UPCOMING EVENT: Rock The Belles X Underground Shoes - Bedroom Bar, 27 April

Rock The Belles
X
Underground Shoes

@ Bedroom Bar, Shoreditch
Saturday 27th April
(Last Saturday of every month)

Rock the Belles brings together the hottest female DJs, bands & creatives for a genre-defying celebration of the girls who are making their mark in music. Now a monthly collaboration with on-trend Underground Shoes, the brand behind Creepers.

After an incredible few months, including hosting events at The Box New York and a show at Shoreditch House for Arlissa, Rock The Belles are back in East London with an incredible line-up…

Acts

DJ Emily Rawson is one of the UK’s most in demand Djs and promoters. She has recently dj’d and curated stages at festivals including BBC Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend, The Camden Crawl and Lovebox. 2012 has seen guest mixes for BBC Radio 1Xtra, a feature in Time Out as ‘Meet The Resident’ and playing in New York alongside legend Rich Medina as well curating and dj-ing an event at The Box NYC with Underground shoes. She was recently invited onto a the BBC World Service to speak about Women in Hiphop. She has just Dj’d a secret show for Eve. www.mixcloud.com/djemilyrawson

DJ San Gabriel will be the first male dj to eve grace the decks at Rock The Belles! Occasionally, we like to deviate from our all-female ethos, so we’re making him play his set in full drag! No not really, but he will be playing a set of all female artists! From Berlin, he represents an eclectic music philosophy which has matured over the last 24 years. His long-lasting career enables him to draw from a massive reservoir abundant with manifold styles. On his turntables, you’ll find the best from HipHop, Reggae, Dancehall, Latin, RareGroove, Disco, Funk, House, Garage, Electro, Grime, Bashment, Dubstep, Drum & Bass.

DJ Fearney has her own show on Deja Vu FM where she has interviewed everyone from Wiz Kalifa to Example. She regularly DJs at a whole host of high profile events and festivals including Lovebox and Empire Awards parties. She is genuinely one of the hottest female dj’s in the country. djfearney.podomatic.com 

Miss Mini is a hackney based singer songwriter playing piano and accompanied with acoustic guitar, telling soulful tales of life with roots in blues, soul with accents of country. www.youtube.com/user/missminiofficial

The incredible Ki Yoshi www.yoshi-xo.tumblr.com is live too, and Lisa T will be on the decks early on www.mixcloud.com/lisat  

Underground are the brand behind the phenomenon that are Creepers. Inspired by the ferocity of punk and founded in its febrile aftermath, Underground’s original creepers were first worn by new romantics, goths and new wavers in Camden, North London, during the late1980s. More recently Underground has been adopted by designers at the bleeding edge of couture fashion, whose collections have been inspired by the company’s uncompromising style; with strong female visionaries Azaelia Banks, Eve, Angel Haze and LadyGaga choosing Underground creepers as their footwear of choice.  www.underground-england.co.uk  

Time: 8pm-3am

Entry: £5 in advance from www.rockthebelles.com / £5 concessions list before 10pm / £7 after via hello@rockthebelles.com // Door £8 all night Tables: FREE to book hello@rockthebelles.com

Info: hello@rockthebelles.com // rockthebelles.com // facebook.com/rockthebelles  // twitter.com/irockthebelles

Address: Bedroom Bar (ground floor) 62 Rivington Street

Shoreditch, London EC2A 3AY

#ESPpotlight Review: Rock The Belles, Bedroom Bar, 26th Jan

The snow did me the kind courtesy of doing one Saturday night, enabling me to go and enjoy myself at a club night that I haven't been to since the event's early days back in 2011.

Arriving just in the nick of time to be thoroughly soothed by beautiful tones; Miss Ava Leigh made a fan out of me by the third line of her first song - around the exact time that the Sound Fairies raised her mic levels, so that we could fully enjoy her amazing talents. Listening to her I got that same, 'hair on the back of my neck' electric chill I experienced the first time I saw Amy Winehouse live (in the beginning, when it was just her and her guitar on an HMV stage); the only thing wrong with this superb lady's 5-song set, was that there was no volume dial for the unappreciative crowd, too remiss to realise this was a moment that live music fans would value, just for the nostalgia.

Ava Leigh opened the Live portion of Saturday night's show...

The abrupt start to DJ Lisa T's Dance set seemed to be just what the crowd had been waiting for. Replacing the acoustic guitar that DJ / Organiser Emily Rawson and Ava herself later told me she barely knew how to play, with some bass-thumping beats from the decks; the house started rocking, in keeping with the monthly night's theme.

Live Indie Band The Cry Baby

The Cry Baby were an Indie band well-received in part, I'm sure, due to the adorable, pixie-like demeanour of lead singer Anna Waldmann, who couldn't help but be endearing even if she tried. Picture The Cardigans during their 'Gran Turismo' period, only with a brunette upfront and you've got an idea of what the band are all about.

Emily's turn on the decks was next, when Hip-Hop classics from  Missy, Q-Tip and Lauryn through to some of RnB's finest moments from Justin, De La Soul featuring the Queen that is Ms. Chaka and Sunshine Anderson, had so many on their feet that the tables had to be cleared.

One of MTV's 'Brand New for 2013' and Rizzle Kicks support Act,
Little Nikki

Disgruntled annoyance met the lowered levels, until the cause was established - headliner Little Nikki was ready to take the stage.

A stark contrast to the acoustic serenity of Ava Leigh and the sombre calm of The Cry Baby; Little Nikki, her dancers and their high-energy set made it clear why this 16-year-old, with harmonies and vocals that belied her years, is an MTV 'Brand New for 2013' favourite. Fresh off a stint supporting Rizzle Kicks on tour, something about her freshness, vitality and 'can't tell me nothin' confidence reminded me of Ms. Dynamite when she exploded onto the scene, with a little touch of Mz Bratt about her for added hot sauce. There's no doubt that this little teen rebel is destined for chart domination-remember I told you so (I mean MTV may have done first, but consider this me concurring)...

Emily kept Little Nikki's vibe going, returning for the Dance portion of her DJ set and please believe that no-one, especially not Yours Truly, kept still.

I wasn't the only one enjoying myself I learned, as I got chatting to a lovely Bostonian Finance Manager down from Oxford for the night, who "Just wanted to come have fun in London and dance to some female DJs". Keen to learn more about the brand's event calendar before she flies home in a week, the night made quite the impression, as she told me how much she loved the completely "different atmosphere" of the British club night in comparison to what she's used to.

Proving the ladies can get just as 'technical' as the
fellas - Emily Rawson and Lisa T handle business...

I had to imagine those were the kind of moments that make the job worthwhile, after watching the decks get bumped for the 507th time in under 30 minutes, I flashed back to cult film classic 'House Party' and chuckled to myself. I'm pretty sure that not a one of those moments were worthwhile...Instead I couldn't help but wonder if we weren't hearing every DJ's anthem when Emily pressed play on Ludacris' 'Move B*tch (Get Out The Way)'...Combined with surviving the near-death experience that was the venue's air-con unit giving up the ghost (and several liquid volumes), right next to the plug points in use for the whole DJ set up without skipping a single beat in the mix, I developed a completely new-found respect for what these Ladies deal with in a night - they truly are SOLDIERS (Never fear, Management got right on the case and rescued the gang before any danger actually befell them)!

(l-r) Emily Rawson, Lisa T and DJ Fearney

There was no way I was heading home without catching the lovely DJ Fearney on the 1s and 2s though. A long-time fan of her set style; it's no wonder one of dejavufm's favourites is a veteran across the club night's brands. From House, to the best of Old Skool Garage, to Bashment classics and beyond;  Fearney raised the roof and I neither confirm nor deny whether it's been lowered yet as alas, the talents of the lady in question sent me on my merry way on a high - with the Bell on this Belle, well and truly Rocked.

Rock The Belles takes place on the last Friday of every month. Visit the website for full event details.

View photos from the night on the ESP Ltd. Facebook Page.

See you next time!
ES ;)