect trance from Joe Ho, Reason, and J-Six: it'll be like being back in 2F! Tomorrow sees House Biaaatch return: Cookie and J-Six plus Nina and Scotty Baller back-to-back sounds like it could be fun. Also tomorrow: Club Jump hosts Follow Me, while Partyroom serves up hip-hop from the excellent Noodles and Mykal. It's only a shame that they got the same guy who writes Taipei city street signs to do the flyers, as the Fantastic Plastic Machine Sound System is billed as 'FBM' and not 'FPM.' Good one.

Next week: tune in for an exclusive interview with Paul van Dyke, ahead of his Luxy gig on June 1st, about globalization, political activism and arms sales to China. Oh, and his forthcoming album.
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