|
Thinking Out Loud with Steve Gerrard
"Steve Gerrard is another DJ who is making a name for himself by delivering great sets everywhere he goes. He always rocks it at Bedrock when he plays." - John Digweed
Steve Gerrard is a name that, if you follow progressive music, you will be hearing plenty of this year. Hailing from Chester, he now lives in Birmingham, UK and got his first taste of house music in 1994 when he was given a copy of the first Renaissance album. He recalls hearing the track "Song Of Life" by Leftfield and it completely changed his ear for music and his life today. In 1998, Steve won Muzik Magazine's Bedroom Bedlam competition, and 2 years later won the Ericsson Award for Best Bedroom Bedlam DJ. Since then his career has gone from strength to strength. With influences that range from the Sasha and Digweed, Nick Warren and Danny Howells to Adam Freeland and Hybrid and the technical skills of Anthony Pappa, he has developed a unique style. Which is: deep, progressive house mixed with breakbeat, building steadily and creating a set which is more than the sum of its parts. All the while keeping in mind that it is his job to make people want to dance and keep on dancing.
Steve has been gracious enough to answer some questions on his life and the state of affairs in EDM. Enjoy!
1) What was your most memorable gig from 2004?
I had some great gigs in 2004 but without a doubt the best were when I
was on tour with John Digweed. The clubs were (almost) all amazing. The crowds were great and because John was playing I got to use the best DJ equipment every single night of the tour, which makes a nice change!
2) Where is your favorite venue to play?
Anywhere where there's a good crowd and a great soundsystem. Bedrock is always fun of course. Qool in SF is wicked too. It's all the better when I have friends at the club of course which is why NYC is always so much fun.
3) When/Why did you start DJ'ing?
I started Djing 14 years ago now. I never planned to be a DJ but I
started promoting my own night and couldn't find anyone who played what I wanted, so I just ended up doing it myself. Things have progressed nicely since that day.
4) Who are some of your favorite DJ's?
It can change from week to week but when Sasha is on form, nobody really comes close in my opinion. I know sometimes he's not as good as he can be, but on the night's that he's good, he's absolutely amazing!
5) Axle Rose or Scott Wieland?
I saw GnR in 1986 at the Marquee in London and Axl was cool as fuck back then. But in 2005 Scott's the man!
6) The thing you are most proud of as a DJ/Producer.
Hmmm.. Good queston. I think I'd probably say that turning people onto
new music is a big buzz for me. I love it when people say to me "I don't really like progressive house but I love what you play". I try to add my own style to things and hopefully not too many DJs sound the same as me. Being able to do this for a living and get away with it is quite impresive too! lol
7) You run a non edm party in London, how's that going?
Well, it's not in london for a start. I run weekly events called
Ramshackle in Birmingham and Bristol and last weekend we had over 3000
people between the 2 venues. The music policy includes everything from
alternative guitar bands to hip-hop, breaks and stuff like the Chemical Brothers and Faithless. It's a great night out . Cheap, cheeful and full of drunken students.
8) Where do you look for inspiration when producing a track?
I just do what sounds good to me. Or try to! I want the tracks to sound unique and I want them to stand out from all the other breaks or
progressive tracks out there. If I wouldn't play it in my sets then I've failed.
9) What's more fun - working in the studio, or working the crowd?
Easy! Working a crowd any time. Nothing compares to playing to a good
crowd that are really into what you're doing.
10) Recently, a ton of rock songs have been remixed and found their way to the dance floor. Is this just a fad, or a sign of things to come?
I'm a big fan of rock and house music but it's rare that the 2 combine effectively. Most of these remixes have some novelty value but not many really do it for me personally. But if it means rock fans are turned on to dance music, or vice versa, then it's gotta be a good thing eh?
11) Remixing live is the flavor of the month - what's your take?
If you can do it well, then it's gotta be encouraged. If you can't do it well, PLEASE leave it to the experts!!! It's a new way of allowing a DJ to express themselves and that's what it's all about really, so it's a good thing. I have yet to use the technology but I'm certainly
interested in checking it out.
Steve crosses the Atlantic this weekend with gigs in Washington D.C. at Club Five on Friday, February 25th, and New York City at Remote on Saturday, the 26th. Do yourself a favor and don't miss it!
|
