New York rewards those who stay out late – so it felt right to round off the year at the Hotel Chelsea, a place that has always belonged to the night. Last week, we partnered with the iconic hotel to host a live recording of our podcast, Service95 Book Club With Dua Lipa, bringing together an intimate room of friends, readers and culture lovers for an evening rooted in books, music, nightlife and community.
At the heart of it all: Dua in conversation with her longtime friend and collaborator Mark Ronson, celebrating his memoir Night People: How To Be A DJ in 90s New York City – Dua’s Monthly Read for January 2026 (look out for all our content on this dropping next month). Recently landing on both the New York Times Bestseller list and the Sunday Times Top 10, the book traces the characters, escapades and pulsing energy of Mark’s early DJ years, capturing a New York that moved to its own rhythm after dark in the ’90s.
Stories From An Unsung Scene
Before the conversation began, legendary New York DJ Belinda Becker took the mic. Her stories didn’t romanticise the era – they rooted it. This was a city built by the people who showed up, night after night, often unnoticed, always essential.
Dua and Mark talked about how Night People came together, with Mark sharing that he spoke to over 100 people to map what he calls an “unsung scene”. DJs, dancers, door staff, artists – the connective tissue of a city that has long shaped global culture. As Mark read excerpts from the book, the room felt suspended between past and present, memory and moment. The vibe was electric – a room tuned to the same frequency.
For Dua, the book also quietly marked the final chapter in an unintentional New York trilogy within the Service95 Book Club – Just Kids by Patti Smith (’60s and ’70s), Widow Basquiat by Jennifer Clement (’80s), and now Night People, capturing the city’s energy throughout the ’90s. “I didn’t really know how much we needed this third act until I read your book,” Dua shared. “It feels very poignant for a very particular time.”
Mixed For The Night People
The night spilled out in other ways too, thanks to our partnership with Lobos 1707, who curated tequilla-based cocktails inspired by the clubs that shaped the era – names pulled straight from the pages of Night People and flavours built for staying out late, including the Juicy Margarita, Buddha Bar Spiced Paloma and The Sweet Thang Negroni.
More than an event, though, the night was a meaningful reminder of what Service95 is really about: creating space for cultural experiences that stay with you. Bringing our podcast into a live setting allowed conversations usually heard through headphones to be shared, collectively, in real time – surrounded by people who care deeply about books, music and the stories that shape us. A luminous, rare pause in the city before everyone slipped back into the night.
To relive the night – and for those who couldn’t join us – you can catch the full video episode of Dua and Mark’s conversation coming in January – here at Service95.com, on our YouTube channel and, of course, via the Service95 Book Club With Dua Lipa podcast.
