The Sunday Mirror
“An unforgettable evening out”
“The orchestra was energetic, the light show dazzling and the music euphoric” HELLO Magazine
BRANDON BLOCK
TO PERFORM AS SPECIAL GUEST DJ & HOST
@ NOTTINGHAM ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 6TH JUNE 2019
There are legends, and then there’s Brandon Block, the daddy of them all. From harassing wrinkly rockers on stage at the Brits to being possibly the best party DJ on the planet, Blocko has done it all.
He’s bringing The Annual Classical to both Nottingham and Manchester so we hunted him down to find out more.
At a time when it seems like everyone who ever went within 50 miles of a club in the 90s is now touring with an orchestra, it’s about time the daddies of them all stepped in to show how it should really be done.
Ministry Of Sound, the London behemoth which defined not only clubbing but the dance compilation market, is running a huge orchestral tour in honour of its Annual albums, those yearly round-ups of the biggest dance smashes of each 12 months, compiled and mixed by the likes of Tall Paul and Judge Jules, with events around the UK hosted by such legends of dance music and of Ministry itself as Seb Fontaine, Smokin’ Jo, Brandon Block and Dave Pearce.
Brandon has long been a Ministry stalwart and remains one of the UK’s most popular DJs. home and abroad, so it’s little wonder he jumped at the chance.
He said: “I’m extremely excited to be involved with the Annual Classical, I’m honoured to be taking the stage at such a prestigious event.
“I had a close relationship with MoS, they were my record label and I also held various residences there during the 90s and 00s. It’s always going to be a great production because they never leave anything to chance.
“I was at the show in London, it was an incredible experience and the sound in the Royal Festival Hall was incredible.
“I’ve been partially involved but am grateful for the opportunity to host these upcoming events.”
Blocko hosts the show in two of the UK’s leading party cities, so he’s sure they will be nights to remember.
“I’m performing in Nottingham and then Manchester.
“I’ve indeed had some great nights there, these will be excellent nights out. I think it’s a difficult to compare the two, both in their own way are equally fantastic.”
“Dance music is pretty much the whole music scene now, people have dance mixes done of all their work but yes, the house music scene is defo coming back in a big way. Funk, soul and disco are all making huge comebacks.”
Lohan Presencer, Ministry of Sound’s executive chairman, is confident the Ministry take on the classical/dance soundclash is going to be utterly different to all that have gone before it. And it sounds like he’s right.
Lohan said: “There is a demonstrated demand and hunger for orchestral electronic music – something that isn’t represented in any other contemporary music scene. ‘The Annual’ is the best selling dance music compilation series of all time, and these tracks deserve a highly produced classical treatment. We have created the show with Raymond Gubbay to lead with the orchestra, and produce a symphonic show, with the DJ supporting.
“Judge Jules, (DJ/ mixer of The Annual IV, The Annual 2000 and The Annual Millennium Edition) has been advising on track selection and restructuring for Orchestral scoring from Day 1. We have purely selected tracks from the first 5 Annual (I, II, III, IV and Millennium Edition; ‘95-’99).
“Tom Player, our composer, has worked on huge orchestra productions including assisting Hans Zimmer on multiple film scores. Tom will bring this scale to this project.
“The Annual Classical tour will breathe fresh life into clubbers’ favourite songs from the Ministry of Sound Annuals in ways they’ve never heard before – having been running for over 23 years, it’s only right that the series gets celebrated with full phenomenal orchestration and immortalised within the exclusive documentary exploring the album’s history – which is going to be screened at every show. The fact the Classic FM are also involved in this tour proves that that is a serious moment in both contemporary and classical music.”
The events – in theory at least – will be sit-down classical concerts in venues designed for that very thing.
There will be a documentary screened as well as the concert performance, and then an after-party – which is just as well for the organisers, and for those lovely classy venues.
Lohan revealed: “The Annual Classical tour is a celebration of the brand’s heritage, not only are we being inclusive of our original audience that would have enjoyed the compilations and heard the records in clubs through the 90s, but we’re also reaching out to a new audience of both dance and classical fans.
“This show will tour the world, and the live format provides us with the first opportunity tell the real story behind the world’s biggest dance brand; from its inception through to its global success with its record business. It has been truly humbling hearing the stories from world-class DJs and influencers of the club that still show such love and appreciation for the journey of Ministry of Sound. Its their story, as they all had a part to play… The crowd are in for something very special and unique.
“Working closely with our partners, Raymond Gubbay, the orchestras and composer we all agreed to begin the first tour in Symphony Halls, as it deserves the very best acoustics and they are all stunning venues in fantastic locations for the fans across the UK. The intimacy will create a magical experience, especially for some dance fans who may not have witnessed the power of a live orchestra in such venues.
“And Yes. Of course there will be after parties! We will be announcing these early in the new year.”
Judge Jules, meanwhile, believes fans won’t be able to remain seated such is the energy generated by the classical versions of their favourite dance tracks.
He said: “Without giving too much of the game away, suffice to say this will be the most refined and standout classical dance music show ever. Watch this space.
“I have been involved as curator, both in respect of the tracklist and the way that the songs are presented. Having played these records over many years, I’ve got a deep insight into how they move people and my association with other orchestra shows has given me a deep understanding of the interplay with a live multi piece orchestra.
“Although in theory this show is “sit down”, the reality is that it will be more “stand up and jump around”.”
His fellow mixer and compiler of The Annuals, Tall Paul, is also excited at the prospect of the tour thanks to his long-standing relationship with the brand.
Paul said: “I was contacted by the guys with the idea to take the live experience and the history of the classic MOS albums out on the road in a different way.
“Being involved every Friday for the Gallery at MOS it would be hard not to get involved.
“I like the ideas for more of a visual experience as well as the sound, also breaking down these tracks to hear the best bits in a different style.
“For me, it will be interesting to see if they can keep everyone in the seats with some of these tunes which were peak time bangers, although we are all getting on a bit.”
Jules is thrilled that the memories of those early albums will be brought back to life in a new way, and he’s clearly proud of his long-standing association with the ultimate superclub.
He said: “The Annual series, especially during the period of my involvement, remains the biggest selling dance music compilation of all time by some distance. It was a huge calling card for me personally and a brand association that I remain very proud of to this day.
“The Ministry was set up in part by very close personal friends and influenced by the Paradise Garage in New York, a place I visited when I was super young with the guys who set up the Ministry. So, I saw the MoS happening from inception right through to the present day and therefore feel very personally associated.
“The best thing about the Ministry, and this applies to every set I’ve played there, is that the DJ booth is its own mini club. You literally “feel” music in the way that few other clubs in the world allow the DJ to. So you’re in your own unique musical space. And that’s just the DJ booth, with even mentioning a world famous sound system experience by clubbers on the dance floor.”
And Tall Paul is equally happy to be associated with the tour and the memories it evokes.
He said: “I’m very proud of the albums we did. They still sound great and capture a crazy time in music.
“Ministry has been a Global name for so long. Probably one of the first to go super international as a brand, which helped global exposure for the DJs before the iPhone.
As for the club, hearing Bucket Heads on that system will stay with me forever. Thinking it would be a good idea to get on a tour bus for 2 weeks playing every night for 2 weeks for a Ministry tour, not so much. Never again. Having our first Gallery night there 10 years ago was special… Getting a Platinum Disc for my Ibiza Annual. So many special memories of the place.”
Mickey McMonagle, former editor of 90s and 00s dance title M8 Magazine, said: “Ministry Of Sound was perhaps the beginning of the UK superclub, so it’s only right that they throw their hat into the classical ring. All the shows we’ve seen so far – some truly excellent – have been essentially raves with an orchestra playing along, so it will be fascinating to see the Ministry twist, which has taken the concept much, much further down the conventional classical route. The first run of shows are in classical concert venues, they’re seated shows and Classic FM are on board so it’s far from a token nod to the genre – this seems to be a genuine reimagining of the whole concept. I can’t wait to see how it works and I think this could well become the benchmark for all others. As long as the after-parties are good too, of course.”
For Lohan, he’s very much looking to the future with the Annual Classical Tour, with major plans for the event all over the world.
He said: “We have significant interest from the UK outdoor events and festivals for Summer 2019, and are discussing touring through Europe too. The Ministry of Sound brand has a huge global following, and this product will undoubtedly form an important part of the Tours and Events business over the next 18-24 months.”
Tickets for The Annual Classical are available now from Ministry Of Sound also via SeeTickets, Ticketmaster and Nottingham Royal Concert Hall.
6th June 2019 Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall with Brandon Block
8th June 2019 Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall with Dave Pearce
14th June 2019 Manchester, The Bridgewater Hall with Brandon Block
21st June 2019 Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall with Smokin’ Jo
31st August 2019 Chelmsford, City Racecourse
The Annual Classical is a co-promotion between Coalition Agency and Raymond Gubbay Ltd, by arrangement with Ministry of Sound.
