Simon
2004-09-14, 12:11 PM
Prolifically successful as a DJ, producer, promoter and now website developer, hard house star Ed Real is a shining example of what can come from a life spent raving. With a career stretching back twelve years, the 29 year old Brit has done everything from running his own record shop to air scratch mixing on Top Of The Pops as well as establishing Nukleuz Records and more recently Riot Recordings and trackitdown.net. Though it could have all have ended so differently if heıd have been frightened off by the cops after one of his very first parties attracted their unwelcome attention, outside his home town of Cirencester in the Cotswolds.
³It started off as a birthday party for me and the girl whose Dad owned the land we were going to do it on; we printed up some tickets then everything spiralled out of control,² he recalls.
³The polce found some forged tickets in the back of a stolen car that was taken by ram raiders and ended up involved in a police chase in East London. I came home from school one day to find Cirencester CID (detectives) standing in my living room with my parents basically saying We canıt have this party happeningı.²
With the year being 1992, the region was party central for massive outdoor illegal raves such as Castlemorton which drew 20,000 revellers over 10 days, prompting a media and political frenzy as thousands of ravers began driving into the West Country each weekend, literally hoping to bump into impromptu raves.
³My Mum said to the policemen what happens if he does choose to do this party?ı and I remember this lovely Chief Inspector saying well Madam, your son will go to jailı,² Ed continues, roaring with laughter.
³So the party was off for me and I was placed under curfew on the evening. My dad actually went up to the site and about a thousand people turned up to find about 300 riot police from four different counties protectingı the area. That was the closest brush Iıve had with the law and luckily weıve kept a respectful distance away from each other ever since.²
Sitting in a Bayswater pub today, he admits that heıs just spent the previous weekend dodging police roadblocks to DJ at a massive illegal rave off the M4, though these days heıs equally likely to play legal events like Magma or Hollandıs mighty Dance Valley rave. Heıs also recently discovered the delights of fetish club Torture Garden, having attended a recent night dressed as surgeon.
³I was Doctor Decks,² he chuckles.
³My friend is an intensive care nurse at one of the London hospitals. I canıt say which one, and she managed to liberate some full green ER style emergency outfits, one for me and one for BK, who was my able assistant on the night.²
Heıs also playing more events for Tidy Trax including their Magma event this weekend
³Iım playing at Magma in Sheffield for Tidy Trax for the first time, though for the last 18 months Iıve been playing all the Tidy events, from the Weekender to their Tidy London parties,² he says, admitting he also finds Northern clubbers quite different to those in the South.
³The northern vibe is encapsulated by the Tidy weekender events, they do a 3 day non stop shindig at Pontins (Holiday camp) in Prestatyn, in North Wales and really you get to see the full on Northern experience. And those guys are fucking hardcore, they really are,² says Ed.
³In London, you have the opportunity to rave from Thursday night right through until Monday lunchtime without a break but up North it still seems to be centred around that classic Saturday night experience. Everybody seems to live for the Saturday night big event, they dress up and really go mad in a way that is quite full on if youıve not experienced it before. Theyıre crazy, theyıre friendly and Northern people are much more likely to come up and chat to you and really show their appreciation. From a performerıs point of view itıs instant gratification.²
Skrufff (Jonty Skrufff): Magmaıs a big event with 5,000 revellers, do you ever get stage fright?
Ed Real: ³No, though with the bigger events I like to have a quiet moment before I go on the decks. As a DJ, I like to party and get right in the thick of things but quite often Iıll step away 30 minutes beforehand just to collect my thoughts. As soon as you step up to the plate, itıs something else. I played Dance Valley several weeks ago and our arena had about 15,000 people in; it was outdoors and was by far the largest crowd Iıd ever played before. As soon as you step up and youıve got your first record on, youıre really focused and thatıs what youıre there to do. Touch wood, Iıve not bottled it, itıs about focusing on the records and showing the crowd that youıre having the time of your life, because thatıs what they feed on.²
Skrufff: Have you many DJ disasters?
Ed Real: ³Iıve had all sorts happening, particularly at some of the larger raves though not the tried and tested events like Dance Valley or Creamfields more the one-off festival experiences. Sometimes youıll get a bunch of cowboys doing the sound and lights or youıll get a stage set up thatıs wobbly with girls gyrating on stage, vibing up the crowd but also making your needle jump every time they jump. That can be an absolute nightmare because youıre standing in front of several thousand people who couldnıt care less if youıre equipment works or not- they just want to be entertained and for that to happen is an absolute nightmare. Luckily thatıs not happened to me too often but Iıve seen big name DJs having that experience and throwing their headphones down on the floor and storming off in a huff. Generally youıre there being paid to do a job, the people on the dance floor have usually paid lots of money to come and see you play so whatever happens youıve got to keep the show on the road until it ends.²
Skrufff: You also still play at squat parties and illegal raves, how do those parties compare to licensed events like Magnum?
Ed Real: ³There are obviously many parallels, both are about young people being able to go somewhere and let their hair down and express themselves. Young people want to express themselves in different ways whether itıs going out dressed up to go to a fetish party or getting your fluffy boots and cyber gear on and going to a Tidy Trax event. Or putting your boots on to go raving in a field. Ultimately people need to go out and let off steam. Not everybody wants to go out and stomp up and down in the mud whilst getting their photo taken by the local police but then not everybody wants to go to an event where they have to pay £25 to get in. Horses for courses.²
Skrufff: How do your parents feel about your career as a DJ?
Ed Real: ³I grew up in the countryside where my family are involved in farming and my parents initially didnıt understand what it was all about and were unsurprisingly quite horrified as in hindsight I guess I would be if I had kids. But I plugged away at it, and when I left university having owned a record shop and run my own club as well as getting a good degree, I left and started Nukleuz Records the next day. That was a proper job with a salary and prospects, as far as my parents were concerned, and ten years later Iım still here, nearly married, Iıve got a house, a bank account, and theyıre really proud- I travel all over the world and take pictures and send them home. And Iıve been on Top of the Pops.²
Skrufff: When were you on Top of the Pops?
Ed Real: ³In 1999, I was one of those fake DJs you sometimes see on the show. It was a Mauro Picotto record and Mauro was unable to travel to London because he was on tour in Australia so I stood in as a fake Mauro Picotto for the evening. I did all the air scratching, it was hilarious and was one of the things that will stay with me my whole life. I ended up getting drunk with All Saints in the Top of the Pops pub. Youıre in the middle of nowhere and all there is there is a bar and pool table so we all got really drunk because thereıs about eight hours difference between the sound check and actual performance. I ended up ripping the Top of the Pops sign off the studio door which has pride off place today in my house (chuckling). And the great thing is they pay you so every year or so I get a royalty check for repeats on Sir Lankan television, wherever. It was an experience. We had these stickers at the time which were a big pair of hairy bollocks (testicles slang Ed) which just said the bollocksı so we got a couple of white labels and stuck the stickers on them. You can just see them in the programme with me doing my fake spinbacks.²
Skrufff: Mauro Picotto appeared in the last issue of Mixmag talking about his new £350,000 speedboat, do you own a speedboat?
Ed Real: ³I havenıt got a speedboat, no, Iıve got a push bike and thatıs about it though Mauro Picotto deserves everything heıs got. Heıs a guy whoıs created a persona and music that was so good that nobody can deny him any of the trappings of success. He lived 2 hours away from the studio and had a young family and Monday to Thursday heıd drive two hours there, and two hours back to go to the studio, working night and day managing the studios at Media Records in Italy. Then on Friday heıd get on a plane and Friday night fly to Germany, Saturday; the UK, Sunday; Ibiza, then Monday heıd be back in the studio again. He did that for three years. Itıs an incredibly exhausting lifestyle but heıs essentially created a new genre of music at the same time, he deserves his speedboat and I hope heıs enjoying it.²
Skrufff: Changing topic, is it true that you wore a doctorıs outfit the last time you went to Torture Garden?
Ed Real: ³I was Doctor Decks. My friend is an intensive care nurse at one of the London hospitals. I canıt say which one, and she managed to liberate a full green ER style emergency outfit, one for me and one for BK, who was my able assistant. We donned the smocks and headed into the fray. Iıd never been to Torture Garden before but my best friend Ting is the resident there. She often plays naked and stuff like that and while I wouldnıt go that far I do like dressing up now and again if the environment is right. We had an absolute blast, I loved it. That whole thing of the burlesque and dressing up and really making an effort, is what itıs all about at the end of the day. I find events like that, where people make an effort, whether by dodging police roadblocks to go to an illegal rave or dressing up as a Stormtrooper are the best parties. Because everyoneıs made such an effort theyıre determined to have a good time.²
Skrufff: As a doctor, did you go round examining people?
Ed Real: ³Unfortunately not, I kept myself to myself and was a bit of a voyeur. Of course, I ended up going to an after-party then another and ended up getting a bus home about 3 oıclock Sunday afternoon dressed in my doctorıs smock. I got some very funny looks.²
Skrufff: Why didnıt you take a taxi?
Ed Real: ³I like buses.²
Skrufff: Last time we chatted you talked about pop-trance being fed to clubbers by DJs old enough to be their Dadsı and wondered when theyıd step aside, have you spotted anybody quitting in the last two years?
Ed Real: ³No, you see some of these guys who must be old enough to draw their pensions and Iım surprised I donıt see a lot more of them on the buses, because they probably qualify for their free bus passes by now. There are some guys out there who clearly donıt care about what they do. Having said that, everyone whoıs reached the upper echelon of what we do has obviously paid their dues and trodden what is often a really hard path to get to where they are and in many respects do deserve the status theyıve got. But in my opinion you have to keep on working. People like Judge Jules clearly works at what he does, obviously he gets paid well but you see him working it 24/7. Whereas there are other characters out there who are clearly riding the wave. And when youıre getting paid two, three, four or five thousand pounds for playing somebody elseıs records, youıre not going to give that up without a fight. Since we last spoke a number of other DJs have started snatching that crown, which is good, people like Eddie Halliwell and Tiesto. Four years ago Tiesto was playing 400 capacity clubs in Holland and working like a dog in his record shop. These guys are true to the spirit of getting the reward for the talent and hard work that you put in.²
Jonty Skrufff (Skrufff.com)
³It started off as a birthday party for me and the girl whose Dad owned the land we were going to do it on; we printed up some tickets then everything spiralled out of control,² he recalls.
³The polce found some forged tickets in the back of a stolen car that was taken by ram raiders and ended up involved in a police chase in East London. I came home from school one day to find Cirencester CID (detectives) standing in my living room with my parents basically saying We canıt have this party happeningı.²
With the year being 1992, the region was party central for massive outdoor illegal raves such as Castlemorton which drew 20,000 revellers over 10 days, prompting a media and political frenzy as thousands of ravers began driving into the West Country each weekend, literally hoping to bump into impromptu raves.
³My Mum said to the policemen what happens if he does choose to do this party?ı and I remember this lovely Chief Inspector saying well Madam, your son will go to jailı,² Ed continues, roaring with laughter.
³So the party was off for me and I was placed under curfew on the evening. My dad actually went up to the site and about a thousand people turned up to find about 300 riot police from four different counties protectingı the area. That was the closest brush Iıve had with the law and luckily weıve kept a respectful distance away from each other ever since.²
Sitting in a Bayswater pub today, he admits that heıs just spent the previous weekend dodging police roadblocks to DJ at a massive illegal rave off the M4, though these days heıs equally likely to play legal events like Magma or Hollandıs mighty Dance Valley rave. Heıs also recently discovered the delights of fetish club Torture Garden, having attended a recent night dressed as surgeon.
³I was Doctor Decks,² he chuckles.
³My friend is an intensive care nurse at one of the London hospitals. I canıt say which one, and she managed to liberate some full green ER style emergency outfits, one for me and one for BK, who was my able assistant on the night.²
Heıs also playing more events for Tidy Trax including their Magma event this weekend
³Iım playing at Magma in Sheffield for Tidy Trax for the first time, though for the last 18 months Iıve been playing all the Tidy events, from the Weekender to their Tidy London parties,² he says, admitting he also finds Northern clubbers quite different to those in the South.
³The northern vibe is encapsulated by the Tidy weekender events, they do a 3 day non stop shindig at Pontins (Holiday camp) in Prestatyn, in North Wales and really you get to see the full on Northern experience. And those guys are fucking hardcore, they really are,² says Ed.
³In London, you have the opportunity to rave from Thursday night right through until Monday lunchtime without a break but up North it still seems to be centred around that classic Saturday night experience. Everybody seems to live for the Saturday night big event, they dress up and really go mad in a way that is quite full on if youıve not experienced it before. Theyıre crazy, theyıre friendly and Northern people are much more likely to come up and chat to you and really show their appreciation. From a performerıs point of view itıs instant gratification.²
Skrufff (Jonty Skrufff): Magmaıs a big event with 5,000 revellers, do you ever get stage fright?
Ed Real: ³No, though with the bigger events I like to have a quiet moment before I go on the decks. As a DJ, I like to party and get right in the thick of things but quite often Iıll step away 30 minutes beforehand just to collect my thoughts. As soon as you step up to the plate, itıs something else. I played Dance Valley several weeks ago and our arena had about 15,000 people in; it was outdoors and was by far the largest crowd Iıd ever played before. As soon as you step up and youıve got your first record on, youıre really focused and thatıs what youıre there to do. Touch wood, Iıve not bottled it, itıs about focusing on the records and showing the crowd that youıre having the time of your life, because thatıs what they feed on.²
Skrufff: Have you many DJ disasters?
Ed Real: ³Iıve had all sorts happening, particularly at some of the larger raves though not the tried and tested events like Dance Valley or Creamfields more the one-off festival experiences. Sometimes youıll get a bunch of cowboys doing the sound and lights or youıll get a stage set up thatıs wobbly with girls gyrating on stage, vibing up the crowd but also making your needle jump every time they jump. That can be an absolute nightmare because youıre standing in front of several thousand people who couldnıt care less if youıre equipment works or not- they just want to be entertained and for that to happen is an absolute nightmare. Luckily thatıs not happened to me too often but Iıve seen big name DJs having that experience and throwing their headphones down on the floor and storming off in a huff. Generally youıre there being paid to do a job, the people on the dance floor have usually paid lots of money to come and see you play so whatever happens youıve got to keep the show on the road until it ends.²
Skrufff: You also still play at squat parties and illegal raves, how do those parties compare to licensed events like Magnum?
Ed Real: ³There are obviously many parallels, both are about young people being able to go somewhere and let their hair down and express themselves. Young people want to express themselves in different ways whether itıs going out dressed up to go to a fetish party or getting your fluffy boots and cyber gear on and going to a Tidy Trax event. Or putting your boots on to go raving in a field. Ultimately people need to go out and let off steam. Not everybody wants to go out and stomp up and down in the mud whilst getting their photo taken by the local police but then not everybody wants to go to an event where they have to pay £25 to get in. Horses for courses.²
Skrufff: How do your parents feel about your career as a DJ?
Ed Real: ³I grew up in the countryside where my family are involved in farming and my parents initially didnıt understand what it was all about and were unsurprisingly quite horrified as in hindsight I guess I would be if I had kids. But I plugged away at it, and when I left university having owned a record shop and run my own club as well as getting a good degree, I left and started Nukleuz Records the next day. That was a proper job with a salary and prospects, as far as my parents were concerned, and ten years later Iım still here, nearly married, Iıve got a house, a bank account, and theyıre really proud- I travel all over the world and take pictures and send them home. And Iıve been on Top of the Pops.²
Skrufff: When were you on Top of the Pops?
Ed Real: ³In 1999, I was one of those fake DJs you sometimes see on the show. It was a Mauro Picotto record and Mauro was unable to travel to London because he was on tour in Australia so I stood in as a fake Mauro Picotto for the evening. I did all the air scratching, it was hilarious and was one of the things that will stay with me my whole life. I ended up getting drunk with All Saints in the Top of the Pops pub. Youıre in the middle of nowhere and all there is there is a bar and pool table so we all got really drunk because thereıs about eight hours difference between the sound check and actual performance. I ended up ripping the Top of the Pops sign off the studio door which has pride off place today in my house (chuckling). And the great thing is they pay you so every year or so I get a royalty check for repeats on Sir Lankan television, wherever. It was an experience. We had these stickers at the time which were a big pair of hairy bollocks (testicles slang Ed) which just said the bollocksı so we got a couple of white labels and stuck the stickers on them. You can just see them in the programme with me doing my fake spinbacks.²
Skrufff: Mauro Picotto appeared in the last issue of Mixmag talking about his new £350,000 speedboat, do you own a speedboat?
Ed Real: ³I havenıt got a speedboat, no, Iıve got a push bike and thatıs about it though Mauro Picotto deserves everything heıs got. Heıs a guy whoıs created a persona and music that was so good that nobody can deny him any of the trappings of success. He lived 2 hours away from the studio and had a young family and Monday to Thursday heıd drive two hours there, and two hours back to go to the studio, working night and day managing the studios at Media Records in Italy. Then on Friday heıd get on a plane and Friday night fly to Germany, Saturday; the UK, Sunday; Ibiza, then Monday heıd be back in the studio again. He did that for three years. Itıs an incredibly exhausting lifestyle but heıs essentially created a new genre of music at the same time, he deserves his speedboat and I hope heıs enjoying it.²
Skrufff: Changing topic, is it true that you wore a doctorıs outfit the last time you went to Torture Garden?
Ed Real: ³I was Doctor Decks. My friend is an intensive care nurse at one of the London hospitals. I canıt say which one, and she managed to liberate a full green ER style emergency outfit, one for me and one for BK, who was my able assistant. We donned the smocks and headed into the fray. Iıd never been to Torture Garden before but my best friend Ting is the resident there. She often plays naked and stuff like that and while I wouldnıt go that far I do like dressing up now and again if the environment is right. We had an absolute blast, I loved it. That whole thing of the burlesque and dressing up and really making an effort, is what itıs all about at the end of the day. I find events like that, where people make an effort, whether by dodging police roadblocks to go to an illegal rave or dressing up as a Stormtrooper are the best parties. Because everyoneıs made such an effort theyıre determined to have a good time.²
Skrufff: As a doctor, did you go round examining people?
Ed Real: ³Unfortunately not, I kept myself to myself and was a bit of a voyeur. Of course, I ended up going to an after-party then another and ended up getting a bus home about 3 oıclock Sunday afternoon dressed in my doctorıs smock. I got some very funny looks.²
Skrufff: Why didnıt you take a taxi?
Ed Real: ³I like buses.²
Skrufff: Last time we chatted you talked about pop-trance being fed to clubbers by DJs old enough to be their Dadsı and wondered when theyıd step aside, have you spotted anybody quitting in the last two years?
Ed Real: ³No, you see some of these guys who must be old enough to draw their pensions and Iım surprised I donıt see a lot more of them on the buses, because they probably qualify for their free bus passes by now. There are some guys out there who clearly donıt care about what they do. Having said that, everyone whoıs reached the upper echelon of what we do has obviously paid their dues and trodden what is often a really hard path to get to where they are and in many respects do deserve the status theyıve got. But in my opinion you have to keep on working. People like Judge Jules clearly works at what he does, obviously he gets paid well but you see him working it 24/7. Whereas there are other characters out there who are clearly riding the wave. And when youıre getting paid two, three, four or five thousand pounds for playing somebody elseıs records, youıre not going to give that up without a fight. Since we last spoke a number of other DJs have started snatching that crown, which is good, people like Eddie Halliwell and Tiesto. Four years ago Tiesto was playing 400 capacity clubs in Holland and working like a dog in his record shop. These guys are true to the spirit of getting the reward for the talent and hard work that you put in.²
Jonty Skrufff (Skrufff.com)