We’re very excited to announce that from Saturday Febuary 6th Desdemona will be playing pop at the 02 Empire in Shepherds Bush.
Fancy…? promises to be the biggest and best fancy dress night London has ever seen. Details to follow soon, but get looking for that Wonder Woman costume 
Desdemona is taking a little nap. We’re working away on our sister company McHatton Boit Productions. But, check back next week for very exciting news!
We’re launching our new residency at Islington’s O2 Academy on Friday July 24th. Room 1 is “I Love The 90s”, Room 2 is “Desdemona Plays Pop”.
We’re following our July date with another on August 21st.
Advanced tickets are available now from the box office, or by clicking on the ticketweb logo.
Click here to book tickets for DESDEMONA PLAYS POP @ The 02 Academy.
The Sunday Mirror has broken the news that Ruth & Ed have been talking to MTV and Absolute Radio about taking their 80s club night to the masses, but ssshhh…it’s meant to be a secret!
Zoe Griffin, the youngest, hottest columnist in the land has given Desdemona Plays Pop her royal seal of approval in her weekly showbiz colu
mn for the Sunday Mirror!
“Mr. Bling and DJ Dann Summers were spotted ice skating at Somerset House. No doubt practising for Desdemona Plays Pop at Somerset House tomorrow.”
15/01/09
“Fab 80s sound from the new DJ group DESDEMONA PLAYS POP” Sunday Mirror 22/03/09
“…FORGET CHEGGERS, ONLY DESDEMONA PLAYS POP” London Lite 29/09/08
“DESDEMONA PLAYS POP…THE BEST OF 80s & 90s POP” Capital Radio 15/01/09
“…RUTH & ED PUT THE FUN BACK INTO CLUBBING” Who’s Jack magazine Jan 2009
“RUTH & ED ARE TWO LOVELY MUSICAL BRAINS” Dollymix Jan 2009
Desdemona Plays Pop were featured on the Lucio Show on Capital Radio on Jan 15th 2009
London’s coolest magazine Who’s Jack features an interview with Desdemona Plays Pop in this months issue. You can pick the magazine up all over london, or read it online here
Get into the 80s groove
at Desdemona Plays Pop
By Georgina Littlejohn, London Lite 29.08.08
One of the funniest things I’ve ever witnessed was scores of good-looking twenty- and thirtysomethings singing their hearts out to the Dallas theme tune while propping up a bar in one of the trendiest parts of London.
In fact, anyone walking past Barrio North, a slick new DJ bar on Essex Road, Islington, would be forgiven for thinking they were hearing things. But it’s a tune locals should learn to get familiar with now Desdemona Plays Pop are in charge on the last Thursday of every month.
The DJ-ing duo – aka Ruth Boit and Ed McHatton – have brought their night of pop nostalgia across London, having already proved a favourite with the pop pickers who frequent Kensington High Street’s Archangel on every second Thursday of the month.
Ruth and Ed mix classic Eighties pop with Seventies floor-fillers and Nineties club tracks, taking us back to our schooldays and memories of tuning into the singles charts on a Sunday evening. And they are steadily building up a following of London clubbers tired of DJs who are more concerned with being cool than giving the people what they want.
But this is no School Disco-esque night with drunken revellers in tight blazers and painted-on freckles. There are no loud, raucous hen do gangs. Ruth and Ed like to play in glamorous and glitzy surroundings – like Archangel, and Punk in Soho before that – but without the attitude or aggro.
And this is why Barrio North is an ideal venue. With no entrance fee, friendly bouncers and a lively, vibrant clientele, revellers can have a drink, a flirt and a bop without anyone taking themselves too seriously. It was exactly the sort of nostalgic night out that my friends and I needed.
Appropriately, the Queen of Pop – Her Madgeness is currently kick-starting her latest tour at Cardiff ’s Millennium Stadium over 100 miles away – got us Into The Groove for our first song of the night. Eighties chart classics made up the bulk of the playlist, and Ruth and Ed went on to seamlessly link Bananarama, Duran Duran, The Pet Shop Boys and Kylie.
What also helps make Barrio North a bit of a different night out is its extensive menu of cocktails, with recipes, collated from around the world, that customers have found on their travels and shared with the staff. We felt it our duty to sample three of the most popular ones, my favourite being the Malibu Stacey – lime juice, fresh passionfruit and rum over ice (£6.75), which certainly put a spring in my dancing step. My friend Firgas got her tastebuds around the Brazilian Wax, a smooth version of the classic Bramble, while Anna, Alex and Martin quenched their thirst with Flor De Rita, a delicious vanilla twist on the margarita (£7.50).
We grabbed our drinks and headed inside La Caravana, a customised Seventies touring caravan that now takes pride of place at the end of the bar, close to the DJ box for those allimportant requests. Having made many ourselves that had yet to be played – A-ha anyone? – it was down with the empty glasses and back on to the dance floor, which by 11pm had really filled up. The vibe was buzzy, the crowd ranged from young barristers and City boys to mature students, to secretaries, to those just ambling in off the street.
Two of our party snuck off the dance floor to make the most of La Caravana – or the Caravan of Love, as we dubbed it especially for them – while a female friend in my group made a beeline for the man she’d been Dirty Dancing with and was in full-blown snog and gyrate mode before Patrick Swayze could even finish She’s Like The Wind.
Next, the DJs were blasting out Wham!, Erasure, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Human League and Culture Club as we grabbed each other – and complete strangers – for a bop. We banged our heads to Billy Idol and Bon Jovi, sang our heads off to Stock, Aitken and Waterman’s entire back catalogue, and even the recently reunited New Kids On The Block got a play.
Things continued getting ever rowdier until 2am when, with tired feet and an extremely hoarse voice, this thirtysomething had to hang up her party shoes until the next weekend.
But one thing’s for sure – when the urge for good old-fashioned pop and a great night out grabs me again, I won’t be thinking about Cheggers – because only Desdemona Plays Pop.
• Desdemona Plays Pop are next at Barrio North, Essex Road, N1 (020 7688 2882, barrionorth.com) on 25 September, 7pm-12am, then the last Thursday of every month
Poster for the O2 with Belinda Carlisle
Two legends of 80s pop...Ruth & Belinda backstage at the 02
Poster for Skate sessions at Somerset House. DPP headlined on 16th Jan and SOLD OUT 3 sessions.
| Win 2 tickets to skate to Desdemona Plays Pop DJ’s! |
| closing date: 14 Jan 2009Win 2 tickets to skate to Desdemona Plays Pop DJ’s!
DJ’s Ruth and Ed are presenting Skate at Somerset House, playing the best of 80’s and 90’s retro pop music. They have fun without irony and play the classics in their original form and have no 12 inch remixes! TV-presenters turned record spinners have recently opened for Belinda Carlisle at the IndigO2, and happily encourage skaters to dress up in blue eyeshadow, big hair and faux fur jackets. A must-night for any pop fan wanting a trip down memeory lane. 2 tickets are valid on Friday 16 January for the 22.30-23.30 session. It is recommended you turn up half an hour before to get your skates ready and get in the mood! Other sessions available to the public are: 21.15-22.15 (£12.50 pp)
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As Popbitch mentioned the other week in their mail out “It’s back to the 80s in 2009, and not just any old 80s, but the synth pop we loved in our youth” the 80s have a well deserved come back scheduled in on a musical level for 09.
It’s funny how as soon as something is put into your head it seems to pop up all over the place. Soon after reading said Popbitch quote I came across Desdemona Plays Pop.
Desdemona Plays Pop are DJ duo Ruth and Ed. Two lovely musical brains that together plan to put the fun back into clubbing with their mix of 80s classics, feel-good tunes and songs in their original format. If you imagine a C90 cassette as the cover mount on a copy of Smash Hits you’d get the idea!
Relatively new to the scene Desdemona Plays Pop have already opened for Belinda Carlise at Indig02 and are soon to be found entertaining the skaters at Somerset House on Jan 16th 2009! In the next few months they plan to launch a weekly 80s club-night in central London so have your leg warmers at the ready!
With a revisit to trends that Madonna pioneered firmly in the air such as pearls, lace and cropped leather jackets why should the music not follow?
Hot Brands & Cool Places – The Ultimate Online Lifestyle Magazine
10/01/09
DJ nights at Somerset House Ice Rink
This year’s Somerset House ice skating will again see late night opening on select dates, with skating in one of the most
romantic and dramatic settings in London. This season brings the return of the popar DJ nights, where top notch DJs
spin some corking tunes to make your late night skating even more special. You can expect to see some very cool DJs
indeed, with DJ Cliffy’s Batmacumba Brazilian Beat night, Desdemona Plays Pop bringing the best 80s and 90s
floor-fillers, and East London favourites Horse Meat Disco still to come. The Skate Café £6 offer of a pie and a pint is the
perfect accompaniment
It has been nearly 200 years since the River Thames last froze over. Prior to that it was not uncommon for the river to be frozen for weeks or months at a time. In those days, Londoners held “Frost Fairs” on the Thames — skating on the ice, watching bear baiting and setting up stalls.
Climate change and the construction of bridges (affecting the flow of the river) long ago put an end to such possibilities. But in recent years, nostalgia for these times has led to temporary ice rinks and Christmas markets popping up all over the city during the winter and Christmas period.
Temporary outdoor ice rinks can be found at picturesque sites around the city: at the Tower of London, outside the Natural History Museum, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, Canary Wharf, at the Winter Wonderland Christmas Fair in Hyde Park, and in the eighteenth century courtyard at Somerset House on the Strand. In January at Somerset House, DJ nights on Fridays will feature Horse Meat Disco, Desdemona plays Pop and Batmacunda. At Hyde Park there is also a funfair and German style Christmas stalls.
Two indoor artificial 45 meter ski slopes at the O2 arena are ideal for beginners to get a few lessons before embarking on their first ski holiday, or for those who just want to ease in their legs prior to heading off to the mountains.
A Winter Festival along the South Bank of the River Thames, the site of the original Frost Fairs, runs from 12 – 21 December. Around 40 arts and crafts stalls will sell hand-made jewellery, fine ceramics, leather goods and Christmas stocking fillers. Institutions surrounding the area will stage seasonal events including a choir concert on 19 December at 7.30 pm and carol services on 21 and 23 December at 6.30 pm — these all at Southwark Cathedral. Other nearby attractions responding to the festive season are Shakespeare’s Globe, Borough Market and the semi excavated site of the original Rose Theater. Sleds pulled by Siberian Huskies will offer rides to under 12’s.
Desdemona Plays Pop Club Dates
added: Nov 22nd://newsdesk
From humble beginnings (The King’s Head, N1) Desdemona Plays Pop has quickly risen through the ranks to become a staple of the London club scene. Challenging the notion that 80s pop music can only be enjoyed with irony, Ruth & Ed have built up a following of loyal clubbers who embrace the great pop hits of the 80s & 90s.
Successful stints in some of London’s top clubs: Punk, Blag, Stanza and 333 has ensured that Desdemona Plays Pop has garnered a reputation for an unforgettable night out for the thousands of people who want their slice of a top TV theme or classic Kylie without feeling like it’s a guilty pleasure.
Desdemona Plays pop @ the worlds first ecologiacal nightclub throughout December (www.club4climate.com) and get your skates on for Desdemona’s very special set at the Somerset House Ice Rink on Friday January 16th.
***DATES***
Sat 6th Dec – Surya, 156 Pentonville Road, London N1
Sat 13th Dec – Surya, 156 Pentonville Road, London N1
Sat 20th Dec – Surya, 156 Pentonville Road, London N1
Fri 16th Jan – Somerset House, Strand, London W1
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8pm-12am. Enjoy a perfect night of torch-lit skating with some of London’s hottest DJs playing live to create a real party atmosphere as you skate. Tonight, Desdemona Plays Pop brings you a night of pure 80s & 90s pop!
Every Friday throughout January, come along for a glamorous late night skate with friends or an evening of romance. The beautiful 18th century building is transformed by moonlight to create a dramatic backdrop for the glistening rink, whilst guest DJ’s play live to create a great party feel. Tonight features Desdemona Plays Pop with a night of pure pop pleasure brought to you by TV presenters turned DJ’s Ruth & Ed. Combining the best 80s floor-fillers with classic 90s dance hits to ensure an unforgettable blend of great pop music.
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The bar is open throughout for mulled wine or bubbly and its free to spectate so even those who don’t want to skate can visit the ultimate West End hotspot.
London Lite described Desdemona Plays Pop as ‘a mix of classic Eighties pop with Seventies floor-fillers and Nineties club tracks, taking us back to our schooldays and memories of tuning into the singles charts on a Sunday evening. And they are steadily building up a following of London clubbers tired of DJs who are more concerned with being cool than giving the people what they want.’