Like To Get To Know You Well: Nic

Wedding Jam: Let's start at the beginning. What was the first record you bought with your own money?

Nic: I wish this was something effortlessly cool, but the honest story is way better.

I was about 9 or 10. My grandad, Big Al, was looking after me and took me for a walk down the high street in Tunstall, Stoke. He said I could spend my pocket money on whatever I wanted. Normally it would’ve gone straight on a Wright’s pie or an oatcake duck — no idea why it didn’t that day.

Maybe it was because my mum had a huge Northern Soul collection, or because my grandad was a pianist with stacks of jazz records around the house.

We went into a music shop and I bought a CD single purely because of the artwork. It had a cartoon shark with a big ass on the cover! The track was called Big Fat Butts but I can’t remember the artist now.

When we got home and put it on, it turned out to be this brilliant roots reggae / hip-hop tune. The hook was literally:

“Big fat butts, that’s what I wanna see.”

You should’ve seen my nan’s face when she got home and we were blasting it!

Haha! So how did you get into DJing?

Same as a lot of people, really...by accident.

I’ve always been obsessed with music, so I naturally started buying it, collecting it, and organising it. I was a musician first, played in bands for years, studied music at college and university, and eventually toured internationally after my band got signed with a major record deal.

But it really clicked one day when I went to see my brother DJing at Trof in the Northern Quarter. He said, “Here, jump on while I go for my roast.”

Even though it was a quiet Sunday and hardly anyone was in, I was dead nervous. I played a few records and couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed it — just publicly sharing music with people. That was it.

Love that. What do you think are the key cornerstones of a great DJ set?

Preparation, planning, practice.

Knowing it’s not about you — it’s about the couple and their guests. Leave your ego at home. When a wedding DJ set is done right, people sometimes think it’s effortless, like it all just happened naturally. That’s exactly the point.

And when you really know the couple, you can drop in curveballs and musical surprises you know they’ll love, keeping the night exciting.

Constantly consuming music across genres and generations, so you understand what works for different rooms, ages, and moments throughout the day.

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

This is a hard one because I play a lot of different types of wedding sets. But it’s usually:

Fatman Scoop — Be Faithful

ABBA — Dancing Queen

Candi Staton — Young Hearts Run Free

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

One that really sticks with me was a wedding where the couple had great taste but no interest in a “traditional” wedding playlist. We spent time beforehand figuring out what they actually listened to at home, on road trips and on nights out.

On the day, I could tell some guests were initially surprised by the selections. But by the end of the night, the dance floor was full, with three generations singing along — songs the couple loved, blended with tracks their parents and friends didn’t realise they needed to hear.

No forcing it, no gimmicks. Just a room that felt completely theirs.

That’s always the goal: effortless, personal, and memorable for the right reasons.

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

This changes all the time, but right now this month:

Foals, Captain Planet, Ann Peebles, Gwen McCrae, Zero 7.

What one track is your surefire guaranteed floorfiller?

It doesn’t really exist. It’s all about the crowd and the shape of the night.

But if you twist my arm and make me answer right now — Bonkers.

Do you think DJing a wedding differs from a regular DJ set?

Yes, definitely.

A wedding is about two people having the best time, surrounded by everyone they love. In a regular DJ setting, you’re usually playing to the majority.

With weddings, it’s about making the music personal and genuinely unique to the couple and their tastes. There’s also an added layer of professionalism and respect — in how you dress, how you present yourself, and how you interact with guests.

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

Lamb of God — Walk With Me In Hell.

Completely unexpected, but it worked perfectly for the couple and set the tone for an unforgettable night.

What ten albums would be your Desert Island Discs?

1. The Beta Band — The Three EPs
2. Gomez — Bring It On
3. Red Hot Chili Peppers — Blood Sugar Sex Magik
4. Aphex Twin — Selected Ambient Works Volume II
5. Khruangbin — Con Todo el Mundo
6. Femi Kuti — Shoki Shoki
7. Bill Withers — Just As I Am
8. Norah Jones — Feels Like Home
9. Pink Floyd — The Dark Side of the Moon
10. Eels — Electro-Shock Blues

Love the eclecticism! Do you have any big DJing no-no’s?

Turning up under-prepared. If you’re winging it, everyone can feel it.

Ignoring the room and sticking rigidly to a plan when the floor is telling you something else.

Forcing “wedding bangers” when they don’t fit the moment. Context matters more than hits.

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

Someone calm, prepared, and genuinely invested in getting it right.

I’ll take time to understand them — not just the key songs, but their taste, their guests, and the kind of atmosphere they want. That prep means on the day things feel relaxed, flexible, and under control, even if plans shift.

They’ll get a professional DJ who reads the room, keeps the energy flowing, and knows when to push and when to hold back. No ego, no gimmicks, no shouting on the mic — just music that brings everyone together and makes the night feel like theirs.

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Thanks so much to Nic for a really ace and illuminating chat! You can book Nic here!