Behind the decks with DJ Naughty

Forest of Dean-born and Gloucester-living DJ Naughty has been garnering attention from across the county for his Full Throttle night at Innteraction. SoGlos.com goes behind the decks to see if Steps makes the cut.

Does your DJ name reflect your name or nature, then?
I think my real name and DJ name tells the story! Years ago I was playing at a small pub night in Wales, and one of the MCs asked for my DJ name. At the time I didn’t have one so I gave him my real name. He misheard me say Naughton and thought I’s said Naughty – he started shouting ‘DJ Naughty’ on the mic, and hey presto!

What were you calling yourself before that night?
Before then I’d used quite a few. Some were truly awful. The worst had to be DJ Rhino. I don’t think it would have ever caught on.

What’s your background as a DJ?
I’ve been DJing various styles of dance music for 10 years. Took a break a while back, but really got back into the swing of things at the end of 2006.

And what are you up to these days?
I mainly get booked around the South West and South Wales. I also get a few bookings around the Midlands, and have played as far as Manchester and Lincolnshire. I do have a few residencies – obviously at my own night Full Throttle (plug, plug), plus Masteravers in Bristol, Port to the Core in Wales, Q-Bic in Weston and Hardcore Distortion in Yeovil. There are also a few promoters that I have bi-event residencies with.

What can clubbers expect when you’re behind the decks?
It’s hard to nail down my style exactly. If I like a tune, I’ll play it. Over the years I’ve played various styles, everything ranging from trance, commercial dance, hard dance and hardcore techno to drum & bass. I suppose I generally play a more bouncy style, but the vocal and ‘trancey’ style is so popular at the moment. The Clubland X-Treme Hardcore series has had huge success, and people love this type of hardcore. I would be stupid to ignore it, so I’ve started to play more vocally-led sets. I always try and play music from lots of different labels. I think it is important not to just play the same sort of sets everyone else is playing. I spend a lot of time looking for new material to keep things fresh.

Laptop or decks?
Decks! Laptops have a purpose for Live PAs and so on, but to be honest I would rather be stranded in the desert with Mr Blobby than use a laptop to play a set in a club.

Vinyl, CDs or MP3s?
I love vinyl so much. It has such a special place in my heart (yes I know that sounds a bit meaningful). I had tons of vinyl, but had to part with most of it at one point due to the purchase of an overly expensive car. But a few years later I started buying it all again. You cannot beat the feeling of getting new vinyl promos through the post.

However, we do all have to move with the times. The digital revolution is here people. It’s the way forward. If you make a new tune, you can play it that night. You’re also more likely to get sent tunes from producers, as they can just drop a CD in the post to you; or e-mail you a file. The main advantage has to be the cost; it is just so much cheaper to buy MP3s.

When it comes to CD vs. MP3, it has to be CD all the way. I still like to feel I am actually carrying music rather than a memory stick.

What’s your favourite tune at the moment?
The Darren Styles mix of Don’t Leave Me Now by Sy & Unknown is fantastic. It’s only just been released, but I think I am going to be caining it for a long time to come.

Your all time favourite track?
Ouch, that’s a hell of a question. For the sheer impact it had on the hardcore scene it would have to be Toytown by Hixxy & Sharkey. A more modern day tune would have to be the Scott Brown remix of Bring Me Round to Love.

A song guaranteed to get people on the dance floor?
At the moment it is definitely Come Running by Styles. But it’s well overplayed.

Something you would rather die than have to play?
I’m a big fan of all types of music, but I do detest cheesy pop party songs. If I ever had to play anything by Steps I would know it was time to hang up the headphones.

Is being a DJ a great job to attract the opposite sex?
I imagine it could be. However there is only one woman for me, and I didn’t meet her DJing. Nothing in this world would sway me from her (how slushy does that sound!).

Weirdest request?
Someone once asked me if I had a hardcore remix of any Abba tunes! For the record, I didn’t.

The most bizarre thing you’ve seen in a club?
At hardcore nights the girls tend where very scantily clad outfits, with fluffy boots. A few weeks ago I saw a bloke wearing the same thing. It wasn’t pretty.

What’s been your career highlight?
Years ago I played a trance set at an outdoor festival. It wasn’t a massive festival, but it had been promoted quite well locally. I was on early, but there were already so many people there. I was only about 17. I was so nervous, but it turned out to be one of the best sets I had ever played.

Any low points so far?
When I was getting back in to DJing I played a truly awful set one night. My mixing and tune selection is always spot on (and I am ever so modest, honest!), but I really do not know what happened to me that night. I was really upset with myself afterwards.

Burning ambition?
To play to bigger crowds. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing club nights, but the buzz of playing to a large crowd is awesome. I would love to play to those size crowds regularly – and I wouldn’t mind playing a few sets abroad. Any offers out there?

If the world was your oyster, which club would you pick to play at?
Growing up I dreamt of playing at the Sanctuary in Milton Keynes, but there’s no chance now as it has been knocked down. I would love to play at an event in a large arena. It would be awesome to just play to that amount of people. It would also be cool to play at one of the big clubs in Ibiza.

Any career inspirations?
DJ Sharkey. He has always stood by the music he believes in. He is a fantastic DJ and loves what he does. He also is such a big supporter of up and coming talent.

Any advice for aspiring DJs?
It’s a bit of a cliché, but practice, practice, practice. That’s the only way to learn. Record demos, and send them out to as many people as possible. That is the only way you will get bookings. But always remember to have something else in your life – Djing is a hard job to earn your living from. I have a full time job as well as DJing, and I think it is important for people to have a back up.

Favourite nightclub or club night in Gloucestershire?
Club-wise its Innteraction. It’s the only club in Gloucester willing to give hard dance a go. Club-night-wise it has to be Full Throttle – my own residency in case you didn’t catch it first time around!

Catch DJ Naughty behind the decks for yourself, at the Full Throttle night at Innteraction in Gloucester.

SoGlos.com
2 June 2008