Dark dance floors and concert halls tend to look the same at Christmas and New Year's Eve as they do the rest of the year. And few DJs dare drop Jingle Bell Rock - not even the Billy Idol version - or a synth-ripped Auld Lang Syne. But local party planners are nonetheless hoping to bring the spirit of the holidays to Hong Kong.
As a roundup of those events, this list is in no way comprehensive and doesn't point to what will likely be the most popular parties (if wading into the New Year throng at Avenue of the Stars is your idea of a party) but looks instead at who's doing something a little extra naughty or nice for the holidays.
Extra naughty can be found at Drop, where Brandon Block has been invited back after an appearance last January. The British DJ came to fame in 2000 after going toe-to-toe with Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood during the telecast of the Brit Awards. A blotto Block climbed on stage to lay claim to an award Wood was announcing for which he wasn't even nominated. A brawl ensued and Block was dragged off stage by security.
He showed no penchant for throwing punches last January but his searing set had Drop pumping and likely earned him another invite. If you go underground for this Christmas Eve event, there's no way Santa will find you, or even bother trying - you likely weren't on the nice list to begin with.
Volar will host DJ Stimulus the same night. He's being billed as 'New York's best-kept secret and world-renowned DJ'. We're not sure how that's possible, but we're not arguing with it given Volar's track record this year of putting top-quality talent on the bill.
Case in point, the following Friday it hosts the Toxic Avenger. The laptop distortion demon otherwise known as Simon DeLacroix has made a name for himself in his native France and the US, punching in crunchy electro remixes and originals (check out Superheroes 2007 on his MySpace page) while hiding behind a mask.
Lucy Holmes will be performing at Club JJ's that same Friday. Since she looks and sounds strikingly like Kylie Minogue means the Australian singer doesn't need a mask, just a bit of eyeliner. Her 100% Kylie Show is the next best thing to having the real Kylie in town, and comes with an entourage of backing dancers. Have a few pre-show drinks to help suspend disbelief or buy tickets to the videocast on the lower level to put a bit of distance between you and pseudo-celebrity.