Monthly newspaper and online publication targeting 18 to 35 year olds. The ultimate guide to the hottest parties, going out and having fun. Music, fashion, film, travel, festivals, technology, comedy, and parties! London, Barcelona, Miami and Ibiza.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/319659
7 9 Issue 63 / 2014 GUESTLIST guestlist.net YOU'VE BEEN UP TO SINCE WE LAST SPOKE TO YOU TWO YEARS AGO? N: Ahh I wish I came prepared! Well just about a month ago I did Aprés Ski, which was unlike any gig I've ever done before. I've done ones in places in the French Alpine regions before and it's amazing that those young kids have got so much en- ergy. They've got snowboards, big boots and all their gear on and they party like there's no tomorrow. This last Aprés Ski at Ronnies was one of the most amazing scenes I've ever witnessed in the snow. I re- member saying to the crowd "Be glad you're part of this amazing happening, this was a fluke. This atmosphere, with these people, at this venue, will never be repeated." A huge roar went up, it could have gone on all night, this is half way up the mountains in the French Alps. That one will stay with me for a very long time. G: THE VIEWS AND THE VIBE LOOKS AMAZING, CAN YOU THINK OF A PARTICULAR TUNE THAT REALLY WENT OFF? N: There we so many, it just turned into a soundtrack, an aural explo- sion. There was no singular tune, I just mashed up the music all the way from the 60s to 2015 and they went for everything in between. Drum and Bass, Hip-hop, Soul, Reggae, Ska, Disco, House and some pop tunes and I just painted a soundscape. G: THAT SOUNDS PRETTY AMAZ- ING! WE HEARD THAT YOU WERE IN AUSTRALIA FOR NYE, HOW WAS THAT? N: Yeah that was phenomenal. I was playing at an old customhouse to about 10,000 people right op- posite the Sydney Opera house on the harbor bridge. The weather was fantastic, as were the show and the lights. Partying afterwards really was the stuff of dreams, you can't make that up. They've al- ready booked me for next year so I must have done something right. Its great doing all of these things and of course we've still got car- nival to come, but my main focus this year has been on my own fes- tival, Good Times in the Park, hap- pening on September, 13thand 14th days to 10,000 people a day, it's a small boutique thing and essen- tially it's Norman Jay's Good Times like what I do at Carnival, but on a big scale without the restrictions of a street event. I can put some of those homegrown acts on stage and give them a platform to come under the Good Times Umbrella. I can't yet announce exactly who is going to be there but the launch is imminent! It's basically a celebra- tion of London Nightlife and club culture that is open to everyone. I'll be introducing the acts personally and they'll be as diverse as the mu- sic I play, let's put it that way. We're going to do it over 2 G: EXITING STUFF! SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE COMING MONTHS. YOU SAID THAT GOOD TIMES IN THE PARK WILL BE OPEN TO EVERYONE, BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK SPECIFICALLY MAKES A NORMAN JAY FAN? N: Haha, well, she has to be good looking… nah just kidding. A Nor- man Jay fan can be anybody of any colour, any sexual orientation, any religious persuasion; I have fans that are of all persuasions. I like things on the edge; I appreci- ate music, fashion and all creative art forms. If those things tick all of your boxes, then that makes you a Good Times fan, not just a Nor- man Jay fan. Good times is uncom- plicated, its simply about having a good time, releasing your mind, re- leasing yourself, expressing your- self and having a good time. G: PART OF LIVING THE DREAM AS AN ARTIST IS WHERE YOU GET TO GO AND PERFORM AND WHERE YOU GET TO LIVE YOUR LIFE. I'M SURE YOU GET TO GO TO SOME OF THE BEST PARTIES! N: Yeah I get to go to some of the best parties and I also get to go to some of the not-so-great par- ties. It's not always about 'living the dream', the dream is being able to do what I do, irrespective of whether it's in front of 100 people or 10,000 people. It's about be- ing able to entertain whoever is in front of you with whatever music necessary. It's all about people for me; everything is about the people that come to hear. G: THAT'S REALLY ADMIRABLE, YOU CLEARLY LIKE TO KEEP THINGS REAL. THERE WAS A RECENT ARTICLE IN THE TELE- GRAPH SAYING THAT 'COOL' LONDON IS DEAD. I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK PEOPLE HAVE LOST THE MOST THROUGH THE RICH DE- VELOPMENT DRIVING A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT OF AREAS IN LON- DON. N: I don't really think we've lost anything; we're just re-shuffling the pack. Creative people will al- ways find a space, somewhere to colonise, populate and turn into a cool space again. The creatives are the people who are at the front. The rich and all of the money, they're trying to buy that cool and no amount of money can ever buy them that cool. They're the people who want to be seen as having ev- erything, but they don't have that. That's what they seek and that's what they'll never have. They might be buying up London and driving working class and creative people out but the creative will always find somewhere else to go. G: ANY IDEA WHERE THAT MIGHT BE? N: I wouldn't want to give that away, property prices will go through the roof haha. G: RECENTLY WE SAW THE SAD PASSING OF FRANKIE KNUCK- LES. HOW DO YOU THINK IT WILL AFFECT PEOPLE THESE DAYS AS THEY SEE THEIR GENERA- TION'S LEGENDS PASS? PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE A MUCH CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR FA- VOURITE DJS THAN THEY MIGHT HAVE WITH POP STARS. N: Yeah well some DJs can be ap- proached. Obviously, the higher up the pecking order you go, you cant discern between them and the pop stars and the sports stars and all of them, you can't get near there. They exist in a bubble. Frankie was a very approachable guy, a man of few words but ever so warm and friendly; his whole body language gave off that vibe. I was hit hard by his passing but he's left a fantas- tic legacy and we can't deny that. He's left a legacy that is capital Q - Quality Hallmarked. If you're do- ing anything in music, that's the bar you have to reach, to aspire to. He was a fantastic person, I had the pleasure of knowing him long before most people in England knew who he was. It was about 10- 15 years ago that he invited me to play at his club in Chicago, It was the First time I'd played in Chicago and I was really nervous. He set it up for me; all of his people and the crowd were brilliant to me. Him and his peers were making music in a way that no one else at the time could make. They played with the technology in a very earthy, soulful way. He made the machine sound warm, and that's what's important. G: WHENEVER YOU PLAY, YOU ALWAYS PLAY WITH EMOTION. WHAT EMOTION ARE YOU GOING TO PLAY WITH TODAY, HERE AT BROOKLYN BOWL? N: A happy one, a happy disposi- tion. My music is feel good and to- day is record store day where all fans of music should go out and support their local record store and this is going to be a great show. "I like things on the edge; I appreciate music, fashion and all creative art forms" More at Guestlist.net You can find out more about Norman Jay's plans and Good Times in the Park at: www.normanjay.com Upcoming dates for Brooklyn Bowl can be found at wwlondon.brooklynbowl.com. Some of the highlights include BROOKLYN HUSTLE: JAZZIE B on Saturday May 17th CHROMEO DJ SET W/ SPECIAL GUESTS on Friday 6th June THE DANDY WARHOLS on Friday 4th July GRANDMASTER FLASH on Friday 1st August