CLUBBING

CLUBBING

Fresh 'n' Funky, 10.30pm-3.30am every Wednesday at the Hanover Grand, 6 Hanover St, London, W1. pounds 3 before 11pm/pounds 5 after

The rumours are everywhere... house music is dying. Suddenly the house formula, in its various guises, appears a little stagnant in comparison to the continued expansion of drum 'n' bass and the revival of R&B.

Of course, R&B never really went away but money-hungry club promoters have, by and large, served up dish after dish of endless house music.

Fresh 'n' Funky has been at the cutting edge of R&B's steady revival and now attracts the sort of queues (on a supposedly "unfashionable" Wednesday night) that club promoters dream of.

With excellent PAs from top acts, the formula for "Wednesday Night Fever" is simple. Top DJs provide a tour through the best in urban black music with "phat" servings of soul, hip-hop and drum 'n' bass. A cosmopolitan crowd dress to please themselves and queue down to Regent St for the chance to gain entry. This is not a night for latecomers or wallflowers; it is certainly the best midweek gig in the capital.

EYE ON THE NEW

Club UN in Tottenham, north London, seems to have found a new Friday night recipe to complement its impressive interior. United House provides uplifting house and free entry for girls before 10pm. The excellent Nathan Bryant kicks off on the wheels of steel and with entry at pounds 5, it's a definite steal (0181-808 0808)