Rice Girls forever Copycat band The Rice Girls, who enjoyed a run of success in the late 1990s on the back of the original Spice Girls, have revamped themselves as Rice for a second crack at stardom. The all-singing, all-dancing girls have written four songs and rehearsed dance routines for covers of Abba, Sister Sledge, Le Chic and other disco classics. Rice's new incarnation has Rachael Blackmore as Golden Disco Diva, Joanne Jackson as Sassy Sugar Babe, Lea Ratcliffe as Sexy Tai Tai Lady, Debs Cockayne as Cool Karaoke Queen and Angela Manandhar as Exotic Karate Fighter. To catch the girls' new image, head for Central's Fringe Club at 8pm on March 20 for their debut and launch of their CD, The Rice Rap. Free entry. Focus on Fergie Clubbing Hong Kong-style goes in front of the cameras this weekend as a BBC television crew turn their focus on the SAR. The programme is part of the Beeb's World Clubbing series and researchers for the show have been in town scoping the scene for the past three weeks. The main party action they'll be following is tomorrow night's visit of Irish DJ Fergie, who stops off on part of his Asian tour. Groove is once again promoting the event at Queen's Club in Central with resident support DJs Spark, Kendy and Frankie Lam getting the crowd going. True to Groove's style, the night will feature trance, progressive and hard house. Fergie, who hammers it out at UK clubs such as Trade, Sundissential and Godskitchen, is one of the youngest so-called superstar DJs on the scene. Aged 20, he could number many big international DJs as old enough to be his dad. After taking his native Belfast by storm he was tutored by the late DJ Tony De Vit. He's worked with the BBC before and is seen as the future of hard house, so catch a rising star while you can. Tickets for the night cost $200 from HMV stores, or $250 at the door. The party starts at 10pm and Fergie comes on at 2.30am. Remember to dress up and party hard if you want to get caught on camera. School daze Back to the old school takes on a double meaning when the Funky Times crew return for another fun night of 1970s funk and early house anthems tomorrow. Out go flares and loud shirts and in come blazers and school ties, skirts and blouses. Yes, it's time for the Old Skool Disco, a craze big in the UK last year and gaining popularity here. Masters of the decks will be regular Funky Times DJs Paul Kelly, Tim Earl and Robby Ansell who will be dishing out history lessons in all things funky including rare groove and classic house from back in the day. If the atmosphere's anything like a real school disco, you might even get a fumble outside the toilets. Old Skool Disco runs from 10pm till late at Grappa's in the basement of Jardine House, Central. Entry costs $200 for those in uniform and $250 for those who dare go without. Pay at the door. For early birds, the usual pre-party at Mezz in Prince's Building starts at 8pm. Murphy's Law St Patrick's Day provides an annual excuse for people of all nationalities around the world to get bladdered in the name of Ireland's patron saint, who was, of course, not Irish at all. There's no shortage of Irish pubs in Hong Kong these days to get you in the spirit. Relative newcomer PJ Murphy's Irish Pub (32-34 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui) is marking the occasion from tonight until Sunday with a live band flown in from Ireland. Murphy's brewery is celebrating the Hong Kong launch of its Irish Stout and Irish Red draught ale at the pub, and both are on the menu along with Irish oysters. Even non-Irish pubs are getting in on the act. Murphy's will be sending out a troupe of Irish dancers to rove the streets of Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui, dropping in at island outlets such as Devil's Advocate and Chinatown, and Oxford Circus and PJ Murphy's in Kowloon. Wherever you celebrate, green clothes will be the order of the night. No doubt there'll be a few green faces by the end as well.
