In October 1993 Southender, Paul Tunkin hosted his first
Blow Up night at The Laurel Tree, Camden. An event, that after two decades of hard graft and consistently hi-quality output has developed into a globally known identity - with Blow Up events in Japan. Europe and the US - becoming the coolest indie label in Britain, and the source of chicest vintage beats and hippest new musical finds.
Paul cut his clubbing teeth locally with a DJ residency at the Pink Toothbrush alongside running a series of self-promoted nights at shifting scenes and locations (The Monkey House, The Wasp Factory and The Periphery) eventually moving and settling into the London scene with Blow Up, debuting at the Laurel Tree, Camden. A move that in a moment of musical synchronicity caught the upswing of the Britpop explosion. Blow Up later relocated to the Wag Club in Wardour Street and became the clubhouse and HQ for all ace faces of the indigenous music scene -Blur, Pulp, and Oasis.
Fast forward. to February 2013 and Blow Up celebrates its twentieth anniversary as a record label, with the Southend circle (or roundel) becoming complete as man-about-the-Southend-music scene
David Woodcock has become Blow Up's latest signing, sitting alongside established acts such as
Big Boss Man, The Bongolian and the Yoko-endorsed
Baltic Fleet.
A prolific songwriter and performer, with a pacy workrate of new material and gigs, Woodcock is possibly the hardest working man is showbiz since James Brown. Dave's self-penned songbook is both instantly accessible and equally broad-ranging enough to entertain salty British Legion boozers or Brick Lane's swishy-set. .
Within a week of his debut single Same Things being released last summer, hipster site
Brandish described the song as ‘a distillation of everything that is great about quirky English pop music’ while it’s also been receiving plays on XFM, Radio London and spins on BBC 6Music. A strong start for a first single - Dave’s take..
The second single Beggars Can't Be Choosers/Tease - has been getting some hefty nods from Steve Lamacq.
For a listen to both sides of the new single, the low-down on twenty years of Blow Up the club and label, a run through on some rarities, new releases - and a chat with Blow Up's Big Boss Man, Paul Tunkin tune into the latest Podrophenia
Radio Podrophenia - Blow Up Special
Or via iTunes
