DJ Profile

Look at me, going all legit. This piece appeared in the 'City Life' supplement of the Manchester Evening News last week. Big thanks to Nathan for taking all the nerves out of it for me (and the eye bags too), it was actually FUN in the end ...

Fame!

Great big thanks to everyone who came down to The Purple Pussycat on Friday night. What a brilliant laugh. I played a three hour set of my very favourite eighties tunes including the following (anoraks amongst you might spot a couple from 1990 too …)

Clouds Across The Moon -The Rah Band
Since Yesterday - Strawberry Switchblade
Forget Me Nots - Patrice Rushen
IOU - Freeez
System Addict - Five Star
Real Gone Kid - Deacon Blue
Thriller - Michael Jackson
Land Of Make Believe - Bucks Fizz
Give Me The Night - George Benson
Fade To Grey - Visage
The Goonies R Good Enough - Cyndi Lauper
Sweet Little Mystery - Wet Wet Wet
I Don’t Wanna Fall In Love - Jane Child
Drop The Pilot - Joan Armatrading


Hand On Your Heart - Kylie Minogue
Walk Of Life - Dire Straits
Breakout - Swingout Sister
The Look Of Love - ABC
Happy Hour - The Housemartins
When Doves Cry - Prince
We Close Our Eyes - Go West
Back To Life - Soul II Soul
Holiday Road - Lyndsey Buckingham
Invisible Touch - Genesis
Dancing On The Ceiling - Lionel Richie
Crash - The Primitives
Ain’t Nothing Going On But The Rent - Gwen Guthrie
Down Under - Men At Work
Ask - The Smiths
Ai No Corrida - Quincy Jones
Boys Don’t Cry - The Cure
Come On Eileen - Dexy’s Midnight Runners
The Only Way Is Up - Yazz And The Plastic Population


Fame is the last Friday of every month, free entry and a great bar.

Season of lists and mellow rootlessness …

“September’s here again, and what have you done about it …?”

Not a lot. Hello October. I’ll begin on a high by saying … I don’t remember ever being this broke in my life. I know we’re all broke and I’m lucky to have a job right now but I’m feeling distinctly insecure about it all of a sudden. I have become worse than ever at haemorrhaging my pay in the first week. Can’t help it. Need another income. Needless to say it’s time to start turning down invites again and get back to writing. Almost as soon as this decision was made I came home to find another rejection letter for The Novel. Ouch. My next blog will be a massive plug for The Novel. It’s become like an old friend hanging round the flat to the point if an agent ever wanted to do something more with it than exclude drafts I’d no doubt become terribly possessive.

So, I’m about to become something of a hermit. Lucky I’ve accrued some nice memories of late to live on. Trash-O-Rama you’ve heard about and must must try. Watched The September Issue at the Cornerhouse which was fantastic, excuse me, fabulous, and have been warring between my inner Wintours and Grace Coddingtons ever since (‘Leather IS a texture…’, ‘It's a famine of beauty!'). Boozy night at the Crown & Kettle for Geordie’s send-off to Australia. Another boozy and life-affirming evening at The Deaf Institute with Dee where we had grown-up talks that made me think, properly, about life and chances and where I want to be. In the virtual world I rejoined Facebook after months of absence, followed by a sensational bloody cull. I’m tired of it already, it’s like I never went away, but it is nice to be able to look at your friend’s sunny faces from time to time at work. Bless ‘em. If I never see another picture of myself though I wouldn’t care, this old face is looking lived in, not before time I suppose.




Had a big trip in all sorts of ways to the North East where the sunshine puts Manchester to shame. A possible return-journey sabotage meant I couldn’t get back Sunday night so I got another special day out of it. Came back all happysad as usual. What am I doing I wonder? Piccadilly at 1 am was bleak in a handbasket, as was the trudge up Whitworth Street, the fretful sleep, the drunks. City’s full of death it seems, and not just the trees. Manchester, I love you, but why don’t I like you just now?



On a brighter note (sheesh, lighten up) I am loving DJing at the moment. MORE PLEASE. Surprise gig last week at the City Life party upstairs in Odder in honour of wonderful Editor Neil Sowerby saying his goodbyes. Was totally unprepared for it and envisioned ruthlessly eclectic beard-stroking musos and journos demanding danceable esoterica. My sketchy idea was to mix some good electronicy rmxs, a smattering of less obvious Mancunian gems to honour Manchester's journalistic culture-vultures, some shameless floor-fillers and a handful of vintage goodies from Mr Sowerby’s youth. As it turned out my set followed Anna’s from Guilty Pleasures and the by-then lashed crowd was positively salivating for POP. She finished with ‘Into The Groove’. Gulp. ‘How ya gonna follow that?’ a girl by the booth enquired. ‘IOU’ by Freez seemed to do it. Thereafter I had to wing it (goodbye 'Susan vs. Youthclub'…) but I felt triumphant playing ‘Come See About Me' by The Supremes, ‘I Can’t Explain' by The Who. I finished with ‘Sir Duke’ by Stevie. It actually felt great to wing it so that’s more or less what I intend to do when I play 80s night Fame over at the Purple Pussycat at the end of this month. It will be my longest set ever and I CAN’T WAIT. Come and hear me whydoncha, I WILL play Swing Out Sister …

Pre-hermit outings include the Everything Everything gig at Night and Day this Saturday and if that doesn’t shake some life into me, well, it just will. The newest material has superceded even my high expectations. The album is going to be a slug in the guts and I can't wait.

My frenzy of to do lists means it really is autumn and I can feel the New Year raking over my back already and when will something happen, when will it? When I make it, when I make it …

To do, to do, to do …



POSTSCRIPT: As usual music manages to keep a 'What's the bloody point?' type-moment from happening. I have made this list for you to listen to. Disclaimer: I listened to 'Paparazzi' four times in one day and have just now played 'Long Haired Lover From Liverpool' a number of times. I don't know what's the matter with me. Promise this list is better though ...

Trash-O-Rama: The Aftermath

The second of the fortnightly parties from Trash-O-Rama and another gloriously wrecked bonanza in the diamond dive bar that is The Corner, Fallowfield. The utter bedlam of the Fallowfield streets outside set the tone just right for a trashy blur of rock 'n' roll, doity punk rock, Hacienda hands-in-the-air choons, grubby hip-hop, Marilyn Monroe, shameless pop, you name it.

This week, as promised, the residents were kind/brave enough to let me have a guest slot and it was officially BRILLIANT FUN, best DJ outing to date. Such a laugh and a great vantage point to watch all the little clubkiddies wigging oooouuuut. See ... ?

Crowd loses the plot to Gregling's 26 minute Fields Of The Nephilim medley. Not.

Highlights:

A cracking preview for the night in City Life, see below. Manhattanchester in print! Who'da thunk it? ...



Polly Esther spinning 'Eisiger Wind' by LiLiPUT. Scream!



Being in the middle of the student heartland of Fallowfield on the Friday night of Fresher's Week and my posse still being the most drunken collective on the dancefloor. And there was some stiff competition. The drink deals at The Corner are fantastically seductive by the way ...

The shirt-swapping, followed by the rule that "Anybody who goes home in their own clothes is a failure and a bitch..."

Johnny Trash's filthy last hour which somehow swang from a Guns N Roses thrashfest to an outbreak of impromptu limbo competitions on the dancefloor. Class.

Dirty Trash Boys

Here's what I played at the witching hour set. Shameless aren't I? Those bitches loved it ...

UFO - The Wedding Present
Different Strokes - Syl Johnson
Burning Up - Madonna
I Cant Dance (To That Music You're Playin') - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Tribulations - LCD Soundsystem
Nanny In Manhattan - Lilys
Bottle Rocket - The Go! Team
Everything Counts - Depeche Mode
Hey Mami (Sharaz Mix) - Fannypack
Don’t Falter - Mint Royale
My Boy Lollipop - Millie Small
Candy Girl - New Edition
Intergalactic - Beastie Boys
Video Killed The Radio Star - Buggles
Buddy Holly - Weezer
Oliver’s Army - Elvis Costello
Buffalo Stance (Sukka Mix) - Neneh Cherry
He’s On The Phone - St Etienne
Magic Dance - David Bowie



Next Trash-O-Rama is on the 9th of October and every second Friday after that.

Join in.

Pop Curious? The Aftermath

Did I go out last night ...?


Despite a couple of technical drunken hitches which I like to think of as being an endearing part of my 'Wedding DJ' style, last night was great fun. Lovely punters and first-rate POP in the familiar comforting dinge of the Retro Bar. You really should find time to check it out. The next one will include a live appearance from The Imogen Styles and an airing of their new video.

It was I who got the punters dancing eventually, though this may have been to do with the 11.30 pm slot which meant an adequate skinful had been acquired, nevertheless ... The track that broke the dancefloor? 'I'm A Cuckoo' by Belle & Sebastian. Good work. Here's what I played:

West End Girls (Shep Pettibone Mix) - Pet Shop Boys
1 Thing - Amerie
Leave - VV Brown feat. Little Boots
I’m A Cuckoo - Belle and Sebastian
Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake
Sandcastle Disco - Solange
Clean Apart - thecocknbullkid
Lovefool - The Cardigans
Love To Hate You - Erasure
Take It Like A Man - Dragonette
A New England - Kirsty McColl
Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Two Of Hearts - Annie
Pink Sunshine - Fuzzbox
(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew - Rock Steady Crew
This Charming Man (New York Vocal Mix) - The Smiths
Call Me - Spagna
Bonkers - Dizzee Rascal
Downtown - Dolly Parton

Pop Curious?

Roll up, roll up ...

New night Pop Curious? kicks off this Thursday at Sackville Sreet's glorious dive, the Retro Bar. All things pop - past, present and future, cheap in, cheap thrills, probably cheap punters too and me taking a turn on the decks to boot.

PLAYING POP MUSIC BY:

LA ROUX
MORRISSEY
LITTLE BOOTS
KYLIE
LADY GAGA
GRACE JONES
MINI VIVA
GIRLS ALOUD
BRITNEY SPEARS
GOLDFRAPP
THE GO! TEAM
VV BROWN
FRANZ FERDINAND
PET SHOP BOYS
MUSE
ANNIE
SUEDE
FRYARS
THE REAL HEAT
MEL AND KIM
MADONNA
KATE BUSH
BLONDIE
ROBYN
DAVID BOWIE
ST. ETIENNE

...AND MORE.

Check it out here:

http://www.myspace.com/popcurious

AND an accompanying popzine to boot:

http://www.popcurious.com/index.htm

Mine is the cover versions piece, arguments most welcome.

Get involved!

Hope to see you there.

My Helen of Troy setlist

Sex and the City Movie theme
Yazoo – Don’t Go
Juliana Hatfield – Universal Heartbeat
Ladytron – Blue Jeans 2.0
Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out



The Breeders – Divine Hammer
Pat Benatar – Love Is A Battlefield
Amerie – 1 Thing
Jale – Not Happy
Peaches - Tombstone Baby
Stars – Ageless Beauty
Sugababes – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Blondie – I’m Gonna Love You Too


MIA – URAQT (Root Out mix)
Jane Wiedlin – Rush Hour
Belly – Slow Dog
En Vogue – Free Your Mind
Echobelly – Insomniac
Lush – Ladykiller
Stereolab - French Disko
Eurythmics – There Must Be An Angel
Shonen Knife – Daydream Believer
Joan Armatrading – Drop the Pilot

That set list in full ...

What a pro I turned out to be. Okay not really, my fading in and out was a bit ropey, I should have put the free lager down for a start (note rosey cheeks and printed setlist), but the people danced and what the hell else is a DJ for? I honoured John Peel and hoped that he would have had a bit of a jig too. Here's me in action ...

And here's my Peelified setlist in full ...

St Etienne – Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Cocteau Twins - Iceblink Luck
Elastica – Stutter
Granddaddy - AM 180
The Fall – How I Wrote ‘Elastic Man’
Huggy Bear - Her Jazz
Pixies – U-Mass
Divine Comedy - Vapour Trail
Super Furry Animals – Lazy Life
Depeche Mode – Everything Counts
Kenickie – Come Out 2 Nite
Foals - Balloons
Echobelly – King Of The Kerb
The Horrors - She Is The New thing
Teenage Fanclub - Sparky’s Dream
Wire - Outdoor Miner
Longpigs - She Said
Subcircus - 86’d
Lemonheads - Dawn Can’t Decide
Strangelove - The Greatest Show On Earth
They Might Be Giants - Birdhouse In Your Soul
Stereolab - French Disko
Ash - Kung Fu
Shonen Knife - Daydream Believer