By Nicola Walker
Overs and daytime clubbing events, designed for the slightly older customer, are currently taking Scotland by storm.
What is surprising though is how multi-faceted these events have become. They are taking place locally, in city centres, at differing times and offering differing music. Even the people spearheading the events range from big hospitality companies to DJs and even actors. These events are not a completely new concept, but they appear to be on a roll. Recently we’ve also seen big promoters from across the UK tailoring events for this type of crowd such as ‘Day Fever’ run by Jon McClure of Reverend and The Makers, actress Vicky McClure and Jonny Owen.
It has been obvious for a number of years now that nightclubs, to survive, are having to adapt and reassess their offering. Data from the NTIA shows that from December 2020 to 2023, on average 10 nightclubs closed each month – that’s 31% of nightclubs across the UK. A recent YouGov survey also revealed that that 18-24-year-olds, the former lifeblood of nightclubs, are the country’s most sober age group, with 39% not drinking alcohol at all. Could a switch to appealing to an older crowd be the key to ensuring nightclubs survive?
These events are not just about bringing in new and extra custom, they allow some venues to operate at a time when they are not usually open or making a profit – possibly meaning a double income over a one-day period. It’s also not just about the money you can make at the bar, there’s also an entrance fee. Tickets for these events range from £6 up to £15, with the lower prices introduced by the venues themselves and the higher prices charged for people who need to hire the space to hold their event. The only issue that some nightclubs need to keep in mind is that their current license may not cover them at these earlier times, and they will therefore need to apply for an occasional license.
There is also not a massive cost for the business associated with these events – providing you have a venue. All you really need is a good DJ and a great marketing plan, anything else is up to you. As a DJ myself, I have been booked to play at a few of these events, such as The Cathouse Overs, The Garage Overs, and a weekly day time disco on a Saturday afternoon at Driftwood Bar. This has definitely made me curious about how this concept has evolved in the current climate and what is driving it.
So, I set out to speak to various hosts of these type of events to find out.
The evolution of the early night club night
There have been DJs showcasing this type of nights for many years, but they just haven’t been able to generate the same level of publicity as the big clubs. John Ross is a prime example. He has been running his own night, Hip Replacement, since 2011. John says, “Hip Replacement was born because my wife and her friend were looking for a night that people their age could go for a dance.
“We began in Partickhill Club, a small social club, once a month. We didn’t know how busy it was going to be, but it quickly took off. We had around 100 people to begin with and we grew it from there. After a few years we were approached to play the Old Fruit Market in Glasgow as part of the Merchant City Festival in 2017. Our usual events were for 200 people, this was 800-capacity, and we completely sold out.
“The success of Hip Replacement is due to the fact we have built a brand, have our own following and play any genre of music. We do a monthly event, but we play different venues such as The Shed nightclub in Shawlands, Maryhill Club 90 and Slay in Glasgow. The venue doesn’t matter but the locations we choose do. That is why we only do two a year in the city centre, we like to use more local venues outside of the city. This also means that what the big clubs are doing doesn’t really affect us. Some of the bigger venues charge so much for venue hire that isn’t worth our while putting an event on there because we have to charge more if the venues are charging us more.” John adds, “Nightclubs are struggling right now, so I’m happy to see venues doing this type of thing and for them to succeed.”
The move to city centre nightclubs
The Buff Club in Glasgow was one of the first nightclub venues in Scotland that brought this to market. Paul Banham, Operations Manager for The Buff Club said, “We first put the idea out on our socials in May 2023 and we hold one a month. We do a mixture of regular ones and themed events. It has really resonated with people whose clubbing days had dwindled as they had families and other commitments. We get a crowd aged from 30 to their 60’s and older! People in this age group want to socialise, but the part that was missing was having a wee dance and reminiscing about the old days.”
Paul realises that people’s behaviours have changed, specifically since covid, due to a variety of reasons not least the curfew on nightclub opening hours. He explains, “The early closures certainly introduced people to the idea of going out and getting the last train or bus home. While getting a taxi home has also become more difficult. The city centre used to peak at 11pm now I think it’s around 9pm on a Saturday. This could also be to do with the introduction of the LEZ and the council encouraging people to move to public transport, but the public transport, especially late at night, is very limited. The change in these timings is partially due a general trend and lifestyle change. For example, it’s now fashionable to go for brunch on a Sunday morning, people just don’t want to stay out late on a Saturday night anymore.
“There have always been early club nights, but they were quite niche. The key is tailoring the offering to suit your own venue – putting together a concept, attaching it to your brand, and connecting with your customers. That’s what we have done, we’ve opened it up to a mainstream demographic and that’s really resonated with people.”
In terms of the Overs it can add anywhere between 15%-30% to the weekly take. Paul credits the success of his marketing to social media, specifically Facebook. However he believes that despite many businesses having a massive audience on Facebook they aren’t currently engaging with it. He explains, “All nightclubs have gone through the marketing stages of Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok in that order. The original clubbing social media tool was Facebook but the younger generation moved on from that, but the older customer didn’t. Overs events are a great way to reconnect with those customers on Facebook and my advice to people considering an overs event is to re-engage with their older customers using it.”
“These Overs events have been a welcome boost for the nightclub sector, not just financially, but in terms of atmosphere. This is a nice reminder of how the clubbing scene originated and the enjoyment, memories and experiences you shared with your friends. A lot of people have got old groups of friends back together to come to the overs and that is great. Although our events are targeted at older market music wise, anyone is welcome and there is no age limit, much like The Buff Club always has been.”
Taking the concept across Scotland
One of the larger multiple operators TGC Leisure runs events throughout Scotland. The group who own Club Tropicana venues in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as Aura nightclubs in Aberdeen and Dundee and Vienna’s in Paisley do two different types of events – Disco Days (70s, 80s and 90s) and Dance Days (90s and 00s).
Company owner, Tony Cochrane, comments, “We had the idea for a while, but it was after we held a club reunion at Fat Sams in Dundee, we put the plan into action. The event was attended by an older crowd, but they were still heading off early because they couldn’t stay out too late due to other commitments, and once the younger crowd started to come in to the club they felt out of place. We decided to launch earlier events to give the over 30s their own space.
“It just exploded and we are now doing them in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paisley. They all get a full house, but it is predominantly a female audience There’s people coming with their mums and their grans – it’s a real family day out. We’ve even had over 70s!
“The customers make a real effort and the feedback has been great as these people are so grateful to have their own space out with the normal club nights to enjoy themselves.
“In some of our clubs we have multiple rooms so we can combine both of our offerings in the one night. In Dundee we have a 3rd room where we are doing a Northern Soul event as well. We only do them once a month though as we don’t want to overdo it. “
There are many challenges in the industry right now – the students are away for the summer, its holiday season, the Euros will be keeping people occupied in other ways, the Scottish Government aren’t supporting hospitality, costs are going through the roof and people have less disposable income. These events are a different way to recoup some of those costs and help fill the financial gaps through the downturn. You’ve got have an open mind in this industry and reinvent yourself to survive. It’s about coming up with ideas and thinking outside the box.”
Suburban success
It’s not just the city centre venues that have tapped into this market. Billy Milligan has also been hosting a ‘Day Time Disco’ at this venue, Charlies Loft, in Glasgow suburb Milngavie.
He says, “Our first one sold out but we waited three months before doing the second – it’s almost sold out too. We caught on quite early, but now everyone is doing these events. The thing with us though is we’re not really competing with anyone else.
“We tapped into it through the different club nights that DJ Gerry Lyons and had I played throughout Glasgow over the years and we used that to market it. This meant there was a nice mix of venues and genres, and we covered all the bases of the different clubs’ people went to. I was more hip hop and house orientated through venues like Archaos, the Tunnel and Babaza while Gerry was more indie and pop from The Garage and Nice ‘n’ Sleazy. We also kept it affordable at £6 a ticket, I think that was the key. A lot of the big ones that are coming in from across the UK are a lot more expensive.
“The biggest benefit and appeal from our perspective is that we are a local venue, so people don’t have to rely on public transport and taxis. The fact that it is only on till 8pm means we can open to everyone else after it. So, we are getting two revenue streams in the one day.
“We have been trying to put on lots of different events such as boozy brunches, live music and DJs all for different demographics. It’s definitely a lot more work than it used to be, but you have to be more of an entertainment venue now rather than just a space that offers one thing. People are looking for an experience, so you’ve got to give them different reasons to go out, and it’s about getting the right offer for different types of clienteles. It costs more and you have to make it stack up, but my background as a promoter has really helped. These trends come and go and it’s always about predicting what’s next and reassessing what you offer.”
Big name DJs and independent promoters
The idea of using a DJs name and/or the venue they have been associated with seems to be selling, and another DJ doing just this is Vance Chung. He and Steven Clark (Clarkie) have recently been hosting their own ‘Tunnel Evolution’ early club nights based in Revolution Bar, which was formerly the Tunnel Nightclub.
Vance says, “We’ve had two events so far and the next one is in September. I still DJ and get booked for private events like birthdays and weddings and when I was speaking to the people at these events, they were always complaining there was no venues that catered for them. However, it had to be the right venue, the right location and the right time.
“I have good following and people will come see me, but the venue and offering needs to be relevant. It needs to become the full experience, that’s why we are a bit more selective with where we do it. If we did the Tunnel night anywhere else it wouldn’t have been the same vibe, the same amount of people or the same interest. To see the old faces coming in was brilliant and the reaction was amazing – just like the old days.
“I think the popularity of this type of event will continue. We could certainly be doing more, and we know both from speaking to people and with the reaction at the events, that the demand is there. However, we know this crowd aren’t going to come weekly, so we need to pick and choose the dates correctly as well.”
Is the trend ‘Over’ the hill?
There are certainly plenty of options out there, but has this market been fully explored? Just looking at Glasgow, there are a plethora of these type of events taking place over the next few months with nightclubs Bamboo, The Cathouse, The Garage and AXM also offering their own spin on the concept. Plus, an Irish promoter, The 30+ Club, are hosting a massive event at the O2 Academy in September.
Outside Glasgow the trend seems to have been slower to spread. However, with Coco Boho in Edinburgh set hold an event in July, I certainly don’t think it will be long until more venues launch their own incarnation of the daytime disco across Scotland.
Although the people attending these events might not be able to go out every weekend due to commitments, there are still plenty of them out there with this market encompassing most age demographics. It seems, from what people are saying, that with the correct offering and marketing it could offer a boost, not just to the mid-night economy, but to all of us who miss those days on the dance floor with no iPhone in sight!