So here we are, autumn 2021 and the club scene is slowly returning to normal - or as normal as it can be right now - and I have first LIVE DJ gigs, 3 in the space of a month. And whilst a part of me is sad that the livestream element of our existence is slowly withering away - DJs are back on the road now and some have pretty much abandoned their online community / collectives, who loyally supported them during times, when these DJs had no income. I do feel sad about because as a DJ and a livestream watcher, those evenings with newly found virtual friends (or techno-fam as some of us called ourselves), will probably never return - unless a new lockdown is slapped down upon us.
But then Djing was never meant to be a livestreaming thing, it was just a 'make-do' whilst the clubs were closed, and at first we hijacked facebook, and then Twitch / Mixcloud / Youtube live etc later on. Facebook got pretty savvy with DJs streaming and the threat of the stream cutting by the 'facebook police' because more and more problematic. So they flicked the lights on, made it a 'profile deleteable offence' and we scattered like cockroaches to the next streaming platform. I found a great home on Twitch and the supporters of my stream are loyal, beautiful people who have convinced me NOT to give up during the toughest times of lockdown. Which is why I will always livestream when I can, it really does have a piece of my heart, which is why I am so very defensive of the livestreaming world.
You wouldn't abandon a potted plant in favour of going back out in the garden again, would you?
THAT SAID. LIVE GIGS.. sorry, I went on a tangent. Back to the world of the club. I have always wondered if we are ready for the return of clubs. Of course, many of you hardened clubbers are now screaming at the screen, saying "LEMME AT THE CLUBZ.. I NEED TO RAAVE!" and that's fair enough, I hear ya, but there will still be a percentage whose social confidence may not have returned. We still live in a society where you can be attacked for your right to wear or not to wear a mask. So I think it will be a while before we fully return to normal, we can't feel confident as we are regularly reminded, of potential 'new waves', 'new restrictions' and 'new variants'.
My first since Jan 2020 - 8th October
The lovely people behind London Techno night Sonance are holding true to their word and still hosting their (twice postponed) 2nd birthday bash - although the brand itself is now nearly 4! This was last summer's original first lockdown emergence gig that unfortunately didn't happen. But ALAS here it comes, 8th October, The Castle. And this is going to be my first taster of LIVE djing again, I am looking forward to sharing the atmosphere, the feel of what it really is all about. I personally know every DJ on the bill, it will feel like a true techno-fam affair! We've all streamed together virtually which has brought us together, but this will be our FIRST LIVE instance. This WILL be a special gig.
TRANCE ANTHEMS TIME - 22nd October
Home gig! Its the best of both worlds, playing Trance anthems with one of your DJing heros & absolute legend that is Dave P, and I'm also no more than 15 mins away from my bed! Don't get me wrong, the travel to and from the gigs are very special times. I enjoy traveling to a gig as the build up, the anticipation and the pre-set nerves really do give you a buzz like nothing else (NOTED - if you don't feel that buzz anymore, is your heart still in it?). However, getting home is the other side of the coin. I often play in London and to say money, I don't get a hotel and often catch that dreaded first or second train back from the city. I'm often soaked with sweat - I dance when I DJ, and these clubs are HOT, legs about to give out and you're so tired you get that weird feeling in your stomach. Post set crash as adrenaline has finally given out, and the 4 cans of monster you drank all evening has come back to haunt you in some gastrointestinal nightmare.
About the gig, can't wait for this one. Me and Dave always seem to team up in Brighton every 2 years - our previous Trance anthems gigs in town were 2019 and 2017! I'm guessing I will probably be on first, warming up for Dave but the set will be meticulously planned and perfect for a warm up. I take great pride in warm up sets as they set the tone for the entire evening!
DARK MATTER RETURNS! 6th November!
Thats ME in the promo.. Thats ME in the spotlight, playing lottsa Techno...
Sorry, that was a tenuous link for an REM reference.
Dark Matter, the Techno Night in London which only continues to get bigger are about to announce their mainroom headliner - I mean, as on today, I can't say who it is, but I know who it is... And I'm playing the set in the mainroom before them. A great event this, and the team running DM are the same peeps behind Transcend, the sister Trance Night. They are slick and well organised, being seasoned clubbers, they KNOW what works.
So there you go. 3 gigs and 3 really amazing nights out - if you're in the area, pop in and say hello!
I will do a full gig dissection after each one and as always, you can regularly find me on my twitch page entertaining the virtual world from my kitchen!
Big love,
James x