LIKE A VIRGIN: MISS PINK'S FIRST GIG
DJs look back to their early days
“My first gig was in 1994 at a squatted Salvation Army building opposite Hackney Town Hall on Mare Street. The building was called The Spiky Thing With Curves due to some of the sculptures on display, alongside a cafe and several rooms for bands and DJs. I had a selection of acid house/early hardcore vinyl, mostly acquired from the local Record & Tape Exchange.
My skills were pretty dubious, but being thrown in at the deep end for several weekends helped counter any fear of performing in public. Not long afterwards I started working in Ambient Soho, a record shop selling across the board electronica from ambient to gabba, and quickly started taking charge of the drum and bass section. In 2000 I started working in Blackmarket Records (now BM Soho) and became more immersed in the drum and bass scene.
Most recently my proudest involvement has been curating and managing the London Underground venue in Block9 at Glastonbury, as well as DJing in there myself — on a much better level than in 1994, I hope!”
