Ska At O2 - Jo & Al Deejaying At The Dome

[Guest vinylvixen]

Just recovering after djing for 5 hours with the AMAZING Alan Handscombe. I was having a blonde day yesterday and in my haste to get to the venue on time forgot a box of records but it didn't matter - Alan saved the day and brought a box of tunes that made my ska loving bones turn to jelly.

Yesterday's set is a 5 hour set I will never forget....not playing out at a regular venue packed full of people who you knew would know what you were playing but families with kids, a few Madness fans and the rest were assorted types out to get a bit of blade time in....it was a skating rink!! Apparently thousands of Madness fans had to walk past the rink to get into the arena but from the unheated dj booth we couldn't see any of that. But Alan had a quick rekkie and said people were dancing in the pedestrian areas to the music. On the ice, you would think that there wouldn't be any surprises - imagine my delight when a dad with his two young kids skated up and asked for 'Man in the Street' - Don Drummond and 'Fidel Castro' - Skatalites - and by the power of vinyl got both of them played with a mention for him and his kids - he didn't stop grinning. Or the buzz of seeing the smile on someone's face when he asked for 'How can I leave' by Dennis Brown (OK, it's 7Ts reggae and not ska but...)and I waved the vinyl in front of him............and then hearing it blare out the length and breadth of the O2 arena and watching him twirl to the rhythm. I get immense pleasure from seeing people enjoy the music I play at a 'normal' Northern night but this was something else.......Alan was the perfect deck companion and the icing on the cake for me was to play the last song - the mighty 'Jericho Rock' by Jackie Mittoo - there are few moments when I have been as happy. It's what's in the groove that counts

Edited December 15, 2007 by vinylvixen

[Biggordy]

Damn, I'm jealous

I have DJed at a West Indian centre in Moss Side, Manchester though. Lived to tell the tale and the locals loved my selection, so I guess that's my pinnacle as a DJ lol

Gordy