The Tia Maria Dark Room was unlocked for another year of celebrating the ‘girls’ night’ out curated by Gemma Cairney
Last year saw Laura Mvula head up the Tia Maria Music Room – the first incarnation of Tia Maria’s event series – in London with a breathtaking performance of her debut album Sing To The Moon. For the 2014 series, the Music Room becomes the Dark Room, evolving to add style and beauty to the existing sonic mix.
Radio One’s Gemma Cairney, The Tia Maria Dark Room curator, commented, “BOOM shake, shake the room. Organising a party is my total favourite thing to do. Curating Tia Maria’s Dark Room around the country is an honour, expect a damn good night out & where your sparkliest. Expect surprise DJ sets, mesmerising live music and glitter.”
Kicking off in Manchester’s Northern Goods Warehouse last weekend, the first Tia Maria Dark Room weekend was great fun with its mix of girlie beautification and cool music vibe.
The Manchester events heralded what looks like a great season for the classic spirit. Miss Cairney started her career as a stylist for bands like Florence and the Machine before moving in to presenting for Big Brother, and landing the Radio One hot seat so is a perfect choice for curator with her feet firmly in both the music and avant garde fashion camps. She was boldly in attendance, as the evening started off with after work cocktails, accompanied by complimentary manicures for guests by the glamorous team from cult East End nail boutique, Wah Nails. Alongside Wah Nails, Toni & Guy stylists were busy offering free Brigitte Bardot styles, so that by the end, you were fit to party with the finest!
With all this glamourisation going on, everyone was in need of some classic cocktail action. I can’t say I was much of a connoisseur before the event, but I will certainly be adding a dose of the sultry liquor to my drinks of choice list from now on!
The Tia Dark Room showcases the Tia Espresso cocktail – an intoxicating blend conjured from espresso, vodka and Tia Maria and guests to the Dark Room had the chance to shake and stir their own Tia Espresso Martini under the watchful eye of an expert mix master. Also on offer was the Dark Maria, a delicious mix of Tia Maria, Cola and dark Caribbean rum and my favourite, the refreshing Tia and Ginger, a fiery combination of Jamaican ginger beer complimented by Tia Maria and lime.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a party without the music and music continues to be at the core of these Tia Maria experiences. The soundtrack was an upbeat mix of dance floor fillers and classic party tracks provided by Gemma Cairney. And each night will bring a different flavour of the host city, with local musicians invited to share the stage. In Manchester we saw live performances from The Lottery Winners, and DJ sets from the Entourage DJs.
The Tia Maria Dark Room is a great night out, with loads of freebies and a perfect, fun party atmosphere. Don’t miss out when they head to your city later in the year!
The Tia Maria Dark Room continues to Nottingham (4th and 5th July), Glasgow (15th and 16th August) and London (10th and 11th October).
To be added to the guest list for The Tia Maria Dark Room see www.tiamaria.com
Twitter: @TiaMariaDrink, #TMDarkRoom , #TiaEspresso
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