BLOW UP BLOG

Alfa 9 went down a storm last Saturday at This Feeling at what was their first gig in 4 years. They made a few friends along the way! The band have 2 dates lined up in their hometown Stoke, and will be back in London in 2 weeks time to support Cornershop live dates here ...

More photos from the gig on Flickr and Facebook...

Advance tickets have now sold out for tonight. For those who wish only to attend the late night club session without seeing the bands there will be a VERY limited amount of reduced price tickets at £5 on the door from 11pm. This will only allow entry after the bands have finished playing, and again is strictly first come first served.

Stereo Total will return to Blow Up on February 8th 2013 for a one-off London show at The Macbeth. The 5th time our favourite electro-duo have played at the club who are flying in from Germany especially.

Plus Blow Up DJs Paul Tunkin & Ian Jackson spinning their trademark mix of Pop Stylism, 60's Soul, Beat, Garage, Funk, Ska, Soundtracks, Electronica, Library Music colliding with British Pop, Glam, Indie-Pop and New-Wave.

More info: blowupclub.com • Facebook Event • Map

Advance Tickets: SOLD OUT

Stargreen.com • We Got Tickets • Gigantic • SeeTickets • Ticketweb

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Blow Up feat. DC Fontana + Electric Stars + David-Woodcock

Blow Up's monthly West London residency at Ginglik in Shepherd's Bush with live guests this month DC Fontana and The Electric Stars. Plus Blow Up DJs Paul Tunkin & Ian Jackson spinning their trademark mix of Pop Stylism, 60's Soul, Beat, Garage, Funk, Ska, Soundtracks, Electronica, Library Music colliding with British Pop, Glam, Indie-Pop and New-Wave.

More info: blowupclub.com • Facebook Event • Map
Tickets £6 adv. from: Stargreen.com • We Got Tickets • Gigantic • SeeTickets • Ticketweb
Connect: Facebook • Twitter • mySpace

DC Fontana live at Blow Up

Turned-on music to shake your hips & pluck your heartstrings… DC Fontanaare on a mission.The 2012 edition of the band is fronted by Louise Turner while founding member Mark Mortimer plays bass & is one of the two main song-writers along with Scott Riley who used to play with Spectrum, the psychedelic off-shoot of the Spacemen 3.With producer Donald Ross Skinner (Julian Cope, Prolapse, Salad, Cud etc) at the helm the DCs delivered the kitchen-sink drama Six Against Eight after camping inside the famous Parr Street Studios in Liverpool where they had been invited to record by legendary Echo & The Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant, a fan of the band.

Electric Stars at Blow Up

THE ELECTRIC STARS Infectious melodies, lyrics that become part of your life & songs that you NEED to own! If there was a modern mash up of Stones/Who/Kinks/Beatles...This is what it would sound like!

David Woodcock live at Blow Up

DAVID WOODCOCK New Blow Up Records' signing David Woodcock returns to Blow Up as part of his monthly residency. Expect great songs delivered in Dave's own inimitable Essex style. Best described as the closest thing to a knees-up with Chas'N'Dave and The Kinks' Ray Davies!

Blow Up presents the album launch for Fay Hallam & The Bongolian's new album 'Lost In Sound' (Blow Up Records) with a rare live London show by the Mod Queen herself, with a brand new band line-up, and featuring special guest appearances by ex-Prisoners/ Prime Movers/ Phaze/ Solar Flares, bass-legend, Allan Crockford.

Blow Up's monthly West London residency at Ginglik in Shepherd's Bush with Blow Up DJs Paul Tunkin & Ian Jackson spinning their trademark mix of Pop Stylism, 60′s Soul, Beat, Garage, Funk, Ska, Soundtracks, Electronica, Library Music colliding with British Pop, Glam, Indie-Pop and New-Wave.

The Blow Up playlist includes classic tracks from both its past and present, from its Brit Pop era favourites, (the scene of which the club helped kick-start way back in 1993 in Camden Town) to the current new things tickling our fancy - the new Pop stylists putting the art back into pop alongside essential New Wave, Glam and indie classic cuts. All this alongside Blow Up's trademark mix of 60's killer dance floor tracks in the following genre's - 60's Swinging Soundtracks, TV Themes, 60s Exotica & Electronica, 60s Club Soul, Northern Soul, Beat, Mod Jazz, French Pop, Library Music and Ska. Bloody marvellous!

More info: blowupclub.com • Facebook Event • Map

Tickets £6 adv. from: Stargreen.com • We Got Tickets • Gigantic • SeeTickets • Ticketweb

Connect: Facebook • Twitter • mySpace

BLOW UP returns to Sacramento!  With Cellar Doors (San Francisco) live, DJs Paul Tunkin (Blow Up founder) & Roger Carpio spinning Pop Stylism, 60′s Soul, Beat, Garage, Funk, Ska, Soundtracks, Electronica, Library Music colliding with British Pop, Glam, Indie-Pop and New-Wave. Plus a light show by George Holden (a lightshow artist since 1966 and one of the pioneers in the field. He first worked with Abecrombe Lights featured by Bill Graham at the original Fillmore West and Winterland shows in San Francisco). Art by Galine Tumasova!

Event Info • Facebook Event
Facebook: Blow Up • Blow Up USA • Record Club • Townhouse Lounge

Blow Up at Ginglik 2012

Blow Up's new monthly West London residency at Ginglik in Shepherd's Bush, continues with live guests this month THE WOLFMEN, BERMONDSEY JOYRIDERS and RKC. Plus of course Blow Up DJs Paul Tunkin & Ian Jackson (and the occasional guest) spinning their trademark mix of Pop Stylism, 60's Soul, Beat, Garage, Funk, Ska, Soundtracks, Electronica, Library Music colliding with British Pop, Glam, Indie-Pop and New-Wave. ....

A celebration from the other side of Pop where the Kinks, Bowie, Blur share the dancefloor with current newcomers Pete & The Pirates, British Sea Power and Metronomy, all alongside Swinging Soundtracks & TV Themes (The Italian Job to Barbarella), 60s Exotica & Electronica (Jean-Jacques Perry), 60s Club Soul (Motown, Stax etc.), Northern Soul, Beat, Mod Jazz, French Pop (Jacques Dutronc, Bridget Bardot) and New Wave (XTC, Wire).

More info: blowupclub.com • Facebook Event • Map
Tickets £6 adv. from: Stargreen.com • We Got Tickets • Gigantic • SeeTickets • Ticketweb Connect: Facebook • Twitter • mySpace

The Wolfmen

Marco Pirroni and Chris Constantinou formed The Wolfmen in 2005. Marco (guitars) enjoyed extraordinary success with ADAM & THE ANTS and later worked with Sinead O'Connor. Chris (bass, lead vocals) previously led JACKIEONASSID and has worked with Adam Ant, Annabella Lwin(Bow-Wow-Wow) and Sinead O'Connor also. Zelig Preston Heyman (Massive Attack, Kate Bush) also features in the Wolfmen on percussion. Alongside their own work, the band is known for some surprising collaborations with artists ranging from LOU REED to DALER MEHNDI, the biggest selling artist Indian in music history. They've also covered Screaming Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On You" with PRIMAL SCREAM for an ALEXANDER MCQUEEN catwalk show and co-written a few tracks on Sinead O'Connor's new album. Debut album Modernity Killed Every Night was mixed by Alan Moulder (The Killers, U2, Arctic Monkeys, Smashing Pumpkins), lead track "Cecilie" being A-listed on NME Radio for seven weeks in a row.

The Wolfmen's 2011 second album - Married To The Eiffel Tower - was produced by Courtney-Taylor-Taylor (frontman/songwriter with The Dandy Warhols) and Jacob Portrait (Queens Of The Stone Age, Foo Fighters)., winning massive radio support with spins from the likes of Dermot O'Leary (BBC Radio 2), Chris Hawkins (BBC 6Music), Don Letts, Sarah Kerr (BBC 6Music), Lauren Laverne, Gary Crowley and David Quantick.

"Dense stuff… Extraordinarily overstated… an unholy mix…" UNCUT

"Steeped in the space-age glam boogie of Bowie and T Rex with a bit of Iggy-in-Berlin thrown in… infernally catchy…" MOJO  

The Bermondsey Joyriders

Claiming all the credentials of a bonafide 77 super group, The Bermondsey Joyriders is a band pooling all the hard won experience and history of three veteran Punks...Gary Lammin,Martin Stacey,and Chris Musto.. Founder members Gary Lammin(Vocals/Guitar) and Martin Stacey(Bass) cut their teeth in the Joe Strummer produced 'Little Roosters' and Chelsea respectively..Whilst recent recruit Chris Musto (Drums) is a sticksman of some credenials..Having previously played with Johnny Thunders,Joe Strummer and Nico to name a few! At Blow up they will be playing their classic 1st album set and showcasing selected songs from their eagerly awaited forthcoming 2nd album 'Noise & Revolution',featuring ex MC5 manager / White panther party leader John Sinclair! Voted one of the Bands to watch in 2012 in 'Viva le Rock' magazine!

Adam Ficek RKC

RKC formerly known as Roses Kings Castles was first conceived in 2007, originally intended as an underground platform for Adam Ficek to air the songs that were too 'odd pop' for his band Babyshambles.

The initial eponymously titled album was released in 2008 on Adam's own label 'The Sycamore club' receiving cult critical acclaim. The Debut was followed a year later by the 'Apples & engines' ep and then in 2010 by the second long player 'Suburban Timebomb' at which point RKC had evolved into a six piece touring band, creating a much bigger noise...

"neat, Lovelorn lo-fi pop" NME

"'Adventurous, well crafted pop from ex-Babyshambler. Classic songwriting" UNCUT

Some Blow Up highlights of 2011, including HMV's Next Big Thing back in February, another return to the USA and Japan, Latitude Festival in July, The Bongolian's fourth album and the club finally coming of age (b. October 16th 1993).

Blow Up Christmas Party, Firday 2nd December 2011: The Bongolian + Thee Faction Blow Up DJs

The 2nd of Blow Up's new monthly West London residency at Ginglik in Shepherd's Bush, and just in time for Christmas! Always guaranteed to get the party going is BIG BOSS MAN's Nasser Bouzida aka THE BONGOLIAN & his band, with support from THEE FACTION.

Plus of course Blow Up DJs Paul Tunkin & Ian Jackson spinning their trademark mix of Pop Stylism, 60's Soul, Beat, Garage, Funk, Ska, Soundtracks, Electronica, Library Music colliding with British Pop, Glam, Indie-Pop and New-Wave. ....A celebration from the other side of Pop where the Kinks, Bowie, Blur share the dancefloor with current newcomers Pete & The Pirates, British Sea Power and Metronomy, all alongside Swinging Soundtracks & TV Themes (The Italian Job to Barbarella), 60s Exotica & Electronica (Jean-Jacques Perry), 60s Club Soul (Motown, Stax etc.), Northern Soul, Beat, Mod Jazz, French Pop (Jacques Dutronc, Bridget Bardot) and New Wave (XTC, Wire).

More info: blowupclub.com • Facebook Event • Map

Tickets £6 adv. from: Stargreen.com • We Got Tickets • Gigantic • SeeTickets • Ticketweb

Connect: Facebook • Twitter • mySpace

THE BONGOLIAN   THE BONGOLIAN will be playing tracks from his eagerly-awaited 4th album 'Bongos For Beatniks' released this May - a wildly eclectic rare groove fusion of Funk Soul Hammond Beat Jazz and a Sci-Fi Boogaloo. The first single from the album 'The Riviera Affair' was a BBC 6music Lunchtime Love and if you listen to Craig Charles you will have heard more than a few spins on his show too: "A bakers dozen of gems. Bongo powered grooves at their very best. Preston Epps eat your heart out" SCOOTERING 'RECOMMENDED' "Mightily funky. Part mod, part Sergio Mendes, very swingin" TIME OUT live this year at the Blow Up Easter Special:   'Bongos For Beatniks' album sampler:

THEE FACTION Blistering, visceral socialist R&B with an explicit political agenda:   As good as Slade Alive. Yes, THAT good Chris Roberts, The Guardian

The Blow Up club returns to the USA this June 2011 vs. Club Leisure (SF), Club Underground (LA) & Club Lipstick (SAC). In under 3 mins here's a brief history of Blow Up in images 1993-2011: Press, Flyers & Blow Up label Releases:

(Music from the new Bongolian album 'Bongos For Beatniks' - out now on Blow Up Records).
More about the Blow Up club / press quotes here and press clippings here

Blow Up USA 2011 Poster by Galine

Join the new US facebook page for more event info: http://www.facebook.com/blowupusa - More Blow Up connections… http://www.blowup.co.uk

Blow Up Easter Special 2011

Following February's sell-out HMV Next Big Thing night, Blow Up returns to its one-off events with an Easter Special at Madame JoJo's on Thursday 21st April. This will be the first of several larger club events for 2011 in the UK and abroad featuring special live guests.

Playing live: THE BONGOLIAN who will be releasing his 4th album 'Bongos For Beatniks' in May and SILVERY who's recent single 'Two Halves Of The Same Boy' has been going down a storm on 6music. Plus, just addeded SPECIAL NEEDS return after a five year hiatus and will be joining the bill for the Easter Special.

Plus resident Blow Up DJs Paul Tunkin & Ian Jackson will also be spinning their trademark mix of Orgasmic Pop / 60s Mod & Soul / New Wave. Expect to hear a selection of British Pop from Beatles to Bowie to Blur alongside 60s Soul, Garage, Ska, Beat, Latin Soul, Swinging Soundtracks, YeYe and Psychedelic Pop Electronique.

Event info: BLOWUPCLUB.COM • FACEBOOK.COM/BLOWUP • FACEBOOK EVENT • Madame JoJo's

Advance Tickets: stargreen.com • gigantic.com • wegottickets.com • seetickets.com • ticketweb.co.uk • hmvtickets
In person: Stargreen Box Office 20/21A Argyll Street London W1F 7TT (Oxford Circus)
Sister Ray 34-35 Berwick Street, London W1F 8RP (Oxford Circus / Piccadilly Circus)

The Bongolian 'Bongos For Beatniks' THE BONGOLIAN blends elements of Funk, Soul and Jazz with grinding percussion and heavy Bongo rhythms, resulting in dirty percussive bongo driven Funk and Spaced-out Latin Soul. His releases have become recordbox essentials for DJs, finding a wide appeal from Dance and Hip-Hop to rare groove and funky 45s fans, and to date The Bongolian and his band have toured USA, UK and Europe. The Bongolian releases his 4th album 'Bongos For Beatniks' on May 9th, and the first single 'The Riviera Affair' was a recent Lunchtime Love on Nemone's BBC 6music show. "Nasser Bouzida is a man with talent to spare. A Latin-flavoured jazz-funk odyssey" Q Magazine "Forget your preconceptions, this is the REAL incredible bongo band" CLASH "Mightily funky. Part mod, part Sergio Mendes, very swingin" TIME OUT

Special Needs Just added to bill! SPECIAL NEEDS. Special Needs return after a five year hiatus and will be joining the bill for the Blow Up Easter Special. On January 1st 2011, the band announced via Facebook that they had reformed with Nicholas Bukowski (formerly of The Rocks) replacing Neil Allan on drums, and after playing several London shows this year they will now be playing at Blow Up's Easter Special. The band played Blow up promoted shows at The Metro Club back in 2002, and during the mid-noughties recorded for Alan McGee's Poptones label and signed to Mercury Records. "Pure-bred pop class" ★ ★ ★ ★ NME "Very special indeed" What's On in London 'Album Of The Week' - 4 out of 4 "Mixing shambolic indie-rock with dashes of doo-wop harmonies and girl-group backchat, they sound alternately like wide-eyed and legless dreamers, and impassioned, vainglorious self-believers" The Independent On Sunday "Full of punk self-belief, angular guitars and most remarkably, a perfect pop sensibility" The Sun 3.5 out of 5

Silvery 'Railway Architecture' SILVERY are an eccentric London four-piece whose music has been described as anything from Artrock, to Glam to Britpop. Lead singer and songwriter James Orman immerses us in a unmistakeably English world of Victoriana and wit. This show follows a headline spot at Club NME @ Koko in January, and comes just before the release of their new single 'Two Halves Of The Same Boy'. Playlisted on BBC 6Music (15/1/2011) the third from their critically acclaimed second album 'RailwayArchitecture'. SILVERYTHEBAND.COM "Exhilarating art-pop from band bordering on greatness" ★ ★ ★ ★ UNCUT "Hunt down this album" ★ ★ ★ ★ Artrocker "Genius twisted pop. A truly original pop masterpiece" ★ ★ ★ ★ BIG CHEESE "Stylish, literate and witty but properly hook-aware" TIME OUT