NEWS
EVENTS
An Interview with Norman Jay
House | Wednesday 14th May 2014 | Annalisa
Brooklyn Bowl has recently played host to some of the greatest names in the music selection game, bringing a series of acts and nights that stylishly encapsulate the groove of the place. Top of the list of these is Norman Jay, a man with a musical history that is second to none. Still unanimously revered as one of the most eclectic and diverse DJs out there, his influence over the years has been monumental but consistently in keeping with his humble and profound philosophy of good music and genuine feel. His Good Times outfit have long hosted parties at Notting Hill Carnival and he’ll be taking it to a festival scale with Good Times in the Park, commencing in September. Just before he laid down an unforgettable set at Brooklyn Bowl, we were lucky enough to catch up with him.
G: It’s a pleasure to speak with you once again Norman, how are things?
N: Things are cool, things are busy, diary is full, lots of good places lined up to visit over the summer and then into the autumn. I can’t complain really, I’m one of the lucky ones, times are lean out there for a lot of DJS but fortunately I seem to be on a role at the moment.
G: Have you ever really been off a role?
N: Yeah of course, I’m just a normal guy; I have good periods and some not so good periods as well. Really, it’s a job for me, a job that I love doing, mind, but it’s still work at the end of the day.
G: Well as you’re going through a good period, can you tell us about some of the amazing things you’ve been up to since we last spoke to you two years ago?
N: Ahh I wish I came prepared! Well just about a month ago I did Aprés Ski, which was unlike any gig I’ve ever done before. I’ve done ones in places in the French Alpine regions before and it’s amazing that those young kids have got so much energy. They’ve got snowboards, big boots and all their gear on and they party like there’s no tomorrow. This last Aprés Ski at Ronnies was one of the most amazing scenes I’ve ever witnessed in the snow. I remember saying to the crowd “Be glad you’re part of this amazing happening, this was a fluke. This atmosphere, with these people, at this venue, will never be repeated.” A huge roar went up, it could have gone on all night, this is half way up the mountains in the French Alps. That one will stay with me for a very long time.
G: The views and the vibe looks amazing, can you think of a particular tune that really went off?
N: There we so many, it just turned into a soundtrack, an aural explosion. There was no singular tune, I just mashed up the music all the way from the 60s to 2015 and they went for everything in between. Drum and Bass, Hip-hop, Soul, Reggae, Ska, Disco, House and some pop tunes and I just painted a soundscape.
G: That sounds pretty amazing! We heard that you were in Australia for NYE, how was that?
N: Yeah that was phenomenal. I was playing at an old customhouse to about 10,000 people right opposite the Sydney Opera house on the harbor bridge. The weather was fantastic, as were the show and the lights. Partying afterwards really was the stuff of dreams, you can’t make that up. They’ve already booked me for next year so I must have done something right. Its great doing all of these things and of course we’ve still got carnival to come, but my main focus this year has been on my own festival, Good Times in the Park, happening on September, 13th and 14th. We’re going to do it over 2 days to 10,000 people a day, it’s a small boutique thing and essentially it’s Norman Jay’s Good Times like what I do at Carnival, but on a big scale without the restrictions of a street event. I can put some of those homegrown acts on stage and give them a platform to come under the Good Times Umbrella. I can’t yet announce exactly who is going to be there but the launch is imminent! It’s basically a celebration of London Nightlife and club culture that is open to everyone. I’ll be introducing the acts personally and they’ll be as diverse as the music I play, let’s put it that way.
G: Exiting stuff! Sounds like there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming months. You said that Good Times in the Park will be open to everyone, but what do you think specifically makes a Norman Jay fan?
N: Haha, well, she has to be good looking… nah just kidding. A Norman Jay fan can be anybody of any colour, any sexual orientation, any religious persuasion; I have fans that are of all persuasions. I like things on the edge; I appreciate music, fashion and all creative art forms. If those things tick all of your boxes, then that makes you a Good Times fan, not just a Norman Jay fan. Good times is uncomplicated, its simply about having a good time, releasing your mind, releasing yourself, expressing yourself and having a good time.
G: Part of living the dream as an artist is where you get to go and perform and where you get to live your life. I’m sure you get to go to some of the best parties!
N: Yeah I get to go to some of the best parties and I also get to go to some of the not-so-great parties. It’s not always about ‘living the dream’, the dream is being able to do what I do, irrespective of whether it’s in front of 100 people or 10,000 people. It’s about being able to entertain whoever is in front of you with whatever music necessary. It’s all about people for me; everything is about the people that come to hear.
G: That’s really admirable, you clearly like to keep things real. There was a recent article in the telegraph saying that ‘cool’ London is dead. I wanted to ask you about what you think people have lost the most through the rich development driving a lot of people out of areas in London.
N: I don’t really think we’ve lost anything; we’re just re-shuffling the pack. Creative people will always find a space, somewhere to colonise, populate and turn into a cool space again. The creatives are the people who are at the front. The rich and all of the money, they’re trying to buy that cool and no amount of money can ever buy them that cool. They’re the people who want to be seen as having everything, but they don’t have that. That’s what they seek and that’s what they’ll never have. They might be buying up London and driving working class and creative people out but the creative will always find somewhere else to go.
G: Any idea where that might be?
N: I wouldn’t want to give that away, property prices will go through the roof haha.
G: Recently we saw the sad passing of Frankie Knuckles. How do you think it will affect people these days as they see their generation’s legends pass? People seem to have a much closer relationship with their favourite DJs than they might have with pop stars.
N: Yeah well some DJs can be approached. Obviously, the higher up the pecking order you go, you cant discern between them and the pop stars and the sports stars and all of them, you can’t get near there. They exist in a bubble. Frankie was a very approachable guy, a man of few words but ever so warm and friendly; his whole body language gave off that vibe. I was hit hard by his passing but he’s left a fantastic legacy and we can’t deny that. He’s left a legacy that is capital Q - Quality Hallmarked. If you’re doing anything in music, that’s the bar you have to reach, to aspire to. He was a fantastic person, I had the pleasure of knowing him long before most people in England knew who he was. It was about 10-15 years ago that he invited me to play at his club in Chicago, It was the First time I’d played in Chicago and I was really nervous. He set it up for me; all of his people and the crowd were brilliant to me. Him and his peers were making music in a way that no one else at the time could make. They played with the technology in a very earthy, soulful way. He made the machine sound warm, and that’s what’s important.
G: Whenever you play, you always play with emotion. What emotion are you going to play with today, here at Brooklyn Bowl?
N: A happy one, a happy disposition. My music is feel good and today is record store day where all fans of music should go out and support their local record store and this is going to be a great show.
You can find out more about Norman Jay's plans and Good Times in the Park at http://www.normanjay.com
Upcoming dates for Brooklyn Bowl can be found at http://london.brooklynbowl.com/.
Some of the highlights include BROOKLYN HUSTLE: JAZZIE B on Saturday May 17th
CHROMEO DJ SET W/ SPECIAL GUESTS on Friday 6th June
THE DANDY WARHOLS on Friday 4th July
Grandmaster Flash on Friday 1st August
