MINISTRY OF SOUND LAUNCHES ‘LAST ORDERS’, A NEW IMMERSIVE DINING EXPERIENCE FEATURING MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF BRAD CARTER AND DJ RALPH LAWSON

This September, Ministry of Sound will launch Last Orders, a one-of-a-kind dining experience transforming its legendary dancefloor into a sensory feast in celebration of the club’s rich 35-year history. 

The first edition will take place on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th. Inspired by the club’s anniversary, it sees Michelin-starred chef Brad Carter and renowned DJ Ralph Lawson guiding guests through three decades of house music via a curated five-course menu in the heart of the nightclub.

Beginning in Chicago with an elevated take on the city’s iconic deep-dish pizza, a nod to the birthplace of house music, the menu is a playful journey through the sounds, cities and late-night food cultures that shaped the genre. Highlights include a deep-dish pizza filled with braised squid and spicy nduja, a New York-inspired lobster and prawn roll that fuses the classic East Coast favourite with Cantonese-style prawn toast, and a refined interpretation of the legendary Berlin lamb kebab, inspired by the city’s after-hours food scene and reimagined as a fine-dining tribute to one of electronic music’s spiritual homes.

As each course unfolds, Ralph Lawson charts the evolution of house music through perfectly timed Chicago, Balearic and UK house tracks, tracing a musical journey from Ministry of Sound’s roots in New York’s legendary venue, Paradise Garage, through to the present day as it marks its 35th anniversary.

Having spent his life pursuing his two passions, cooking and raving, Chef Brad Carter is a self-taught chef who built his reputation doing things differently. Carter is known for his ingredient-led approach to modern British cuisine and his ability to tell stories through food, ultimately earning a Michelin star at his restaurant Carters of Moseley in Birmingham, UK.

Carter says: “We will be bringing big energy to this iconic dancefloor in the form of a specially curated menu inspired by the greatest cultural scene that shaped me and many others since 1991.”

Equally renowned in his industry, Ralph Lawson, is one of the UK’s most respected house DJs. Having spent more than three decades behind the decks himself, Lawson is widely considered a pioneering figure of UK house music, known for his eclectic deep cuts and playful style, blending Chicago house, techno, disco, funk and more.

Lawson says: “We set out to create a menu and soundtrack that worked in perfect harmony while celebrating 35 years of the club’s history. With fond memories of coming to Ministry of Sound as a clubber myself, it’s a real pleasure to return to The Box and tell that story through music.”

Launching with a celebration of Ministry of Sound’s 35th anniversary, Last Orders is a new dining series that will return with future editions bringing together different chefs, DJs and themes, creating original collaborations between music and food. 

Tickets are priced at £250 per person and include a five-course tasting menu, cocktail pairings and an intimate post-dinner Ralph Lawson DJ set.

For more information, visit ministryofsound.com

Lineup completed for this years Beat Herder Festival

In 2015, Northern England’s most cherished festival, Beat-Herder in Lancashire will celebrate their 10th birthday – a landmark anniversary that marks their journey from humble free party origins to an annual three-day 12,000 capacity bonanza with a legion of devout fans. Described by The Guardian as ‘wonderfully barmy and typically northern’, Beat-Herder is a rare find in today’s climate: a staunchly independent festival that stays true to its roots, completely shunning all corporate sponsorship or branding.
 
Today, Beat-Herder announces the final wave of acts rounding up the bill for the special 10th anniversary edition. Closing the festival on the main stage on Sunday night is celebrated British rock band, The Levellers. The 90s favourites will end the 10th birthday festivities with their own nostalgic blend of folk-punk in a return to the big stage.
 
A dance festival at heart, with its roots firmly in electronic music old and new, Beat-Herder Festival looks set to continue its history of programming dance music’s finest, with a tour de force final wave of acts including DJ, producer, remixer, club promoter and label founder Erol Alkan and his Phantasy cohort and Fabric residentDaniel Avery. Also confirmed is 2020Vision head honcho Ralph Lawson and distinguished drum and bass stalwart turned in-demand house and techno producerTrevino.
 
Baltimore native and house / disco legend Maurice Fulton will be joining the 10th anniversary celebrations alongside more locally sourced homegrown talents including Tim Sheridan who has a long history playing at and promoting warehouse beach parties in Ibiza and his own Veryverywrongindeed parties across Europe and the UK. Disco legend Greg Wilson will headline the Trailer Trash stage on Sunday night while live disco funkers Crazy P are confirmed to play the main stage on Sunday.
Over the last decade, Beat-Herder has come to be known for its unrivalled attention to detail when building the site. Built entirely from scratch by hand, the festival houses all manner of surprises at every twist and turn. Each year unexpected new areas magically appear for festival-goers to stumble upon. Last year’s new additions included a swimming pool in the woods, housed in a Scandinavian style wooden cabin, complete with changing rooms and lifeguards and The Ring, a huge earth mound with a Stonehenge-esque entrance.
 
This year Beat-Herder was crowned winner of the Extra Festival Activity Award at the UK Festival Awards, an award that recognises events that paid that extra bit of attention to detail that creates a magical and unforgettable festival experience.

FULL LINE UP (ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
 
08:58 / 2 BAD MICE / 47 SOUL / A-SKILLZ / AFRIQUOI / ANDREW WEATHERALL / ANDROID SISTERS / ANDY PYETT / ANNIE TT / ARCTIC LAKE / BASEMENT JAXX / BIG JIM / BLAENAVON / BLISS ZION / BODIE / BOE & LEE / BOMBSTRIKES / BORN IN A BARN / BOXED IN / BY THE RIVERS
CAMPO / CAPTAIN HOTKNIVES / CATZ N DOGZ / CAUSA / CHAPTER 4 / CHEZTIKOV BROS  / GOAT BOY / CHRIS HOLT / COJO / CRAZY P / DANIEL AVERY / DAVE ANGEL / DEAN MCPHEE / DJ CLUMSY / DJ FFLYFFILYFBYBL / DOHNUT / DOPE TRIK / DREADZONE / DREAM THEMES / DRUM MACHINE / DUB DADDA / DUB PISTOLS / DUB REAKTION / DUB SMUGGLERS / DUTTY MOONSHINE / EARTHDOCTOR / EATSTATIC / ED STONES & THE BD3 / EDDIE EARTHQUAKE / EROL ALKAN / FATHER FUNK / FEATURECAST / FIRE BENEATH THE SEA / FOLKESTRA / FOXES FAUX / FRASER TT / FREAKY BITCHES / FREESTYLERS LIVE / GHOST CULTURE / GOOD FOXY / GRAEME PARK / GREAT SCOTT / GREG WILSON / GRIFFS MAGIC THEATRE / GRINNY GRANDAD / HECTOR BIZERK / HENGE / HORSE PARTY / INDIANIC / INSTRUMENT OF JAH / ITAL GUIDANCE / J BEAR & THE GIANTS / JAM TIDY / JAMBEATER / JAMES ATKIN / JAMES HOLROYD / JERAMIAH FERRARI / JOHN THE BAPTIST / JOHN TREE / JOHNNY CLASH / JON DASILVA / JUSTIN ROBERTSON / K-KLASS / KARL ROSCOE / KASSASSIN STREET / KEN EVIL / KIRAN LEONARD / KRYSKO/ LORD / LANCASHIRE HOTPOTS / LAWLESS / LAZY SUSAN / LINDSAY TT / LOO & PLACIDO / LOWDOWN DJ'S / LUMBERJACKS / LUNALOOP / LYONS & LA ZEL / MAR / CONSTANTINE / MARK TURNER / MARTEN HORGER / MARTHA REEVES / MATT MONTEZ / MATT PLYFORD / MATT TDK / MATTY B / MAURICE FULTON / ME & MY FRIENDS
/MESSENGER / MIAOUX MIAOUX / MIRANDA ARIEH / MISSKITTYFLIP / MISTAJAM / MISTER TOOLEY / MISTI VALENTINE / MOFO & BOZO / MOLLY TILSTON / MOOQEE / MOOSE FUNK SQUAD / MOUSE OUTFIT / MR BENN LIVE / MR SCRUFF / MR SWITCH / NAZIM ZIRYAB / NIGHTMARES ON WAX / PADDY STEER / PALACE / PAPA SHANTI MEETS NEMA KUTA / PAPER CRANES / PAROV STELAR / PAT TRASH TT / PAUL TAYLOR / PAUL THORNTON / PAUL WOOLFORD / PBR STREETGANG / PEACH TT / PETE FOXON'S SOUL TRAIN / PHIL HARTNOLL / PIMPSOUL / PLUMP DJS / PORT ISLA / RALPH LAWSON  / RED EYE HIFI / RED J TT / RED TIN DAVE / RICHARD NORRIS / ROSS ALLEN / RUBBER KAZOO / RUM JIG / RUSS CUBAN / SACHA SCHWARTZ / SAM AND THE WOMP / SEAN P / SHIBA SAN / SIMON SCOTT DIMENSIONS / SKUTCH MANOS / SOLANA / SPAT-CHILLA / STEF M  / STEVE THORPE / SUGARBEAT RESIDENTS / SUGARHILL GANG / SWING DANCE / TANTRUM DESIRE / TELEGRAM / THE KAYANITES / THE LEVELLERS / THE PIRATONES / TIM SHERIDAN / TIRIKILATOPS / TREVINO / UNDERGROUND ROOTS / UTAH SAINTS / VANILLA ACE / VIEKA / WILL JOSEPH COOK / YOUTH CLUB / ZION TRAIN

 

Croatia hosts Love System Festival 2013

Love System takes place in the never-before-used Punta Radman wood. The shaded, intimate site contains a maze of bars, stages and chill-out areas nestled in between the trees. Venture further into the wood and, without a building in sight, punters spill out onto the coast where the main stage lies floating over the Adriatic. Here, festival-goers will have the opportunity to dance the day and night away to the beat of electronic music’s elite, caressed by the afternoon summer sun or the blissful Croatian night-time. Shonky, Ralph Lawson, Mario Basanov and Finnebassen are just some of the names to grace the floating stage. 

In true Croatian style, Love System wouldn’t be complete without a boat party, so we have decided to bring you eight. Hosted by some of the most esteemed labels and party brands in the UK, including JauntUnderground, Kumasi and Bad Apple, the Love System fleet sets sail twice daily. Catch George Fitzgerald representing his ManMakeMusic label, roll up for the Tom Demac Live show with Micron, indulge yourself with French house groover Shonky on the 2020Vision cruise, or see UK funky don Ossie smash up the Flux boat. 

Further additions to the lineup include:

First up, No Artificial Colours make the trip to the Adriatic, bringing their signature hypnotic melodies and growling basslines. Their recent Boiler Room takeover has continued the duo’s sharp rise in the house music canon, having released on Nurvous and Resonance Records of late.

Scottish/American/London trio WildKats will accompany them, also fresh off a Boiler Room takeover, where they exhibited their Midas touch for house and disco edits. Releases on Hot Creations and OFF Recordings capped off an excellent 2012 for the three producers.

Exploited Records, meanwhile, are sending the all-conquering Adana Twins and Claptone, comfortably the biggest selling deep house acts of 2013. Adana Twins have recently been honoured with a guest mix on Pete Tong’s Radio 1 show, off the back of their exemplary “Everyday” EP. Claptone’s gorgeous reworking of an iconic Charmel’s sample meant his absolute bomb “Cream” tore through Europe’s dancefloors in 2012, whilst recent release “Wrong” suggests a producer in the time of his life. Supporting Ben Pearce on his Purp & Soul takeover will be Harry Wolfman and Jouhl.

Boat Parties

Love System will put on no less than eight boat parties.  Hosted by some of the most esteemed labels and party brands in the UK, including Troupe, Jaunt, Underground, Kumasi and Bad Apple, the Love System fleet sets sail twice daily. Catch George Fitzgerald representing his ManMakeMusic label, roll up for the Ben Pearce and Tom Demac Live show with Micron, indulge yourself with French house groover Shonky on the 2020Vision cruise, or see 2013 man-of-the-moment Ejeca smash up the Troupe boat.

Afterparties

There will be a series of afterparties running at the weekend in addition to the main stages and also once they have closed. These will take place in the local Shark club, and be hosted by three esteemed UK party brands, including Magna Carta, with No Artificial Colours, Wildkats, Kreature and more all playing.

Woodland

As a shady counterpoint to the larger, sun-kissed main stage, the Woodland Arena promises to be a more intimate experience. The sound will be intense, the environment unique, the vibes absolutely spot on. Over the weekend, the woodland arena is taken over by some of Europe's most trailblazing house brands – Milan's Take It Easy crew, East London tastemakers Costa Del Wallop, Manchester outfit Purp & Soul and Leeds upstarts Flux.

LINE UP

Shonky | Bicep | Mario Basanov | Finnebassen | Ralph Lawson| Tom Demac (live) | Jay Shepheard | Ben Pearce | wAFF | Ejeca | Lovebirds | HNQO | Midland | George FitzGerald | Adana Twins | Claptone | No Artificial Colours | Shir Khan | WildKats | Sven Weisemann | Paleman | Ossie | Trikk | Kolombo | Dirty Channels | Climbers | JOBE | Klose One | Matt Fear | Kreature | Squarehead | SION | Mike Gill | Markas | Jonny Cade | Lauren Lo Sung | Harry Wolfman | Jouhl | Bugsy | Fabio Alampi

Love System is more than just a festival; it is a holiday as well. There is a range of beautiful apartments and villas just minutes from the site, allowing revellers all the comforts and luxuries they could want. Alternatively, camping is available next to the site for those looking to enjoy the Croatian summer. Travel packages including transfers from Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle to London airports, and coaches to the site, are available to make booking your time at Love System as easy as possible. 

Love System is the connoisseur’s festival: forward-thinking music, mindblowing Adriatic coastline setting, bespoke boat parties, branded after parties, luxury accommodation, and the Croatian summer. With tickets limited to just 800, make sure you bag yours now to avoid any disappointment. Early Bird tickets are on sale now priced at only £59. Roll on the Summer of Love!