1 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back to the Bob Left Sets podcast. 2 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: My guest today is DJIT Big Clubs on Stage on 3 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: the Radio, d M entrepreneur Pete Tom Hi, Bob okay, Pete, 4 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: thank you. You're now doing these stage shows. You even 5 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: sold out two old two's with Abisa Classics. Tell me 6 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: about that. Yeah, basically, it's um It's started by me 7 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: getting invited to curate a prom The Proms are a 8 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: series of very famous season of classical concerts that have 9 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: been running in the UK for well over a hundred 10 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: years at the Royal Albert Hall, and they wanted to 11 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: do something a bit more contemporary. They were worried about 12 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: their audience kind of getting older and older and older, 13 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: and they wanted to kind of engage with the younger demographics. 14 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: So they reached out to BBC Radio One, where obvious 15 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: I've obviously been forever, and they said, you know, how 16 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 1: about you guys curating you know, coming up with an 17 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: idea that might work as a classical concert. So they 18 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:12,839 Speaker 1: asked me as a bit of a kind of veteran 19 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: broadcaster there, and it happened to be an anniversary of 20 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: of me taking Radio One down to a b through. 21 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: It was like the twentieth anniversary, I think, in so 22 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: we came up with this idea of um, you know, curate, 23 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: you know, putting together a seventy minutes show. That was 24 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: the slot we were given. UM. And I thought, because 25 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 1: I've been there but not exactly that exact time here, 26 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: I thought the proms were outside of the problems inside 27 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: or the proms are predominantly inside the Royal Album Hall. 28 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: And they happened over the course of a month actually, 29 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: and it's pretty much every night, two shows a night, 30 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: and they might have done some think standalone things outside. 31 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: So anyway, I've never done anything like this before. This 32 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: was definitely outside my skill set. UM. But I was 33 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: introduced to Jules Buckley, who was a kind of contemporary 34 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: UM you know, UM orchestrator and conductor, and he worked 35 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: hand in hand with a with a kind of forward 36 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: thinking you know symphony orchestra called the Heritage Orchestra, and 37 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: they'd work with like the likes of the Basement Jackson 38 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: Goldie UM, someone that I was quite close to. So 39 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: you know, we we you know, we had this blind 40 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: date on the phone and we talked about the idea 41 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: and I I kind of got into it with him 42 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: how how it would work, and then I this, just 43 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: how long ago this was. This was January of the 44 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: year we did it, and we had six months to 45 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 1: plan it. And I basically thought, you know, why don't 46 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: we play a minute of each one of like all 47 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: the greatest records of all time and you know, dance 48 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: records and the Betha classics. And he said that would 49 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: take me like five years to to not take for 50 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: the sixty five players in the orchestra. So we cut it. 51 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: I cut it down to like twenty tracks. I mixed 52 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: it together in my studio and I gave it to 53 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: him and he started to, um, basically take these tracks 54 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: from the original form and then work out how an 55 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: orchestra would play them, and um. The interesting thing was 56 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: what was quite groundbreaking is I was able to get 57 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: him to mix tracks together, so we were going to 58 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: play everything live on stage, nothing on tape. Nothing. He 59 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 1: wasn't following any records I was playing or anything like that. 60 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: But we were able to do these segments, like fifteen 61 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: minutes segments where we worked through like five tunes, but 62 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,239 Speaker 1: it would be seamless, and even with tempo changes and 63 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: everything like that. So we did this show on the 64 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: thirty first of July, I think it was twenty nine, 65 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: did July UM at the Royal Albert Hall. It was 66 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: an appointment. It was a one off thing that we 67 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: were going to do. But within about halfway through the 68 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: first song, five thousand people in the Royal Albert Hall 69 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: stood up started going crazy clapping and we looked around 70 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: at each other, went some some magics going on here. 71 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: So we got to end at the show, went backstage. 72 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: It was like, oh my god, what just happened there 73 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: because literally the entire audience didn't sit down for seventy minutes. 74 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: They just went mad, and we had we had kind 75 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: of down tempo, chill out moments in there as well, 76 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: but they still stood up. Just to be clear, if 77 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: you only had seventeen minutes seventy seventy, excuse me. So 78 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: we got backstage and was like, oh my god, you know, 79 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: like this was amazing. We've got to do it again. 80 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: But everything in terms of the proms and the BBC, 81 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: it was all kind of funded and underwritten, so it 82 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 1: was like no nobody really ever got a bill um. 83 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: But so it took a while to plan how to 84 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: take this show out on the road and it took 85 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: about eighteen months UM. But we announced some shows the 86 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 1: following March and we sold them out in a day 87 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: and we had one oh two on sale and we 88 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 1: worked out there as people don't know that's essentially yes, 89 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: it's like it's like the big arenas here, like Staples 90 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: Center or something like that, and we worked out there. 91 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 1: If we sold the lower bowl, we didn't know, like 92 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: eighteen months later what the demand would be like. UM, 93 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: but we sold it out. We sold the whole place 94 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: out in a day, and then we were like, oh 95 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: my god, we got to do another one, but I 96 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: think Justin Bieber was playing the next day and like 97 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 1: someone else the day before, so we couldn't get a 98 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: string of dates. But we ended up at the end 99 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: of sixteen with a with a show in Birmingham the 100 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: O two and then one match to all all arenas, 101 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: sold them all out. UM made a record that year 102 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: UM basically going back in the student into the Happy 103 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: Road studios actually, which was amazing, and we recorded the orchestra. 104 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: We recorded that set with you know, we redid it, 105 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 1: UM did it as a proper record. UM. The album 106 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: came out went to number one went gold on the 107 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 1: pop chart. It was so we were off to an 108 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: amazing start and here we are UM at the end 109 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: of we just did nine arena shows in the UK, 110 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:38,480 Speaker 1: including to two sold out oh two. So it's um, 111 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: it's it's me up on stage with with sixty five 112 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: incredible musicians and Jules Buckley playing a selection of you know, 113 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: electronic music, dance music that spans back years UM. And 114 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: for me, it adds. It was it was really about 115 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: adding gravitas to these compositions. I think in the in 116 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: the annals of musical history, you know, dance music producers, DJs, 117 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: we have a bit of a chip on our shoulder 118 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 1: because we're not taken seriously like the Rock and Roll 119 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame and all that stuff. MS and and 120 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: it to me it was like, well, this music that 121 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: was made in Chicago, New York, Detroit, you know, in Berlin, 122 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: in London, all all over the world, you know wherever, 123 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: um we can show that you know this one finger 124 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: wizardry that was done by these Detroit guys back in 125 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: the late eighties where they had a button on one 126 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: of the early Roland keyboards that says strings and they 127 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: played you know this incredible string part that we to 128 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:35,720 Speaker 1: actually be able to go and do it with a 129 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,799 Speaker 1: you know, a massive orchestra. Um. It just lifted people 130 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: and I think that's that was the magic of it. Okay, 131 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 1: So since there are no nothing on a hard drive, 132 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: we used to see tea what do you actually do 133 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 1: on stage? So basically um on the light. On the 134 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: live performance side, I'm I'm actually also playing along with him, 135 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: so you'll see me up there with with a bunch 136 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: of turntables and sheen and some drum pads and basically 137 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 1: there there are elements like weighty kind of wishes and 138 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: bangs and electronica in a lot of these productions that 139 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: an orchestra can't play. So I'm often spinning in a 140 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: like a stem um of of some electronics that actually 141 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: the that they can't provide that kind of adds euphor 142 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: I'm adding kind of euphoria, and occasionally I'm adding um 143 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: extra um percussion hits and stuff like that, and then yeah, 144 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: a lot of clapping. Okay, So what's the press? And 145 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: I'm kind of playing like the m M right right, 146 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: what's the press been like? Because you know there's so 147 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: much press in the UK and it can be vicious. 148 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: Now it's been it's been incredible. I mean I would say, um, 149 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: touch would um, it's been great. It's it it's I 150 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: tell you, I'll tell you what it is. It's it's 151 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: it's it's experiential. It's it's the orchestra. Is there a 152 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: back up? Is there? You know? Lee? Are there leasers? 153 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: What are you doing? Yeah? So on the there's a 154 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: two versions of the show, the A list version, which 155 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 1: is the one we've just done through the arenas. Um, 156 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: we've built a pretty big production. It's it's it's the 157 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: idea is we take people to a Betha for one night. 158 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: You know, we either taken them back because they've got 159 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: great memories of it, or we're taking them there for 160 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: the first time because they've never been there. So, um, 161 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: we've built, it's evolved over the five years and it's 162 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: got a little bit more dense and layered as we've 163 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 1: picked up material um and worked out what ideas work 164 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: and what ideas don't. So um, yeah, we what's going 165 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: on up on screen on on screen um compliments what 166 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: we're doing on stage. And as I said, not not 167 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: this year, but the year before. It starts with a plane, 168 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 1: you know, flying over the audience and we take you 169 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: to a bether for one night. And we've we've had 170 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,079 Speaker 1: you know, departure boards up from the airport. We've done 171 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: all sorts of tricks and and and the show climax 172 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 1: is by this pretty special journey, um through the night 173 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: through a beether and then a bit and and dealt villa. Yeah, 174 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: the classic shot in a bee the old town um 175 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: rises up behind the orchestra and like it gives me 176 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: goose bumps talking about it. But that's like the emotional 177 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: like punch um. But we're always I'm always looking at 178 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 1: I mean for the first you know here, I am 179 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: like in my sixtieth year. I've been deejaying pretty much 180 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 1: since I was fourteen years old, and um, you know, 181 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 1: to be able to do this, I mean this, I 182 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:32,839 Speaker 1: just didn't see this coming. You know, this was not 183 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: written in the book. You know. I always had a 184 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: day job to kind of compensate for my you know, 185 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: the way my DJ was going. And so it's it's 186 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:45,079 Speaker 1: been fascinating so be able to be able to do 187 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: this stuff on that scale. Um, I'm learning a lot 188 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: and it's a lot of fun. And you know, you 189 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: see you you see the technology on stage that you know, 190 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: Metallic could take out or you know you two or 191 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: Coldplay or Kanye or someone um where as deviling and 192 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 1: we I can, like a couple of years later after 193 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: they've done it, I can kind of afford it, so 194 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: we can get a little bit of that. So we're 195 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: always like looking to push the envelope a bit in 196 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: terms of every year as the as the show goes on, 197 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: we we get a little bit more funding and we 198 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: can add another trick. Okay, so you are the driving 199 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: business force. It's basically your show. Well it's it's it's 200 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,079 Speaker 1: my name at the top of the poster, but it's 201 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: a collaborative effort. It's I'm actually I'm talking about the 202 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 1: quick and I'm talking about the business end. I mean, 203 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: does everybody else you know the orchestra, They basically show 204 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 1: up when it's booked, But in terms of talking to 205 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 1: an agent, manager, etcetera. Picking out dates, is that all 206 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: fall on your head pretty much? I mean, um, there 207 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 1: there is a there is a little We formed the 208 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: company as a partnership which is me and Jules Buckley 209 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: and um Chris Wheeler, who's the principle of the Heritage 210 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: Orchestra and my management company actually, so a lot of 211 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 1: the everything else apart from the show tends to all 212 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: on me and my management um. And when it gets 213 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: to actually doing the show then and all making making 214 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:09,839 Speaker 1: the records, it's very much me and jewels um and 215 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,680 Speaker 1: and yeah, yeah, the orchestra turn up to play at 216 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,680 Speaker 1: certain sessions. When it comes to actually doing the show, 217 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 1: obviously the orchestra part increases because we couldn't do it 218 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: without them. So and we have guests, you know, we 219 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: have a lot of guests come on. So we'll take guests, vocalists, 220 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: We've had, I mean, we've had um everyone from you know, 221 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 1: John like what I wanted to do because it's because 222 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 1: it's just it appealed initially to the kind of relapsed raver. 223 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 1: So it was it was quite that way if you 224 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:45,959 Speaker 1: were an eight, if you were eight in the eighties 225 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,959 Speaker 1: and you were going to like the clubs for the 226 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: first time in the raves, you know, all through the 227 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:52,199 Speaker 1: kind of rise of the big clubs in the super 228 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: clubs in the nineties in the UK. You know, you 229 00:11:55,679 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: the interesting thing is by two, you know, the late um, 230 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: you never stopped loving the music. You you didn't really 231 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: want to grow older, but you've got families, you've got jobs, 232 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:07,319 Speaker 1: you have got older. You don't want to go out 233 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:08,959 Speaker 1: till four in the morning anymore, but you do come 234 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 1: and see peakes On and relive this this thing. Um so. 235 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 1: But I but being with my A and R head On, 236 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: it was like, I've never really looked backwards and done 237 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 1: celebratory greatest hits things, so I've always been trying to 238 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 1: push the envelope forward. So for me it was very important. 239 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: You know, we'll have classic artists back, but I wanted 240 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 1: to have young contemporary artists performing these old songs. So 241 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: from the get go we had John Newman, Um, we 242 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 1: had Air Maginade hartnett Um, you know, but I have 243 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,560 Speaker 1: had Candy Statin, I have had Seal. We just had 244 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: Maxi Jazz from Faith Fus come out and join us 245 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: performing his own song, which was kind of took the 246 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: thing to a whole new level where you start having 247 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 1: the original artists whose music we are playing then come 248 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: back and perform with us. So um so it's a 249 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 1: it's a mix, you know, okay some of this so 250 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: but we had but you know, Becky Hills almost joint. 251 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,839 Speaker 1: You know, she's a massive kind of contemporary singer in 252 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,599 Speaker 1: the UK and she's done every tour. Beverley Night is 253 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 1: a veteran of you know who went on to be 254 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: a big star in the theater. Actually she's she's come 255 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:12,320 Speaker 1: back and done it with us. But but then there's 256 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: always be the young ones as well. So okay, so 257 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: any shows booked for the future, well, the next UK 258 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 1: tour is already on sale, so that's. Um, We've got 259 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: one big date at the isle A White Festival next 260 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,439 Speaker 1: year talking about glaston Read that might or might not happen, 261 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 1: and then what our arena run again, He's already on 262 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: sale for December. We did do it at the Hollywood 263 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: Bowl here a few years ago. Um, it was very 264 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: expensive thing to do. Um, and we haven't quite yet 265 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: worked out the model of how to bring it back 266 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: to America. That's challenge. But let's just say forgetting the economics, 267 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: working out the below the line stuff. Just talking about 268 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 1: the audience, do you think there is an arena audience 269 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: other than in Los Angeles and New York for this show? 270 00:13:56,200 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: We're we're were were working on it now, I think, um, 271 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: I my gut feels it's more like an installation that 272 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: maybe it's a celebration of the American electronics story from 273 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 1: the late nineties all the way through to two now, 274 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: and maybe it's home is more like something like Vegas. 275 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 1: That's having said that, you know, there is this um 276 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: you know, like k CRW do at the Bowl, you 277 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 1: know where they do that kind of it's funded by 278 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: that kind of season ticket model where people bring their picnics. 279 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: I mean I got educated to this a couple of 280 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: years ago that there is actually a circuit of those 281 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: places like the Hollywood Bowl. You know. Mark Geiger was 282 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: telling me, um that you can do that. You know, 283 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: probably could do nine, ten, twelve of those around the country. 284 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: So we're looking at that as well. Well. I guess 285 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: what I'm asking is most people agree that this sound 286 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 1: started in Detroit, but it is never once it was 287 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: picked up by the UK and Europe, it is never 288 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: really faded. We're here, it's going up and down. So today, 289 00:14:57,320 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: if you because you're a world wide guy, what is 290 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: the level of the music in the varying territories? Um, well, 291 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: I think it went from zero to a hundred over 292 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: the course of these the you know from from the 293 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: late eighties. Obviously in the the UK it peaked quickest. 294 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: It became mainstream, it moved the needle um in the charts, 295 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: in the pop charts, it moved the needle in the 296 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: major label business, and then it kind of started to 297 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: kind of collapse in the two thousand's and the rest 298 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: of the world started to pick up on it. You know, 299 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 1: the French got stronger, the Swedes got stronger, the Germans 300 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: got stronger, and Low and Behold by coming into two 301 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: you know, mid two thousand, five, six, seven eight e 302 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: d M. You know, the roots of DUM kicked in 303 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: the US and then the whole financial value moved over here. 304 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: So you know that again in major labels had hits 305 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: with Vichy and David Gettum Vegascot on board and paid 306 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: money that was astronomical. It was bigger than any fee 307 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: anyone had ever seen before, anyone in the world. So 308 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 1: we've gone through and that's peaked now but and and 309 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: and Vegas is still there, but it's not all consuming 310 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: like it was between two thousand and eight and two 311 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: thousand and twelve thirteen. So UM, you know, only the 312 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: strong survive now in Vegas, Like the biggest pop stars 313 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 1: are the most current pop stars in the electronic world. 314 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: But the and but the other right, the the other 315 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: rising value right now is um all the underground guys 316 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: that kind of that became superstars in a Betha are 317 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: now traveling around the world and they've got a slightly 318 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: different model. They're not really having hits, um, but they 319 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: are bringing huge value to their live shows from an 320 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: experiential point of view, and especially on the V I 321 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: P and the table scene. So that's all moved from 322 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: gathering around, you know, kind of David Getter to two 323 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 1: starting to gather around like Tail of Us and Solomon 324 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: and Black Coffee and people like that. So that's quite interesting. Um. 325 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: But I think the general thing with my record company 326 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 1: hat on and my agency hat on is that, um, 327 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 1: it's it's actually on the rise again. It's actually the 328 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 1: the the the economic value around electronic dance music is 329 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: going back up again and on a global level, and 330 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: it's time for a new generation. And it's some it's 331 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 1: pretty positive. Okay, So you're the major labels by the 332 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: way back into dance music big time, you know, rightly 333 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 1: or wrong. The the investment is flying back into dance 334 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,679 Speaker 1: music because for the for the first time now the 335 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,679 Speaker 1: obviously the streaming numbers are actually getting to a significant 336 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: level where you know, the pouts are bigger again. So I, 337 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: you know, you know my history with Roger Ane's London 338 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: Records f r R, I was, I was there at 339 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,640 Speaker 1: the beginning and where you know where we were having 340 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:42,960 Speaker 1: bidding wars in the nineties, you know, a hundred grand 341 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 1: for this, two hundred ground for that. It went crazy 342 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 1: and that, and you're seeing that again now in the 343 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:51,400 Speaker 1: last twelve to eighteen months that those numbers are back out. 344 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 1: There are again major labels are battling each other to 345 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: get the rights to you know, the MEDUSA record or 346 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,360 Speaker 1: you know, okay originally from the UK, but you live 347 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: in l A now, yeah, how long? Um, numerous reasons. 348 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 1: One one, I already always had too many jobs and 349 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:14,479 Speaker 1: there was never a good time. You know, there's never 350 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: a good time to emmigrade. I think when I was 351 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 1: at London Records, UM, I had my first number one 352 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 1: record in America because I had signed Shakespeare's sister. We 353 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 1: had a record called Stay Um. London Records US had 354 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:31,479 Speaker 1: opened guy called Peter Copkey and it's still run by 355 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:33,639 Speaker 1: Roger Rams, right, Roger was running the whole thing, but 356 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: Copy was the head of the US and Osman was 357 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: in the mix as well with him, and they were like, 358 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: you know, you're you're the future of the label. Come. 359 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: You know, now is the time to come to America 360 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: and you've got a number one records. That would never 361 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 1: be a better time. But I got onto Radio one. 362 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: I had my first child in so that kind of 363 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 1: kai bosh that UM, and then I I got basically 364 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: my my I got remarried. My my second wife used 365 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 1: to live in l A. UM so she always wanted 366 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: to be American or that she's Brazilian, but she she 367 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: was in that she lived in l A when I 368 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 1: met her and UM, and then got deeper into this 369 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:13,640 Speaker 1: WMME relationship, and you know, the center WM at least 370 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 1: back then was Los Angeles, and I thought, you know, 371 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:18,320 Speaker 1: with the d M blowing up in America, and it's like, 372 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: if I was going to make the most of the opportunity, 373 00:19:20,119 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: now was the time. So it was. We went through it. 374 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: We only I told my mom I was coming for 375 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: a year. How many kids? How many kids do you have? 376 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: I've got four and two step kids, so six between us, okay, 377 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:33,200 Speaker 1: and how many were the first wife family of the 378 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: second wife. They're only two ways to only two lives, okay. 379 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:41,160 Speaker 1: So the first wife three kids, okay, So the first 380 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:43,199 Speaker 1: three three kids. In the second one you have one 381 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: together and you have two step kids. So what you 382 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: know if you had your first kid in What are 383 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: your kids up to? They're all in music actually amazingly 384 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: and I never really pushed them into it. Um, they've 385 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: kind of done it by their own designs. And my eldest, 386 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 1: Joe um, goes by an name of Joe Hurts as 387 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: an artist, didn't take my name, which I quite thinks 388 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 1: quite cool. And he is kind of making futuristic kind 389 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: of R and B soulful bit of electronic influence. Um, 390 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: he's doing pretty well. He's got good Spotify numbers, good 391 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 1: Apple numbers, and so he's he's doing that. He's writing, 392 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,439 Speaker 1: producing for other people and being an artist himself. And 393 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: he lives where he lives in London, and he is 394 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: now here's the interesting. But he's managed by his sister 395 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 1: who's a couple of years younger. So my daughter as 396 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: a manager, and she she got an intern job at 397 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: a sony label years ago and then just grew and 398 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: grew and grew on her and another guy from the 399 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,919 Speaker 1: label ended up leaving and forming their own um label 400 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,879 Speaker 1: and management company and plugging company actually called Juice Box, 401 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 1: and they run events. So she's doing that. She DJs 402 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:52,880 Speaker 1: as well, and they've employed my younger he's twenty one, 403 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:56,360 Speaker 1: and now he's like running like training under her and 404 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,719 Speaker 1: doing loads of stuff as well. The three of them 405 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: work together. That's quite And does everybody get along? Yeah? 406 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 1: I mean the first wife said the first wave ever 407 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 1: get remarried. No, that's okay. So uh, let's ask a 408 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:15,679 Speaker 1: general question for the uninformed. The uninformed looks at dance 409 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:20,400 Speaker 1: music and they hear all the different genres house, chill, 410 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:22,640 Speaker 1: I could go on and on. Can you do your 411 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 1: best to explain those different genres? Yeah, how she can 412 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 1: dance to chill? You can chill to have about that? 413 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 1: Bob okay, I go that. But there are obviously a 414 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,400 Speaker 1: mob where there's deep house, there's a million other genres 415 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 1: and subjects I got. I was always a little bit 416 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: um spiky about genres because they get they get mishandled, 417 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: you know. So I don't know if it's if it's good, 418 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: it's good. If you like it, you like it. I 419 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: don't know, so, I mean, I guess you have to, 420 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 1: you know, label stuff, but I don't like the next 421 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,399 Speaker 1: question is going to be what's what's happening next? No? No, 422 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: actually that was not going to be the next question. 423 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:00,679 Speaker 1: If anything, I was going to go backward, and I 424 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 1: ultimately will, but I guess I will ask a question 425 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: a different way. Amongst our fans, are fans into the 426 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: different genres? Where do you find that certain people are 427 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: only into you know, drum and bass or chill or whatever. Um, 428 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: drum and bass tends to be a more of a 429 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:25,400 Speaker 1: narrow thing. Um. Back in the day, you didn't used 430 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:29,200 Speaker 1: to um the drummer bassed crew were very locked into 431 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 1: a certain thing. I mean, I I think things are 432 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: changing now. I think um. I mean I come from 433 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: time late eighties in the rave era and like going 434 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: into the early nineties, we played a bit of everything 435 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: and we're all our eyes all all the guys back then. 436 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 1: Eyes were opened by those trips, early trips to a 437 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 1: Betha where we saw a guy called Alfredo play all 438 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 1: you know, Chicago House, Detroit House, Italio House, German house 439 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: and Techno, and then he'd play in excess you know, 440 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: need you tonight. It fights six in the morning with 441 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,439 Speaker 1: the sun rising, and everyone you know, like off their 442 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 1: trolley and I was like, this is amazing. They used 443 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:10,920 Speaker 1: to play he'd played like the coolest most obscure underground record, 444 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 1: and then he'd play Stockaching and Wortman's production of Mandy Smith, 445 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:18,359 Speaker 1: who was Bill Wyman's underage girlfriend. And we again it 446 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: was like, this is the coolest thing ever. And Chris, 447 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: you know, get another good example, you know, five underground 448 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 1: records and then m Josephing Chris Rear. It's like and 449 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,119 Speaker 1: that was the blair E spirit. So we and we 450 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,959 Speaker 1: all came back to London and Manchester back then, and 451 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: we also opened these clubs and we started doing the 452 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:38,159 Speaker 1: same thing. You know, we get to the end of 453 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: the night and played depeche Mode or Chris Rear and 454 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 1: it would be ironic, but it was really cool. So 455 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: I like, you know, and we used to play a 456 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:45,719 Speaker 1: bit of jungle, and we used to play a bit 457 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: of everything. And then something happened where everyone's got in 458 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: their lanes and if you ever stepped out of your lane, 459 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:54,439 Speaker 1: you got smacked. Over the head. So, but I'd like 460 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:58,200 Speaker 1: to think now with a younger audience that have kind 461 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 1: of grown up on Spotify and Apple streaming services, as 462 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:03,199 Speaker 1: they start to step into clubs for the first time 463 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,160 Speaker 1: because they're old enough and if they're curious to come 464 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:07,880 Speaker 1: that they are actually they're a little bit more all 465 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 1: over the place because they've had because they didn't have 466 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:15,200 Speaker 1: to buy the records exactly. I'm more I'm more concerned 467 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: about when I was thinking coming up here. My pet 468 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 1: subject really at the moment is like everyone's talking about 469 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,439 Speaker 1: monetization and music, and like, you know, especially in the 470 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: electronic area, there's there's been a couple of great podcasts 471 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 1: on Resident Advisor about, um, you know, the fact that 472 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 1: the you know, these super these underground DJs or commercial 473 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: DJs are getting you know, tens of thousands, some cases 474 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of dollars and pounds and euros to play, 475 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: but the music they're playing, the musicians whose music they're 476 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:50,680 Speaker 1: playing are getting nothing, you know. Um, And that's there's 477 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: a real disparity there. Um. So that's that's a that's 478 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 1: a big issue out there in the electronic world. But 479 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,880 Speaker 1: also and something that we're going to talk about big 480 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:00,959 Speaker 1: time at I MS this year here. But I think, um, 481 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 1: the other thing for me is like, where is the 482 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,119 Speaker 1: future of the curators? You know, I come from you. 483 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: My hero was John Peel. Um my my um my role. 484 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,920 Speaker 1: I guess some you know, five plus years at Radio 485 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 1: one has been as you know, that's been an amazing 486 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: platform to be a curator. But in the world of 487 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 1: streaming and where the streaming services are basically the curators 488 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: and they seem to run popularity contest is where did 489 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 1: where does a curator in the next decade find his voice, 490 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,360 Speaker 1: you know, to move the needles. There's so many questions 491 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 1: and streaming and we can address us. Let's go back 492 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 1: to the beginning. So you're in your sixtieth year, so 493 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: you're born in nineteen sixty. Where they grow up? Um, 494 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: I grew up in Kent. I was born at the 495 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: same hospital as Mick Jagger a few years later. Not yeah, 496 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: a few years later, but he reckons we're related by 497 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:58,360 Speaker 1: the way. I finally bumped into him after all these years. Okay, 498 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:00,920 Speaker 1: so you're in Kent. How many kids in the family, 499 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:05,359 Speaker 1: just me and my brother, So it was too boys, um, 500 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: and we grew up in a We were born in Dartford, 501 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: which is a town where we grew up in a 502 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 1: village in the countryside. Um, and we I went to 503 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:15,880 Speaker 1: boarding school and I was super young. Um, my dad 504 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:19,399 Speaker 1: was busy, My mom was stressed. What did your father 505 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 1: do for a living? He was a well in English, 506 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:24,879 Speaker 1: it's a funny name for it, called a turf accountant. 507 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 1: But he was a bookie, so he was in the 508 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,439 Speaker 1: betting business. So he was have to ask because when 509 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: I first encountered your name, I thought it was a 510 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 1: stage name. But it's really your name, it's really my 511 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 1: name tongue, and it's not I'm not My dad didn't 512 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:40,359 Speaker 1: run Chinese laundries. Would you have any idea where the 513 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: derivation is? Yeah, he he um. He did a search 514 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: and he's passed away now, but he told me that 515 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: it was actually it was all down to Saxon Anglo 516 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:53,479 Speaker 1: Saxon Viking blood and there was a lot of tongs 517 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 1: in Scandinavia with like spelt like tongue or with a 518 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:00,879 Speaker 1: name on the end, and it wasn't really Chinese at all. So, um, 519 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 1: with all these adverts you see now, like for DNA 520 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: and like the family tree or should My wife said 521 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:08,160 Speaker 1: to me the other night we should do it again. 522 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:09,960 Speaker 1: I don't want to do it. I don't want to 523 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 1: find out that I'm gonna die. Never mind all the 524 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 1: crazy relatives. But your brother is older or younger? Younger 525 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: four years younger? And what is he up to now? 526 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: He's he's in the UK still and he Um, he 527 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 1: works for a cable company putting cables under the ocean, 528 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 1: keeping us connected. Okay. And how close are you to him? Um? 529 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:34,440 Speaker 1: Not that close? I mean, but close because we've always 530 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 1: come together, but it's not like we speak every day 531 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 1: now okay. And does he ever ask you for money? 532 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:48,960 Speaker 1: Personal question? Um? I can answer you because he hasn't. No, No, 533 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:51,119 Speaker 1: he has. And have you just given him money because 534 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 1: you were successful? No? Okay? How about your kids? Your 535 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 1: kids will sounding like they're doing. Are you the type 536 00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: who says, hey, they have to find their own way? 537 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:00,760 Speaker 1: Are you going to support them till they find the 538 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:02,760 Speaker 1: wrong way? Or how does that work? A bit of both. 539 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: I think I've done a lot of learning in life, um. 540 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:07,959 Speaker 1: And I've done a lot of work on myself on that. 541 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 1: And I think you're going through divorces really really tough, 542 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 1: and as the man who leaves the house. You know, Um, 543 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: you're torn all over the place in terms of doing 544 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 1: the right thing and the kind of guilt trip and 545 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 1: then you know, what do you do when you're with them? 546 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: You know, and you you kind of over you definitely 547 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 1: overcompensate at the start. But we've got a really good 548 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 1: balance now and there and they are growing ups now, 549 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,119 Speaker 1: so it's you know, okay, but are they still on 550 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: the pay roll? Um no, No, one of them actually 551 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: actually does work for me a bit. So my oldest 552 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,960 Speaker 1: does actually great that they find the wrong way I stop. No, 553 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 1: they don't know, they all, especially my daughter, Um, she's 554 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: quite entrepreneurial. But my son actually does work for the 555 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: BBC a year. He helps actually behind the scenes on 556 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 1: my show in terms of some of the engineering and 557 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: stuff like that. So so you go away to school 558 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: what they call on the UK public school? How old 559 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: are you when you go super young? Like ridiculously was 560 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: I was like seven or eight or something and I 561 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 1: went to boarding school and I can't I kind of 562 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: blanked out a lot of it. I have fond memories 563 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 1: of some of it, and then apparently I was very unhappy. 564 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: And how long did you stay there UM till I 565 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: was old enough to get the train on my own. 566 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: And then so I think till I was about thirteen. Well, 567 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: then I was old enough to get I could there 568 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: was because it actually wasn't that far away. Some kids 569 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 1: bored because you know, they board in Scotland because they 570 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:36,719 Speaker 1: live on the south coast. But I actually lived very closely, 571 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: you know, twenty miles from the school, maybe not even 572 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 1: that UM. So I was a weekend border so I 573 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 1: would board during the week and go home at weekends 574 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: most of the time. But I was so when I 575 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,480 Speaker 1: got to twelve or thirteen, I was I was old 576 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 1: enough to do the train journey on my own. Until 577 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: did you stay at that school? Yeah, all the way 578 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 1: through till um what they called a levels eighteen. Then 579 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:04,480 Speaker 1: I never went to UNI. I was straight into UM. 580 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 1: You know, I was a pretty studious student until I 581 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 1: was sixteen. I got all my exams, and then I 582 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:14,000 Speaker 1: was definitely a more distracted UM student in the last 583 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: two years because my music thing was starting to happen. Okay, 584 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:20,280 Speaker 1: your father was a terrific account you were, I know, 585 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 1: I like terrif ac count I've read before, but I 586 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: wouldn't been able to pull out my reran. Were you 587 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: were aware of that? Yeah? I mean I was actually 588 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 1: my best subject at school was maths. So he I 589 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 1: would work in the back office of his bookmakers, which 590 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: is all legal in the UK, well as long as 591 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 1: I wasn't out front. Yeah, so I was being a 592 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: bookie in the UK legal where you had you had 593 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 1: tracked bookies and you had shot books. You have to 594 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,239 Speaker 1: have different licenses, so you could be a bookie at 595 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 1: the track for the dogs or the horses. Um, and 596 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 1: that was a certain type of license. And my dad 597 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 1: didn't do that. He didn't he didn't do it for horses. 598 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 1: He did do it a little bit for dogs racing 599 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: gray hounds, but um, I I would go so on 600 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,360 Speaker 1: the big race days like the Derby and the Grand National, 601 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: um and the Choltenham Gold Club, I would often go 602 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: in and work at the back office, probably when I 603 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 1: was thirteen fourteen, and I'd have to you know, work 604 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:19,120 Speaker 1: out you know, someone bet fifty quid at five to 605 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: four and I do the bet calculations. So really, well, 606 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: how many people were working for him, I don't know, 607 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:29,240 Speaker 1: five or six. Yeah, he had like three shops and 608 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: but it put me off gambling forever for like the 609 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 1: next question, it did because it was it did him 610 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:39,120 Speaker 1: in basically, I mean he was There was an era 611 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: in the in um so we're talking about the late 612 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:46,360 Speaker 1: seventies where the independent bookmaker could still make a good living. 613 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 1: But um, the the the chains or the conglomerates started 614 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: to rise. So there was there was two big companies. 615 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: One was called lab Brooks and the other one was 616 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 1: Joe Coral. And the fact that they had, you know, 617 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: once you start having thirty shops, forty shops, a hundred 618 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: shops in the UK, you could just offset your you know, 619 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 1: you just balanced the box where it's really really hard 620 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:10,280 Speaker 1: for a guy with three shops to have a bad. Um. 621 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: Grand National where the favorite one, you know, and it 622 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: was always it was red There was his famous horse 623 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:17,120 Speaker 1: called red Rum. And my mom will always and she's 624 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 1: still alive, um and whenever it gets the Grand National 625 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:22,640 Speaker 1: Day and I call her from here and say what 626 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 1: we're gonna it was it's the one time I'll still 627 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: have a bet because I wanted to get my daughter 628 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 1: into it just to see, just to show her what 629 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: we used to do. And I rang her this year 630 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:35,120 Speaker 1: just before the race started and she's still you know, 631 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: she's nine now, um, but she's still. I can't do that, 632 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 1: you know. It's like it's that's that's what he brought 633 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:52,640 Speaker 1: your dad to his knees, that bloody race. Okay, so 634 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:57,360 Speaker 1: he literally set the yards himself. I guess so. I 635 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 1: mean I think there was some kind I don't know, 636 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 1: I forgot now it worked. There was some kind of 637 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 1: correlation with what was going on on the track because 638 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: back then on TV you'd see the odds at the 639 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: course and I think, you know, they it was literally 640 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 1: people going around going, you know, has this horse got 641 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 1: all its shoes on? Is this one got his tail on? 642 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 1: You know? Is the jockey drunk? Is you know? Is 643 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 1: there information? You know that when we're not knowing? And 644 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 1: that would that would how someone would go around and 645 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: right the odds and then he would have to look 646 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 1: at those odds that were on TV because it was 647 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 1: before betfair or internet or anything like that, and he would, Um, 648 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 1: I guess, yeah, he could. He could give an extra 649 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 1: point or take a point away. Here they all do 650 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:40,240 Speaker 1: what he wanted to do. So how did he do it? 651 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 1: In the end? It ended horribly. It was some he's 652 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 1: started having to bet. He was a gambler as well, 653 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: so he would he would take a load of bets 654 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:49,720 Speaker 1: on and then have to kind of bet against the 655 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:53,360 Speaker 1: book to books, and it just it started to unravel. 656 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 1: In the end, he was a very proud man and 657 00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:59,840 Speaker 1: he sold he sold out to um two lab Brooks 658 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 1: or Joke Corals, I think it was Labrook's, and then 659 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: he went um. He never really recovered from that. Actually 660 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 1: he went into he then him and my mom bought 661 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:13,600 Speaker 1: a hotel and they went into the hotel business. Just 662 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 1: one big, big, quite big hotel in the town Gravesend, 663 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: and um, but the idea of serving other people and 664 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:22,520 Speaker 1: just he just got very depressed about it, and he 665 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:25,440 Speaker 1: was he was drinking too much. So okay, did he 666 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,319 Speaker 1: sell out whichever one of the two couples it was 667 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:32,040 Speaker 1: because he saw the future coming or because he'd lost 668 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:35,799 Speaker 1: so much Okay, but there was enough money to buy 669 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:38,719 Speaker 1: this hotel. Yeah yeah. And how long did they own 670 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: the hotel? Um? He he died in nineties three, so 671 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:49,120 Speaker 1: um we probably had another year like we were winding, 672 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:51,799 Speaker 1: had to wind it all up, so from from yeah, 673 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:56,440 Speaker 1: late seventies to four probably and other than him disliking it, 674 00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:58,840 Speaker 1: was a good business. I think it was good for 675 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 1: a while. And he's grand his father did it and 676 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,200 Speaker 1: it was so I think from the you know, after 677 00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:05,799 Speaker 1: the Second World War there was probably twenty years where 678 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:09,440 Speaker 1: that was a very good business to be in. Yeah, okay, 679 00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:16,799 Speaker 1: So what exactly put you off gambling? It's just it's weird. 680 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 1: I just there's not I could. I mean, I've worked 681 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 1: in Vegas so often I've gotten it's just weird, you know, 682 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:27,240 Speaker 1: like people talk about addiction or like, you know, people 683 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 1: always want to drink. It's just weird. It's it's not 684 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 1: it's gambling to me. It's just like I don't it's 685 00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:36,799 Speaker 1: like in my DNA that there's fear. There's somewhere I might. 686 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: I might. I'm quite curious about blackjack, and I might 687 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:42,040 Speaker 1: occasionally go and throw, you know, you know, throw something 688 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:43,920 Speaker 1: on a roulette table, just for a laugh, like I'm 689 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:46,480 Speaker 1: talking about like once every ten years. But I got no, 690 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:48,799 Speaker 1: I just don't have any. The only time I ever 691 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 1: bet is when I go to football matches in the UK, 692 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:55,240 Speaker 1: and if I'm lucky enough to be invited to someone's box, 693 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 1: they bring when you're having dinner, they bring around a 694 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 1: sheet and you actually bet on the result. So I 695 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: actually do that because it's football and I'm mad. I'm 696 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 1: mad about football. Um, but there's no I just don't know. 697 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: It's just I think watching my dad obviously when from 698 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:10,239 Speaker 1: when I was very young at seeing what it did 699 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:14,560 Speaker 1: to him. Um, it's obviously just closed off that door. 700 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:19,480 Speaker 1: And what about alcohol and drugs, Um, well, yeah, I 701 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:23,400 Speaker 1: mean I've I've had periods of um of drinking not drinking. 702 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:26,360 Speaker 1: So I think I think everything in you know, moderation 703 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:29,080 Speaker 1: really Okay, So it's not that well I'm not sure. 704 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:32,200 Speaker 1: It's not that you don't have an addictive personality. It's 705 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:36,360 Speaker 1: like gambling is the thing too itself. Push that aside. Okay. 706 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,839 Speaker 1: So if you are going to school and it's late 707 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 1: seventies from the US perspective, this is pub rock, Graham 708 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: Parker in the Room or whatever. Okay, wretch a little earlier, 709 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 1: like ninety two. Okay, So when did you get into music? 710 00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 1: Very early age? I was My dad did get a 711 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 1: lot of albums and single and um, so I just 712 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:03,400 Speaker 1: he was there was always records around the house and 713 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:05,480 Speaker 1: I just became So he did get a lot. Yeah, 714 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:07,600 Speaker 1: he was into music, so he bought a lot of albums, 715 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:09,680 Speaker 1: and he had quite an eclectic taste. There would be 716 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:12,360 Speaker 1: the Beatles and the Stones, but there would be um, 717 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 1: then there'd be the crooners like Dean Martin and Frank Snatcher. 718 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 1: But then there'd be Santana and like more exotic kind 719 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:20,279 Speaker 1: of music, and like a lot of he'd buy like 720 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,560 Speaker 1: a lot of like African drumming albums and stuff like that. 721 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:28,080 Speaker 1: So he was always had these mad gatefold sleeves. Um 722 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:30,200 Speaker 1: so I and I've still got some of them actually. 723 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 1: So there was music always around. I was always banging 724 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: things as a kid apparently, and then um, you know, 725 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:37,920 Speaker 1: I had my piano lessons and stuff like that, but 726 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:40,839 Speaker 1: rum drums is what I settled on. Okay, So how 727 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 1: long did you play the piano? Well, on and off 728 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:48,680 Speaker 1: a few years, but but it never really stuck with 729 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:54,480 Speaker 1: which I gratefully greatly with regret lessons. How long did 730 00:37:54,480 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 1: you take drum lessons or played drums? Probably from eleven 731 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,640 Speaker 1: or twelve till till DJing really kicked in, which was 732 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:06,080 Speaker 1: about fourteen fifteen. So I had a drum kit, a 733 00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:08,040 Speaker 1: Ludwig drum kit that you got me, and I used 734 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:09,680 Speaker 1: to sit in our front room with the headphones on, 735 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:12,600 Speaker 1: trying to play, trying to follow along with Keith Moon 736 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:15,160 Speaker 1: and John Bonham. Okay, did you ever the first thing 737 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:17,239 Speaker 1: I could ever play when we formed a school band 738 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:19,000 Speaker 1: and we used to do Smoke in the Water by 739 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:21,880 Speaker 1: Deep Purple and we could do hold your Head Up 740 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:24,839 Speaker 1: by Argent. Of course, Um, I could play. I could 741 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:28,719 Speaker 1: play almost every instrument on that song, and so yeah, 742 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:30,480 Speaker 1: it was it was fun times. And we used to 743 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:33,359 Speaker 1: we did some school concerts and we did a like 744 00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:38,200 Speaker 1: village hall concert and but one day I saw a 745 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 1: DJ at a school disco for the first time with 746 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 1: two belt drive turntables a little old at the time. 747 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:51,920 Speaker 1: This is like, okay, so that's nineteen seventy five. Okay, 748 00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:54,840 Speaker 1: that was not happening in the US and the early 749 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:58,920 Speaker 1: seventies we had a DJ. Well, this was not cool. 750 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,720 Speaker 1: This was like wedding. So we had to turn tables 751 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:05,080 Speaker 1: just so he didn't have to worry about a break 752 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:07,680 Speaker 1: or was he mixing the two together and I'm mixing it? 753 00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:11,280 Speaker 1: Just just two turntables and like what looked like a house, 754 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:16,480 Speaker 1: you know, a lampphraids taken from his house, and um, yeah, 755 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:18,520 Speaker 1: it was a microphone. He was like, now and now 756 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:20,800 Speaker 1: this is number two in the charts. It's like, you know, 757 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:24,440 Speaker 1: and this was like a school dance. Was your school 758 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:27,799 Speaker 1: boys only or girls too? It was boys only at 759 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,319 Speaker 1: that stage, and just when I left in the sixth 760 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:33,640 Speaker 1: form they started to introduce girls finally. So um, this 761 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:36,560 Speaker 1: would have been just in the in the middle school 762 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:39,160 Speaker 1: that what we called the O level years the GCSC 763 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:44,400 Speaker 1: is so um, I can't remember exactly. Okay, so you 764 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:46,880 Speaker 1: see the guy with the two belt driven turn tables, 765 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:48,560 Speaker 1: and then I just thought, well, my dad's got loads 766 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:50,759 Speaker 1: of records. This makes a much better noise than I'm 767 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:53,040 Speaker 1: making with my band. I see much more in control 768 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:55,240 Speaker 1: with that. So firstly it was me and a friend 769 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:58,440 Speaker 1: of mine and my school friend. So we did a 770 00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:00,920 Speaker 1: bit of a double act of like what what what 771 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:05,239 Speaker 1: you decide you're going to do it? There's no rehearsal 772 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:08,880 Speaker 1: because you think you know everything kind of yeah yeah, 773 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:10,560 Speaker 1: So then when do you say, I'm gonna go out 774 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:13,320 Speaker 1: and get gigs? Well, then I took over the school 775 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:15,319 Speaker 1: this go so I can't remember. We had one at 776 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:17,640 Speaker 1: the end of every term. So what do you said? 777 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,719 Speaker 1: It said hiring somebody you know? Volunteer yourself, because I 778 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:23,239 Speaker 1: think there was a student's union school something like are 779 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,759 Speaker 1: you that type of person? Entrepreneurial like that. I would 780 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:28,720 Speaker 1: never have used that word at the time, but I 781 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,680 Speaker 1: clearly was more than I give myself credit for so. 782 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:36,400 Speaker 1: And back then being a DJ meant having the gear, 783 00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 1: so like you could be a DJ if you had 784 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:40,840 Speaker 1: the gear. So it was all about getting the gear. 785 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:44,160 Speaker 1: So with a bit of money that my dad gave 786 00:40:44,239 --> 00:40:47,399 Speaker 1: me and like scrapping together stuff, I managed to get. 787 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,120 Speaker 1: You know, you get the two speakers, you get an amplifier, 788 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:51,920 Speaker 1: you get the turn tables and it and it went 789 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,520 Speaker 1: from there and my my formative years as a DJ 790 00:40:55,239 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 1: was all about being a mobile DJ, because which meant 791 00:40:57,640 --> 00:40:59,200 Speaker 1: you had the gear. And then I had I had 792 00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:04,319 Speaker 1: the transit van quite early. But you said it was 793 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,719 Speaker 1: a duo, a guy called Nigel Burns, and I lost 794 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:11,080 Speaker 1: track with him thirty four years ago, but he at 795 00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:13,359 Speaker 1: the beginning there was two of us, and I can't 796 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 1: remember quite why, but it's probably to do with the 797 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:18,399 Speaker 1: fact that he probably put some money and got one 798 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:19,800 Speaker 1: of the speakers and I got the other one, and 799 00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:21,960 Speaker 1: we had we had the boxes like with the flashing 800 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:25,359 Speaker 1: three lights and it was total you know, classic kind 801 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:29,320 Speaker 1: of cliche stuff. Um and it was you know school 802 00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:32,439 Speaker 1: dis Guy's where we play t Rex. But then I'd 803 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:35,440 Speaker 1: learned I, you know, play funkadelic, you know one colation 804 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:39,120 Speaker 1: under a groove or get up, you know Casey and 805 00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:42,560 Speaker 1: a Sunshine Band disco text and the sex Alex James Brown, 806 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:46,040 Speaker 1: and I realized that these this music made the dance 807 00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:49,920 Speaker 1: for move more than me playing Mark bolan Um and 808 00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: I kind of that's where my formative my taste starts 809 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:56,680 Speaker 1: to come together. There's a fifteen sixteen year old that 810 00:41:56,719 --> 00:42:01,000 Speaker 1: really sould music was my thing. Um. And I've spent 811 00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:03,160 Speaker 1: a lot of time around Gravesend, even though we lived 812 00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 1: in this village. A few miles outside there was a 813 00:42:06,200 --> 00:42:08,680 Speaker 1: record shopping grays And called Chris's Records, and I got 814 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:11,600 Speaker 1: myself a weekend job there and I just loved the 815 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:14,360 Speaker 1: idea of like, you know, filing the records away in 816 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:17,400 Speaker 1: plastic covers, like obviously the covers in the shop were empty, 817 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:20,279 Speaker 1: and then you'd take them to there and they and 818 00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:23,640 Speaker 1: this this shop had quite unlike the unlike the US, 819 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:27,000 Speaker 1: the records were not shrink wrapped, no, no, everything was 820 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:29,520 Speaker 1: like it was in self. It was in an open 821 00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:34,239 Speaker 1: plastic cover. But but this because this this town I 822 00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:37,759 Speaker 1: grew up around had a strong West Indian community, an 823 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:41,279 Speaker 1: Indian community and England you know white community, and they 824 00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:43,680 Speaker 1: like reggae and they like soul, and a lot of 825 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:46,680 Speaker 1: the kids were going up to London to like early 826 00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:50,200 Speaker 1: kind of underground from London. It was it was an 827 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:54,360 Speaker 1: hour on the train miles outside London on the Thames 828 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:59,560 Speaker 1: South Thames coast um and so I started hanging around 829 00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:01,440 Speaker 1: with a load of pop at like music like like 830 00:43:02,280 --> 00:43:05,920 Speaker 1: music that wasn't the music that was top forty UM. 831 00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 1: And back then growing up even then, there was a 832 00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:14,680 Speaker 1: lot of specialist radios, state programs. On Radio one UM, 833 00:43:14,719 --> 00:43:18,960 Speaker 1: there was a very eccentric American guy called Roscoe Emperor 834 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:23,719 Speaker 1: Roscoe w n Work. So he used to play you know, 835 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:26,000 Speaker 1: white boys soul records that the first time I've heard 836 00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:28,040 Speaker 1: anything like the average white band or anything like that. 837 00:43:29,239 --> 00:43:32,480 Speaker 1: And then there was the guy called Tony Prince who 838 00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:35,480 Speaker 1: was on Radio Luxembourg. And then eventually Robbie Vincent and 839 00:43:35,719 --> 00:43:38,279 Speaker 1: Greg was they were my you know, and it was 840 00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:41,240 Speaker 1: like it was like the window to another world hearing 841 00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:43,839 Speaker 1: this music and everything was very rare and like you 842 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:48,120 Speaker 1: have to really hunt around. Yeah, complete opposite, and I'd 843 00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:49,719 Speaker 1: have to go up you know, I've would send people 844 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:51,799 Speaker 1: up to London. I'd I'd start going to London on 845 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:56,040 Speaker 1: the train and going into Soho or to Holburn and 846 00:43:56,040 --> 00:43:58,279 Speaker 1: then finding these records in these record stores, and then 847 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 1: you have to build your relationship with the person behind 848 00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:03,560 Speaker 1: the counter because there'd only be five copies and if 849 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:05,120 Speaker 1: you weren't cool enough, you weren't going to get one 850 00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:06,640 Speaker 1: of the five copies. So it's all this thing of 851 00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:09,240 Speaker 1: searching music. And then when I get it back home 852 00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:12,000 Speaker 1: and i'd play it in Kent, you know, around these 853 00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:14,400 Speaker 1: shows that I started doing, I'd cover up the labels 854 00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:16,360 Speaker 1: so that other people couldn't steal it off me or 855 00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:18,000 Speaker 1: find out what it was. So it was all very 856 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:21,120 Speaker 1: um it was. It was cool. Okay. So you're in 857 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:23,799 Speaker 1: what we would call high school. How many nights a 858 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:28,319 Speaker 1: week or how many nights a month are you're working? Um, well, 859 00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:31,600 Speaker 1: once it left school eighteen before you left school, because 860 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:33,880 Speaker 1: you did at school, it wasn't I mean, how you know, 861 00:44:34,080 --> 00:44:36,760 Speaker 1: like once I can't even remember, like once or twice 862 00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:40,239 Speaker 1: a month probably and we did did yeah, okay, and 863 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:42,120 Speaker 1: then no I did what I was doing mobile, No, 864 00:44:42,280 --> 00:44:44,759 Speaker 1: I was getting hired to do weddings and stuff like that. 865 00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:47,479 Speaker 1: And okay, so you're you're making decent money. I'll start 866 00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:49,440 Speaker 1: making decent money. What are you quickly? What do your 867 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:56,000 Speaker 1: parents say about you're not going to university? Initially they were, Um, 868 00:44:58,520 --> 00:45:00,960 Speaker 1: there was a little bit of resistance, and initially they 869 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:05,560 Speaker 1: were pushing me, but um, they saw it was my 870 00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:08,200 Speaker 1: passion and didn't really stand in my way. I think 871 00:45:08,239 --> 00:45:11,520 Speaker 1: they kept thinking it would wear itself out and just 872 00:45:11,600 --> 00:45:13,560 Speaker 1: be careful that you don't get too old and it's 873 00:45:13,560 --> 00:45:15,360 Speaker 1: too late that if you want to go to university 874 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 1: or you want to do this stuff. But my dad 875 00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:20,359 Speaker 1: didn't really go to UNI, um and my mom didn't 876 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:22,520 Speaker 1: go to UNI, so it wasn't a UNI tradition in 877 00:45:22,520 --> 00:45:26,120 Speaker 1: our family. So that probably helped. Okay, some things started 878 00:45:26,120 --> 00:45:30,680 Speaker 1: to happen quite quickly, but I always, um, you know 879 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:34,160 Speaker 1: DJ's didn't no one dj for a living back then. 880 00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:37,640 Speaker 1: This is the big point to make. So you even 881 00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:41,120 Speaker 1: you know, mobile DJs had day jobs. You know club DJs, 882 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:43,279 Speaker 1: the early ones that I first heard about, they had 883 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:47,359 Speaker 1: day jobs. Um, unless you were literally the breakfast show 884 00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:49,919 Speaker 1: DJ on the BBC or Radio one or something like that, 885 00:45:50,560 --> 00:45:52,759 Speaker 1: which I didn't ever want to be. I'd worked out 886 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:54,520 Speaker 1: quite early on that I didn't want to play other 887 00:45:54,560 --> 00:45:56,400 Speaker 1: people's music choices. If I was going to be on 888 00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:59,440 Speaker 1: the radio, I wanted to play what I wanted to play. Um, 889 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:03,920 Speaker 1: So I got day job. So nine nine, Um, what 890 00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:06,680 Speaker 1: was your day job? I joined a music magazine called 891 00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:10,920 Speaker 1: Blues and Soul, which was the mixed you know, the 892 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:13,000 Speaker 1: dance magazine of the day, although it was Could you 893 00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:15,360 Speaker 1: make any money working from Yeah, I got a salary, 894 00:46:15,400 --> 00:46:18,600 Speaker 1: I got a car. Really yeah, it had so as 895 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:22,200 Speaker 1: you know, and I and I I don't know if 896 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:25,440 Speaker 1: you remember in the UK, they used to be a 897 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:28,560 Speaker 1: Pauli Yates was a writer for Record Mirror and she 898 00:46:28,640 --> 00:46:32,040 Speaker 1: was the first one that ever wrote about like pop culture, 899 00:46:32,200 --> 00:46:36,720 Speaker 1: stroke gossip. So I I was obsessed by what she wrote, 900 00:46:37,160 --> 00:46:39,680 Speaker 1: and I thought, I want to write something. I want 901 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:42,920 Speaker 1: to write about the scene and the gossip in a 902 00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:45,400 Speaker 1: cool way and the music, and so that was what 903 00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:47,040 Speaker 1: I thought my job was going to be at Blues 904 00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:49,040 Speaker 1: and Soul magazine. The day I got there, the publisher 905 00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:52,160 Speaker 1: said to me, yeah, that's just that's just laughing. You know, 906 00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:55,000 Speaker 1: your real job, you're gonna have to go and sell advertary. 907 00:46:55,080 --> 00:46:56,719 Speaker 1: So if you want to do that, you can do that. 908 00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:58,239 Speaker 1: But you've got to go and sell some ads. So 909 00:46:58,280 --> 00:47:02,080 Speaker 1: they gave me a car to go around and sell advertising. 910 00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:05,200 Speaker 1: So I would have to go around all the record shops, 911 00:47:05,200 --> 00:47:07,200 Speaker 1: you know, back in the day. So the record shop ads, 912 00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:10,960 Speaker 1: they used to list a hundred titles, um, and then 913 00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:12,840 Speaker 1: you put them in the back of the magazine with 914 00:47:12,880 --> 00:47:15,480 Speaker 1: a hundred titles mail order, you know. Um. And with 915 00:47:15,520 --> 00:47:17,279 Speaker 1: the reggae shops, it got a bit tricky because if 916 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:19,239 Speaker 1: you made a spelling mistake, they try and not pay 917 00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:21,080 Speaker 1: your bill. So you know, I had guns pulled on 918 00:47:21,160 --> 00:47:23,319 Speaker 1: me and like all sorts of things back in the day. 919 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:26,279 Speaker 1: So um, but it was it was it was rites 920 00:47:26,320 --> 00:47:28,600 Speaker 1: of passage. It was a massive experience and it was 921 00:47:28,840 --> 00:47:30,799 Speaker 1: I started to meet more people in the industry because 922 00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:33,279 Speaker 1: I was writing this column. So it's kind of the 923 00:47:33,320 --> 00:47:35,320 Speaker 1: making of me working at Blues and Soul Made and 924 00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:37,960 Speaker 1: you're living were at the time. I was commuting from 925 00:47:38,080 --> 00:47:42,640 Speaker 1: Kent into London. Um. I know, I actually got a 926 00:47:42,640 --> 00:47:45,560 Speaker 1: house really young as well. I got I managed through 927 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:48,359 Speaker 1: bits of money from DJing. Houses were super cheap back then. 928 00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:51,880 Speaker 1: My first house was I got mortgage obviously, but it 929 00:47:51,920 --> 00:47:54,200 Speaker 1: was like twenty grand or something. I got like three 930 00:47:54,280 --> 00:48:00,320 Speaker 1: bedroom terraced house. Yeah. Boy, my godmother was quite healthy 931 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:03,279 Speaker 1: and she left me a bit of money. And you're 932 00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:05,840 Speaker 1: talking about like even if you had five grand, you 933 00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:08,520 Speaker 1: could get because it on a proper house. It was 934 00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:11,239 Speaker 1: opposite a cemetery, but it was actually quite cool. And 935 00:48:11,719 --> 00:48:15,560 Speaker 1: so how long you would I left the house. So 936 00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:21,560 Speaker 1: so the magazine I was three, And then the record 937 00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:25,239 Speaker 1: companies were starting to kind of, you know, get more 938 00:48:25,239 --> 00:48:29,920 Speaker 1: and more interested in dance music. And Roger Rames was 939 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,920 Speaker 1: working at what was called Phonogram, and there was a 940 00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:36,560 Speaker 1: guy called Tracy Bennett working at a place called Decca, 941 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:40,560 Speaker 1: and Tracy had signed Banana Rama to Decca, and Roger 942 00:48:40,600 --> 00:48:44,120 Speaker 1: had signed you know, Tainted, Soft Cell Dex's Midnight Runners. 943 00:48:44,200 --> 00:48:48,280 Speaker 1: Roger was killing it and and they to keep him happy, 944 00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:50,520 Speaker 1: they gave him his own label. So they gave him 945 00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:53,040 Speaker 1: the Redundant London label which was sitting on a shelf 946 00:48:53,719 --> 00:48:56,960 Speaker 1: um and said well why don't you reinvent London And 947 00:48:57,000 --> 00:48:59,520 Speaker 1: that he came together with Tracy and they formed London Records, 948 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:02,920 Speaker 1: and then there was a club promotions A and R 949 00:49:02,960 --> 00:49:06,560 Speaker 1: man Phonogram at the time called Jeff Young who also 950 00:49:06,600 --> 00:49:08,439 Speaker 1: happened to be a DJ that was a bit older 951 00:49:08,440 --> 00:49:11,680 Speaker 1: than me and my buddy, and you know, I was 952 00:49:11,719 --> 00:49:15,120 Speaker 1: almost his protege and he was also on the radio, 953 00:49:15,160 --> 00:49:16,759 Speaker 1: so I was kind of following his path. And he 954 00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:19,279 Speaker 1: they assumed he was going to go with them to 955 00:49:19,360 --> 00:49:22,200 Speaker 1: start this new venture, and he said no, he wanted 956 00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:25,600 Speaker 1: to stay at phonogram Um and he wanted to retire. 957 00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:29,560 Speaker 1: Eventually packed up djaying as well. He just wanted to 958 00:49:29,600 --> 00:49:32,879 Speaker 1: do radio, not club djaying. And they said, well, who 959 00:49:32,880 --> 00:49:34,360 Speaker 1: else are we going to call? And they said, did 960 00:49:34,360 --> 00:49:35,759 Speaker 1: you call this guy? Pete Tong? So I had a 961 00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:38,799 Speaker 1: meeting with them and it was it was amazing those two, 962 00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:43,000 Speaker 1: you know, rogers, very thoughtful and sensible, and you know 963 00:49:43,200 --> 00:49:47,480 Speaker 1: Tracy was quite wild and flamboyant and the sexy guy 964 00:49:47,520 --> 00:49:49,759 Speaker 1: everyone wanted to sign to kind of thing with with 965 00:49:49,880 --> 00:49:53,160 Speaker 1: great spiel and amazing years. And I worked for the 966 00:49:53,440 --> 00:49:57,080 Speaker 1: joined them and it was it was, you know, a 967 00:49:57,200 --> 00:49:59,000 Speaker 1: ride that took I went. I worked with them for 968 00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:02,279 Speaker 1: eighteen years until early two thousand's, until the label got 969 00:50:02,320 --> 00:50:05,560 Speaker 1: sold and it was it was an incredible time, incredible period, 970 00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:08,759 Speaker 1: and um we hit the ground running and the first 971 00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:12,440 Speaker 1: day ever went into work, UM we were number one 972 00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:14,879 Speaker 1: in the chart with Candy Girl with new Addition, which 973 00:50:14,960 --> 00:50:18,880 Speaker 1: Roger and traced licensed off of street Wise off Arthur Baker. 974 00:50:19,719 --> 00:50:21,640 Speaker 1: And I was given the tapes to the next single, 975 00:50:21,719 --> 00:50:24,200 Speaker 1: like big half inch tapes, so you're a DJ, go 976 00:50:24,280 --> 00:50:26,799 Speaker 1: and edit the next single and yet and I was like, 977 00:50:27,840 --> 00:50:30,120 Speaker 1: and I was walking out the door and like, I'd 978 00:50:30,160 --> 00:50:32,640 Speaker 1: never cut tape with a razor before, But I went. 979 00:50:32,719 --> 00:50:34,920 Speaker 1: I went to a studio in Marble Arch which actually 980 00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:37,799 Speaker 1: eventually became Paul Weller studio called Solid Bond, and there 981 00:50:37,840 --> 00:50:39,920 Speaker 1: was a lovely old guy in there called Carlos and 982 00:50:39,960 --> 00:50:42,799 Speaker 1: he he took me under his wing and he said, 983 00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:44,480 Speaker 1: don't worry, We're going to work it out. Like, well, 984 00:50:44,480 --> 00:50:45,680 Speaker 1: what do you want to do? You know, It's like, well, 985 00:50:45,719 --> 00:50:47,680 Speaker 1: I want to cut like eight bars out the interest 986 00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:50,200 Speaker 1: he showed me, like with the razor. And I had 987 00:50:50,239 --> 00:50:52,400 Speaker 1: cut tape at home, but nothing like on a master. 988 00:50:53,400 --> 00:50:56,800 Speaker 1: Did you cut the master? The master? But I guess 989 00:50:56,840 --> 00:50:59,000 Speaker 1: it was a copy of what they'd sent us from America. 990 00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:02,480 Speaker 1: Back then. Um so you can't. I started editing literally 991 00:51:02,560 --> 00:51:05,239 Speaker 1: my first day at work. It was quite funny, so 992 00:51:05,520 --> 00:51:07,360 Speaker 1: it was a it real writes a passage. But and 993 00:51:07,400 --> 00:51:09,880 Speaker 1: then you know, I started They started sending me to 994 00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:14,680 Speaker 1: America very regularly. And it was the days when you 995 00:51:14,680 --> 00:51:17,920 Speaker 1: you know, walked down the street and bumped into someone 996 00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:20,000 Speaker 1: and licensed a record off and a bit like I 997 00:51:20,040 --> 00:51:23,239 Speaker 1: remembering Hurtigan m Urtigan's book he says that about the 998 00:51:23,320 --> 00:51:25,640 Speaker 1: Rolling Stones, like you know, it was a fantastic tile 999 00:51:25,840 --> 00:51:27,400 Speaker 1: down the street and I bumped into mid Jagger and 1000 00:51:27,400 --> 00:51:28,880 Speaker 1: I signed him. It was a bit like that with 1001 00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:32,320 Speaker 1: dance music back then. And I signed Rundy m C 1002 00:51:33,400 --> 00:51:36,799 Speaker 1: licensed them from Profile from Corey Robbins for the for 1003 00:51:36,840 --> 00:51:39,360 Speaker 1: the world outside of America, and that got me straight 1004 00:51:39,400 --> 00:51:44,239 Speaker 1: in with with Russell and Leo um And and and 1005 00:51:44,480 --> 00:51:47,520 Speaker 1: Rick Rubin and m I met those three very early 1006 00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:51,440 Speaker 1: on and um And that we and we did and 1007 00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:53,719 Speaker 1: that was the Raising Hell album, you know, so that 1008 00:51:53,800 --> 00:51:55,600 Speaker 1: was hugely successful. En off the back of that, I 1009 00:51:55,640 --> 00:51:58,560 Speaker 1: managed to sign Salt and Pepper from Eddio Lachlan the 1010 00:51:58,719 --> 00:52:01,239 Speaker 1: next Plateau Records in but tween signing like the odd 1011 00:52:01,280 --> 00:52:04,960 Speaker 1: early like Paradise Garage house record or the early house 1012 00:52:05,000 --> 00:52:08,600 Speaker 1: records that were coming through from Chicago, and I was 1013 00:52:08,640 --> 00:52:10,120 Speaker 1: I was on a roll as any and our man. 1014 00:52:10,200 --> 00:52:11,520 Speaker 1: I mean, we just we sounded push It and that 1015 00:52:11,640 --> 00:52:15,640 Speaker 1: was like a massive, massive hit. UM and eventually Salt 1016 00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:19,200 Speaker 1: and Pepper we stuck with them UM and we ended 1017 00:52:19,280 --> 00:52:21,719 Speaker 1: up becoming the label in America eventually as well, during 1018 00:52:21,760 --> 00:52:24,440 Speaker 1: the kind of the en vogue what are man at times? 1019 00:52:25,160 --> 00:52:27,360 Speaker 1: So it was it was it was great fun. And 1020 00:52:27,400 --> 00:52:29,919 Speaker 1: then they gave me my own label. So dance music 1021 00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:33,080 Speaker 1: was like blowing up. So in six eighty seven, just 1022 00:52:33,120 --> 00:52:36,280 Speaker 1: as house music was starting, we started f I started 1023 00:52:36,400 --> 00:52:39,080 Speaker 1: ffr R, which was actually a little symbol on the 1024 00:52:39,080 --> 00:52:41,040 Speaker 1: top of the old London logo that just stood for 1025 00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:44,120 Speaker 1: full frequency Range Recording, so it was like a mono 1026 00:52:44,200 --> 00:52:48,080 Speaker 1: stereo Dolby. It was an old symbol from the deca 1027 00:52:48,160 --> 00:52:50,800 Speaker 1: days about the quality of a recording. I thought it 1028 00:52:50,800 --> 00:52:52,520 Speaker 1: would be quite nice because we were obsessed by deaf 1029 00:52:52,600 --> 00:52:56,160 Speaker 1: jam so like Black Silver wanted something like death jams, 1030 00:52:56,160 --> 00:53:00,800 Speaker 1: so FRR looked quite good. Okay, so you're working London records, 1031 00:53:00,840 --> 00:53:04,600 Speaker 1: you were successful. Sounds like you're making a good paycheck. Yeah, okay, 1032 00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:07,440 Speaker 1: and and then I was still all the way doing 1033 00:53:07,440 --> 00:53:10,960 Speaker 1: that's my question. How much were you DJing? Well then, 1034 00:53:11,160 --> 00:53:15,640 Speaker 1: like every week it was some you know the club scene. Okay, 1035 00:53:15,680 --> 00:53:18,560 Speaker 1: let's let's start there. Okay. There's a lot on how 1036 00:53:18,560 --> 00:53:21,160 Speaker 1: it did it. It's a long tradition of the Brits 1037 00:53:21,200 --> 00:53:23,520 Speaker 1: going to a Betha. But when did it turn into 1038 00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:28,879 Speaker 1: a whole dance stay up all night environment Betha. Well, 1039 00:53:28,920 --> 00:53:30,960 Speaker 1: it was that from the very beginning. We just weren't 1040 00:53:31,040 --> 00:53:35,840 Speaker 1: welcome as Brits in the late eighties, so um, you know, 1041 00:53:35,880 --> 00:53:38,640 Speaker 1: we the Britgs used to go there is like a 1042 00:53:38,760 --> 00:53:42,520 Speaker 1: cheap tourist package holiday destination in the early eighties. And 1043 00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:48,440 Speaker 1: it wasn't till the late eighties, like specifically where I 1044 00:53:48,520 --> 00:53:51,960 Speaker 1: kind of discovered Alfredo and Amnesia and Passia and started 1045 00:53:52,000 --> 00:53:54,160 Speaker 1: seeing these parties that went through the night and then 1046 00:53:54,440 --> 00:53:57,080 Speaker 1: carried on going when the sun came up. And that 1047 00:53:57,160 --> 00:53:59,480 Speaker 1: was totally unique because we had the licensing laws of 1048 00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:03,120 Speaker 1: the UK um and that's when everything started to really 1049 00:54:03,120 --> 00:54:08,480 Speaker 1: really change. But I mean, so Betha um from I've 1050 00:54:08,520 --> 00:54:13,239 Speaker 1: been there every year every ever since. But the yeah, 1051 00:54:13,239 --> 00:54:17,920 Speaker 1: the nineties, you know, it started to really kind of 1052 00:54:17,960 --> 00:54:21,200 Speaker 1: shape itself that it really really blew up in probably 1053 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:24,640 Speaker 1: the two thousand's is when Oka. But the clubs there 1054 00:54:25,120 --> 00:54:29,280 Speaker 1: were they existing or did the Spianiards have a vision? 1055 00:54:30,480 --> 00:54:33,640 Speaker 1: They had a vision for sure. It just by accident 1056 00:54:33,760 --> 00:54:38,279 Speaker 1: or design or this vision. Um, it happened to be 1057 00:54:38,320 --> 00:54:42,480 Speaker 1: this small island you've been, you've been and it you know, 1058 00:54:42,600 --> 00:54:46,280 Speaker 1: there happened to be there for four or five clubs, 1059 00:54:46,320 --> 00:54:49,040 Speaker 1: all very close to each other. That happened then went 1060 00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:50,920 Speaker 1: on to become some of the most famous clubs in 1061 00:54:50,960 --> 00:54:54,360 Speaker 1: the world. And I think it was the mix of 1062 00:54:54,400 --> 00:54:59,440 Speaker 1: the audience and then the liberalism of the licensing laws 1063 00:54:59,480 --> 00:55:02,799 Speaker 1: that enable about to happen. So obviously it's changed a 1064 00:55:02,880 --> 00:55:05,680 Speaker 1: lot over the years because that that idea of going 1065 00:55:05,760 --> 00:55:08,440 Speaker 1: through to the morning and carrying on, that's kind of stopped, 1066 00:55:08,480 --> 00:55:11,759 Speaker 1: you know, the idea of the big superclubs like Amnesia 1067 00:55:12,160 --> 00:55:16,440 Speaker 1: Um and Passia in particular, going on until they wanted 1068 00:55:16,480 --> 00:55:19,040 Speaker 1: to like ten in the morning. That that's gone, you 1069 00:55:19,080 --> 00:55:22,120 Speaker 1: know that. So in the last ten years it's been 1070 00:55:22,200 --> 00:55:24,080 Speaker 1: much stricter about you must finish it six, when you 1071 00:55:24,160 --> 00:55:25,920 Speaker 1: must finish at seven, or you must finish it eight 1072 00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:28,520 Speaker 1: or whatever. And then often the after and then there's 1073 00:55:28,560 --> 00:55:31,960 Speaker 1: no carry on like officially the after party seen often 1074 00:55:32,080 --> 00:55:35,560 Speaker 1: starts after lunch and it's actually a bit more organized 1075 00:55:35,600 --> 00:55:39,239 Speaker 1: and you know, so, but the the idea of going 1076 00:55:39,239 --> 00:55:42,440 Speaker 1: through the night get a long answer to your question, 1077 00:55:42,760 --> 00:55:45,359 Speaker 1: but actually it's it's probably been more curtailed. It was 1078 00:55:45,480 --> 00:55:47,920 Speaker 1: like that where it was like twenty four hours, you know, 1079 00:55:48,120 --> 00:55:50,440 Speaker 1: and now it isn't. It's okay, you can, but you 1080 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:52,560 Speaker 1: can find somewhere to dance pretty much twenty four hours. 1081 00:55:53,000 --> 00:55:55,040 Speaker 1: It's not in the same place. To what degree do 1082 00:55:55,080 --> 00:55:59,480 Speaker 1: you believe it was fueled by drugs? Um, Well, clearly 1083 00:56:00,040 --> 00:56:06,840 Speaker 1: really had a massive influence on it. Um that's that's okay. 1084 00:56:06,880 --> 00:56:10,319 Speaker 1: I mean it was at a combination of things. I mean, 1085 00:56:10,320 --> 00:56:16,040 Speaker 1: it's so it's easy from a tabloid non you know, educate. 1086 00:56:16,600 --> 00:56:18,040 Speaker 1: You know, if you if you don't know anything about 1087 00:56:18,040 --> 00:56:21,080 Speaker 1: the music and you just want to write a certain 1088 00:56:21,080 --> 00:56:23,319 Speaker 1: type of history about it, you could you could lean 1089 00:56:23,400 --> 00:56:25,960 Speaker 1: in it that way. But to but to think that 1090 00:56:26,040 --> 00:56:29,279 Speaker 1: it wasn't artistic and it wasn't about the music, you'd 1091 00:56:29,320 --> 00:56:31,680 Speaker 1: you'd be completely missing the point, which comes right back 1092 00:56:31,680 --> 00:56:33,360 Speaker 1: to the beginning of our conversation, which is why a 1093 00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:36,440 Speaker 1: beether classics works because the music was great, and maybe 1094 00:56:36,760 --> 00:56:40,400 Speaker 1: it didn't necessarily get the the props it deserved back 1095 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:42,600 Speaker 1: in the day, because that's what a lot of people thought. 1096 00:56:42,640 --> 00:56:44,840 Speaker 1: You know. The very reason we started the I M 1097 00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:47,400 Speaker 1: s was because people thought all that happens in a 1098 00:56:47,440 --> 00:56:50,880 Speaker 1: Beth was it was a party. Okay, So how important 1099 00:56:50,960 --> 00:56:52,880 Speaker 1: is me and Chester of the hut Yanda and the 1100 00:56:52,960 --> 00:56:59,000 Speaker 1: acts there? Hugely important? Um, you know, that's a whole 1101 00:56:59,000 --> 00:57:02,720 Speaker 1: another thing. I was. I was an observer and occasional visitor. 1102 00:57:02,760 --> 00:57:05,560 Speaker 1: And I wasn't part of that because I was I 1103 00:57:05,640 --> 00:57:10,520 Speaker 1: was a London guy. Um, but you know, phenomenal apportment. 1104 00:57:10,600 --> 00:57:14,320 Speaker 1: And you've got to remember back in the late eighties 1105 00:57:14,360 --> 00:57:20,200 Speaker 1: when that started, you know, the country was much more disconnected. 1106 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:22,320 Speaker 1: You know, just the idea of like, you know, having 1107 00:57:22,360 --> 00:57:26,000 Speaker 1: these things and the way we all travel now, you know, 1108 00:57:26,120 --> 00:57:28,440 Speaker 1: being in London and like making a trip to Manchester, 1109 00:57:28,800 --> 00:57:30,760 Speaker 1: it was a massive thing. You know. It's like this 1110 00:57:30,840 --> 00:57:33,680 Speaker 1: did not happen on a regular basis, you know. And 1111 00:57:33,720 --> 00:57:36,240 Speaker 1: it was before DJs even traveled up and down the country. 1112 00:57:36,280 --> 00:57:38,640 Speaker 1: So I was a big DJ in in the southeast 1113 00:57:39,080 --> 00:57:41,280 Speaker 1: and I was virtually unknown in the rest of the country. 1114 00:57:41,280 --> 00:57:44,439 Speaker 1: But what was the night worth to you back then? 1115 00:57:47,160 --> 00:57:52,480 Speaker 1: Probably um, but in the eighties I don't know there was. 1116 00:57:52,600 --> 00:57:55,640 Speaker 1: It definitely starts with hundreds and then it becomes thousands. 1117 00:57:56,320 --> 00:57:59,760 Speaker 1: So in any event, but you're aware of the scene 1118 00:57:59,800 --> 00:58:03,000 Speaker 1: in the Anchester totally. By then I was in the 1119 00:58:03,040 --> 00:58:07,120 Speaker 1: record company and Mike Pickering quite a grand part, quite 1120 00:58:07,200 --> 00:58:09,720 Speaker 1: rapidly became rival A and r Men as well. I 1121 00:58:09,720 --> 00:58:14,000 Speaker 1: mean Pickering went close in with Deconstruction, and Deconstruction became 1122 00:58:14,040 --> 00:58:16,000 Speaker 1: the label of the North. Even though it was run 1123 00:58:16,000 --> 00:58:18,640 Speaker 1: by one guy from Liverpool, it was actually always seen 1124 00:58:18,680 --> 00:58:21,720 Speaker 1: as it was, you know. And then obviously Factory was 1125 00:58:22,960 --> 00:58:27,160 Speaker 1: most of those Factory acts, I mean Joy Division had 1126 00:58:27,920 --> 00:58:30,800 Speaker 1: purchase here and has maintained as bigger than it's ever been. 1127 00:58:30,840 --> 00:58:33,880 Speaker 1: But the Happy Mondays a lot of those acts never 1128 00:58:33,920 --> 00:58:35,800 Speaker 1: made it here. How big were they in the UK? 1129 00:58:36,240 --> 00:58:43,120 Speaker 1: Absolutely massive and more than massive, they were hugely um 1130 00:58:43,520 --> 00:58:46,080 Speaker 1: you know, they carried an awful lot of gravitas, particularly 1131 00:58:46,120 --> 00:58:48,360 Speaker 1: new Order obviously coming from coming out of Joy Division 1132 00:58:49,240 --> 00:58:51,840 Speaker 1: less so something like Orchestral maneuvers in the darkest that 1133 00:58:51,960 --> 00:58:55,160 Speaker 1: the fact Factory was an amazing thing, you know, and 1134 00:58:55,200 --> 00:58:58,320 Speaker 1: I was I got deeply involved with them towards the 1135 00:58:58,400 --> 00:59:01,920 Speaker 1: end because London one kind of started to bail him out. 1136 00:59:01,960 --> 00:59:04,480 Speaker 1: You know. We started by licensing the Happy Mondays and 1137 00:59:04,560 --> 00:59:07,480 Speaker 1: having their records around the rest of the world. And 1138 00:59:07,520 --> 00:59:11,240 Speaker 1: then as the financial troubles got worse, Um, we got 1139 00:59:11,280 --> 00:59:13,160 Speaker 1: we got further and further into factory to the point 1140 00:59:13,160 --> 00:59:15,320 Speaker 1: where we bought it. Yeah. So, and then I used 1141 00:59:15,360 --> 00:59:18,000 Speaker 1: to work a lot with Tony in the city and 1142 00:59:18,360 --> 00:59:22,920 Speaker 1: um Tony Wilson and um them. From an A and 1143 00:59:23,000 --> 00:59:26,160 Speaker 1: R perspective, I actually ended up looking after New Order 1144 00:59:26,200 --> 00:59:27,880 Speaker 1: and became their A and R man when they came 1145 00:59:27,920 --> 00:59:30,400 Speaker 1: over to London, and so I worked very closely with 1146 00:59:30,600 --> 00:59:40,040 Speaker 1: you know, with Bernard and with Rob Grettan. Okay, so 1147 00:59:40,880 --> 00:59:44,240 Speaker 1: you're a DJ, at what point do you start playing 1148 00:59:44,240 --> 00:59:54,479 Speaker 1: individual records and start mixing the records together. Um, late 1149 00:59:54,640 --> 00:59:59,560 Speaker 1: late I'm just think this, but through probably early eighties, 1150 01:00:00,120 --> 01:00:04,160 Speaker 1: what was basically what happened is, um, you know, when 1151 01:00:04,160 --> 01:00:07,320 Speaker 1: the soul scene was blowing up, the underground soul scene, 1152 01:00:07,400 --> 01:00:09,480 Speaker 1: and it was a northern soul scene in in in 1153 01:00:09,520 --> 01:00:13,400 Speaker 1: the North. Um. One of the guys in our gang, 1154 01:00:13,480 --> 01:00:16,480 Speaker 1: you know, the biggest, one of the biggest DJs of 1155 01:00:16,600 --> 01:00:18,440 Speaker 1: that time, was a guy called Froggy, and he was 1156 01:00:18,520 --> 01:00:20,880 Speaker 1: my mentor when it came to DJ equipment, So he 1157 01:00:20,880 --> 01:00:23,040 Speaker 1: was always the geek with the DJ equipment. Had this 1158 01:00:23,080 --> 01:00:25,919 Speaker 1: Orange sound system which was incredible, and I bought decks 1159 01:00:25,960 --> 01:00:29,680 Speaker 1: off him when he was re upp into the to 1160 01:00:29,760 --> 01:00:32,560 Speaker 1: the newest model. So I got all his old equipment 1161 01:00:32,560 --> 01:00:35,480 Speaker 1: and became like an understudy to Froggy almost, But he 1162 01:00:35,640 --> 01:00:38,480 Speaker 1: started going to New York before and you know, one 1163 01:00:38,480 --> 01:00:39,880 Speaker 1: of the first guys to ever go to New York 1164 01:00:39,880 --> 01:00:43,760 Speaker 1: and see Larry Levan. Um. There was a very famous writer, 1165 01:00:44,200 --> 01:00:46,600 Speaker 1: a beautiful guy called James Hamilton as well that was 1166 01:00:46,640 --> 01:00:50,080 Speaker 1: like that used to review all the music for Record Mirror, 1167 01:00:50,120 --> 01:00:52,720 Speaker 1: and he was the first one to actually issue bpms, 1168 01:00:52,760 --> 01:00:56,760 Speaker 1: so he every review came with a bpms per minute. 1169 01:00:57,040 --> 01:00:59,840 Speaker 1: And then and Froggy went over and like saw the 1170 01:01:00,000 --> 01:01:04,640 Speaker 1: early um you know, David Mancuso, and saw Larry Levan 1171 01:01:04,720 --> 01:01:07,680 Speaker 1: in action. And so when he came back from New York, 1172 01:01:07,760 --> 01:01:09,920 Speaker 1: like it was like he had two copies of everything. 1173 01:01:09,920 --> 01:01:12,240 Speaker 1: It's like what you know, what you're doing. It's like, oh, 1174 01:01:12,280 --> 01:01:14,240 Speaker 1: I can make I can extend this. And he literally 1175 01:01:14,240 --> 01:01:17,080 Speaker 1: came back. He literally it was like, you know Moses 1176 01:01:17,120 --> 01:01:19,040 Speaker 1: coming down from the mountain. It's like I've been to 1177 01:01:19,120 --> 01:01:22,480 Speaker 1: New York, I've seen Larry Leavan, and I've bought two 1178 01:01:22,520 --> 01:01:25,200 Speaker 1: copies of this from the vinyl factory or whatever. And 1179 01:01:25,240 --> 01:01:27,400 Speaker 1: now I can play this record and make it like 1180 01:01:27,560 --> 01:01:29,280 Speaker 1: twice as long. And I was like, oh my god. 1181 01:01:29,880 --> 01:01:32,000 Speaker 1: And and that's because you work out what tempo it 1182 01:01:32,040 --> 01:01:33,600 Speaker 1: is and you match the tempo. And it was it 1183 01:01:33,640 --> 01:01:35,800 Speaker 1: was just it was before you know, it's just just 1184 01:01:35,840 --> 01:01:38,400 Speaker 1: as very speed turntables were coming in that in fact, 1185 01:01:38,440 --> 01:01:41,200 Speaker 1: you could even do that. So he opened He was 1186 01:01:41,240 --> 01:01:44,400 Speaker 1: definitely the gateway to open everybody's eyes to mixing, and 1187 01:01:44,720 --> 01:01:47,520 Speaker 1: we were we were edging towards smooth segways. I mean. 1188 01:01:47,520 --> 01:01:49,800 Speaker 1: The other biggest DJ of the day was a guy 1189 01:01:49,840 --> 01:01:52,680 Speaker 1: called Chris Hill. I actually used to run Ensign Records 1190 01:01:52,680 --> 01:01:59,960 Speaker 1: with Nigel Lucy and Granger's brother and and they say 1191 01:02:00,000 --> 01:02:03,120 Speaker 1: of Boomtown Rats and shined O'Connor and and so Chris 1192 01:02:03,120 --> 01:02:05,280 Speaker 1: had a day job, but he was the biggest DJ 1193 01:02:05,360 --> 01:02:06,880 Speaker 1: at the time, and he used to sing over the 1194 01:02:06,920 --> 01:02:09,560 Speaker 1: records and talk across the segway, so it would like 1195 01:02:09,640 --> 01:02:13,800 Speaker 1: blurred everything together. Um and Froggy kind of brought in 1196 01:02:13,840 --> 01:02:16,200 Speaker 1: this more like modern way of doing it. Obviously we 1197 01:02:16,240 --> 01:02:18,440 Speaker 1: were aware as well as like Africa Bambarto and the 1198 01:02:18,520 --> 01:02:20,400 Speaker 1: hip hop guys and what they were doing in terms 1199 01:02:20,440 --> 01:02:22,920 Speaker 1: of turntable ism. So it kind of that's when it 1200 01:02:22,960 --> 01:02:25,920 Speaker 1: all changed. And then suddenly, I don't know, there must 1201 01:02:25,920 --> 01:02:27,840 Speaker 1: have been one day where it just wasn't cool not 1202 01:02:28,000 --> 01:02:30,160 Speaker 1: to mix. You know, you just had you just you 1203 01:02:30,280 --> 01:02:33,120 Speaker 1: just assumed you had to mix. And by the time 1204 01:02:33,160 --> 01:02:37,440 Speaker 1: the house music kicked in, um, you know, like you 1205 01:02:37,560 --> 01:02:39,120 Speaker 1: just you just had to be doing that. It was 1206 01:02:39,160 --> 01:02:41,320 Speaker 1: just the thing to do. Okay, did you practice or 1207 01:02:41,320 --> 01:02:45,000 Speaker 1: did you practice? No, definitely practiced. I had the whole 1208 01:02:45,040 --> 01:02:49,520 Speaker 1: set up at home and it um. And then and 1209 01:02:49,560 --> 01:02:51,920 Speaker 1: then they became people that were the best at mixing, 1210 01:02:51,960 --> 01:02:55,120 Speaker 1: you know. But there was melodic mixing, mixing and key mixing, 1211 01:02:55,280 --> 01:02:58,160 Speaker 1: beautiful transitions, you know, taking people on journeys, and I 1212 01:02:58,280 --> 01:03:02,640 Speaker 1: was you know, so it just raised the game. There 1213 01:03:02,680 --> 01:03:05,240 Speaker 1: was a guy called Sasha you know still around today, 1214 01:03:05,240 --> 01:03:07,640 Speaker 1: a good friend of mine that really it was another 1215 01:03:07,640 --> 01:03:11,000 Speaker 1: one that really raised that. There was another real you know, 1216 01:03:11,160 --> 01:03:13,840 Speaker 1: raising the bar moment, like when he came on because 1217 01:03:13,840 --> 01:03:15,840 Speaker 1: he could just do it in his sleep, and he 1218 01:03:15,960 --> 01:03:20,000 Speaker 1: just everything always seemed to being key, and it just 1219 01:03:20,120 --> 01:03:23,040 Speaker 1: you know, not just about mixing out of the drum 1220 01:03:23,080 --> 01:03:24,720 Speaker 1: break of one into the drum break of the other, 1221 01:03:24,720 --> 01:03:27,640 Speaker 1: but actually thinking about, well, now this baseline is going here, 1222 01:03:27,640 --> 01:03:29,200 Speaker 1: I'm going to get this baseline to go there. And 1223 01:03:29,240 --> 01:03:32,640 Speaker 1: that was yet. So its just the whole skill set 1224 01:03:32,680 --> 01:03:36,640 Speaker 1: around it and the the learning curve just increased hugely 1225 01:03:36,680 --> 01:03:40,560 Speaker 1: in the late eighties. Okay, so London record has assolted 1226 01:03:40,560 --> 01:03:44,040 Speaker 1: around the turn of the century. Where does that leave you? Um, 1227 01:03:44,200 --> 01:03:49,520 Speaker 1: weirdly at forty plus years old and sitting around going, um, 1228 01:03:49,640 --> 01:03:51,440 Speaker 1: oh my god, you know, for the first time in 1229 01:03:51,480 --> 01:03:53,320 Speaker 1: my life, even though I've done it my whole life, 1230 01:03:53,360 --> 01:03:58,640 Speaker 1: I'm i am a full time PJ. So um and 1231 01:03:58,680 --> 01:04:00,800 Speaker 1: I went. There was no thought of adding another record 1232 01:04:00,840 --> 01:04:03,040 Speaker 1: company job. I was kind of over it by then. 1233 01:04:03,080 --> 01:04:06,080 Speaker 1: It got if you remember the naps to you know, 1234 01:04:06,320 --> 01:04:08,800 Speaker 1: two thousand, two thousand one, I mean, the dance music 1235 01:04:08,840 --> 01:04:11,520 Speaker 1: bubble had burst, you know, we all the way through 1236 01:04:11,560 --> 01:04:17,080 Speaker 1: the nineties, like the ecosystem, the economic value of dance 1237 01:04:17,160 --> 01:04:19,920 Speaker 1: music every year just kept going up like a stock 1238 01:04:19,920 --> 01:04:22,880 Speaker 1: price out of control. So everything you know, and the 1239 01:04:22,920 --> 01:04:26,360 Speaker 1: infrastructure about dance music got fatter and fatter and fatter, 1240 01:04:27,040 --> 01:04:30,920 Speaker 1: and inevitably, after ten years of like fattening this giant 1241 01:04:31,000 --> 01:04:34,880 Speaker 1: cow bull um, people start to take their eyes off 1242 01:04:34,880 --> 01:04:36,800 Speaker 1: the ball. Things definitely aren't as good as they used 1243 01:04:36,800 --> 01:04:39,080 Speaker 1: to be, but everyone's making loads of money. And and 1244 01:04:39,120 --> 01:04:42,560 Speaker 1: I wouldn't say that it didn't pop around the millennium, 1245 01:04:42,760 --> 01:04:45,800 Speaker 1: but it got punctured somewhere along the way. And as 1246 01:04:45,800 --> 01:04:49,720 Speaker 1: we came into the new decade after a couple of years, 1247 01:04:49,760 --> 01:04:53,360 Speaker 1: like the tires are deflating, um, you know, magazines are closing, 1248 01:04:54,560 --> 01:04:57,760 Speaker 1: major record companies are starting to either you know, make 1249 01:04:57,800 --> 01:05:01,800 Speaker 1: people redundant or tighten up. Budge. It's you know, doing doing, 1250 01:05:01,960 --> 01:05:04,840 Speaker 1: doing all sorts of stuff to dance labels. And by 1251 01:05:04,880 --> 01:05:07,040 Speaker 1: then my career at London, I was kind of head 1252 01:05:07,040 --> 01:05:08,800 Speaker 1: of a and r of the whole thing. So I've 1253 01:05:08,920 --> 01:05:13,040 Speaker 1: kind of outgrown the dance bit and I've replaced myself 1254 01:05:13,080 --> 01:05:15,520 Speaker 1: with people, you know, many great people worked with me, 1255 01:05:15,680 --> 01:05:18,600 Speaker 1: and John Niven wrote the book about us with you 1256 01:05:18,640 --> 01:05:20,960 Speaker 1: know Killy your friends, but you know people like Nick 1257 01:05:21,040 --> 01:05:25,120 Speaker 1: Raphael who's very senior now at Capital, signed Sam Smith, 1258 01:05:25,160 --> 01:05:27,280 Speaker 1: you know, Christian tatters Field, and you're well aware of. 1259 01:05:27,520 --> 01:05:30,240 Speaker 1: UM used to work for us at London Records. UM. 1260 01:05:30,400 --> 01:05:32,480 Speaker 1: Even Patrick Moxley worked at London Records. You know, there 1261 01:05:32,520 --> 01:05:35,360 Speaker 1: was like there was loads of people UM that have 1262 01:05:35,440 --> 01:05:38,480 Speaker 1: gone on to Paul McDonald. Funny enough, he was a 1263 01:05:38,520 --> 01:05:42,400 Speaker 1: manager of you know, James Bay and George George ezra Um. 1264 01:05:42,480 --> 01:05:44,680 Speaker 1: He was a London Records. You know, there was amazing 1265 01:05:45,360 --> 01:05:49,800 Speaker 1: It's sold basically, but I'd become head of an R 1266 01:05:49,800 --> 01:05:51,720 Speaker 1: and it was like the game. I remember that signing 1267 01:05:51,760 --> 01:05:55,280 Speaker 1: some kind of pop things because everyone you start sign 1268 01:05:55,360 --> 01:05:57,480 Speaker 1: you end up signing things because you think they're going 1269 01:05:57,560 --> 01:06:01,320 Speaker 1: to be hugely successful economically and you kind of but 1270 01:06:01,360 --> 01:06:04,000 Speaker 1: you don't really love them. But like I remember there 1271 01:06:04,040 --> 01:06:08,080 Speaker 1: was one I can't remember the name of it. UM. 1272 01:06:08,080 --> 01:06:12,080 Speaker 1: Oh god, I remember being involved in signing this pop 1273 01:06:12,120 --> 01:06:14,520 Speaker 1: act and it was only Smallman and Dennis Inglesby were 1274 01:06:14,520 --> 01:06:18,640 Speaker 1: the managers, and I and UM and and every you know, 1275 01:06:18,680 --> 01:06:21,160 Speaker 1: it's one of those ones where like Roger was sure, 1276 01:06:21,200 --> 01:06:23,959 Speaker 1: everyone was sure, Like the dorman of the building was sure, 1277 01:06:24,040 --> 01:06:26,640 Speaker 1: everyone at Radio one was sure. Like I've made it 1278 01:06:26,640 --> 01:06:28,720 Speaker 1: about as sure as you could possibly making. It was 1279 01:06:28,800 --> 01:06:34,240 Speaker 1: hugely expensive and UM and we spent about a year 1280 01:06:34,320 --> 01:06:36,960 Speaker 1: doing this deal and six months making the record and 1281 01:06:37,000 --> 01:06:40,680 Speaker 1: then it was like and then we took it to 1282 01:06:40,760 --> 01:06:43,200 Speaker 1: Radio one one day and it was Alex Jones. Donnelly 1283 01:06:43,320 --> 01:06:45,320 Speaker 1: was the head of programming at that time. It was 1284 01:06:45,360 --> 01:06:51,000 Speaker 1: like and it's like literally within about a month they 1285 01:06:51,000 --> 01:06:53,480 Speaker 1: were dropped. You know, we wrote off like half a 1286 01:06:53,560 --> 01:06:57,240 Speaker 1: million quid and um, you know, people would get you know, 1287 01:06:57,280 --> 01:07:00,960 Speaker 1: it's just like, no, I don't like this anymore. It 1288 01:07:01,120 --> 01:07:05,720 Speaker 1: was so and then so I started my full time role, 1289 01:07:05,840 --> 01:07:07,600 Speaker 1: started to be a bit of a consultant, and I 1290 01:07:07,600 --> 01:07:10,280 Speaker 1: remember when it got sold out and if you remember, 1291 01:07:10,400 --> 01:07:12,880 Speaker 1: Roger went into the kind of heavens like working with 1292 01:07:12,960 --> 01:07:16,400 Speaker 1: Dick Parsons at Warners. You know, John Reid took over 1293 01:07:16,440 --> 01:07:18,840 Speaker 1: on a day to day basis. We moved to Kensington. 1294 01:07:19,320 --> 01:07:23,120 Speaker 1: You know, me and Tracy were like, everything from our 1295 01:07:23,200 --> 01:07:25,680 Speaker 1: kind of indie beginnings have changed so much. We kind 1296 01:07:25,680 --> 01:07:26,960 Speaker 1: of lost a bit of interest and I got more 1297 01:07:27,000 --> 01:07:29,520 Speaker 1: and more distracted by DJ and my DJing in the 1298 01:07:29,520 --> 01:07:32,120 Speaker 1: early two thousands. As as what happened to a lot 1299 01:07:32,120 --> 01:07:35,480 Speaker 1: of DJs. Then this is the economic value from recorded 1300 01:07:35,560 --> 01:07:39,080 Speaker 1: music collapsed. All the value went into live suddenly. Though 1301 01:07:39,160 --> 01:07:42,080 Speaker 1: with the Internet, we were getting calls from Peru and 1302 01:07:42,160 --> 01:07:44,560 Speaker 1: Chile and Australia for the first time, and you know, 1303 01:07:44,560 --> 01:07:48,360 Speaker 1: we could start traveling and migrating like birds to where 1304 01:07:48,360 --> 01:07:51,680 Speaker 1: the money was. So two thousands to probably two thousand 1305 01:07:51,680 --> 01:07:55,640 Speaker 1: and five, I just did an awful lot of touring. 1306 01:07:56,280 --> 01:07:57,960 Speaker 1: So you at what point do you start working as 1307 01:07:58,000 --> 01:08:01,400 Speaker 1: a record executive. Well, two thousand one, two tho two 1308 01:08:01,400 --> 01:08:03,680 Speaker 1: starts to kind of filter out. There was a little 1309 01:08:03,720 --> 01:08:09,160 Speaker 1: flirtation with Universal Um where I was going to I 1310 01:08:09,280 --> 01:08:12,160 Speaker 1: kind of did a deal to do some compilations, and 1311 01:08:12,200 --> 01:08:15,560 Speaker 1: I was going to consult with a dance label and 1312 01:08:15,720 --> 01:08:19,080 Speaker 1: some ex staff from London Records were working there and 1313 01:08:19,400 --> 01:08:24,360 Speaker 1: funny enough, six months ago to negotiating that, and um, 1314 01:08:24,560 --> 01:08:27,160 Speaker 1: the guy that did the deal I did. I signed 1315 01:08:27,200 --> 01:08:28,920 Speaker 1: a deal on a Friday, and then on the Monday 1316 01:08:29,600 --> 01:08:34,680 Speaker 1: he got pulled out and it was it was it 1317 01:08:34,760 --> 01:08:37,760 Speaker 1: was Matt Jagger and and that Jason ially came in 1318 01:08:37,800 --> 01:08:39,880 Speaker 1: to take over and we got on fine. He said, 1319 01:08:39,960 --> 01:08:41,439 Speaker 1: it's just not my vision, you know, It's like I've 1320 01:08:41,439 --> 01:08:43,680 Speaker 1: got I've got enough things to fix here. That's not 1321 01:08:43,720 --> 01:08:47,639 Speaker 1: going to work. And um, so I went back out 1322 01:08:47,720 --> 01:08:49,439 Speaker 1: and did other things. I was doing radio and I 1323 01:08:49,560 --> 01:08:51,599 Speaker 1: had a radio production company and stuff different to buses 1324 01:08:51,640 --> 01:08:55,640 Speaker 1: and pieces, and then um, around that same time I 1325 01:08:55,720 --> 01:08:59,519 Speaker 1: changed managers and then w m ME for the and 1326 01:08:59,560 --> 01:09:03,640 Speaker 1: I knew Tiger because Geiger was our agent for New Order, 1327 01:09:05,720 --> 01:09:08,400 Speaker 1: and so w ME opened in London, if you remember, 1328 01:09:08,400 --> 01:09:13,679 Speaker 1: it was Ed Bicknell, strangely stret manager, David Levy, Solomon 1329 01:09:13,720 --> 01:09:16,400 Speaker 1: Parker and they were the three that's opened and it 1330 01:09:16,439 --> 01:09:19,680 Speaker 1: was that was their first office. And my manager was 1331 01:09:19,720 --> 01:09:21,760 Speaker 1: Gary Blackburn, who was the manager of Fact Boy Slim, 1332 01:09:21,800 --> 01:09:24,600 Speaker 1: who's David Levy's long term client. And Gary said, you 1333 01:09:24,600 --> 01:09:26,479 Speaker 1: should be with David. He's the best guy. And David 1334 01:09:26,560 --> 01:09:29,320 Speaker 1: was the first ever DJ agent anyway, literally in the world. 1335 01:09:29,600 --> 01:09:33,640 Speaker 1: He was the first, you know, dedicated agent for a 1336 01:09:33,720 --> 01:09:37,160 Speaker 1: DJ and that was Paul Oakenfold, so I knew about him. Um, 1337 01:09:37,200 --> 01:09:38,600 Speaker 1: so I moved to w m ME. And at the 1338 01:09:38,600 --> 01:09:41,840 Speaker 1: same time Geiger was like, you know, well, he knew 1339 01:09:41,960 --> 01:09:44,200 Speaker 1: I was an out of work record company guy and 1340 01:09:44,200 --> 01:09:45,720 Speaker 1: he always saw me as that. He said, why don't 1341 01:09:45,720 --> 01:09:47,200 Speaker 1: you come and do an n R for an agency? 1342 01:09:47,280 --> 01:09:49,479 Speaker 1: So it was quite visionary thinking and I said, what 1343 01:09:49,520 --> 01:09:50,840 Speaker 1: do you mean, how's that going to work? So we'll 1344 01:09:50,880 --> 01:09:53,599 Speaker 1: just tell us what we should sign, you know, help 1345 01:09:53,680 --> 01:09:56,960 Speaker 1: us introduce us. You know, you know I love dancing music, 1346 01:09:56,960 --> 01:09:59,240 Speaker 1: love electronic music. He always did. He was obsessed by 1347 01:09:59,320 --> 01:10:03,479 Speaker 1: Moby Um, obsessed by factory, and he said, why don't 1348 01:10:03,479 --> 01:10:04,680 Speaker 1: you come and do it here? So that's how that 1349 01:10:04,720 --> 01:10:07,960 Speaker 1: relationship started. And I'm still with him, you know. Okay, 1350 01:10:08,160 --> 01:10:10,240 Speaker 1: So now when you're on your own, how many nights 1351 01:10:10,280 --> 01:10:11,680 Speaker 1: a week or how many nights a month are you 1352 01:10:11,760 --> 01:10:20,680 Speaker 1: working back then? I mean, because I don't know like 1353 01:10:20,720 --> 01:10:25,040 Speaker 1: the average gigs is. I think my averages have gone. 1354 01:10:25,400 --> 01:10:27,920 Speaker 1: I think the peak was like a hundred gigs a year. 1355 01:10:28,360 --> 01:10:31,120 Speaker 1: I was never like a dead mouse or you know, 1356 01:10:31,280 --> 01:10:33,040 Speaker 1: so you're never one because I was never. I was 1357 01:10:33,080 --> 01:10:34,920 Speaker 1: never two hundred gigs here. I mean, funny I've I've 1358 01:10:34,920 --> 01:10:37,759 Speaker 1: always had, you know, you know, I've gone through that divorce. 1359 01:10:37,800 --> 01:10:42,200 Speaker 1: I've gone you know that I'm definitely deejaying didn't help um, 1360 01:10:42,240 --> 01:10:44,639 Speaker 1: and that that early period of the two thousands where 1361 01:10:44,640 --> 01:10:47,519 Speaker 1: it all fell apart and me traveling, you know, more 1362 01:10:47,600 --> 01:10:51,200 Speaker 1: away from home. Insecurities probably, I mean all sorts of stuff, 1363 01:10:51,240 --> 01:10:55,960 Speaker 1: and then um, but I've always cherished this other. I've 1364 01:10:55,960 --> 01:10:58,160 Speaker 1: never I think the reason I'm still dejaying to this day. 1365 01:10:58,160 --> 01:11:00,920 Speaker 1: Is simply because I never could do burnout because I 1366 01:11:00,960 --> 01:11:04,040 Speaker 1: always had you know, I see it as an artistic thing, 1367 01:11:04,080 --> 01:11:06,960 Speaker 1: and I definitely do do it for the money as well. 1368 01:11:07,040 --> 01:11:11,040 Speaker 1: But um, I've always managed to never have to do 1369 01:11:11,080 --> 01:11:12,880 Speaker 1: it as much as everyone else has had to do 1370 01:11:12,880 --> 01:11:16,400 Speaker 1: it because you've had other income streams. But assuming you 1371 01:11:16,439 --> 01:11:19,200 Speaker 1: did want to do it, there's enough workout there for 1372 01:11:19,240 --> 01:11:22,320 Speaker 1: you to work do hundred nights a year. Not now, 1373 01:11:22,640 --> 01:11:24,240 Speaker 1: I wouldn't think, not unless I want to do some 1374 01:11:24,320 --> 01:11:27,720 Speaker 1: really rubbishy things that um that wouldn't enjoy. So I 1375 01:11:27,800 --> 01:11:30,800 Speaker 1: try and try, and I mean it's there's always this 1376 01:11:30,840 --> 01:11:33,080 Speaker 1: thing of and it's it's the same for if you're, 1377 01:11:34,360 --> 01:11:37,240 Speaker 1: you know, a musician in any genre of music doing 1378 01:11:37,240 --> 01:11:38,439 Speaker 1: it as long as I've done it, you have to. 1379 01:11:38,479 --> 01:11:40,639 Speaker 1: There's a certain amount of reinvention you have to go through. 1380 01:11:40,720 --> 01:11:43,720 Speaker 1: But I think I've been lucky that my curiosity for 1381 01:11:43,760 --> 01:11:46,080 Speaker 1: the new and the next, and the fidgit nous of 1382 01:11:46,240 --> 01:11:51,960 Speaker 1: always thinking looking around the corner um has kept me 1383 01:11:52,120 --> 01:11:54,280 Speaker 1: current like that. It's just it's just the way I am, 1384 01:11:54,360 --> 01:11:57,000 Speaker 1: you know. Okay, So have you been one of those 1385 01:11:57,080 --> 01:12:00,479 Speaker 1: DJs you know, I travel with a USBs Dick, I 1386 01:12:00,600 --> 01:12:03,519 Speaker 1: get on the private jet. I'm going somewhere else. Has 1387 01:12:03,560 --> 01:12:07,200 Speaker 1: that been your Have you lived that lifestyle a little bit? Nothing? 1388 01:12:07,520 --> 01:12:11,559 Speaker 1: I was a bit like um my, my era of 1389 01:12:11,720 --> 01:12:18,679 Speaker 1: true superstardom came a time where the money was still 1390 01:12:18,720 --> 01:12:23,760 Speaker 1: pretty crazy, but the travel wasn't. I was just before that, 1391 01:12:23,880 --> 01:12:26,839 Speaker 1: like so I'm talking about like mid two mid nineties 1392 01:12:26,880 --> 01:12:29,920 Speaker 1: to mid two thousand's was probably the purple patch for me, 1393 01:12:30,040 --> 01:12:32,200 Speaker 1: when I was like number one on poles and all 1394 01:12:32,240 --> 01:12:34,920 Speaker 1: sorts of things, and then the money. Don't get me wrong, 1395 01:12:34,920 --> 01:12:37,040 Speaker 1: the money was still good, but we weren't doing what 1396 01:12:37,080 --> 01:12:40,400 Speaker 1: they It's a bit like football, you know, if you're 1397 01:12:40,400 --> 01:12:43,320 Speaker 1: George Best, you know it's amazing, right until like twenty 1398 01:12:43,400 --> 01:12:45,439 Speaker 1: years later there's David Beckham and you realize that you're 1399 01:12:45,479 --> 01:12:49,000 Speaker 1: earning like a tenth or a hundredth of what they're earning. 1400 01:12:49,000 --> 01:12:50,559 Speaker 1: And it's been a bit like that for me. So 1401 01:12:51,360 --> 01:12:54,040 Speaker 1: I still, you know, you still do well out of it, 1402 01:12:54,080 --> 01:12:56,200 Speaker 1: and yes, I've used I used private jets when I 1403 01:12:56,200 --> 01:12:58,720 Speaker 1: have to do. But for me, you know, there was 1404 01:12:58,760 --> 01:13:01,240 Speaker 1: there was some times in a beef during the residency 1405 01:13:01,360 --> 01:13:05,360 Speaker 1: period when I before I moved to America. Um, there 1406 01:13:05,439 --> 01:13:08,439 Speaker 1: was one year, two years actually where I I was 1407 01:13:08,479 --> 01:13:11,040 Speaker 1: given a private jet every week for eighteen weeks for 1408 01:13:11,120 --> 01:13:13,280 Speaker 1: two years, like to do the whole season. So they 1409 01:13:13,280 --> 01:13:16,639 Speaker 1: would would be on Radio one until at nine o'clock 1410 01:13:16,680 --> 01:13:19,360 Speaker 1: at night on a Friday, and then I would we 1411 01:13:20,120 --> 01:13:24,519 Speaker 1: drive to the the airport and get a plane, do 1412 01:13:24,680 --> 01:13:28,280 Speaker 1: the gig, and then yeah, come back the next day. 1413 01:13:28,320 --> 01:13:30,920 Speaker 1: So UM, that was how when did you get and 1414 01:13:31,000 --> 01:13:35,120 Speaker 1: how did you get the BBC gig? The BBC gig 1415 01:13:35,360 --> 01:13:39,800 Speaker 1: was so we're going back to We're wind back to 1416 01:13:39,840 --> 01:13:43,360 Speaker 1: the eighties again. So again I didn't use that word 1417 01:13:43,479 --> 01:13:46,080 Speaker 1: entrepreneurial at the time, but I guess looking back I 1418 01:13:46,240 --> 01:13:47,720 Speaker 1: was because it was like, well, how am I going 1419 01:13:47,760 --> 01:13:49,439 Speaker 1: to get involved in this music? I don't want to 1420 01:13:49,439 --> 01:13:52,200 Speaker 1: be UM, I don't want to be a breakfast show 1421 01:13:52,280 --> 01:13:54,920 Speaker 1: DJ playing pop records. But I love this music. So 1422 01:13:54,960 --> 01:13:56,720 Speaker 1: I just want to share this music with as many 1423 01:13:56,720 --> 01:14:00,200 Speaker 1: people as possible. And the people are in for It's 1424 01:14:00,280 --> 01:14:02,400 Speaker 1: me the most in terms of shaping who I was 1425 01:14:02,439 --> 01:14:04,040 Speaker 1: as a DJ. With these guys, I was hearing on 1426 01:14:04,040 --> 01:14:07,439 Speaker 1: the radio playing specialist music, so it was a natural 1427 01:14:07,479 --> 01:14:08,960 Speaker 1: thing for me to like, well, I I want to 1428 01:14:08,960 --> 01:14:11,519 Speaker 1: do that. I used to sit at home listening to 1429 01:14:11,680 --> 01:14:14,720 Speaker 1: the radio, writing down what people said, writing down their names, 1430 01:14:14,720 --> 01:14:17,000 Speaker 1: of all the records, and I just got obsessed with it. 1431 01:14:17,080 --> 01:14:20,840 Speaker 1: So I got when I was at the magazine, I 1432 01:14:20,880 --> 01:14:24,400 Speaker 1: was already I was dabbling with like local radio, pirate radio, UM, 1433 01:14:24,520 --> 01:14:27,920 Speaker 1: anything I could do to get on UM and a 1434 01:14:28,080 --> 01:14:32,200 Speaker 1: weird twist of luck fate. Whatever is This guy Froggy 1435 01:14:32,240 --> 01:14:35,040 Speaker 1: I told you about, had the equipment he used to do. 1436 01:14:35,200 --> 01:14:38,240 Speaker 1: He used to provide the equipment for Radio one road shows, 1437 01:14:38,560 --> 01:14:41,600 Speaker 1: so when Radio one did an outside broadcast, he'd be 1438 01:14:41,640 --> 01:14:43,880 Speaker 1: the guy that would do the equipment. He then got 1439 01:14:43,920 --> 01:14:46,120 Speaker 1: to know some of the producers there and some of 1440 01:14:46,120 --> 01:14:48,040 Speaker 1: the DJs there, And there was this DJ called Peter 1441 01:14:48,120 --> 01:14:53,560 Speaker 1: Powell who was the drive time DJ, and he was 1442 01:14:53,680 --> 01:14:56,880 Speaker 1: very progressive with the music policy, very curious about you know. 1443 01:14:56,920 --> 01:14:59,759 Speaker 1: He was the one that broke Spandel Ballet and Duran 1444 01:14:59,840 --> 01:15:03,920 Speaker 1: ju around and Malcolm McLaren all these things. And he 1445 01:15:04,200 --> 01:15:07,800 Speaker 1: wanted to have a proper street DJ come onto his 1446 01:15:07,880 --> 01:15:11,719 Speaker 1: show on a weekly basis and give them some tips. 1447 01:15:11,760 --> 01:15:14,120 Speaker 1: That was a feature he was doing. And it turned 1448 01:15:14,120 --> 01:15:19,120 Speaker 1: out that UM Froggy was was very technical and he 1449 01:15:19,200 --> 01:15:23,879 Speaker 1: was very good with with with mixing records together, so technical, 1450 01:15:23,920 --> 01:15:27,040 Speaker 1: but the content like sometimes he didn't have the time 1451 01:15:27,080 --> 01:15:29,240 Speaker 1: to find the records. So who did he call me? 1452 01:15:29,640 --> 01:15:31,760 Speaker 1: So I was at the magazine getting all this music 1453 01:15:31,840 --> 01:15:34,240 Speaker 1: and going around all the shops. So his feed fun 1454 01:15:34,320 --> 01:15:36,920 Speaker 1: froggy music. But lo and behold, what quickly happened is 1455 01:15:37,000 --> 01:15:39,880 Speaker 1: that they start inviting me as well to go up 1456 01:15:39,880 --> 01:15:43,479 Speaker 1: to Radio one. So there I am at night and 1457 01:15:43,479 --> 01:15:47,679 Speaker 1: I'm going on to primetime BBC Radio one, giving them 1458 01:15:47,680 --> 01:15:50,640 Speaker 1: tips of my records. And I thought, this is like, 1459 01:15:51,360 --> 01:15:54,479 Speaker 1: literally I've literally gone from zero to and I literally 1460 01:15:54,520 --> 01:15:55,640 Speaker 1: after a couple of years of that, it was like, 1461 01:15:55,680 --> 01:15:57,400 Speaker 1: will give me a job, giving me my own show? 1462 01:15:57,439 --> 01:15:58,880 Speaker 1: It's like no, tap me on the head. So you've 1463 01:15:58,880 --> 01:16:00,639 Speaker 1: got to go away and get some more experienced son. 1464 01:16:00,720 --> 01:16:03,120 Speaker 1: You know, you can't just jump to the you know 1465 01:16:03,200 --> 01:16:06,320 Speaker 1: the Manchester United, Real Madrid, you know l A, you 1466 01:16:06,400 --> 01:16:11,000 Speaker 1: know the forty nine. The biggest football club is um 1467 01:16:11,040 --> 01:16:13,519 Speaker 1: and so I I went back out and I U 1468 01:16:13,680 --> 01:16:15,479 Speaker 1: but I used that calling card of having been on 1469 01:16:15,560 --> 01:16:18,960 Speaker 1: Radio one. It's kind as leverage to get onto commercial 1470 01:16:19,040 --> 01:16:21,599 Speaker 1: radio and Kent and then I was on Radio London 1471 01:16:21,600 --> 01:16:23,599 Speaker 1: which is a BBC station. And I got into Capital 1472 01:16:23,640 --> 01:16:27,439 Speaker 1: with Richard park Um just as house music and the 1473 01:16:27,520 --> 01:16:30,240 Speaker 1: rave scene exploded. So I was the Saturday night dance 1474 01:16:30,280 --> 01:16:33,200 Speaker 1: guy on the biggest radio station in London and I 1475 01:16:33,240 --> 01:16:36,000 Speaker 1: was there for four years um and then I was 1476 01:16:36,040 --> 01:16:39,800 Speaker 1: like the number one draft choice when that guy Jeff 1477 01:16:39,880 --> 01:16:43,080 Speaker 1: Young I told you about, retired and I then got 1478 01:16:43,080 --> 01:16:45,400 Speaker 1: moved to Radio one. So I joined Radio one in 1479 01:16:45,760 --> 01:16:48,360 Speaker 1: one and been there ever since. Now in America, nothing 1480 01:16:48,439 --> 01:16:51,040 Speaker 1: likes a lot. Is that the age? Is that you? 1481 01:16:51,280 --> 01:16:54,679 Speaker 1: Or is that BBC? I think it's a bit of both. 1482 01:16:54,800 --> 01:17:00,120 Speaker 1: I think, um, there's nothing like the BBC globally unfortunately. Um, 1483 01:17:00,160 --> 01:17:04,320 Speaker 1: you know, just public service radio that wants to be 1484 01:17:04,360 --> 01:17:06,720 Speaker 1: popular is an unusual thing. You know, you've got these 1485 01:17:06,760 --> 01:17:09,800 Speaker 1: Triple j's in Australia and things like that, but and 1486 01:17:09,840 --> 01:17:13,760 Speaker 1: you've got an MPR here, but nothing nothing like what 1487 01:17:13,840 --> 01:17:16,160 Speaker 1: the Radio one have done, you know, from and they 1488 01:17:16,160 --> 01:17:18,959 Speaker 1: get battered, you know, they get battered on a annual 1489 01:17:19,360 --> 01:17:22,880 Speaker 1: monthly basis by the conservative press that they shouldn't be 1490 01:17:22,920 --> 01:17:28,439 Speaker 1: there on across all disciplines of the BBC, from you know, news, sports, drama, 1491 01:17:28,520 --> 01:17:31,680 Speaker 1: everything but radio. Thank god, it's been there and it's 1492 01:17:31,680 --> 01:17:34,760 Speaker 1: been you know, it's still it's brilliant, but it's still 1493 01:17:34,800 --> 01:17:36,519 Speaker 1: saddens me a little bit. I mean in terms of 1494 01:17:36,560 --> 01:17:40,559 Speaker 1: moving the needle in in UM, especially for dance music, 1495 01:17:40,600 --> 01:17:43,000 Speaker 1: electronic music. It's still does it better than anything in 1496 01:17:43,040 --> 01:17:45,240 Speaker 1: the world, which is great but actually also kind of 1497 01:17:45,800 --> 01:17:49,479 Speaker 1: a bit weird. But you also have a show on iHeart, 1498 01:17:49,560 --> 01:17:52,479 Speaker 1: right what I did actually that ended, that ended, and 1499 01:17:52,840 --> 01:17:55,840 Speaker 1: it was you know, it was enjoyable. I got introduced 1500 01:17:55,880 --> 01:17:59,000 Speaker 1: to UM that I met all the senior people in 1501 01:18:00,000 --> 01:18:05,240 Speaker 1: Bob Pittman, right, and in a bether actually through Pino Sagliocca, 1502 01:18:05,680 --> 01:18:09,880 Speaker 1: remember there doing a very famous live Nation promoter and 1503 01:18:09,920 --> 01:18:12,960 Speaker 1: they and they would you know, I think Bob's sun 1504 01:18:13,080 --> 01:18:15,040 Speaker 1: was enjoying a beether and everything like that is anyway 1505 01:18:15,080 --> 01:18:17,040 Speaker 1: that Pete Songs, your guy like Pete Songs should do 1506 01:18:17,080 --> 01:18:19,400 Speaker 1: a dance show. And I did it for a while, 1507 01:18:19,400 --> 01:18:22,400 Speaker 1: but it was a bit it was, you know, good 1508 01:18:22,439 --> 01:18:24,200 Speaker 1: people around me, but it was a little bit soulless. 1509 01:18:24,680 --> 01:18:26,760 Speaker 1: I just found it. I don't know, no disrespect to 1510 01:18:26,760 --> 01:18:29,320 Speaker 1: our heart, but it's that it's just that thing of 1511 01:18:29,360 --> 01:18:33,680 Speaker 1: like it's a commercial radio station, commercial model, and it's 1512 01:18:33,920 --> 01:18:37,519 Speaker 1: the commercial model for music. It's always been a struggle 1513 01:18:37,560 --> 01:18:41,880 Speaker 1: in this country to do specialist dance radio. And I 1514 01:18:42,360 --> 01:18:44,920 Speaker 1: want to point out the read and the simple thing being. 1515 01:18:45,000 --> 01:18:47,160 Speaker 1: You know, I used to go to New York City, 1516 01:18:47,160 --> 01:18:49,360 Speaker 1: as I said, it's a sitting hotel rooms and I 1517 01:18:49,360 --> 01:18:53,400 Speaker 1: would listen to Frankie Crocker, w b Less, Timmy Registered, 1518 01:18:53,720 --> 01:18:58,000 Speaker 1: Massive Respect, Merlin Bob. You know, these guys trained me, 1519 01:18:58,200 --> 01:19:01,080 Speaker 1: taught me so much when I was a kid about 1520 01:19:01,360 --> 01:19:04,200 Speaker 1: dance radio and mixed radio, and I wouldn't be here 1521 01:19:04,240 --> 01:19:06,799 Speaker 1: without them, and they were. They were on American stations, 1522 01:19:06,840 --> 01:19:11,760 Speaker 1: but um sat sadly most outside of obviously, you know, 1523 01:19:12,479 --> 01:19:16,800 Speaker 1: the metropolis of New York City being so big, no 1524 01:19:16,800 --> 01:19:19,479 Speaker 1: no other you know, mixed show radios on the American 1525 01:19:19,560 --> 01:19:22,080 Speaker 1: radio tend to happen after midnight or super you know. 1526 01:19:22,360 --> 01:19:24,280 Speaker 1: The whole power of Radio One was like Pete Tong 1527 01:19:24,360 --> 01:19:27,320 Speaker 1: was on at six pm on a Friday night, you know, 1528 01:19:28,000 --> 01:19:31,240 Speaker 1: and they and he stayed there for you know, I'm 1529 01:19:31,280 --> 01:19:33,360 Speaker 1: still on a Friday night. I'm on a bit later now. 1530 01:19:33,400 --> 01:19:37,920 Speaker 1: I start at nine and two hours for my show 1531 01:19:37,960 --> 01:19:41,320 Speaker 1: and two hours hosting the essential mix later in the night, 1532 01:19:41,560 --> 01:19:43,479 Speaker 1: and it's all gone to like listen again and BBC 1533 01:19:43,640 --> 01:19:46,479 Speaker 1: sounds and you know it's like it's a different model now. 1534 01:19:47,080 --> 01:19:49,760 Speaker 1: But to be on basically at six o'clock at night 1535 01:19:49,880 --> 01:19:52,840 Speaker 1: for twenty years at least, Um, that's what made it 1536 01:19:52,840 --> 01:19:54,760 Speaker 1: so powerful. That's why it moved. You're living in l 1537 01:19:54,800 --> 01:19:58,600 Speaker 1: a oh that's prerecorded now now it's I do it 1538 01:19:58,640 --> 01:20:01,440 Speaker 1: at home. You know, it's smoke and mirrors and technology, 1539 01:20:01,479 --> 01:20:03,200 Speaker 1: thank god. And when I'm in London, I do it live. 1540 01:20:03,280 --> 01:20:06,240 Speaker 1: So I'd still got back quite regular. Okay, best gig 1541 01:20:06,320 --> 01:20:12,200 Speaker 1: you've ever had foo Probably Love Parade um was one 1542 01:20:12,200 --> 01:20:14,600 Speaker 1: of them, doing in Berlin when it still happened, you know, 1543 01:20:14,680 --> 01:20:16,600 Speaker 1: being I was one of the first ever Brits to 1544 01:20:16,640 --> 01:20:20,080 Speaker 1: be invited to play at the monument Um and there 1545 01:20:20,120 --> 01:20:21,920 Speaker 1: was a million people on the streets. So that would 1546 01:20:21,960 --> 01:20:24,240 Speaker 1: Love Paraders where they had the accident all the people 1547 01:20:24,280 --> 01:20:28,760 Speaker 1: died right um in Germany where they were ultimately going 1548 01:20:28,800 --> 01:20:30,880 Speaker 1: through the tunnel. I don't know if it was still 1549 01:20:30,920 --> 01:20:35,200 Speaker 1: the Love Parade then, but maybe okay parade was an 1550 01:20:35,200 --> 01:20:38,960 Speaker 1: open street in what year was that, um? That must 1551 01:20:39,000 --> 01:20:42,120 Speaker 1: have been early nineties. Um, So what made it a 1552 01:20:42,280 --> 01:20:47,160 Speaker 1: great well being playing to so many people and it 1553 01:20:47,280 --> 01:20:49,920 Speaker 1: being a kind of historic thing and we did we 1554 01:20:50,080 --> 01:20:54,439 Speaker 1: we we recorded it for Radio One as well. Um 1555 01:20:54,479 --> 01:20:56,519 Speaker 1: so it's just I just obviously one of those things 1556 01:20:56,560 --> 01:20:59,640 Speaker 1: that will never happen again. And we tried to replicate 1557 01:20:59,680 --> 01:21:03,080 Speaker 1: it in UK. We did a UK Love Parade and 1558 01:21:03,120 --> 01:21:06,320 Speaker 1: there was one in Leads in a place called round 1559 01:21:06,320 --> 01:21:09,840 Speaker 1: Hay Park and that we got two fifty people and 1560 01:21:09,840 --> 01:21:12,439 Speaker 1: it was me and Sasha and Darren Emerson from Underworld 1561 01:21:12,479 --> 01:21:15,479 Speaker 1: on stage at the end. That was that was truly special, 1562 01:21:15,520 --> 01:21:18,840 Speaker 1: but unfortunately a lot of people's gardens got trampled and 1563 01:21:18,880 --> 01:21:22,599 Speaker 1: like people were and then We've Got We've Got moved 1564 01:21:22,640 --> 01:21:24,559 Speaker 1: to Newcastle the next year and it was a very 1565 01:21:24,600 --> 01:21:28,839 Speaker 1: toned down version and it never quite worked. Um Space 1566 01:21:29,520 --> 01:21:31,960 Speaker 1: a beefing, you know, all those beef clubs, having got 1567 01:21:32,000 --> 01:21:34,080 Speaker 1: to play them, all of them at some point, will 1568 01:21:34,120 --> 01:21:38,680 Speaker 1: always be special. South America is really good. Argentina in 1569 01:21:38,720 --> 01:21:41,880 Speaker 1: particular in my wife's Brazilian but Argentina is probably the 1570 01:21:41,920 --> 01:21:45,719 Speaker 1: most the true natural home to kind of electronic music. 1571 01:21:46,280 --> 01:21:48,920 Speaker 1: You know, it's I've played some pretty special shows in 1572 01:21:49,000 --> 01:21:52,240 Speaker 1: Chilean and Brazil, but Argentina is something about that the 1573 01:21:52,320 --> 01:21:55,080 Speaker 1: kind of mentality down there and then America. You know, 1574 01:21:55,120 --> 01:21:57,599 Speaker 1: the US has been pretty amazing as well. I mean, 1575 01:21:57,600 --> 01:22:01,679 Speaker 1: Miami might as well be another country as that's it's 1576 01:22:02,240 --> 01:22:05,479 Speaker 1: that's you know, so mixed down there, especially during conference time, 1577 01:22:05,520 --> 01:22:07,720 Speaker 1: you know, in that Miami Music Week. That's that. You've 1578 01:22:07,760 --> 01:22:11,200 Speaker 1: got some great memories there. And Space in Miami is 1579 01:22:11,240 --> 01:22:14,120 Speaker 1: probably the closest. Who was the first club to ever 1580 01:22:14,200 --> 01:22:17,800 Speaker 1: be remotely like a beether And to this day, funny enough, 1581 01:22:18,200 --> 01:22:19,960 Speaker 1: it's more like a beether and the bether is now 1582 01:22:20,000 --> 01:22:22,920 Speaker 1: because Space Miami does go pretty much twenty four hours. 1583 01:22:22,920 --> 01:22:27,960 Speaker 1: So okay, most exotic place you've ever played, um Borakai 1584 01:22:28,120 --> 01:22:31,120 Speaker 1: maybe in the Philippines. Um you got to look it 1585 01:22:31,160 --> 01:22:33,400 Speaker 1: up and yeah, I don't even know what that is. 1586 01:22:33,520 --> 01:22:36,200 Speaker 1: That's like a very long plane ride but followed by 1587 01:22:36,400 --> 01:22:38,680 Speaker 1: two small planes in a boat, so you get to 1588 01:22:38,760 --> 01:22:43,080 Speaker 1: like desert island. And I did this party in the 1589 01:22:43,160 --> 01:22:46,439 Speaker 1: days when cigarette companies were still allowed in some corner 1590 01:22:46,479 --> 01:22:48,479 Speaker 1: of the world to sponsor parties. And it was me 1591 01:22:48,560 --> 01:22:52,519 Speaker 1: and Almond van Helden Todd Terry funny enough, and it 1592 01:22:52,600 --> 01:22:55,120 Speaker 1: was on a beach, sand in your shoes, you know, 1593 01:22:55,240 --> 01:22:57,840 Speaker 1: and it was that was pretty exotic. So what's the 1594 01:22:57,840 --> 01:23:00,320 Speaker 1: biggest p day you've had for a d G gig 1595 01:23:01,320 --> 01:23:12,360 Speaker 1: Um New Year's Eve, Um probably seven figures. No, No, 1596 01:23:12,360 --> 01:23:14,360 Speaker 1: I think back then it was it was six figures, 1597 01:23:14,360 --> 01:23:19,080 Speaker 1: but it was, which is still pretty big. But um, yeah, okay, 1598 01:23:19,080 --> 01:23:21,839 Speaker 1: now I'm not Yeah. I mean does the music excite 1599 01:23:21,840 --> 01:23:24,280 Speaker 1: you as much today as it did back in your 1600 01:23:24,320 --> 01:23:35,320 Speaker 1: formative years in hey day? Hard to yes, yes and no. Um, 1601 01:23:35,400 --> 01:23:37,960 Speaker 1: I worry something, you know. I was talking to the 1602 01:23:37,960 --> 01:23:43,519 Speaker 1: guys that Splice about this this morning about how, you know, 1603 01:23:44,320 --> 01:23:48,880 Speaker 1: the ultimate you know, electronic music probably more than any 1604 01:23:48,880 --> 01:23:51,800 Speaker 1: other form of music. It's been so democratized, you know, 1605 01:23:51,880 --> 01:23:54,759 Speaker 1: every you know, the barriers to entry and completely removed 1606 01:23:55,200 --> 01:23:58,559 Speaker 1: so everyone can make music. It's amazing. Everyone can publish 1607 01:23:58,600 --> 01:24:01,120 Speaker 1: their music on SoundCloud and obviously we talked about all 1608 01:24:01,120 --> 01:24:05,599 Speaker 1: the streaming services um and the keys have been handed 1609 01:24:05,600 --> 01:24:07,400 Speaker 1: over of the asylum as they used to say. But 1610 01:24:07,439 --> 01:24:10,639 Speaker 1: the downside of it is it almost seems harder and 1611 01:24:11,040 --> 01:24:13,800 Speaker 1: you know, to get to the Triple A list at 1612 01:24:13,800 --> 01:24:16,680 Speaker 1: the very top. That that worries me a little bit. 1613 01:24:16,720 --> 01:24:18,920 Speaker 1: You know, it's very easy to make a very good 1614 01:24:18,920 --> 01:24:22,200 Speaker 1: record now you know, it's it's it's almost impossible to 1615 01:24:22,240 --> 01:24:26,120 Speaker 1: make a genius record, you know that dance music with 1616 01:24:26,120 --> 01:24:28,840 Speaker 1: the sample packs and like if you know you can 1617 01:24:28,840 --> 01:24:32,599 Speaker 1: make you can make that something sound pretty convincing forgetting 1618 01:24:32,680 --> 01:24:34,920 Speaker 1: the people who get in at the bottom, you know, 1619 01:24:35,000 --> 01:24:41,000 Speaker 1: the semi pros. Uh, if you are at the top tier, 1620 01:24:41,040 --> 01:24:44,760 Speaker 1: are there fewer genius records than before? I think so? Yeah, 1621 01:24:45,000 --> 01:24:46,840 Speaker 1: I think so. I mean there's no disrespect to some 1622 01:24:47,040 --> 01:24:49,880 Speaker 1: you know I did. Yeah, we haven't had you know 1623 01:24:49,960 --> 01:24:52,680 Speaker 1: that that era of the Prodigy and Underworld and you 1624 01:24:52,720 --> 01:24:57,639 Speaker 1: know Orbital and um, you know we staft punk even 1625 01:24:57,680 --> 01:25:00,679 Speaker 1: now is a long time ago. Um, so I think 1626 01:25:00,760 --> 01:25:03,920 Speaker 1: the yeah that you know, I'm I'm kind of waiting, 1627 01:25:04,000 --> 01:25:06,200 Speaker 1: you know, we're all you know, the fishing nets are 1628 01:25:06,240 --> 01:25:09,840 Speaker 1: out in all stripes of music. I would use a 1629 01:25:09,880 --> 01:25:12,960 Speaker 1: similar description. And uh, and what I would label popular 1630 01:25:13,040 --> 01:25:17,960 Speaker 1: music the Spotify top fifty especially certainly a narrow genre. 1631 01:25:18,400 --> 01:25:22,720 Speaker 1: So who do you believe are the most artistically successful 1632 01:25:23,160 --> 01:25:33,920 Speaker 1: DJs working today? It's a big question board. Um whoa 1633 01:25:35,000 --> 01:25:37,559 Speaker 1: that that there's a there was a fork in the 1634 01:25:37,640 --> 01:25:42,960 Speaker 1: road somewhere during the E d M era where the 1635 01:25:42,479 --> 01:25:47,200 Speaker 1: the what the ranking system from success it was was 1636 01:25:47,240 --> 01:25:50,599 Speaker 1: two different paths. So you've got the music makers, you know, 1637 01:25:51,200 --> 01:25:55,200 Speaker 1: the pop producer writers, so and whether you like their 1638 01:25:55,280 --> 01:25:57,599 Speaker 1: music or not, you have to give them credit. And 1639 01:25:57,800 --> 01:26:02,200 Speaker 1: you know, from David is a good friend of mine, 1640 01:26:03,120 --> 01:26:06,120 Speaker 1: even you know, Marshmallow as well to Sathing did come 1641 01:26:06,160 --> 01:26:08,920 Speaker 1: from our world and gone and gone into the stratosphere 1642 01:26:08,920 --> 01:26:11,840 Speaker 1: of another world. And I think, you know, I wasn't 1643 01:26:11,840 --> 01:26:14,120 Speaker 1: particularly a Marshmallow fan at the start of what is music, 1644 01:26:14,120 --> 01:26:17,240 Speaker 1: but I'm a big fan of what he's achieved in 1645 01:26:17,360 --> 01:26:21,120 Speaker 1: terms of the impact and influence and consistency that he's 1646 01:26:21,120 --> 01:26:22,840 Speaker 1: been able to have at the very kind of top 1647 01:26:22,880 --> 01:26:25,840 Speaker 1: tier of the pop table. So I think that's worth 1648 01:26:25,920 --> 01:26:31,559 Speaker 1: the props. Um. On the underground electronic side, there's there's 1649 01:26:31,560 --> 01:26:35,679 Speaker 1: some amazing you know, the highest paid, I should say, 1650 01:26:35,720 --> 01:26:38,920 Speaker 1: and that's because they sell the most tickets. Um are 1651 01:26:38,920 --> 01:26:42,639 Speaker 1: people like Solomon and Black Coffee and Tail of Us 1652 01:26:42,640 --> 01:26:46,760 Speaker 1: and Marco Corolla, UM and the and the Rise of 1653 01:26:46,800 --> 01:26:49,160 Speaker 1: the Girls. You know, it's it's amazing to see you know, 1654 01:26:49,200 --> 01:26:53,880 Speaker 1: Peggy Goo, Charlotte de Witter, Emily Lens, Nina Kravitz, Um. 1655 01:26:55,160 --> 01:26:59,760 Speaker 1: We've probably seen the biggest game change in the underground 1656 01:26:59,760 --> 01:27:02,519 Speaker 1: world in the last five years, you know, truly the 1657 01:27:02,960 --> 01:27:07,320 Speaker 1: the the key, you know, the batons being moved on 1658 01:27:07,360 --> 01:27:09,479 Speaker 1: to a new generation and a new and a new 1659 01:27:09,520 --> 01:27:11,080 Speaker 1: and a new look, you know. And the fact that 1660 01:27:11,200 --> 01:27:14,880 Speaker 1: female DJs and and female electronic musicians are having such 1661 01:27:14,880 --> 01:27:17,759 Speaker 1: a massive impact is is great. Now do you equate 1662 01:27:17,840 --> 01:27:21,000 Speaker 1: those people who are getting the big paychecks, are those 1663 01:27:21,160 --> 01:27:25,200 Speaker 1: also the people pushing the envelope artistically? Yeah? I think so. 1664 01:27:25,439 --> 01:27:27,960 Speaker 1: I mean with the underground, you don't get there by. 1665 01:27:28,080 --> 01:27:30,160 Speaker 1: You get there because you earn the right to be there. 1666 01:27:30,200 --> 01:27:32,040 Speaker 1: It's like so it's like being in the trenches. You know, 1667 01:27:32,080 --> 01:27:35,400 Speaker 1: it's like being a stage actor. Um, you have to 1668 01:27:35,439 --> 01:27:39,120 Speaker 1: go and press the flesh, tread the boards, do the work, 1669 01:27:39,600 --> 01:27:41,360 Speaker 1: and you get to the top of the tree because 1670 01:27:41,400 --> 01:27:44,240 Speaker 1: people think you're really really good and you and you 1671 01:27:44,320 --> 01:27:46,559 Speaker 1: continue to innovate with your sets. They've all got their 1672 01:27:46,560 --> 01:27:50,800 Speaker 1: own labels, they're all championing another generation of musicians. They've 1673 01:27:50,800 --> 01:27:53,920 Speaker 1: all got their own sound. Um. So I think that's 1674 01:27:53,920 --> 01:27:57,200 Speaker 1: a very healthy ecosystem, except for the actual person doing it. 1675 01:27:57,240 --> 01:28:02,320 Speaker 1: I mean it's hard. It's it's frontline, you know, in 1676 01:28:02,360 --> 01:28:05,639 Speaker 1: the trenches work and and the underground is not, Um, 1677 01:28:05,720 --> 01:28:07,800 Speaker 1: it's not it's not turning up and playing an hour 1678 01:28:07,840 --> 01:28:10,800 Speaker 1: at E d C. It's often playing you know for 1679 01:28:10,880 --> 01:28:14,360 Speaker 1: ten hours, um, seven hours, six hours, you know, the 1680 01:28:14,520 --> 01:28:16,960 Speaker 1: big long sets and after parties, and you know, the 1681 01:28:17,080 --> 01:28:20,520 Speaker 1: legends around those guys is almost dude down to their endurance. 1682 01:28:20,560 --> 01:28:24,599 Speaker 1: You know. I was interloom Um a couple of days ago, 1683 01:28:24,640 --> 01:28:27,639 Speaker 1: because that's become early January has become a time when 1684 01:28:27,640 --> 01:28:30,200 Speaker 1: all of the underground guys flocked there and there's all 1685 01:28:30,240 --> 01:28:34,000 Speaker 1: these big parties um. And as I was leaving, Solomon 1686 01:28:34,000 --> 01:28:38,040 Speaker 1: played his party the night before we left. And then 1687 01:28:38,040 --> 01:28:40,160 Speaker 1: when I got back here, I heard the guy at 1688 01:28:40,160 --> 01:28:43,840 Speaker 1: my hotel said, old Solomon's doing his after party today. 1689 01:28:43,920 --> 01:28:46,559 Speaker 1: And when I got back, and then two days later 1690 01:28:46,600 --> 01:28:51,240 Speaker 1: someone said it just finished. So it's like it's it's 1691 01:28:51,320 --> 01:28:54,559 Speaker 1: it's heavy, you know, and it's some but I guess 1692 01:28:54,600 --> 01:28:58,439 Speaker 1: it's about as rock and roll, you know. Well, it's 1693 01:28:58,880 --> 01:29:00,439 Speaker 1: kind of the punk end of if you want to 1694 01:29:00,479 --> 01:29:03,479 Speaker 1: use that analogy, it's like the punk end of of 1695 01:29:03,520 --> 01:29:08,320 Speaker 1: our world. Um. And you know, I hope rather than 1696 01:29:08,360 --> 01:29:11,200 Speaker 1: just headonism, good stuff comes out of it, you know. So, okay, 1697 01:29:11,200 --> 01:29:14,280 Speaker 1: how about this hasn't been something reading about recently, the 1698 01:29:14,400 --> 01:29:19,960 Speaker 1: concept that people are just standing on stage pushing buttons. Yeah, 1699 01:29:19,960 --> 01:29:21,439 Speaker 1: I mean some some of them are and they push 1700 01:29:21,439 --> 01:29:23,160 Speaker 1: a lot of buttons in the right order and it's great. 1701 01:29:24,160 --> 01:29:27,400 Speaker 1: So I think, um, you know that Analogy was all 1702 01:29:27,439 --> 01:29:32,280 Speaker 1: about pre pre organized sets. But you know I was 1703 01:29:32,640 --> 01:29:35,519 Speaker 1: being you know, having obviously being behind the scenes, I 1704 01:29:35,560 --> 01:29:39,240 Speaker 1: can clearly see you know, this was about music makers 1705 01:29:39,240 --> 01:29:41,960 Speaker 1: playing their own music and getting booked at bigger and 1706 01:29:41,960 --> 01:29:45,080 Speaker 1: bigger and bigger events and having more and more responsibility 1707 01:29:45,160 --> 01:29:48,599 Speaker 1: to kind of blow everybody's mind. And in the case 1708 01:29:48,640 --> 01:29:51,360 Speaker 1: of Swedish House Matthew who definitely wrote the book on 1709 01:29:51,400 --> 01:29:55,880 Speaker 1: it first, um, it starts to get into choreograph shows, 1710 01:29:55,880 --> 01:29:59,040 Speaker 1: you know, and you're spending you know, hundreds of thousands 1711 01:29:59,080 --> 01:30:03,640 Speaker 1: of dollars on a visual experience. They took it to 1712 01:30:03,680 --> 01:30:06,160 Speaker 1: another level, you know, they bought that kind of you 1713 01:30:06,360 --> 01:30:09,960 Speaker 1: two level of production into the electronic world. And I 1714 01:30:10,000 --> 01:30:13,960 Speaker 1: always say hats off to him because they were the first. 1715 01:30:13,960 --> 01:30:15,879 Speaker 1: I mean, Tiesto was going around, you know, Paul Oakenfoll 1716 01:30:16,000 --> 01:30:18,240 Speaker 1: was doing it first, you know, to a certain extent. 1717 01:30:18,400 --> 01:30:20,360 Speaker 1: Tiesto took it to a whole another level. Arm and 1718 01:30:20,400 --> 01:30:22,840 Speaker 1: Vambera and all these guys. But you know, and the 1719 01:30:22,880 --> 01:30:24,880 Speaker 1: show has got bigger and bigger and bigger, and and 1720 01:30:24,920 --> 01:30:30,120 Speaker 1: they were still essentially djaying and there still was, um 1721 01:30:30,240 --> 01:30:32,760 Speaker 1: a sense of Tiesto didn't know what he was going 1722 01:30:32,800 --> 01:30:35,360 Speaker 1: to play in what order. You know. He had a box, 1723 01:30:35,520 --> 01:30:37,800 Speaker 1: you know, and he had a selection and he had 1724 01:30:37,800 --> 01:30:40,240 Speaker 1: his favorites, and he was a smart DJ, so he 1725 01:30:40,320 --> 01:30:42,519 Speaker 1: knew how to make the crowd go crazy and stuff 1726 01:30:42,520 --> 01:30:44,880 Speaker 1: like that. But but there still was an element of 1727 01:30:44,920 --> 01:30:46,519 Speaker 1: free willing what he could do, and he could make 1728 01:30:46,520 --> 01:30:50,360 Speaker 1: a last minute decision and change something. And then the 1729 01:30:50,360 --> 01:30:54,040 Speaker 1: Swedish House Mafia era where they start doing Milton Keene's Bowl, 1730 01:30:54,560 --> 01:30:56,320 Speaker 1: which was unheard of in the UK for a bunch 1731 01:30:56,320 --> 01:31:00,479 Speaker 1: of DJs playing to you know, eighty thousand people or whatever. Um. 1732 01:31:00,520 --> 01:31:02,680 Speaker 1: You know, then you've got to have a U two 1733 01:31:02,800 --> 01:31:07,000 Speaker 1: type rolling Stones stage and you've got to put films 1734 01:31:07,080 --> 01:31:09,280 Speaker 1: on and they've got to tie in with the with 1735 01:31:09,320 --> 01:31:12,320 Speaker 1: the music you're playing and the lights and the explosions. 1736 01:31:12,320 --> 01:31:13,680 Speaker 1: We've got a golf at the right time. So you 1737 01:31:13,720 --> 01:31:15,840 Speaker 1: get into that thing that you can't change the order. 1738 01:31:16,360 --> 01:31:18,120 Speaker 1: You know, you can change the order maybe before the 1739 01:31:18,120 --> 01:31:19,960 Speaker 1: show starts, you know, a couple of days to tell 1740 01:31:20,000 --> 01:31:22,400 Speaker 1: the visuals guy but you can't just change the order. 1741 01:31:22,840 --> 01:31:24,640 Speaker 1: And that's where that comes from, you know. And I 1742 01:31:24,720 --> 01:31:28,439 Speaker 1: think Dead Mouse, to a certain extent, you know, fueled 1743 01:31:28,479 --> 01:31:32,400 Speaker 1: that as well, because he clearly was never really playing records. 1744 01:31:32,439 --> 01:31:34,439 Speaker 1: But you know, the guy was playing back his own 1745 01:31:34,520 --> 01:31:36,960 Speaker 1: music and reinterpreting it in different ways. So okay, when 1746 01:31:36,960 --> 01:31:39,880 Speaker 1: you played, you playing it advance? How do you do it? 1747 01:31:39,960 --> 01:31:42,439 Speaker 1: You spin records. I've come through the full cycle of 1748 01:31:42,479 --> 01:31:46,720 Speaker 1: like vinyl into CDs, into playing off the laptop with 1749 01:31:46,760 --> 01:31:49,160 Speaker 1: all of the software when it all started, like Ableton 1750 01:31:49,200 --> 01:31:52,360 Speaker 1: and Tractor and Serato and stuff like that, and and 1751 01:31:52,400 --> 01:31:55,559 Speaker 1: I've gone full circle back to um. Yeah, I carry 1752 01:31:55,600 --> 01:31:58,720 Speaker 1: around a couple of big drives like that, and I 1753 01:31:58,800 --> 01:32:02,519 Speaker 1: plug him into CD players and I don't have pre 1754 01:32:02,640 --> 01:32:05,760 Speaker 1: planned sets. No, I'll do some sets that will be 1755 01:32:05,880 --> 01:32:07,680 Speaker 1: quite similar, you know, two or three days in a row, 1756 01:32:07,720 --> 01:32:09,360 Speaker 1: but I'll change things around. So I'm still doing it 1757 01:32:09,439 --> 01:32:12,760 Speaker 1: old school. It's with the orchestra that I've got into 1758 01:32:12,800 --> 01:32:15,120 Speaker 1: that hole. And we you know, the orchestra week we 1759 01:32:15,200 --> 01:32:18,040 Speaker 1: can we can change a few things. We changed songs 1760 01:32:18,400 --> 01:32:21,840 Speaker 1: night by night, but we have um that that's more 1761 01:32:21,920 --> 01:32:24,160 Speaker 1: like it's not pressing buttons, but its well as they 1762 01:32:24,200 --> 01:32:29,240 Speaker 1: has to be, you know, all the York rib so 1763 01:32:29,240 --> 01:32:32,080 Speaker 1: so I've you know, so I'm still djening old school 1764 01:32:32,120 --> 01:32:36,360 Speaker 1: in that sense. Yeah, all gone thumbs up, thumbs down, 1765 01:32:37,000 --> 01:32:40,760 Speaker 1: what the film thumbs up? Okay, But the concept using it, 1766 01:32:40,760 --> 01:32:43,360 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, we talked about Howard Stern and 1767 01:32:43,400 --> 01:32:44,880 Speaker 1: they have hit him with a high and I know 1768 01:32:45,000 --> 01:32:49,120 Speaker 1: John Hind heats it. So I always loved it. It 1769 01:32:49,160 --> 01:32:52,800 Speaker 1: was it was a it was meant to be. It was. 1770 01:32:52,880 --> 01:32:55,120 Speaker 1: It was a fanzine in the UK called Boys Zone 1771 01:32:55,960 --> 01:32:59,160 Speaker 1: who were made some mine actually, but they were very stroppy, 1772 01:32:59,360 --> 01:33:02,839 Speaker 1: kind of like angry men, and they started this fanzine 1773 01:33:02,840 --> 01:33:04,960 Speaker 1: and the whole point of the fanzine was basically like 1774 01:33:05,360 --> 01:33:08,639 Speaker 1: fuck it, you know, it was to get in there 1775 01:33:08,640 --> 01:33:10,640 Speaker 1: and like stir of shipped up and so they'd be 1776 01:33:10,720 --> 01:33:12,800 Speaker 1: rude about everybody and that. And I was djaying with 1777 01:33:12,840 --> 01:33:14,439 Speaker 1: these guys and they were that's the way they were 1778 01:33:14,520 --> 01:33:16,400 Speaker 1: rude about me. And it was meant to be a 1779 01:33:16,560 --> 01:33:18,559 Speaker 1: way of winding me up at the start because I 1780 01:33:18,680 --> 01:33:21,479 Speaker 1: was you know, there was a thing in the UK 1781 01:33:21,640 --> 01:33:25,719 Speaker 1: with if you were around before the year zero, which 1782 01:33:25,760 --> 01:33:28,240 Speaker 1: was basically when house music started, then you were a 1783 01:33:28,280 --> 01:33:30,479 Speaker 1: Dinosaur and the fact that I was in the soul 1784 01:33:30,520 --> 01:33:32,639 Speaker 1: boy era before and a bit of the hip hop era. 1785 01:33:33,400 --> 01:33:36,360 Speaker 1: They they were like, what are you doing? Is it's 1786 01:33:36,400 --> 01:33:37,880 Speaker 1: all gone pizza on? So it was like it was 1787 01:33:37,920 --> 01:33:41,120 Speaker 1: this and then it caught on. It became later on 1788 01:33:41,240 --> 01:33:44,840 Speaker 1: like cockney rhyming slang and in the Penguin Dictionary and 1789 01:33:44,840 --> 01:33:48,160 Speaker 1: all this stuff, and then you know, it's notoriety. It 1790 01:33:48,240 --> 01:33:50,439 Speaker 1: was like, you know, it was. It was fantastic. And 1791 01:33:50,439 --> 01:33:53,000 Speaker 1: then to end up having a movie made of that 1792 01:33:53,080 --> 01:33:54,920 Speaker 1: name was that just took it to another level. So 1793 01:33:55,040 --> 01:33:56,880 Speaker 1: now we are now I have my own parties. You know, 1794 01:33:56,920 --> 01:33:58,040 Speaker 1: we would call it you know, we do it in 1795 01:33:58,080 --> 01:34:00,000 Speaker 1: Miami and we do it around the world. It's all 1796 01:34:00,000 --> 01:34:02,560 Speaker 1: on Pete songs. It was good. Okay, So what is 1797 01:34:02,600 --> 01:34:04,479 Speaker 1: the future hall for you? What is the dream that's 1798 01:34:04,520 --> 01:34:07,720 Speaker 1: like you've obviously achieved so much and unexpected, like you 1799 01:34:07,720 --> 01:34:11,000 Speaker 1: know with the BBC at age nineteen, What what would 1800 01:34:11,000 --> 01:34:13,679 Speaker 1: you like to achieve or do in the future, whether 1801 01:34:13,680 --> 01:34:16,320 Speaker 1: it be music oriented or not. Well, for me, it's 1802 01:34:16,320 --> 01:34:20,360 Speaker 1: always come to music discovery and curation. So it's it's 1803 01:34:20,439 --> 01:34:24,280 Speaker 1: finding a way, I guess of moving into this next 1804 01:34:24,320 --> 01:34:27,439 Speaker 1: decade gracefully and still being out the work. I'm blessed 1805 01:34:27,479 --> 01:34:31,840 Speaker 1: with that and be healthy, um and just I guess 1806 01:34:31,920 --> 01:34:35,120 Speaker 1: try and use my whole life's worth of experience in 1807 01:34:35,160 --> 01:34:40,280 Speaker 1: A in a positive way. UM and hopefully still try 1808 01:34:40,320 --> 01:34:42,560 Speaker 1: and not. I'm back into like the A and R 1809 01:34:42,600 --> 01:34:45,400 Speaker 1: gig again. I just joined three zero with Mark Llespie. 1810 01:34:45,439 --> 01:34:49,679 Speaker 1: It's Calvin Harris's manager, um, and we've rebooted his label 1811 01:34:49,760 --> 01:34:51,920 Speaker 1: through Sony. So I was, I was. I did go 1812 01:34:52,000 --> 01:34:56,400 Speaker 1: back into the Warner system for a few years. UM, 1813 01:34:56,439 --> 01:34:59,160 Speaker 1: but my curiosity is back again about A and R, 1814 01:34:59,240 --> 01:35:02,160 Speaker 1: about being act more hands on. I think funny recording 1815 01:35:02,200 --> 01:35:04,040 Speaker 1: the albums with the orchestra and being back in the 1816 01:35:04,080 --> 01:35:07,480 Speaker 1: studio hands on. I mean, I had this great education 1817 01:35:08,040 --> 01:35:10,360 Speaker 1: and met all these amazing people. You know, I was 1818 01:35:10,400 --> 01:35:13,080 Speaker 1: at the end of the you know, Tommy Mottola, water 1819 01:35:13,160 --> 01:35:15,559 Speaker 1: yet Ni Cough, you know Berry Gordy, you know with 1820 01:35:16,520 --> 01:35:18,280 Speaker 1: I've met so many people in my time. You know, 1821 01:35:18,280 --> 01:35:20,160 Speaker 1: I worked with Chris Morris as Chris Thomas in the 1822 01:35:20,200 --> 01:35:23,800 Speaker 1: studio making records, you know, Um, and I kind of 1823 01:35:23,840 --> 01:35:26,840 Speaker 1: missed it. So I think, you know, if I if 1824 01:35:26,880 --> 01:35:31,840 Speaker 1: I can help nurture the next generation and champion their 1825 01:35:31,880 --> 01:35:34,760 Speaker 1: cause then that I would be happy. But there's no 1826 01:35:34,880 --> 01:35:38,479 Speaker 1: intermounting flame or destination something that you would like to 1827 01:35:38,520 --> 01:35:45,280 Speaker 1: achieve that you know, stratospheric. I still think this is 1828 01:35:46,880 --> 01:35:49,599 Speaker 1: have end endless conversations with people like saying low about 1829 01:35:49,640 --> 01:35:54,080 Speaker 1: this of you know, where it's all going. I think 1830 01:35:55,080 --> 01:35:59,080 Speaker 1: I worry about music discovery and curation, you know, and 1831 01:35:59,120 --> 01:36:01,519 Speaker 1: that's completely broke it. Yeah, I mean there could be 1832 01:36:01,520 --> 01:36:03,720 Speaker 1: great stuff that doesn't rise to the time I think. 1833 01:36:03,720 --> 01:36:06,120 Speaker 1: I think on a very basic level, on a really 1834 01:36:06,160 --> 01:36:09,599 Speaker 1: really basic level. You know, the DJs I talk about, 1835 01:36:09,680 --> 01:36:13,639 Speaker 1: especially the underground ones, are still in a sense, um, 1836 01:36:13,680 --> 01:36:18,640 Speaker 1: the greatest curators in the electronic world anyway. Um. And 1837 01:36:18,680 --> 01:36:20,920 Speaker 1: I was just thinking on the way up here actually 1838 01:36:21,000 --> 01:36:25,720 Speaker 1: that um quite. I don't know. Maybe maybe a few, 1839 01:36:25,760 --> 01:36:28,920 Speaker 1: you know, maybe if you have the DJ to spend 1840 01:36:28,960 --> 01:36:31,320 Speaker 1: less time taking photos of themselves on beaches and actually 1841 01:36:31,360 --> 01:36:34,320 Speaker 1: tell us what music they're playing, that's an interesting way 1842 01:36:34,360 --> 01:36:36,880 Speaker 1: to put it. I don't know. I just think the 1843 01:36:36,920 --> 01:36:39,360 Speaker 1: future curation is it's still up. It's it's still up. 1844 01:36:39,360 --> 01:36:41,600 Speaker 1: For the obvious thing that people talk about playlists, I 1845 01:36:41,640 --> 01:36:45,599 Speaker 1: never believe I'm trying playlists and streaming services but as 1846 01:36:45,640 --> 01:36:48,080 Speaker 1: I say, yes, if you want to listen to the 1847 01:36:48,160 --> 01:36:51,080 Speaker 1: pop hip hop, you know, pop songs already on a 1848 01:36:51,080 --> 01:36:54,639 Speaker 1: grandde you can find that very easily. Other genres of music. 1849 01:36:55,000 --> 01:36:56,439 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, if you go through the genre 1850 01:36:56,479 --> 01:36:58,960 Speaker 1: playlists on Spotify, which is the big hood, you know, 1851 01:36:59,000 --> 01:37:01,240 Speaker 1: you can't listen to that music, never mind that much 1852 01:37:01,320 --> 01:37:04,760 Speaker 1: bad music. But somethin's personality lists. So I think, you know, 1853 01:37:05,000 --> 01:37:07,120 Speaker 1: as much as that sounds old school coming from someone 1854 01:37:07,160 --> 01:37:13,240 Speaker 1: like me, I just think, you know, it's it's ultimately 1855 01:37:13,240 --> 01:37:16,120 Speaker 1: will come down to personalities. You know, Virgil Aublaw does 1856 01:37:16,120 --> 01:37:21,200 Speaker 1: a pretty good job turning people onto fashion, and there's 1857 01:37:21,200 --> 01:37:26,160 Speaker 1: been certain people, you know, certain musician, you know, certain 1858 01:37:26,240 --> 01:37:28,120 Speaker 1: hip hop people back in the day that have turned 1859 01:37:28,120 --> 01:37:30,439 Speaker 1: people onto I believe, I think, I think, but I 1860 01:37:30,439 --> 01:37:32,719 Speaker 1: believe the culture is totally changed. The culture is purely 1861 01:37:32,720 --> 01:37:35,640 Speaker 1: about money, and there's really no money in curation, at 1862 01:37:35,680 --> 01:37:38,200 Speaker 1: least as we can see the short way done. There 1863 01:37:38,240 --> 01:37:39,920 Speaker 1: never was that at the beginning for the you know, 1864 01:37:40,280 --> 01:37:42,559 Speaker 1: not for me, not for John Peele, not but John 1865 01:37:42,680 --> 01:37:45,240 Speaker 1: Peel he got they say, and yet she got the 1866 01:37:45,320 --> 01:37:48,920 Speaker 1: narcis whatever. He got the great adulation, so without the money. 1867 01:37:49,080 --> 01:37:52,719 Speaker 1: But in today's society, where it's bottom line money, everybody 1868 01:37:52,800 --> 01:37:55,080 Speaker 1: is driving in another direction, even though it's the artist 1869 01:37:55,120 --> 01:37:59,080 Speaker 1: who's honest who ultimately has the most impact. So it 1870 01:37:59,240 --> 01:38:01,559 Speaker 1: either takes some one where money is not the number 1871 01:38:01,560 --> 01:38:04,880 Speaker 1: one thing, where just as a dream to to fix this. 1872 01:38:04,960 --> 01:38:07,240 Speaker 1: And I think we're, you know, across the world, certainly 1873 01:38:07,280 --> 01:38:11,040 Speaker 1: in America, we're moving towards that era, income, inequality, etcetera. 1874 01:38:11,680 --> 01:38:14,760 Speaker 1: And I think, I mean you you spent a lot 1875 01:38:14,800 --> 01:38:17,920 Speaker 1: of your blokes that I've read, you know, and you 1876 01:38:17,960 --> 01:38:21,200 Speaker 1: know loyally, I mean all the star I mean all 1877 01:38:21,240 --> 01:38:23,560 Speaker 1: the style of Apple music was based on the same frustration, 1878 01:38:23,680 --> 01:38:26,320 Speaker 1: right from Jimmy and um from Trent to try to 1879 01:38:26,439 --> 01:38:30,120 Speaker 1: actually get skeet curation salted. That was kind of right, 1880 01:38:30,160 --> 01:38:32,280 Speaker 1: But I think, you know, I don't want to make 1881 01:38:32,280 --> 01:38:35,000 Speaker 1: it about Jimmy specifically. I just didn't think they had 1882 01:38:35,000 --> 01:38:37,200 Speaker 1: it right. I didn't think, you know, there was a 1883 01:38:37,240 --> 01:38:39,559 Speaker 1: playlist company for you least to hype me all the time. 1884 01:38:39,880 --> 01:38:42,479 Speaker 1: We would know as active listeners, we like to pick 1885 01:38:42,520 --> 01:38:46,120 Speaker 1: the tracks we're listening to, but we certainly know the past, 1886 01:38:46,400 --> 01:38:48,799 Speaker 1: We know that people we know, with the great unknown, 1887 01:38:49,240 --> 01:38:52,160 Speaker 1: we have no way to go through and certainly listening 1888 01:38:52,280 --> 01:38:54,880 Speaker 1: to radio. None of the radio DJ it's like Apple 1889 01:38:54,920 --> 01:38:57,679 Speaker 1: Beach Radio. They announced that I haven't heard a person 1890 01:38:57,720 --> 01:39:01,080 Speaker 1: talking about Beach radio Beach one radio and years. Okay, 1891 01:39:01,240 --> 01:39:03,800 Speaker 1: that's just not how people listen. But I like, I 1892 01:39:03,840 --> 01:39:05,720 Speaker 1: have a guy in Nashville happens to work for w 1893 01:39:05,920 --> 01:39:08,519 Speaker 1: m A, and he sends me what to listen to, 1894 01:39:09,160 --> 01:39:11,639 Speaker 1: and I always listens to everything and he's always right 1895 01:39:11,680 --> 01:39:16,600 Speaker 1: like like it, But I like someone who could do it. 1896 01:39:16,640 --> 01:39:18,519 Speaker 1: In general, I think, you know, one of the problems 1897 01:39:18,640 --> 01:39:21,400 Speaker 1: is we give everybody a break where in reality is 1898 01:39:21,439 --> 01:39:24,040 Speaker 1: we discussed most of the stuff is ship. Just tell 1899 01:39:24,120 --> 01:39:26,840 Speaker 1: me what's great and I and I have an unlimited 1900 01:39:26,880 --> 01:39:28,840 Speaker 1: don't give me a hundred tracks to listen to, give 1901 01:39:28,880 --> 01:39:36,519 Speaker 1: me three. Okay, in any event, that's a different discussion. Beat. 1902 01:39:37,200 --> 01:39:40,360 Speaker 1: Thanks for the illumination. Thank you great, great to have you. 1903 01:39:40,479 --> 01:39:42,559 Speaker 1: Until next time, It's Bob left Sense