ABOUT BLOW UP
A bona-fide legendary club night, and now in its 30th year, Blow Up was the club at the centre of the early to mid-Nineties Brit Pop explosion, cited as the catalyst and birth place of the BritPop scene, influencing the style and sound of a generation. Blow Up was voted No.4 in Time Out’s Top Ten Clubs of the 90s, described as one of ‘5 Classic Clubs of Our Time‘ by Vox Magazine (alongside The Blitz Club, Shoom, The Roxy) and as ‘The club that changed the world’ by Melody Maker. Describing Blow Up in Time Out’s London Calling book as “the breeding ground of the Brit Pop sound” and in NME’s Original’s Top Ten Britpop Moments. In July 2022 Time Out once again listed Blow Up as one of the greatest London clubs of the past 40 years.
From its origins at The Laurel Tree, Camden Town (1993-1996) the first night of which was 16th October 1993, to Soho venues the Wag Club (1996-2001), the Metro Club (2002-2009) and through various London venues in the 2010s where Blow Up hosted a regular events at Peckham’s Bussey Building before launching a weekly Friday night residency at the St Moritz Club, Soho (2015-2020) and occasional monthly events at the Troubadour until the nightlife lockdown in 2020 shut all events. Blow Up finally returning for a three night residency at Vout O Reenee’s London (Oct – December 2022).
Blow Up celebrated 25 years with a special concert at the 100 Club London in 2019 with Blow Up Records associated artists performing live Stereo Total, Big Boss Man, Baltic Fleet and David Woodcock and Paul Tunkin (DJ set).
Blow Up celebrates 30 years with three events, Jamboree Kings Cross Oct 2023, The Century Soho May 2024 the final of the three taking place in Southend Friday 11th October 2024.
Blow Up will celebrate 31 years with a return to the Century club Soho – Friday 18th October 2024.
Blow Up is currently one of the longest running club nights in London.
Blow Up has hosted events around the UK, Europe, USA, Russia and Japan, whilst the Blow Up club compilations (‘Blow Up A-Go-Go!’ and ‘Blow Up presents Exclusive Blend Volume 1-4’) have increased the Blow Up impact worldwide.
See more: Blow Up press here and flyers in the Blow Up scrapbook here Blow Up was founded by DJ and promoter Paul Tunkin in a Camden pub the Laurel Tree in Oct 1993. Records were played from the emerging ‘British pop’ scene (that came to be known as Brit Pop) together with 60s and 70s swinging soundtracks, Mod Beat, 60s Soul, Dancefloor Jazz, New Wave and Post Punk, French 60s Pop and classic alt pop from The Beatles to Bowie to Blur. The club has remained true to its early ideals – Expect to hear classic tracks from both Blow Up’s past and present: from Brit Pop era favourites to the current new Pop stylists putting the art back into pop: BritPop, Glam, Mod & New Wave colliding with 60’s Soul, Beat, Garage, Funk, Ska, Swinging Soundtracks, Hammond Heavy Jazz, Easy Listening, Pop Electronique & Ye-Ye!