Pete Tong joins Eric Prydz and Chase and Status in London
Pete Tong is the latest superstar DJ to join the likes of Eric Prydz, Chase and Status, John Digweed, Sander van Doorn and co. at the Together Winter Music Festival at The Alexandra Palace in London on November 25th/26th. A further 25 artists have been added this week including Death In Vegas, Sebastian, John Dahlback, Alex Metric, Chris Lake and Jeremy Olander (who Eric Prydz is tipping as the next big thing!). Rumours circulating clubland meanwhile are that superclub The Ministry of Sound have been given four months notice by the local council before their doors are to be closed for the last time. Watch this space. Up at The O2 in Leeds on Saturday, Basics’ Dave Beer was DJing with James Zabiela and after one shandy too many, decided to stage dive into the audience – only for the crowd to part and one very flat Japanese clubber. Some things never change. Snoop Dog has finally settled his tax bill from 2008, a cool $500,000. Had a funny chat with Mallorca’s BCM head honcho Gordon Phillips at the closing of David Guetta’s night at Pacha in Ibiza this week. Gordon was amongst the thousands saying goodbye to Guetta and special guest Afrojack on Thursday and was obviously a bit pissed off about with Afrojack as the last time he played at BCM this Summer he rocked up with Paris Hilton and checked out the next morning at the hotel with “a stinking 3000 euros room service bill”. Heh heh. DJ Mag will be celebrating the announcement of their Top100 poll at both The Ministry of Sound in London and at ADE in Amsertdam at Passenger Terminal. The line up for both events on October 20th is to be revealed but it should be an interesting one this year. In years gone by the trance lads have scooped the coveted trophy, but now with the likes of crossover boys Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta squaring up to Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto and co. – who knows who’s name will be engraved on the gong in 2011? I love a flutter, I’ve already put my rent money on The Keys to win X-Factor and I shall be putting a sneaky fiver on Sarah Harding’s ex-boyfriend Tom Crane to win the DJ gold medal this year. Well, you never know! Submotive Orchestra round a fabulous year with their UK tour which begins October 3rd in Manchester at The Ritz and concludes on October 31st in London an XOYO – check www.submotion.co.uk for full details. Jaded bring us their 7th Birthday at a secret London warehouse on November 12th with a storming line up including Ryan Elliot, Konrad Black and Sascha Dive bringing us a load of bassline driven techno and house – special guest tba., these parties are always a roadblock. Over in the United States of America, Lauren Hill continues her alleged thrifty ways. After being filed for for a suit for $20,000 last month by a band member claiming money from a past tour, this week some fashion consultant has filed a suit for togs from a tour dating back to 2007 that she remains unpaid for. Jay Z has announced 8 shows at the Barclays Center, home of the newly named basketball team the Brooklyn Nets of which he is part owner (and he is also teaming up with Adidas to redesign their strips). The shows will commence next September 28th 2012 and rumour has it Beyonce will also be appearing. Billie Ray Martin is back with her new project The Opiates, many are saying this is her best thing she has done since Electribe 101 and even, I love this, “The Carpenters of electro.” The long player is out on October 17thand tunes are already being charted and played by the likes of Aeroplane, Black Strobe and Robert Owens.. Couple of big London Borough of Bass parties coming up – October 1st at a secret east London location with headliners Warrior Queen & Luca, Warlock and Kanji Kinetic and the Halloween Special on October 29th at The Bussey Building with Dillinja, Trror Danjah, Burgaboy and Bizzy B amongst others. These are always roadblock city. Tickets for Swedish House Mafia at the Milton Keynes Bowl next July are already on sale – this is going to the gig of the summer, believe. It’s no wonder co-promoter James Barton from Cream was so smug in our interview a couple of weeks back. US rapper Petey Pablo has been sentenced to 35 months in prison for trying to smuggle a firearm through airport security on his way to the MTV Music Awards last year. The dude entered a plea bargain so two further charges were dropped and could have spent 10 years banged up. Speaking to HIPHOP DX before sentencing he said “I mean, I always feel confident. In the end, the truth always comes to the light. And, regardless of what the outcome is, I’m a man. And whatever has been written in my book of life is written in my book of life. So whatever the outcome of any situation is, I have no choice but to handle it.” Sad news from over the pond where ‘the mother of hip hop’ Sylvia Robinson has passed away at the age of 75. As founder of Sugar Hill Records, she helped bring the world of rap to the mainstream producing The Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rappers Delight’ and Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s ‘The Message’.
Lowpass promise us three days of bass music at Pontins, Camber Sands on November 4th – 6th with 6 arenas of chonz (and a winter pool party) with hundreds of DJs and live acts including Andy C, Skream, Sub Focus, Scratch Perverts, Shy FX, Ms. Dynamite and Friction. Fuck me, the Rebel MC is back alongside Shades of Rhythm at Let’s Get Messy at a secret Essex location on November 5th whilst 20 Years of Kool With A K rocks the Fire & Lightbox complex in Vauxhall, London on November 19th with loads of bloody DJs – Brockie & DET, Funky Flirt and Probe amongst others. 20:20 Vision hit Munich on October 8th at the excellent Panarama Bar with Harry Klein, Ralph Lawson, Subb–an live and Dario Zenker. They’ll also be in Barcelona on October 16th at a secret “unused beachside venue”. secretsundaze and electric minds bring us their Halloween Asylum party on October 29th at a central Shoreditch venue starring Skudge live, Fred P, James Priestley, Giles Smith, Dolan Bergin and Minkioni. ‘Feel My Bicep’ start a new monthly midweek bash at Plastic People in London on October 5th, each month sees a different them – Wednesday sees a One Night In New York with some special NY guests in the house. It’s free before 10pm so get out of work, get your trainers on and leg it down for a naughty school night sesh. Also on October 5th, catch Brandt Brauer Frick live alongside Ivan Smagghe at Fabric in London as part of London Electronic, that’ll prove interesting Thursday morning at your desks. Deep house don Osunlade drops into Plan B in Brixton for their Aphrodisiax on October 15th which will be rammoed. Danny Rampling takes to the decks at London’s East Village on October 28th for the Atmosphere party which will be kinda special. Sleeping Bag Records and the Traffic Entertainment Group are proud to present ’24>24 Music’ a very special set of Arthur Russell’s seminal work. In addition to the music found on the original issue, this set includes rare 12″ remixes and edits including the highly coveted ‘Go Bang! (Walter Gibbons Mix)’ and the never before on CD ‘You Can’t Hold Me Down (test pressing version)’. Both discs are housed inside beautiful full colour sleeves that tuck into the extra durable box along with a 48 page booklet featuring unreleased photos by Janette Beckman and other Russell ephemera with words courtesy of Russell biographer Tim Lawrence. Funny story concerning one of our more colourful characters from the DJ world who played for a promoter who let’s say, enjoys the odd line of coke now and again. And again. And again. Heard after the event in the bar, said promoter was bragging to a bunch of gooey eyed girls he’s paid the DJ £47,000 for his one hour set. He didn’t. And yes the twat did go home alone.
