Shake a leg under the Christmas tree!

What about something out of the ordinary? The "Contes Erotico-Urbains" at the Théâtre de Poche starts with a presentation of four tales, enacted and presented by major Brussels actors, followed by a party into the early hours at the Bar des Clandestins. All the above for 25 Euros including the show, a glass of champagne and nibbles. www.clandestins.com - Théâtre de Poche - chemin du Croquet - 1180 Brussels

For more electronic clubbing, start with the Fuse, exceptionally open Friday 23 with guest Techno-mad Ben Sims from London, and resident DJs Deg, Pierre, T-Quest and St Dic. Why a Techno event on a Friday? Because on Saturday, the Fuse will be replaced by the Mad Club ... slightly younger and more into House, with Jan Van Biesen, Rudy and Steff. Entrance should be around 10 Euros. www.fuse.be - 208 rue Blaes (parallel to rue Haute) - 1000 Brussels

The "You" has booked the services of two locals to make the dance floors hum with energetic House music for one night: try "Love Christmas" with Olivier Gosseries and Miss Luna. Basically the usual, in an authentic sixties setting, with a high-quality sound system and with the usual, rather erratic (and hard to fathom!) selection on the door... dress stylishly in a club-like manner and hopefully you'll get in! www.leyou.be - 16 rue Duquesnoy - 1000 Brussels

As usual, the Louise Gallery delivers a sexy, shiny mode with its "Nuit des Bulles" event, including DJs FK and Tim Elvis providing a mix of House, Dance, R'n'B washed down with floods of bubbles (not foam, just bubbles!) in this vast, classy club with champagne just under the circular bar. If you like to club à la James Bond, this is for you!. www.louisegallery.com – Under Galeries Louise - avenue Louise - 1050 Brussels

The message could not be clearer: "Dirty Dancing presents - A Family Christmas". A nonsensical title combined with a serious helping of fun, the party includes Electro-House, florescent post-punk, a pinch of festive debauchery all set in a former cinema from the 1940s... There's no rock music, but a dollop of rock attitude served in a large bowl of electronic sounds. All the usual Saturday DJs will be there: Cosy Mozzy, Lukas Master Mooks, Mandrak, Stephen and Sweatshop. Entrance is just 5 Euros, but the party only starts at midnight! www.dirtydancing.be – at the Mirano, 38 chaussée de Louvain - 1210 Brussels

A lot smaller, but set on two floors, the X-Max Connection in Dali's Bar offers free entry, as usual. The upstairs bar-lounge tends to favour House, and the basement is rather Dance with electro-breaks. Here again, things start happening at midnight. 35 Petite rue des Bouchers (perpendicular to rue des Bouchers) - 1000 Brussels

And of course...

The Havana Café (rue de l'Epée), Café Central (rue Borgval), the Soixante (rue du Marché aux Charbons), the new Wax (above Crock'inn, boulevard Anspach), the Fiesta Bar (quai des Usines), Chez Johnny (24 chaussée de Louvain), the B-Club (ex-Doudingue, Braine), and on the gay scene we must once again recommend the Belgica (32 rue du Marché aux Charbons, just off rue du Midi) with its lemon gin reminiscent of summer months.

If you are looking for rowdiness, drink your coffee extra-strong, crunch raw chilli peppers, eat meat that tastes like game and you have come to the end of this article without finding the perfect "Underground Electro Drum'n Bass explosive and radical post-punk" party of your dreams,… don't worry. This is normal, because that particular party will take place on 23rd, and not 24th December! Try Friday 23rd on the Fulmar barge, with Casual Suspect, Noizer, Peter Klash and many other guests. For 5 Euros, quai des Péniches - 1000 Brussels Also on 23rd, there is a splendid Drum'n Bass evening being held in Turnhout with the sublime DJ Murdock and Echo Virus, but it's quite a drive to get there! JH Wollewei - Draaiboomstraat - Turnhout

And, of course, you can go wild and drink as much as you want…. it's party time for two whole weeks, so make the most of it. But please don't drink and drive on either two or four wheels. A bottle at a party is something happy. A steering wheel in the hands of a person out of their head is a lethal weapon… We're also preparing a wicked partying programme for the New Year… come back soon! Nicolas Deckmyn