Like To Get To Know You Well - JD

Let's start at the beginning. What was the first record - single or album - you bought with your own money? HONESTLY! We know that hardly anyone starts off with something achingly cool like the Velvet Underground or DJ Shadow - we've all gotta start somewhere!

The 7” single Turtle Power by Partners in Kryme in 1990. The first hip-hop song to ever reach number 1 in the UK!

Ha! 'Heroes in a half-shell - TURTLE POWER!' So how did you get into DJing?

I promoted and DJ’d at my own club night in Glasgow, “Pin Up Nights”, between 2003 and 2012. Guest musicians and DJs at our parties included (to name a few) Florence and the Machine, The National, Alex James from Blur, MGMT, Tony Wilson (Factory Records) and the unforgettable Rick Witter from Shed Seven!

What for you are the key cornerstones of a great DJ set?

Sections for all the ages, including at least a few brand-new chart hits for the grumpy teenagers, and a torrent of big hits near the end.

What 3 records are impossible for you to leave out of any DJ set?

No record gets into every set but there’s usually room for Stevie Wonder, Whitney, and to end on a crescendo, Loch Lomond by Runrig (because I’ve seen guests literally riot when it hasn’t been played).

Tell us about a favourite wedding DJing experience of yours...!

A few times I’ve been “in the zone” and you feel that your choices just can’t miss. I recall playing Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton one evening at Pollokshields Burgh Hall and feeling actually slightly frightened by how rowdy the dancefloor was getting.

What 5 artists best represent your variety and diversity of musical tastes?

I could go onto Mastermind with specialist subjects The Clash, Blur, Bowie, Madonna and Stevie Wonder (The Beatles are the best band ever, but everyone knows that already).

What one track is your surefire guaranteed floorfiller?

In Scotland, it’s Pencil Full of Lead by Paolo Nutini. DJ Yoda says his “emergency break glass” song is The 900 Number by The 45 King. You may not recognise the name - but you know it.

Do you think DJing a wedding differs in any way from a regular DJ set - and if so, how? - or do the core principles remain the same?

I was a clubs DJ for a decade before I DJd at weddings. I think it’s pretty different. You can’t be as self-indulgent, you need to be able to span more genres, you feel a certain obligation to fill the dancefloor, and you have to be fun and try to accommodate requests (as long as they’re not rubbish).

What's the most unusual or memorable first dance record you've ever played?

Possibly Let’s Stay Together by Al Green. It’s a beautiful song but I’ve always interpreted it as a make-up, after a break-up. A few weeks ago a couple chose Welcome to the Black Parade, and it was very anthemic, euphoric, and inclusive.

What 10 albums would be your Desert Island Discs?

• Astral Weeks by Van Morrison
• What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye
• Abbey Road by The Beatles
• Innervisions by Stevie Wonder
• Hunky Dory by David Bowie
• Blue by Joni Mitchell
• London Calling by The Clash
• Parklife by Blur
• Debut by Bjork
• The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill

Do you have any big DJing no-no's?

If a request is terrible, you can’t play it unless there’s express authorisation from the Bride!

Fundamentally, what can a couple expect from you as their wedding DJ?

Smiling, a nice outfit, and deep experience of keeping dancefloors busy since 2003.

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Excellent! Thanks to John for taking time out to chat to us - you can book John for your wedding here!