Name Billy Nasty
Occupation Purveyor of fine electro and techno
Location London UK Show me the small print!
Billy Nasty was one of many DJs to realise that working in a record shop is generally the first stop en route to international DJ stardom. It was punting fresh pressed vinyl behind the counter of Zoom records in Camden that Nasty built up the contacts and the record collection which, coupled with some fine talents behind the decks. gave him the chance to move his career into the fast lane. His sinister progressive house was blasted on hi-fis and car stereos nationwide thanks to the popularity of his bootleg mixes and the unstoppable marketing skills of the cassette tape.
He knows how to utlllse technology then? Good, I’ve got a video player that needs programming.
He certainly seems to have his finger on the pulse, predicting the birth of the digital filesharing era and recognising the threat it posed to his beloved vinyl as well as independent dance labels. With an eye for the next big thing it was only right that Billy should seek out the best new techno talent on offer. Adam Beyer. Marco Carola. Agoria. Umek and Vitalic are some of the DJs he has helped along the way. although no doubt they all worked in record shops too.
That It then? Goodbye dance floor, hello allotment?
Not likely. Nasty has continued to strengthen his rep by searching out the freshest sounding techno as well as some enticing electro sounds which have increasingly become a part of his DJ sets. He may appear eerily calm behind the decks. but mayhem is sure to ensue in front of them as Billy Nasty makes his first appearance for Jackhammer. (Richie Meldrum) I Bil/y Nasty guests at Jackhammer, Ego, Edinburgh, Sat 7 Oct.
30 THE LIST 5—19 Oct 2008
ECLECTIC BAD ROBOT Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, weekly Sat
Say goodbye to Club NME and all things indie and hello to Bad Robot, the Art School’s new Saturday night residency brought to you by the people behind the Streetlife parties. Craig Loosejoints and Stevie Elements have taken over the reins at the Glasgow clubbing institution and are planning a playlist assault and rota of guests that will cut across all genres including hip hop, electro, breaks and disco. As for indie music, Craig says, ‘we wouldn’t rule it out but I wouldn’t come expecting to hear Babyshambles or anything like that.’
This new night is also about cultivating relationships with other promoters and working with other clubnights to put on guests. However, Craig is very clear that Bad Robot is ‘not just another club that books a big guest and relies on that; we want to really
ROCK ME lAL EMO FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND Revolution at QMU, Glasgow, Tue 17 Oct
Funeral For A Friend are the latest in a long line of bands from every genre to throw away their instruments fora night and park themselves behind a set of decks instead. People like Peter Hook. lvlani and Andy Rourke ha'.e
all carved Out lucrative careers by playing other people‘s records. ,e:t this Current trend of bands doing DJ sets has had some mixed receptions. Fans are usually thrilled to hear their heroes play tl‘e records that have
inspired them while some feel it's a poor substitute for the real thing as any plum can stick on a record. right”? XFM DJ and Revolution promoter Martin Bate is probably best versed to speak on the Subiect. ‘lt can certainly be frustrating when you work hard as a club DJ to get good gigs and build up good nights and then clubs start throwing money and time at somebody to DJ iust because they are in a band. That's the negative side of II. On the positive srde. I can definitely understand why. for fans of a band they would want to hear that band playing the rec0rds that they love. It's good to see another Side of a band.‘ he explains. And Martin also has some stellar advice tor every ty pe of spinner including the old hands and the dabbiers: ‘It's all very well playing the tunes that you love but yOu've really got to entertain peOpIe as well and give them what they want.‘ iSandra Marion)
make it more of a community thing and involve people from the local area. So, working with other clubnights as well, which is something we have always done in the past.’
The first of these collaborations is with the Emergency crew and disco king Daniel Wang on 14 October. Announcing a guest in advance is a big departure from their Streetlife days where that never happened. ‘The idea was that, even if you didn't make it there you would hear about it afterwards, that so and so had guested there and it also meant that DJs could come and play outside of their normal genre. Twitch from Optimo came and played a Latin-house set. The idea is that people can play exactly what they want to without the restriction of knowing they have an audience that is coming to hear their usual thing.’ This idea will definitely spill over into Bad Robot, so you never know who might be playing at any given time if you pop in.
(Sandra Marron)