Wednesday, 28 January 2009

Weekend of Dance at Red Rooms

D RAMIREZ & BRYAN KEARNEY This Weekend

2009 is well and truly underway as we get ready to leave January behind and head into hopefully some sort of Spring. But before that Red Rooms has a major weekend of Partying to serve up at the end of a very, very busy Month at ‘The Rooms’.

First up is Thursday Nights Pop Mental. Pop Mental marks the start of the Red Rooms weekend and every week the club is packed to the teeth with people who just can’t wait that extra day for the weekend to start. And why wait? With 2 rooms of great music and Drink Promotions throughout the night this is only way to start your weekend. DJs Paco & DaCosta are your hosts every Thursday in the main room providing the best in Club and Party music and a mix of Indie, RnB and anything else you can think of that will get you on the dancefloor, just ask them if they have it they’ll play it. In the back bar we go Deeper Underground with DJ Stephen Porter and friends ready to rock your electronic socks. If its electronic music with a twist you are after then check out Stephen & Friends in the bar every Thursday. Admission is free before 11pm and £3 after with Drinks Promotions from £1.



On Friday Night the first ABSOLUTE night at Red Rooms welcomes one of Irelands leading Trance DJs BRYAN KEARNEY.
Bryan Kearney began DJing 5 years ago and in this time has established himself firmly on the dance scene in Ireland. His sets contain the very best in upfront trance and techno with the emphasis always on energy and the unexpected.


He was a permanent fixture on the airwaves of Dublin throughout 2002 and 2003 with prime time shows on Energy Fm and Kiss Fm providing the capital with the very best in brand new material each week. In 2003, Bryan began his own night Tranceformation in the Crypt at the legendary Temple Theatre. Each of the three nights was a full house which in turn led to him warming up for the likes of MIKE and Lisa Lashes on the main stage. At the same time, he had began to get into producing and obtained a Higher National Diploma in Sound Operations and Music Technology. His collaboration with John O'Callaghan entitled Restricted Motion was signed to Discover Records by label boss John Askew. Askew was so impressed with the track that he decided to designate himself for remix duties. The track has become a cult classic and one of Bryan and John's proudest moments.

His track with O'Callaghan, Exactly, signed to Discover Records was regarded by many as the track of the Winter Music Conferance 06, and became a firm favourite of Armin Van Buuren and Paul Van Dyk. It was remixed by one of his idols, Giuseppe Ottaviani of NU-NRG, and was requested for no less than fifteen album compilations.It is one of the strongest trance packages to be released that year. The track is considered by many to be one of the best tunes of the year and one of the biggest trance anthems of Ibiza 2006.

In 2008 Bryan continued to go from strength to strength receiving two nominations at the Irish Dance Music Awards - Best DJ & Best New Artist. His full on tech workout of J.O.C's Rotterdam was a huge success on Sander Van Doorn's brand new label.

2009 is the year that Bryan is really going to breakthrough and be up there with the worlds Top Trance and Techno DJs. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch Bryan at Red Rooms this Friday night for a full on night of Trance Music. Support on the night comes from a host of local DJs. Doors open 9pm. Admission is a steal at only £3 before 11 and £6 after. For more on Bryan visit www.myspace.com/bryankearney


This Saturday Red Rooms welcome one of the most influential DJs in the world – D RAMIREZ.

D Ramirez has been at the fore front of the dance music scene for a long time now. Travelling around the globe with his trusty laptop in tow, the roving Ramirez has dispensed his razor sharp productions to unassuming dancefloors with the precision of first class marksman. Whether he’s hidden behind devilish disguises such as The Lisa Marie Experience, Cordial, Finger Fest and Rambo, or performed as the man you know best as D Ramirez, Dean Marriot has achieved more than an entire legion of lesser DJs. He’s even performed on Top Of Pops.


He’s achieved five top 20 hits, played on every continent and single handedly coined THAT electro house sound. He was awarded Best Remix and Best Producer in DJ Magazine’s 2007 awards and 2006 saw him knighted as a Player Of The Year in iDJ. His remix of Bodyrox ‘Yeah Yeah’ scored him an Ivor Novello nomination while past exploits such as ‘Columbian Soul’, ‘Time Fades Away’, ‘Pleasure Me’ and ‘La Discotek’ have all achieved coveted Coolcuts and Buzz chart hotspots, championed by some of the biggest DJs in game. Hell, our hero’s even performed on Top Of Pops.

Last year he released the first of Club Azuli's 'Headliners' Compilation series, which showcases the world’s biggest dance artists, the most groundbreaking producers and innovative DJs who currently move global dance floors. On this album he also teamed up with Funkagenda and together they produced the dark and murky techno record ‘Shield’.

D Ramirez will be supported by DJ Tonisi with Paco & DaCosta playing in the bar. Admission is £3 / £6 with and get there early to take advantage of the usual Saturday early specials. www.myspace.com/dramirezmusic | www.redroomsderry.co.uk

Wednesday, 21 January 2009

BENNY BENASSI This Saturday 24th Jan

January is usually a quiet Month in the year though it seems like people are going out more than ever on a Saturday Night. At Red Rooms anyway that can be put down to the Top Class International DJs that have graced the decks so far in 2009. We Kicked off this year with Micky Slim, then had Bart B More and Last week Radio 1’s Kissy Sell Out which was a storming night and January isn’t over yet. Next week we have D Ramirez but this weekend on Saturday Night Red Rooms welcome Grammy Award winning DJ & Remixer and all round legend SUPERSTAR DJ BENNY BENASSI.


Benny Benassi was born in Milan in 1967 and then grew up in the provincial town of Reggio Emilia, Italy. He started DJ-ing when he was still at school and has been producing with his cousin Alle Benassi for about ten years at Off Limits studios. His first as a producer was with the track "I feel so fine" by KMC feat. Dhany which went to n°1 in the UK club charts in 2001. The following year, working under the BENNY BENASSI presents THE BIZ trademark, Benny and Alle came up with "Satisfaction" and in one fell swoop ravaged the dancefloors and dominated sales charts round the world. Satisfaction is one of the worlds biggest ever Dance Tunes. Just type it into Youtube and there are nearly 2000 results of different versions and remixes. At some point every DJ on the Planet has sampled this tune and deservedly so as its a DANCE FLOOR MONSTER!!!!
The album “Hypnotica" followed. In the meantime Benny and Alle produced more melodic dance music under the Benassi Bros. banner. The charts of half the planet gave them thumbs up.

The Benassis have also remixed artists such as Outkast, David Guetta, Moby, Goldfrapp, Paul Oakenfold, Faithless and Public Enemy, to name but a few.
Benny has won tons of prizes and awards around the world and continues to tour the five continents with his unique style, once described as "electro, sort of house-tec, dirty and cool, sweaty and smooth".
In 2008 Benny and Alle won a Grammy Award for his remix of Public Enemy’s “Bring the noise”.

The new album “Rock n Rave” contains tracks featuring Black Box, Farenheit, Dino Lenny, Mia J, Public Enemy, Channing and Iggy Pop.
His own productions are released through Energy Productions in Italy and Ultra in U.S.A. At the same time, Benny talent scouts for his own brand new label, Pump-kin, designed to create space for young djs and producers of electronic club music.

Benny is currently touring to Promote his New Toolroom Knights Mix album and judging by the interest since his date at Red Rooms has been announced it seems this is going to be another mega night at “The Rooms”. Benny will be supported by DJ Tonisi and Red Rooms residents.

Doors open at 9pm and the January Sales continue at Red Rooms get over before 11 to take advantage of the cheap door price - £3 before 11 and £6 after. There is also some promotions available until 11pm so get in early and check those out. Dress Code: No Effort - No Entry. For more on Benny visit him at www.bennybenassi.com.

As usual the weekend starts on Thursday at Red Rooms with the ever Popular Pop Mental Thursdays at Red Rooms. As most of you already know this night is all about partying and what other way to start your weekend than with a good party! On the Deck’s will be residents Paco & DaCosta in the main room providing you with the best in Club Music, Party and a mix of Indie, RnB and anything else you can think of that will make you dance. In the bar Deeper Underground main man Stephen Porter returns after the winter break ready to rock your electronic socks with some serious new tunes to be unleashed. So if its electronic music with a twist then check out Stephen & Friends in the bar every Thursday. Admission is free before 11pm and £3 after with Drinks Promotions from £1. For more on whats happening at Red Rooms and upcoming events visit www.redroomsderry.co.uk | www.bebo.com/redroomsderry also Join our New Facebook page at ... http://www.facebook.com/pages/Derry/Red-Rooms-Derry/46149192375

Tuesday, 20 January 2009

New Website and Newsletter

Hey Everyone!

We just re-launched our Red Rooms website with a re-design and we are also putting together a new email newsletter list so if you want up to date info each week of whats happening at Red Rooms then visit www.redroomsderry.co.uk now and Sign Up for the newsletter!!!

Monday, 19 January 2009

Kissy Sell out at Red Rooms


2009 is already in its third weekend and this weekend Red Rooms serves up yet another top class DJ to ease you into the new year and keep you dancing on a Saturday night. This weekend get ready for some jump up rock and rave as Red Rooms present BBC Radio 1’s KISSY SELL OUT.

Kissy Sell Out is an electro-pop prodigy. Initially the new DJ kid on the block, he became the remixer du jour for everyone from Groove Armada and Chromeo to Gwen Stefani. Now he’s about to unleash a debut album that will surprise everybody and take him to a whole new level. Heading up his band, not only does he write, produce and arrange all his own material, he also sings and performs on both guitar and keytar. Oh- and he has his own show on Radio 1…

He’s very much the hip Londoner, but also bouncy and enthused where the surrounding multimedia sorts are self-consciously cool. He has an untainted eagerness for life that’s contagious and Kissy is also a man of fervent obsessions, of which music is the greatest.

Kissy Sell Out wasn’t your average kid. His manic musical eclecticism derives from the twists and turns of his youth. Kissy was born 23 years ago and spent his early years in Cambridge where he developed a precocious interest in Nirvana. Speaking about his first encounter with Kurt Cobain’s outfit: “At primary school a friend told me that his brother had received a Nirvana video for his birthday. I knowingly said, ‘Oh, yeah,’ because I thought it sounded so mysterious; I actually thought it was porn…”

It wasn’t long before this misunderstanding was cleared up and by the time he moved to Colchester in Essex a few years later, he was a fully fledged junior grunger. This, however, was not the thing to be in Essex… Speed garage ruled and, while he secretly listened to Smashing Pumpkins, Kissy outwardly transformed himself into brash Tommy B who DJed speed garage and prog house at his mates’ parties.
Then he headed for London to attend St Martins, the famous Art College, where he accidentally became a nouveau East Londoner without even realising it. He did graphic design for the ultra-cool POP magazine, created his own tee-shirts featuring a typically offbeat collection of his influences (eg. Japanese techno experimentalist Susumo Yokota and folk artist John Martyn). He painted, grew a mullet and turned his attentions to music. New albums by Mylo and Felix Da Housecat hinted at a place where his interest in grunge dynamics could co-exist with his DJ/club sounds. He knew his way round a computer and, in 2006, created the stomping electro-rave anthem ‘Her’ along with the persona of Kissy Sell Out. Packaged in a self-designed sleeve on his own San City High imprint, he persuaded Rough Trade to take 100 copies and, since it contained just the right combination of raw sweaty energy and snappy electro pizzazz, it soon started a clubland buzz.



Word spread and, before long, Kissy was DJing all over the globe and remixing a mass of artists (Calvin Harris, Human League, All Saints, Mark Ronson, Sugababes, GoodBooks, etc, etc). He became known for having a new attitude to partying; raving behind the decks on a diet of chocolate and his own endless gusto rather than the powders and pills of an older jaded generation. Towards the end of 2007 he decided to devote himself to his own music and has upped his musicality, playing all sorts of instruments and learning about singing techniques and live recording. This festival season has borne witness to Kissy Sell Out as a band that has taken revellers’ breath away. Inspired by Spank Rock’s show and the performance example of Mark Ronson, it became clear that Kissy could take a ringmaster role, playing guitar and keyboards, hyping the crowd and leading a show that would rock the crowd.

“When I started talking about a band,” says Kissy, “lots of people were throwing around words like Groove Armada and Basement Jaxx but they’re much more pure dancey than we’re going to be. It won’t be rock or indie, though, definitely not.”
Kissy Sell Out is a guy whose favourite band is ‘80s New York avant-noise outfit SWANS, but who’s happy dissecting the latest cuts from Sinden or High Contrast. He loves dance music but isn’t ruled by it. His oddball obsessions fly by – from Capri Sun drinks to beef jerky - but a hardy perennial is the cult 1989 film ‘Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure’. He’s even put the tribal ‘80s pop of Big Pig’s ‘Breakaway’, featured heavily in the movie, on his Australian Ministry Of Sound mix CD.
“Keanu Reeves was at his best as Ted - young Keanu Reeves is my ideal,” Kissy laughs, “Not ‘Matrix’ Keanu but ‘River’s Edge’ Keanu, ‘Bill And Ted’ Keanu – a grungey guy who never grew up. All he wants to do is play music and have fun – that’s my ideal.”
And when Kissy has fun he wants everyone else to have fun too. His DJ spots are notorious for his use of airhorn, his 2 Unlimited mash-ups and his crowd interaction. Now he’s taking this to an exhilarating new level with his band, it seems likely a whole lot more people are going to be embracing Kissy’s idea of fun.

This is a night not to be missed at Red Rooms. Kissy knows how to get a party going, in fact he is the party. Doors open at 9pm and get over before 11 to take advantage of the cheap door price - £3 before 11 and £6 after. There is also some promotions available until 11pm so check those out. For more on Kissy visit him at www.myspace.com/kissysellout and listen to his radio show every Thursday night from 12 midnight – 2am on Radio1.

As usual the weekend starts on Thursday at Red Rooms with the ever Popular Pop Mental Thursdays at Red Rooms. As most of you already know this night is all about partying and what other way to start your weekend than with a good party! On the Deck’s will be residents Paco & DaCosta in the main room providing you with the best in Club Music, Party and a mix of Indie, RnB and anything else you can think of that will make you dance. In the bar Deeper Underground main man Stephen Porter returns after the winter break ready to rock your electronic socks with some serious new tunes to be unleashed. So if its electronic music with a twist then check out Stephen & Friends in the bar every Thursday. Admission is free before 11pm and £3 after with Drinks Promotions from £1. For more on whats happening at Red Rooms and upcoming events visit www.redroomsderry.co.uk | www.bebo.com/redroomsderry