WELCOME TO XO - VOLUME TWO

Catching up on lost time! Note about the very last track: Stan Bravo did that for us years and years ago, hence the old references (Don Imus, Nufurm, etc).

Download link: http://www.mediafire.com/?fugzyfo7m7d698c

WELCOME TO XO - VOLUME ONE

Who saw this coming? Besides anyone who I've mentioned this to in the past five years. Back story - when XO exploded onto the Sydney clubbing scene back in 2006, people were asking for a XO mixtape. It was something I wanted to do and had every intention of doing, but for one reason or another it never happened. For a while I was talking to the CTMC/Alien Gang lads about getting them to do every track on the mixtape, but that fell through, then XO ended and I kind of forgot about putting together "Welcome to XO" (but every cloud has a silver lining, and eventually the public got "Welcome to Bada Bing" late last year).

ANYWAY. Last night I was messing about in Ableton, grabbed 20 tracks from my "XO Classic" Serato crate and started putting together a little XO set, just for my own amusement. After a couple of tracks, it sparked my memory of the "Welcome to XO" mixtape concept, so while I was laying down tracks I started going through the old XO photos I've got saved for some potential artwork. Came across the classic one of me passed out in the bathroom on my birthday, threw it into Photoshop and as the clock struck 7am I'd finished a simple mixtape, complete with artwork. It's not a cutting/scratching/DJ routines mixtape, it's just a stack of good music that we were known for playing at XO. Hope you enjoy it!

Download link: http://www.mediafire.com/?ah5aveu6tm3t7le

Oh and it's called "Volume One" for a reason - look for some more classic XO mixes (and photos/artwork!) coming soon.

WHAT'S HQ @ HUNTER BAR?

So if you're a friend of mine on Facebook or follow me on Twitter, you've probably seen I've been mentioning the new night I'm working at, HQ @ Hunter Bar. Here's the scoop.

- HQ is essentially XO back at Hunter Bar, same staff, DJs, music policy, everything.
- It's every Saturday night.
- The grand opening is Saturday March 13.

BUT... and this is a big, Jennifer Lopez-sized but, due to massive demand we're opening two weeks early! So this Saturday (February 27) the XO team are throwing a VIP/industry "welcome back" party to celebrate their return to Hunter Bar and the new Saturday night HQ.

And to make this Saturday even bigger, we're giving away free champagne all night (until we run out of stock, literally) and doing happy hour drink prices all night on all drinks. Yes, the night is going to be huge.

COMING SOON - HQ SATURDAYS

From the XO team, HQ @ Hunter Bar every Saturday night, March 2010. More details soon!

XO TONIGHT - BWS PARTY!

We got the Black Wall Street party at XO tonight, I'll be there after The Game concert - and remember you get free entry all night with your The Game concert ticket! Here's some old school WESSSSSSSSIDE flavour to get you in the mood for tonight...

XO THIS SATURDAY - JULY 4 CRUNK NIGHT!

The flyer says it all, right? Email XO for free guestlist!

XO THIS SATURDAY - OLD SCHOOL ROOM!

For some reason, a lot of people think I'm anti-old school. I love old school - but GOOD old school. Too many clubs use the term "old school" as code to say "commercial music". So come down to XO this Saturday night and hear some real, authentic old school in the second room with DJ Carl Alley and DJ Naiki! Email XO to get on the free guestlist.

XO THIS SATURDAY - XO CLASSIC

Already got a lot of good feedback about the concept of XO this Saturday night - XO CLASSIC - playing all the hits that have been and gone since we started XO almost four years ago.

PLUS the second room will be open with DJ Carl Alley and DJ Cookie playing old school R&B! Should be a great night, email here for free guestlist.

XO THIS SATURDAY - DJ PETER GUNZ 'HEAVY ROTATION VOL 3' LAUNCH

As well as being one of my best friends in Sydney, Peter Gunz is one of Australia's best club DJs, if not the best. Come down to XO @ St James Hotel this Saturday night for your chance to win a copy of his latest CD, Heavy Rotation Vol. 3 - email here for free guestlist!

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT...

Grand opening of XO/Spanish Harlem at St James Hotel! I'm officially in Big Kev mode.

XO AND SPANISH HARLEM @ ST JAMES THIS SATURDAY!

I've already answered most of your questions, but to recap...

- Yes, it's one cover charge for two clubs.
- Yes, we're using the same DJs and MCs as we've always used.
- Yes, we're opening an hour earlier (9pm).
- Yes, we're closing at the same time (5am).
- Yes, we're still playing the best music in Sydney (you wouldn't believe how many people have complained about what they've had to put up with at other spots).
- Yes, you can get on the guestlist via the same channels (refer to the above link for how to hook yourself up).
- No, we don't mind if you went to other clubs during XO's two week break. In fact we encouraged it, it will help show you what they don't have compared to us!

See you there this Saturday!

THE NEW XO VENUE IS...

LAST XO @ HUNTER BAR TOMORROW NIGHT!

Check out some of my favourite pics from XO @ Hunter Bar - these ones are more recent, for older ones check out the XO myspace page!

Oh, and another hint as to where XO's new venue is... it's somewhere in the city, between Circular Quay and Central train station. Hope that narrows it down for you!

Me, Monchichi, Rockeeeeeee (what a great t-shirt!) and Fuzz.

LEFT: Nathan Jawai, the NBA's #1 rookie bigman from Australia. RIGHT: MC Shyne wasn't impressed with my outfit the week QLD won the State of Origin.

The regular crew with our regular shot of choice, the Southern Slut.

LEFT: The brains and the balls behind XO, myself and DJ Carl Alley. RIGHT: The creator of aformentioned Southern Slut (and other drinks that will remain nameless), bar manager Vanessa.

Tough guys Carl Alley, me and DJ Peter Gunz.

Yep, the infamous "passed out in the Hunter Bar toilets" pic!

WHERE IS THE NEW XO?

If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked that this week, I'd be a millionaire. Or at the very least I'd have $68. So here's a hint... it's somewhere in this picture below...

THE FINAL XO! ...AT HUNTER BAR

Breaking the news to people that this Saturday is the "last XO" is always fun, because generally they have a panic attack and don't know what they're going to do on a Saturday night anymore - until I add the part "at Hunter Bar".

That's right, this Saturday is the last XO @ Hunter Bar! We have something big in the works so I'll be dropping hints here on the blog about XO's next move in the next few days... I'm sneaky like that!

THIS WEEK AT XO - PATRON PRESENTS DJ LEON SMITH'S CRUNK NIGHT!

This is going to be huge. Get on the guestlist here!

THIS WEEK AT XO - XO XMAS PARTY!

This blog was never meant to be a purely promotional thing, so I'm slightly annoyed with myself for making the bulk of my recent posts all about club nights. Regardless, it's XO's Xmas Party this Saturday night - be there!

THIS WEEK AT XO - DJ DEMIZE (ADE)

I'm not going to lie, it can be tough for a guest DJ at XO. Because the DJs we have on their every week have trained the crowds to not expect a typical corny club set, if a guest comes on and does a typical corny club set it will not go over well. DJ Demize from Adelaide played at XO a few months back and played so much dope s--t it was crazy. So when we had the chance to put him back on we jumped at it! Hit up XO to get on the free guestlist to check him out this Saturday!

TOO GANGSTA FOR MYSPACE PART TROIS

For some reason MySpace deleted this picture from the XO account because it was too explicit. Speechless.

A FEW QUICK POINTS

1. I'm still alive.

2. XO's third birthday was ridiculously good. Apparently. My memory has failed me (again).

3. I've got a new gig starting in a few weeks and it's going to be THE SPOT on Sunday nights. Here's a not-so-cryptic clue as to where it is and what it's all about... (oh and new XO podcast coming later tonight!)