New Year 2009

Every year, as the cold weather approaches, we involuntarily begin to think about how we'll see in the holiday most familiar to us since childhood. For it was precisely on New Year's night that our parents let us stay up long past midnight, and we made merry together with them beneath the magical New Year tree, at tables laden with salads, in flats steeped in the smell of pine needles and mandarins. Now everything has changed — we've grown up, come of age. The magic of New Year's night is slightly spoiled by insatiable traders proclaiming the New Year a month and a half before the 31st of December, and belief in miracles, if it hasn't vanished, has faded. Nevertheless, every year, as the cold weather approaches, we begin to think about how we'll spend New Year's night. And whereas earlier this choice was made for us by our parents, today we make the choice ourselves — how to see in the change of a digit on the calendar, usually associated with bright hopes for the future.

For those who aren't heading to the dacha, aren't flying off to warmer climes, aren't setting out to one of the foreign New Year parties→ described in our previous New Year article, aren't sitting at home under the tree, aren't going to visit friends and aren't sleeping at home, Moscow's numerous night-time entertainment establishments, popularly known as clubs, offer the most varied options for seeing in the New Year, of which we've decided to pick a few of the most interesting.

In this spacious venue, beloved of the Moscow public, a themed party will take place, steeped in the fantasies of the great mathematician and genius of British literature Lewis Carroll. These fantasies will be seasoned with old-school drum'n'bass from Moscow DJs and their 'loser' colleagues from England. The organisers promise to turn the club's premises into a strange place where it will be hard to tell what is a dream and what is happening for real. How they'll manage it is unknown — only those who find themselves there on New Year's night will understand. The party's guests are also promised a surprise in the form of a black Father Frost, into whom the British MC Ryme 'Time will transform, a drum'n'bass set from the DJ Arkady Air, who, in case anyone doesn't know, began his DJ career with precisely this style of music, and also the coming year's first club-scene debut — a performance by Fluide Onze. In addition, guests will be delighted by a fluorescent New Year tree, the atmosphere of a rip-roaring party and a bar unexpectedly cheap for a New Year's night in the capital.

Performing: DJs Andriesh, Anrilov, Arkady Air, Ez Rollers (UK), Fluide Onze, Trace (UK), Paul B, Sandra, Miusha and MC Ryme Tyme.

Entry: 1000 rub.

Start: 23:00

The club Arma 17, which has for a long time now regularly delighted Moscow's clubbers with foreign guests of the most varied stripes, has prepared something special for the main — or at least the first — night of the year. For a long time the promoters awaited the consent to perform at the club of the main star of the Renaissance label, which has already put on a whole series of its signature parties within the walls of this round venue. It was precisely thanks to the good reviews of that series' headliners that Sasha agreed to perform at the club Arma 17 on the most marketing-driven night of the year. The organisers didn't announce any particular theme for the party, but a performance by the great Briton is already reason enough to consider attending this very New Year party, and above all — a guarantee of superb music and, accordingly, excellent spirits. And after all, as you see in the New Year... well, everyone knows the rest.

Performing: Abelle & Beekeeper, Sasha (UK), Volodya, The Cosmonauts (special guest from Sasha).

Entry: in pre-sale, tickets cost 2500 rub. Tickets can be bought on club days (Friday, Saturday) from 21:00. Wednesday, Thursday — from 15:00 to 21:00.

Start: 23:00

This unquestionably landmark dance venue of the capital has also taken the organisation of its New Year party seriously. As usual, of course. On New Year's night the promoters of Gaudi promise their guests a party featuring all the stars of Megapolis FM radio. More than 20 of the capital's DJs, who host their own shows on Moscow's main dance radio, will perform here. In this way the club proposes to celebrate the notable rise of dance music in Russia, its growing popularity in our country, and also the growing popularity of home-grown DJs and their music abroad. It's obvious that the club Gaudi itself and Megapolis FM radio have had a hand in this rise. In the role of Father Frost at the party will be the darling of dancefloors on both sides of the Atlantic, Stanley Williams. The event admits guests aged 18 and over, and to avoid misunderstandings the organisers recommend bringing along a document confirming your age.

Performing: Pilot & Slava Shelest, Spirit, Gold Sky, Michael Demos, Miss Yo Yo, Ivan Scratchin, Mart & Grushevsky, Yura, Sven Svenson, Noise & August, M-Voice, Max Ruby, Dima Fly, Miss Mini, Sobolev, Quazar, Davydov, Boytsov, Ogaryov, Natasha Rostova, Melory, Max Weber, Levinsky.

Entry: in pre-sale a ticket costs 1500 rub.

Start: 20:09

The art space 'Vinzavod', which has already earned a mass of admirers and regular visitors, invites you to see in the New Year at two venues at once on its expansive grounds. Unlike the large-scale, raver-oriented Gaudi, Arma 17 and Gazgolder Gallery, this is rather a choice for lovers of a more intimate night out.

This fairly new venue on the capital's nightlife map invites its guests to see in the coming new year in the cosy, warm atmosphere of a small café. All night long the legendary band Pep-See will delight guests with music, the tables will be groaning under a festive eight-course dinner, by tradition the President of Russia will congratulate the country on the New Year, and from time to time the organisers of the celebration will delight guests with various surprises. Besides this, guests will be able to admire fireworks, dance New Year round-dances, and also set off on a stroll around the night-time Vinzavod accompanied by security and the local dogs Mukhtar and Jack. There'll be no doing without Father Frost and the Snow Maiden either.

Performing: the band Pep-See

Entry: you can find out about tickets by phone at 8 (495) 78 38 9 48, and their number is limited.

Start: 20:00.

And this small, cosy venue on the grounds of Vinzavod has prepared a somewhat larger New Year programme for its guests. In its New Year appeal, the bar's promoters call on all of us to spend our time helping people, doing good, reaching new heights, and wish that our friends might sincerely admire our successes — a very valuable wish in our unkind age of competition. As for the musical programme — as usual within the walls of W-Bar, everything will be soulful: the visiting British guest Andy Lee, also known as Central Avenue, will perform here, and there'll be a live concert by Soul Cola with vocals, saxophone, keyboards and a DJ. In addition, the bar's resident DJs will delight guests with sets accompanied by live instruments.

Performing: Andy Lee aka Central Avenue, Soul Cola, DJs Sinatra, Kolya Smart, NoFrost.

Entry: the bar offers two guest packages — Exclusive (all inclusive) and Optima (NY Heavy Drinkers), the cost of which you can find out via the venue's phone numbers.

Start: 22:00.

The club 16 Tons has always been renowned for the scale of its New Year parties. On New Year's night you don't just wander in here — a visit here is always planned and eagerly awaited. This year the New Year party has been given a thoroughly club-like name, Insomnia, and its central guest will be the band Jazzamor, invited from Germany. A performance by this wonderful quintet of musicians, including the inseparable founding duo, the vocalist Bettina Mischke and the keyboardist Roland Grosch, is a worthy New Year gift for music lovers, all the more so since exclusively for this party the band has prepared a special show with a special line-up of performers, which will be heard just once. Besides the Jazzamor concert, three dancefloors will be operating in the club, where festive sets from well-known DJs of the capital will play. By tradition, 16 Tons will throw a lavish buffet for its guests with a wide selection of cold and hot snacks and desserts and special New Year cocktails.

Performing: the band Jazzamor, the best Moscow DJs.

Entry: Party pass — 3000 rub., tables (1st floor) — 7000 rub., tables (2nd floor) — 8000-10000 rub.

Start: 22:00

The club London, which over its short existence has won a mass of admirers and regularly gathers long queues of clubbers at its entrance, promises its New Year guests a colourful party full of surprises in its best traditions, according to which a party isn't limited to just a performance by celebrated foreign DJs. That said, there'll be no doing without them either: the famous duo from Germany Syke'n'Sugarstarr will perform at the club. The club's interior will turn into an ice castle filled with characters from all sorts of New Year fairy tales, and in the café a real pond with swans will appear, and despite the 'icy' theme of the party, the promo team promises to warm all the club's friends with the warmth of their hearts.

Performing: Syke'n'Sugarstarr, Jay Sebag and Shura, Losev, Max.

Entry: the cost of tickets can be found out via the club's phone.

Start: 21:30-10:00

Moscow's oldest operating club, Propaganda, invites guests to a special New Year version of the popular signature party of DJ Nina Kraviz, Voices, entitled Happy New Voices. A performance by Voices' four residents promises the club's guests "4 moods - 4 perfect grooves" — four different moods, four perfect drives — and fans of this unfailingly popular venue will understand what's meant. However, Propaganda gives its guests the chance to see in the New Year as they see fit — at home, visiting or even at another club. The club will open its doors to the New Year crowd from one in the morning.

Performing: Nina Kraviz, Vel, Sergey A.M., Vakula.

Entry: free.

Start: 01:00

As in the previous two New Years, Solyanka intends to see in 2009 among its friends, regular visitors and club staff. The staff themselves have thoughtfully phoned round all the holders of this cult venue's club cards, inviting them to the festive party. On its website the club explained that it wants it to be "like home or like at the dacha, where everyone knows one another, where it's not embarrassing to hug and shout". A perfectly reasonable wish. Lucky holders of club cards and friends of the club's team can buy a ticket to the New Year knees-up, become part of this homely atmosphere and take part in a splendid New-Year-Solyanka buffet with traditional champagne and strong drink. Despite all the exclusivity, from 5 in the morning anyone will be able to come into the club — though you can be sure that Solyanka's wonderful atmosphere will be enough for everyone.

Performing: Chizh, Kimbar, Korablove, Yolka, Volodya, Dukhov, Zorkin, Meshkov, Sanchez, Sapunov, SCSI-9.

Entry: a ticket for club guests in pre-sale — 2000 rub., from 05:00 in the morning for everyone — 1000 rub.

Start: 23:00.

The 44100Hz team wishes all the site's readers to find a place to their liking for seeing in the New Year, to see it in well and, on the 1st of January, in a joyful frame of mind, to set about bringing all their hopes to life!