Villians fail to steal vault

How can it possibly be that until recently I never knew the Speakeasy at Cabaret Voltaire existed? The upstairs lounge has been open for three years, and given that I once thought of Cab Vol as my second home—spending most of my second year at uni religiously glued to the dancefloor for Wednesday's We Are Electric —I never knew to push past that dark door.

In fact, it's the icing on the cake. The smooth lines of the runway, sunken tables and red hue generate a sublime subterranean lounge style, a perfect respite from the dancefloor.

Coming to the end of Cab Vol's Alternative Freshers Week, L.A. production outfit the Villains were eagerly anticipated to weave their remixing magic on Thursday's Sick Note crowd. Unfortunately, due to visa troubles, we were denied their talents, and the crowd were instead treated to Cab Vol’s own talented residents. Nick AKA held up the main room, while Skibunny kept us entertained with a user-friendly mix of indie pop in the Speakeasy. Despite the no-show, Cabaret Voltaire produced another great night, reaffirming its place as Edinburgh’s favourite alternative any night of the week.