TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE CHRISTMAS APPEAL

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

To order a copy, (or for more info on the book) please click here.

MD'S DIARY, NOVEMBER '11

The last weekend of October had seen me out in Latvia. For the first weekend in November, I was due back in the Baltic states, this time to spin in Tartu, Estonia's second city. Prior to that, however, I'd programmed in 24 hours to visit my old mate Drew Myrie, a former DJ who moved from the UK to Finland, and married his fiancee Mya earlier this year. The weekend consisted of a motley assortment of flights, boats, cars, buses and trains.

Once again, I dragged myself up in the middle of the night to catch a dawn Easyjet red-eye to Tallinn. Once there, I headed through the Estonian capital to the ferry port, where I boarded the Tallink MS Superstar to cross the Baltic Sea to Finland. This is a colossally huge cruise liner that appears to be the size of a small town, and it's a miracle the thing can move at all, let alone stay afloat. On occasion, it travels overnight to Stockholm, whereas the crossing to Helsinki takes two hours. The length surprised me, as the distance looks no further than Dover to Calais on the map. Drew later informed me that the crossing is deliberately protracted to get punters to spend as much money as possible in the array of on-board bars, restaurants and shops.

In a grey and gloomy Helsinki I hooked up with Drew and we headed to his apartment in the neighbouring town of Espoo. Impressively, he has a sauna in his crib - only right for the land where it was invented I guess - and a quick session before sleeptime seemed only right, as I got my insider's insight into the curiosities of life in the country.

It was bright and sunny on Friday morning - always a blessing in a land where suicide rates are high due to the crushing effects of so much Winter darkness. I jumped back on the ferry back to Tallinn, and from there, a two-and-a-half-hour train ride down to Tartu. The city is home to Estonia's largest university. My plans to take a long rest at the Hansa Hotel were dashed when it turned out the whole of the rest of my floor was taken by attendees of an annual dog show .... and they all had their whining, yapping and whimpering hounds in the rooms with them. Great timing.

A while later, Estonian top dog DJ Quest, with whom I was spinning that night, had arrived down from Tallinn, and we headed for a bite to eat before going on to Club Illusion, a former movie house that the owners have turned into a very cool club. It was my third gig there, and it struck me that the crowd were more full-on than last time, which made for an energetic and very enjoyable night. Fortunately the dogs were out for the count back at the hotel, so I was able to manage a few hours' kip.

It was good to get a healthy batch of laptop work done on Saturday as I coached back to Tallinn - moreso than I would have achieved back in the madness of Devlin Towers with the distractions that two toddlers inevitably bring! From my evening flight back to Stansted, I again darted straight to Milton Keynes to launch into my regular spot at The Living Room, feeling shattered from hours of travelling and the two-hour time difference by the end of it.

The third instalment of my Just Buggin' Illuminati podcasts (for want of a better phrase) dropped this month. This is slightly more 'specialist' in nature, shall we say, than other podcasts, and seemingly not for everyone. I felt inspired to bring together another bunch of tracks by hip-hop artists who are alert to what's really going on in this world, (about as far removed from the version of events you get in the mainstream media as it's possible to imagine.) You can catch that one right here, and if you're new to the whole subject, you may well find it intriguing to have a quick peek!

Just Buggin Illuminati Special Part 3 by Mark Devlin

The rest of the month involved routine UK gigs, so I'll resist flogging a dead horse by looking for anything profound to say about them. The only other things worth mentioning are a couple of Youtube vids which surfaced from last month's classy Swish Ball in Swindon, which featured my interviews with UK soul legend Omar...



... and this one with 1Xtra's R&B DJ Ronnie Herel...



And to finish, just a reminder to keep checking Black Sheep, the most happening on-line UK black music magazine out there, It runs at http://www.blacksheepmag.com. And be sure to follow us on Twitter for all the latest news updates - http://twitter.com/#!/blacksheepmag

That, therefore, appears to have been November!

MD INTERVIEWS OMAR

... and here's me interviewing UK soul legend Omar at the same event.

MD INTERVIEWS RONNIE HEREL

Here's my video interview with 1Xtra's Ronnie Herel recorded at the Swish Ball in Swindon last month.

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE PODCAST EXCERPTS

‘Tales From The Flipside’ is a witty and candid expose of life at the sharp end of the DJing game. Armed with 20 years of anecdotes from out on the road, Mark Devlin breaks down what life is really like for the average non-superstar DJ ... and the truth is often very different from the common perception.

In this special podcast, MD relates some of the favourite stories in the book.

'Flipside' is an ideal present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, or anyone who's ever been curious about what it is that DJs actually do! Copies are available for £9.99 inc. P&P as part of a current special promotion. Please e-mail mark@markdevlin.co.uk direct to request your copy.

Mark Devlin: Tales From The Flipside podcast excerpts by mark devlin

JUST BUGGIN ILLUMINATI SPECIAL PART 3

If this world ever seems out of control, scary, or just plain absurd to you, some of the reasons are explored lyrically in the tracks on this. Music for people who like to know what's going on.

Just Buggin Illuminati Special Part 3 by Mark Devlin

MD INTERVIEWS OMAR

... and here's me interviewing UK soul legend Omar at the same event.

MD INTERVIEWS RONNIE HEREL

Here's my video interview with 1Xtra's Ronnie Herel recorded at the Swish Ball in Swindon last month.

MD'S CLUB DATES, DECEMBER '11

Saturday 3rd December
Maraschino Bar 9th Anniversary Party, Zagreb, CROATIA

Saturday 10th December
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 16th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 17th December
Black Sheep Mag Christmas Party, Lounge 31, Manchester

Wednesday 21st December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

CHRISTMAS EVE
Saturday 24th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 30th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

NEW YEAR'S EVE
Saturday 31st December
The Living Room, St. Katherine's Dock, London, EC

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE PODCAST EXCERPTS

‘Tales From The Flipside’ is a witty and candid expose of life at the sharp end of the DJing game. Armed with 20 years of anecdotes from out on the road, Mark Devlin breaks down what life is really like for the average non-superstar DJ ... and the truth is often very different from the common perception.

In this special podcast, MD relates some of the favourite stories in the book.

'Flipside' is an ideal present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, or anyone who's ever been curious about what it is that DJs actually do! Copies are available for £9.99 inc. P&P as part of a current special promotion. Please e-mail mark@markdevlin.co.uk direct to request your copy.

Mark Devlin: Tales From The Flipside podcast excerpts by mark devlin

JUST BUGGIN' ILLUMINATI SPECIAL PART 3

If this world ever seems out of control, scary, or just plain absurd to you, some of the reasons are explored lyrically in the tracks on this. Music for people who like to know what's going on.

Just Buggin Illuminati Special Part 3 by Mark Devlin

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE: THE IDEAL CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR ANY DJ!

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

If anyone's interested in a copy, please hit me up direct on mark@markdevlin.co.uk for a special Pre-Christmas promo deal. There's further info, meanwhile, including a synopsis here.

HEAVY D & THE BOYZ: PEACEFUL JOURNEY (1991)

Message music. Heavy's last verse really resonates.

BLACK SHEEP MAG TO HOLD ITS CHRISTMAS PARTY AT LOUNGE 31, MANCHESTER

On Saturday 17th December, the most meaningful UK black music magazine on the net heads to Manchester's dedicated black music party spot for its big Christmas bash.

There's a good reason why Manchester's Lounge 31 has earned a reputation as one of the city's liveliest party spots with one of the most hard-hitting musical programmes. Rather than being run by corporate investors in suits who are clueless when it comes to music, this venue is owned and operated by a group of young DJs.

The Brown Suga collective, headed by Eddie Down, had already been putting on successful nights in the North West for some time before the opportunity arose to manage their own spot.

Lounge 31 vies for trade with several other bars, clubs and eateries in the bustling Printworks complex, but always tends to come out on top with the city's urban music heads through hosting a variety of special events - album launch parties, celebrity and PA appearances, a healthy array of guest DJs, and regular competitions and giveaways. Even on a regular night, the in-house DJs and MCs guarantee a memorable clubbing experience.

Black Sheep Mag's Mark Devlin will be joining the regular Lounge/ Brown Suga/ Chic Amore crew on 17th December for a lively mash-up of tuneage, keeping the party faithful moving all the way to dawn. Expect plenty of giveaways too - well, it is nearly Christmas.

Lounge 31 is at 31 Withy Grove, Manchester, Greater Manchester M4 2BJ. Phone: 0161 819 4710. Further info here.

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE CHRISTMAS APPEAL

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

To order a copy, (or for more info on the book) please click here.

R.I.P HEAVY D. 'DON'T CURSE', 1991.

Absolutely gutted to hear of the untimely death of Heavy D at the age of just 44. This guy was a hugely under-rated rapper and one of the true influential figures in the hip hop/ new jack swing scene of the early 90s. This joint, produced by his cousin Pete Rock, with an all-star cast of MCs, remains one of my all-time favourite records. The reaper continues to have a field day with our favourite music artists. Another sad and cruel day in the game.

HEATHER VICTORIA FEAT. HALO: WHAT I NEED

Wow. A cracking R&B/ hip-hop soul track 2011-style. What a rarity! Props to Clyde Pendergrass Mason for putting me up on this. North Carolina in the house!

JUST BUGGIN' ILLUMINATI SPECIAL PART 3

OK, folks. Time for instalment 3 of this. Heavy music for awakened, open-minded people who like to pay attention to what's REALLY going on and don't need the mainstream media or monolithic corporations to tell them what to think.

Just Buggin Illuminati Special Part 3 by Mark Devlin

MD AT CLUB ILLUSION, TARTU, ESTONIA, THIS FRIDAY

This Friday night, spinning in Estonia for Connections at Club Illusion, Tartu, alongside Estonian top dog DJ Quest.