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Blow Up returns to Southend The Fickle Pickle
Friday 27th November 2026.
Paul Tunkin (DJ) + The Forty Fours (live)
Doors 8pm-2am
Southend has always played an important part of Blow Up's story, as Blow Up founder Paul Tunkin had been a regular DJ, promoter and musician in the area from his time as an art student at Southend College. After moving to London in the early 90s it was at Paul's club night The Periphery in Southend where he sketched out the initial concept for what was to become Blow Up. This was around the same time that he DJ'd at several key London concerts for Suede, Blur and My Life Story. He brought elements of his sets at these concerts together with the new sounds trailed at The Periphery into what became fully realised as Blow Up in London.
The original Blow Up flyer and poster appropriated The Periphery's modish image of a target and arrow which was designed by another former Southend local who had moved to London Jake Shillingford (My Life Story). Whilst many of the original Blow Up club regulars came from the local scene around Paul's clubs, these included members of Menswear who met and came together at Blow Up after coming up from Southend and longtime Blow Up resident DJ's The Karminsky Experience were also from the area.
Blow Up hit Southend when we celebrated 25 years in Southend in 2019 at the Railway Hotel for a sold out night which featured several Blow Up Records artists live and a DJ set by Paul Tunkin. Strangely enough, this was the first time that we had held a Blow Up event in Southend followed by hosting several events at Twenty One and The Fickle Pickle between 2024 and 2025.
Southend is always a special place for Blow Up and we are looking forward to returning there. We hope that you can join us for a special night of music and dancing. Whilst live guests we have the return of The Forty Fours.
The Forty Fours release their second single This Time / Back To My Baby a limited edition vinyl single on Blow Up Records in November. This follows their debut single Now She’s Gone which was released on Blow Up Records in June. The Forty Fours take their musical influence primarily from traditional Blues and Merseybeat and the sound of the Sixties British Invasion.
Blow Up Club- A brief history.
Blow Up, a bona-fide legendary club night at the centre of the mid-Nineties Brit Pop explosion, cited as the catalyst and birthplace of the BritPop scene, influencing the style and sound of a generation. Blow Up was voted No.4 in Time Out’s Top Ten Clubs of the 90s, described as one of ‘5 Classic Clubs of Our Time’ by Vox Magazine (alongside The Blitz Club, Shoom, The Roxy) and as ‘The club that changed the world’ by Melody Maker. Time Out’s 'London Calling' book special said of Blow Up that it was “the breeding ground of the Brit Pop sound”. Whilst an NME’s Original’s had Blow Up featured as one if its Top Ten Britpop Moments. In July 2022 Time Out London once again listed Blow Up as one of the greatest London clubs of the past 40 years.
Blow Up was founded and launched by Paul Tunkin 16th October 1993 at the upstairs function room of a Camden Town pub the Laurel Tree. After just a few months, Blow Up had become the epicentre of a seismic musical and stylistic change in what was later called the Britpop scene.
From Blow Up's origins at the Laurel Tree, Camden Town (1993-1996) to Soho venues the Wag Club (1996-2001), the Metro Club (2002-2009, the venue which Paul Tunkin co-ran with former Wag Club manager Alan Campbell) Blow Up maintained a weekly club event interspersed with various one-off events. Post the Metro Club’s closure Blow Up took up weekly and monthly residences in various venues including Bar Rumba, 4 Denmark St and Peckham's Bussey Building followed by a weekly five year Friday night residency at the St Moritz Club, Wardour St Soho (2015-2020) once again interspersed with occasional monthly events including the Troubadour London. Blow Up ran continuous weekly events until the nightlife lockdown in 2020. Returning for a three night residency at Vout O Reenee’s London (Oct - December 2022). November 2023 saw the first part of the Blow Up 30 year celebrations with a sold out club and live event at Jamboree Kings Cross. Whilst in May 2024 saw Blow Up take to the roof terrace of members club the Century in Soho as a continuation of 30th anniversary celebrations followed by several more events at the same venue.
In 2025 Blow Up held several regional UK events in Southend, Brighton, Colchester and celebrated its 32nd birthday in London.
In November 2026 Blow Up will return to Brighton, Colchester
and Southend with DJ Paul Tunkin and live guests The Forty Fours.
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Event venue
The Fickle Pickle, 230 London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 7BP, United Kingdom, Southend-on-sea
Tickets
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