[ Interview ] - DJ Guffy

[Tony P]

During the Build up to the mother of all Hard Dance events, Clubtheworld caught up with Nukleuz/Frantic resident DJ Guffy to ask him about Living in London, the hard dance scene and nerves.

 

We asked Guffy the following questions:

 

CTW - You were chosen as one of Mixmags future heroes and they have predicted that you are set to become hard dance's answer to Pete Tong. Quiet a complement (congratulations), how does this make you feel?

GUFFY - Hehe, I had a giggle when I read that. The whole Mixmag Future Hero’s thing has been amazing to be honest. Despite what people opinions are about the magazine it’s still the biggest there is the scene, so to have their backing is fairytale stuff. For the years previous they have done this for Fergie and Eddie so to be single-out under the same banner means loads. As for the Pete Tong thing, I think this is down to the fact that I have my fingers in many pies…….. I talk too much as well!

 

CTW - What are your plans for this year? Anything we should look out for?

GUFFY - It’s going to be a manic year. I’ve got a really busy diary here in the UK plus international gigs in Finland, Australia and New Zealand coming up too. I’ve also finally got in the studio after much ear bending as well. First track has just been finished with Ingo and I’ve been playing it out for a couple of weeks, it sounds huge! Lots more production lined up this year too as well as some other ventures in the pipeline….. fingers in pies all that jazz.

 

CTW - You've recently moved to London, how are you finding living here and what do you miss about where you have moved from?

GUFFY – I miss the ability to park without getting a ticket. It’s a mission trying to get somewhere outside a gig down here! Other than that it’s all good. The buzz down here coupled with the fact that everything is open when you want makes it a wicked place to live. I do miss my friends from up North though as I’ve lived up there all my life. I moved down here on my own so I only had the Nukleuz and Frantic gang to show me the ropes….. enough said, hehehe.

 

CTW - How would you compare London's hard dance clubbing scene to any other in the UK?

GUFFY - The Hard Dance scene down here seems to be riding the so called ‘dance music’ lull with relative ease so it’s a testament to the quality of events being put on as well as the huge market that London has to choose from punter wise. With many antipodeans in London hard dance events pull in people from all corners. There is nothing like listening to some crazy Italians asking for tracks followed by some Russians going nuts with a load of Aussies and Kiwi’s boshing away too. Where else do you get that!

 

CTW - Are you looking forward to playing in the main room for Lashed at the SEOne Club? And is this the first time you will have played in this room at SEOne Club?

GUFFY - Yeah, really looking forward to this one. Lisa’s managed to launch a successful night when many others have failed in the last 6 months. I played for Polysexual vs Lashed the other month, which was crazy, there’s no holding back with the BPM at Lisa’s gigs. As for playing SEOne, well I played there last month for WildChild vs Frantic but I couldn’t tell you if it’s the same room as the one I’m in for this. It’s like a maze in there when all the rooms are open! Should be a top night though even if it involves getting lost at some point!

 

CTW - How long have you been mixing for and how did you get into it? Also do you still practice (if so how often) or is it something that just comes naturally to you now?

GUFFY – Been mixing for over 7 years now but didn’t get out of the bedroom until about 4 years ago as I wanted to make sure I was totally clued up and knew as much as possible. I originally got the decks with a credit card that I maxed out 1997. I used to listen to early Ministry albums and always thought to myself, ‘Why did they put that shit track there and there’ – so I bought all the tracks on that album (minus the shit ones) practiced for ages and made my own version! That’s how I got started in my bedroom

 

CTW - Would you consider becoming a resident at Frantic to being one of the major stepping-stones in your DJ'ing career so far? And how did this come about?

GUFFY - Yeah of course. The cornerstone of any DJ getting established is a solid residency that you love. Look at Matt Hardwick, Eddie Halliwell, Fergie etc – they all started off with a good residency. I’m one of the lucky ones that managed to get a massive residency like Frantic. How did it come about? The potted version is…..

 

In August 2002, Salvador from 4clubbers.net called me to ask I fancied playing in the Frantic/Nukleuz tent at Creamfields! He told me that he’d spoken to Will Paterson ( Frantic promoter ) about me playing and Will had agreed after hearing bits and bobs about me up North. So I then found myself doing the first two hours in the Frantic/Nukleuz tent playing 2 – 4pm. There was nobody in the tent for the first 40 minutes due to problems letting people in – however, around 2.45pm people came pouring into the tent and I mean pouring in. By 3.15pm it was going off, it was very surreal as I was there as a punter 12 months earlier!

 

After that I got invited down to London to play at Frantic in the upstairs room and then I was lucky enough to be asked to play in the foyer at Hard House Academy (I think Will was making sure Creamfields wasn't a fluke!). I was then asked to play the main room warm up at the next event which was a risk for Will as I played very differently to everyone else. After warming up for 6 months or so I got offered the residency which was amazing - you have to find your niche and then integrate that with the sound that's already there. I'm just glad that Will took a risk on me and stuck his neck out.

 

CTW - Are there any events you would love to play at? And are there any you would rather forget about and wouldn't go back to?

GUFFY - I’ve done loads of shitty gigs, it’s all part and parcel of it. I remember playing to three or four people one week then 600 the next when I first started. I’ve been to gigs where you come and your cars not there. I’ve done gigs where your records have been nicked. One time I played this awful gig in Sheffield where I couldn’t wait to get home as the equipment was wrecked and someone fell on top of the decks. I finished, raced to my car and got on the motorway when there was this hissing. I shat myself as there was a shitty old cat going bonkers in my car. Had no idea how it got in there but I pulled over and spent 5 mins trying to get it out of the car! It scratched my arm to bits so I left it in the hard shoulder! That was nuts – they make funny stories though. As for events I haven’t played at I think I’d like to play over at HQ because I’ve been promised loads of parties by friends over there!

 

CTW - Do you get nervous before playing?

GUFFY - Yup, every time. I disappear to the loo about 3 times in the 20 mins before I play. Nerves are good though. It’s when you stop getting them you should worry.

 

CTW - Do you have any plans for the production side of the industry?

GUFFY - Yup, as mentioned earlier first track with Ingo is done. It’s a massive track and went down well at the Tidy Weekender last week. Loads more in the pipeline too!

 

CTW - Where do you see yourself and the hard dance scene in 10 years time?

GUFFY - God, I couldn’t even tell you where I’ll be next week! I’m sure Lisa from Nukleuz will be having words with me for saying that… hehehe. As for the Hard Dance scene, who knows. One minute it’s techy, the next it’s rock hard, that’s the beauty of it.

 

CTW - And finally you know Lisa my girlfriend, she has asked me to ask, "When are you going to grow a bum?" ha ha ;o)

GUFFY - She always says that! I’m built for speed, not comfort!

 

 

ClubTheWorld would like to thank Guffy for his time and would like to wish him the best of luck for the future and for Lashed at SEOne Club on 2nd May