DECEMBER Report 05
Friday December 9th saw my first two gigs since February of this
year. Since
March up until October I had been extremely unwell with a viral infection
that left me with no energy to do even everyday simple activities. I thought
my DJing career would be over, so now being back to 100% health just writing
about my return gigs gives me some delight. The weekend was to be a jam
packed one, with 2 gigs on the Friday night, a gig to see the Chemical
Brothers at Brixton Academy on the Saturday, and on the Sunday morning my
debut at afterparty Twist. I headed to London on train with friend Warb, who
also designed and keeps this website up to date on the Friday afternoon, and
after having a few beers with my brother and friends by Liverpool Street and
a chinese in Soho, made our way to the first port of call - U4Ria @ The
Captain Cook in West London. This is a club I'd played on countless
occasions, and have developed a really good friendship with the staff,
particulary Gary and Amanda who are two of the nicest people you could wish
to meet. I played the 1-3am slot after Phil Noda, who, with the crowd not as
big as usual had decided to play all the big anthems which you can find on
any Now Dance album in the shops. Fair play to him, it worked, and as myself
and Warb went back to back, I realised that in future I need a couple more
of the bigger anthems in my box, just in case!! After a kebab on route, we
then made our way via taxi to central London, to Heaven, for the biggest
charity event of the year, PINK. This was set up by Hard House DJ Lucy Fur,
encompassing an all female line up in the main room. With 3 other rooms
bosting trance, house, electro and breaks, it was a wicked event on paper.
The set up in the room I was playing was 100 times better than when I last
played there in March 04, but unfortunately, as it's a really difficult room
to find, was lacking in people. Despite this, me n Warb had a cracking time,
pissed as farts, mixing it up back to back. We finally got to bed around
10am. Unfortunately the next day the flu hit me really bad, and I had to
cancel going to see the Chems so Clodagh accompanied Warb as I lay feeling
sorry for myself in my sick bed, The gig at Twist also had to be cancelled,
so that put on a downer on an otherwise awesome weekend which had seen my
return to clubland...
New Years Eve was my next gig which couldn't have been more packed,
check
out some of the photos from the gig in the gallery section of the site. In
between me n my friends had been to Cream @ Nation on Boxing Day, and
despite leaving with our trainers looked as tho we'd been involved in the
trenches of World War 2, it's got to be the filthiest club in the country.
Bushwacka's set wasthe set of the night, no questions. Anyway, back to NYE.
I'd been asked to play at One at the Southside Bar back in September.
There's 2 floors, a hard house/trance floor and a house/electro/breaks floor
which I was to be playing, with 2Phunked Up, two South African guys who'd
had a wicked 2005. I played 2.30-4.30am, with mates Pez and Keano in
attendance, it was a gig that fully restored my massive enthusiasm for
DJing. We then left to head to 2Phunked Up's afterparty until finally
getting to sleep at midday. Cheers for reading and here's hoping a wicked
2006 for all. Happy New Year!
NOVEMBER Report 05
Just a quick report to explain why there hasn't been any
reports since March. I haven't been well since April, but am now back to full
health and expect monthly reports to appear here as the gigs start flowing again,
starting with three gigs in December.
MARCH Report 05
Friday March 11th I headed down to London with my mate/driver/fellow
nutter
Pez to play Thank Funk It's Fryday at Club U4ria, which is of course my
monthly residency in the capital. We met up with a friend in Shepherds Bush
for a few drinks beforehand, then made our way to Acton for the gig. Rocking
the room when we got there was 2Phunked Up, a couple of South African dudes
making a name for themselves. I've played at this event after these guys on
a couple of occasions now, and each time they had the crowd well and truly
fired up for me to do my stuff. Needless to say, the crowd, as always were
responsive, and there's not many more words I can use to describe this crowd
as each time I leave I want to get back on the decks at the next possible
opportunity. After the gig myself and Pez sat around drinking with the owner
Gary until 6.30am before catching the train straight back up to Liverpool
and getting to bed for around midday! For somebody who doesn't take drugs,
this is a pretty hardcore night. We'd had a road trip and night out in
Newcastle in the midweek so some sleep was required big time.
The last weekend in March saw the Miami Winter Music conference
to which I
listened to all the shows broadcast on Radio 1 - Tong's Essential Selection,
Jules' Saturday Warmup and the Essential Mix to listen out for what would be
the conference's big tunes, and undoubtably Ibiza's come the summer. The
best tune I heard all weekend, which I then went out and got a copy of as
soon as I could was Those Guys - I Walk Alone, which I think will be
absolutely massive over on the White Isle come those hot summer nights. On
this same weekend was Easter Sunday in the UK, although not as hot as
Miami!! Last year me and Pez went to Crasher in Sheffield, and this year was
to be the same. Unfortunately it took 4 hours this year round... on a bus
driving through the Pennines on the way to Sheffield with heavy fog was not
the best preporation. The night was a classics night, and with tune and tune
made me wish that I'd had the opportunity to go to the club at the height of
it's popularity in 99-01.
On another note... I'm currently learning how to produce using
Reason,
Fruityloops and Logic, so here's hoping soon I'll have some of my own tunes
available!! Cheers...
FEBRUARY Report 05
Wednesday 17th Feb I checked out a new night promoted by a couple
of my
friends called Connekt in Liverpool city centre. The next night I listened
to Eddie Halliwell's Essential Mix on the Radio 1 listen again option on the
website. Despite receiving a bit of a battering on the message boards, I
really enjoyed it, and without doubt Eddie is one of my favourite DJs. If
you STILL havn't seen this guy in action, do so ASAP. If you see one guy DJ
before you die, this is him.
The next night Fri 18th, I made the journey down to London from
Liverpool to
play 2 gigs. A met a friend, Matt at Euston before heading to the first of
the two gigs in Earl's Court. Matt and I went to the same school, St Edwards
College (also home to the likes of Jenny Ellison, and half the Brookside
cast!!) and since he has been at Cambridge University, where he travelled to
London from to meet me.
The gig in Earl's Court was at the early time of 9-11.30pm, and
after having
a pre set pint in Earl's Court, headed to the venue, only to find the
complete set up was fucked, so after 20 minutes of my mate Matt sorting it
out I finally got underway. The gig didn't get busy until later. Eclectic
Sessions was the name of the night, and at around midnight I headed to the
2nd port of call, and my now monthly residency at the Thank Funk It's Fryday
night at the Cook/Club U4ria in Acton, West London.
What can I say about this night that hasn't been said in this
column before?
I simply love playing at this event. When I arrived just before my set at
1am-3am the crowd were going crazy to 2 Phunked Up, a couple of South
African guys who know how to work the crowd. The venue was packed, each time
I play I come out wanting to get back on the decks ASAP. The crowd are so up
for it, and being interactive with them plays a massive part of the night's
proceedings. After finishing my set at 3am, I drank with owner, and friend,
Gary until 6.30, before heading to Oxted, Surrey to my brothers where he
drove us both back to Liverpool in preperation for the massive Everton -
Manchester United FA Cup 5th Round tie. The game saw the return to Goodsion
Park for the first time since his £27 million move to Manchester United
of
Wayne Rooney. I think unless you are an Evertonian, it's hard to understand
how much we hate Wayne. We are currently 4th in the Premiership, having
spent fuck all compared to the other Premiership 'giants'. The major reason
why we hate Rooney is because of the 'once a blue always a blue' tee shirt
he wore when he was 16 after he scored a goal in the Youth Cup final. He was
one of us, a scouser who made the big time, realsing his dream of playing
for his boyhood club, the dream which any Evertonian would give his life to
do. When he left for one of our biggest rivals Manchester United, he was in
our hearts no more. The fact that he and his slimeball of an agent Paul
Stretford fucked the club around so much over the summer with their silence
made things even worse. We lost the game 2-0, leaving us to concentrate on
finishing 4th and here's hoping, Champions League football next season.
Darz
JANUARY Report 05
Despite the cancelation of the Highland Gathering event I was
due to play on
New Year's Eve in Edinburgh, a couple of friends and I still headed up to
Scotland's capital to see in the New Year... a top start to 2005!!
January's only gig was at one of my two new monthly residencies
for 2005 in
London... West London's Thank Funk It's Fryday at Club U4ria. After the gig
in December, a week before Christmas on my birthday, which was arguably one
of my best gigs of the latter part of 2004, I was offered a monthly
residency, which I snapped off the promoter Gary with both hands. This
night's atmosphere rocks, simple as that. It's got that main room feel to
it... despite the fact that with the music I play, the majority of gigs are
in the back room, leaving it to harder styles for the main room. I travelled
to London on my own via Virgin trains on Fri 28th, playing the 1-3am set.
Although it wasn't as packed as usual, due to it being the month of January,
I loved playing, and can't wait to get back next month (18th Feb), where
I'll also be kicking off my other monthly residency for 2005, the new
Eclectic Sessions night in Shepherds Bush. This will be held weekly at Club
Richmond, with a different music policy every week ranging from trance,
breaks, house et al. After my set at Thank Funk It's Fryday, I had a few
drinks in the bar where South African's drank tequila in an alternative
form... snorting the salt, drinking the tequila, squeezing the lemon in
their eyes!! Nutters!
Cya next month...