<copy><![CDATA[When it comes to partying on New Year’s Eve, don’t be fooled: size matters. For some, big-room clubs boasting bigger-name DJs are the only place to be on December 31. But just as many will opt for smaller venues offering alternative, underground line-ups and a more intimate atmosphere. So how do you know which one to choose? And wait a minute; isn’t the superclub supposed to be dead anyway? The big clubs’ death knell was first sounded shortly after the millennium. On that New Year’s Eve, greedy promoters were punished for charging up to £150 a head to welcome in 2000. Clubbers across the country stayed away in droves, preferring private parties and pubs, and many high-profile venues were left with little more than<br>tumbleweed on their dancefloors. Ever since, there have been endless stories claiming that dance music and clubbing are on the verge of collapse. But has any of it happened? In reality, not a lot has changed – except for some slight tightening of purse strings. New clubs continue to spring up, and the<br>big leaguers are still going strong. Take Birmingham’s Godskitchen, which at the worst of the supposed downturn decided<br>to demolish its old venue and build a multimillion-pound replacement – Air – on<br>its foundations. In London, well-established larger clubs, such as The End and Turnmills, are still packed at weekends, and most weeknights for that matter. Both have maintained their credibility by covering a range of musical styles over separately promoted nights, from Detroit techno to drum ’n’ bass. Other stalwarts, such as Renaissance in Nottingham and London, Slinky in Bournemouth and Bristol, and Shindig in Newcastle all report full houses. The venues that have survived the drought have stuck to basic principles. Each night must be promoted by people who love and understand the music, and each night must be good value. Too many of the old guard assumed that by shoving big-name DJs on a bill, no matter what their styles, they were guaranteed to pack clubbers in at any price. They have been proved wrong. This year’s partygoers are more savvy. The clueless scene-tourists – the very people who encouraged exploitation by buying into anything as long as it was labelled “dance music” – have moved on, leaving behind a core of people with real passion for the music. This shift has naturally coincided with some clubbers heading back to the more underground dance scenes. Drum ’n’ bass nights such as Movement in London and Bassbin’s Refuge in Dublin command a fiercely loyal following and have done brisk business in 2003. Both nights operate out of intimate venues where people go to dance rather than to be seen. Increasingly, smaller venues are also combining live music with DJs, offering customers more and capitalising on the intensity of a compact environment. Cargo and 93 Feet East in London and Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff balance the two adroitly.Another benefit of small venues is their ability to rely more on resident DJs and unknowns – with the bigger clubs there is always the expectation of a premier-league DJ. This not only means lower overheads and, therefore, lower door prices, but also that the DJs see the crowd every week and know what they want. Ultimately, though, the line-up should be almost irrelevant. The club or the night that has won the clubber’s trust, and the one that will last, is the one where you can turn up without checking who’s playing, knowing that you’ll have a good time anyway. This bond of trust between promoter and clubber is vital, and if it was damaged in the fallout from the millennium, the good news is that it seems to have been firmly re-established. So now all you have to decide is whether you want to see in the New Year with a couple of hundred people or a couple of thousand.<br>The rest will look after itself.<b>Click to the next page for a selection of<br>the best events on New Year’s Eve</b> <b>Four great big ’uns:Godskitchen @ Air, Birmingham: </b>Armin Van Buuren joins the residents, so expect the best in trance, hard dance and house over three rooms; 0870 076 1999, www.godskitchen.com<b>Shindig @ Foundation, Newcastle:</b> Tim Deluxe plus guests, guaranteed to be dropping the finest chunky house; 0191<br>245 3760, www.shindiguk.com<b>Turnmills, London:</b> a line-up including The Chemical Brothers, C J Mackintosh and Lottie needs no introduction; 020 7250 3409, www.turnmills.co.uk<b>The End, London:</b> Luke Solomon and Justin Harris – aka Freaks – will play<br><br> their brand of deep, Chicago-influenced house alongside Chris Duckenfield; 020 7419 9199, www.the-end.co.uk<b>Four great little ’uns:Cargo, London:</b> Ross Allen hosts Destination Out, showcasing soul, funk and hip-hop with live music and DJs; <br>020 7739 3440, www.cargo-london.com<b>Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff:</b> three floors of DJs and live music with Newport hip hoppers Goldie Lookin’ Chain headlining; 029 2023 2199, www.clwbifor.com<b>Etch @ Concorde 2, Brighton:</b> Will Holland’s Quantic Soul Orchestra play jazz funk, with DJs to be confirmed; 01273 772 770, www.concorde2.co.uk<b>Movement @ Bar Rumba, London:</b> okay, so it’s on January 1, but you need something to look forward to in the New Year, and<br>drum ’n’ bass doesn’t get better than this; 020 7377 9494, www.movement.co.uk]]></copy>
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<quote><![CDATA[Where should you go for a great party on New YearΓÇÖs Eve? James Hopkirk does the footwork]]></quote>
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<caption><![CDATA[The Chemical Brothers bring their block rockinΓÇÖ beats to Turnmills this New YearΓÇÖs Eve]]></caption>
