Dave Pearce will bring the tunes at Friday's (August 4) 80s into 90s Party night, which kicks off a weekend of smart sounds in Bedford Park.
The man responsible for BBC Radio 1's Dance Anthems has been a driving forces in the UK dance scene for decades, as much responsible for bringing 'big room' sets as he is for his reworked classics and Trance Anthems and Pure Trance aces.
Along the way he has shifted more than one million mix compilation albums in the UK and enjoyed too many UK chart positions to even try to count up!
He went On Track with Total MK...
The first record that took your attention
One of the early records I remember buying as a small child was Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Physical or digital - how do you take your music?
As I dj , I learnt my craft using Vinyl and I still have a large collection of 12" singles. I've recently been digging through my record collection for a new dance TV show which is coming to Sky Arts at the end of August. However with the advent of technology I can now carry more songs with me on memory sticks therefore giving me even more choices when DJ'ing a live set. My latest album Delirium Trance and progressive is a digital only album available on iTunes etc
The first time you thought 'Music - this is the job for me'
I loved music from such an early age, I think when I was about 11 I decided I really wanted to become a DJ.
Your best on stage memory...
One of the highlights was playing The Millennium Dome in London on New Years Eve (When it was all one vast arena)There were 45,000 people there, the biggest indoor crowd I have played to. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. The roar from the crowd at midnight was literally like being hit by a wall of sound. The closest I've got to imagining what it must be like to be in a group like U2
And the worst gig you've ever done
The weirdest gig I ever did was when I was starting out. It was booked to play at what turned out to be a Reggae club - I think it was in Luton. They only had one turntable. I guess the Reggae artists would have put a record on and an Mc toast over the gaps, but for me going to play a mix set it was hopeless.
What made you take up DJing
I always had a passion for music and I started Dj'ing at youth clubs and friends parties at an early age, I spent much of my time in record shops - it just seemed like a natural fit
Which one song by another artist do you wish you had written
Delirium - Silence is one of my favourites. I nearly signed it to my Nulife label but missed out in the end. Although we were lucky enough to have hits like Ian Van Dahl - Castles in the Sky and Rui Da Silva- touch me
And one - by yourself - which holds special significance
My track So Damn Beautiful with Ben Hennessy was a reworking of a fantastic track by Polaroid I had fallen in love with during the late 90's. I was in Miami when my track was first played by Armin Van Burren on his global radio show. I remember walking along the beach and suddenly getting all these amazing tweets from fans in places like Mexico and India and America - it was a real buzz.
Are there any current influences you look to
I am a big fan of Above and Beyond ( I signed there first records back in the day) I'm so proud of them selling out Maddison Square Garden in New York- I love he spiritual side of their music and I'm a big fan of Markus Schulz
If you could step into the shoes of another musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
Nile Rodgers is a musician I admire greatly, his volume of work is out of this world. To have been at the incarnation of Disco and then work with the greats like Bowie etc would have been a hell of a journey. I would love to have been part of it
And any genre of music that you simply can't stand?
I love most music from Opera to rock music, I do get a little stuck on some Country and Western. I've no idea why but for some reason I struggle with some of it
Finally, plug your show in Bedford - what can we expect?
I'm looking forward to playing some massive Dance Anthems that pretty much define my career at BBC Radio 1 presenting my Dance Anthems show. I will be playing a lot of records I helped break over the years including some of my faves that I drop at my club nights in Ibiza. Everything from House to Trance. Get ready to rave.
To book tickets to the event click here
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