Since its inception in November 2001, monthly house night Clean & Serene has grown into an institution of sorts on the Sydney clubbing scene, building a reputation as a night free of pretension, a place to head when you just want to have fun. The two men behind this are UK natives Tazman and Jackster, and each year July sees the duo celebrate their birthdays only weeks apart. As a result, the July instalment of Clean & Serene becomes its antithesis, downright Dirty & Delirious. ITM had a quick chat with the boys to find out what they have planned for their birthday celebration this Friday.
How long have you both been DJing, how did you initially get into it?
Tazman: I’ve been DJing 6 years. I took it up as a result of my passion for clubbing back in the UK and from the very first time I got hooked.
Jackster: I’ve been DJing seriously for around 5 or 6 years although I first DJed back in 1988 when I was assistant manager of a bar in Birmingham and we had a very unreliable resident DJ who wouldn’t turn up for half the gigs he was booked for so whenever he didn’t show up I had to step in to the breach so I guess you could say I got into it through necessity!
Clean & Serene has been running since November 2001, what do you think has made the night so successful?
Jackster: I think people see it for what it is…just a fun night out. We don’t take our night or ourselves too seriously and sometimes people just want to have a non-pretentious good night out at the end of a week at work. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea musically and there’s no point trying to please everyone especially those with preconceptions too big to step through the door.
What was the motive behind doing the Dirty & Delirious night at Clean & Serene?
Jackster: Last year we just thought it would be fun to do something different for our birthdays….and a lot of our regulars had been asking us if we were going to do a dress up party so we though we might as well combine the two. It was a massive success with so many more people getting into the spirit than we expected.
What has been your most dirty and delirious DJing experience to date?
Tazman: The dirtiest and most delirious DJing experience would have to have been when I got booked to play for a friend’s S&M party a few years back….debaucherous to say the least!!!
Jackster: You think I’m gonna tell you?! Ha ha ha ha….next question.
I hear at last year’s party that quite a few people got into the spirit and dressed in costume. Were you surprised by peoples efforts, and what was your favourite?
Jackster: We were amazed so many people made an effort and I take that as a real compliment that they see the night as somewhere they can come without worrying about being judged by what they are wearing or how they look. By the same token those not dressed up did not look or were made to feel out of place…whether dressed up or not everyone’s just there to party.
I think Olli (Swedish Chef) had to take the award for coming dressed as an escaped mental patient in a white jumpsuit with his hair spiked and dyed red, white and blue. At some point during the night he decided to go round getting everyone to sign his jumpsuit and presented us with it at the end of the night.
As the theme of the upcoming Dirty & Delirious party is Shock & Awe, what costume do you have planned?
Tazman: Ahh that would be telling!!! Let’s just say it will definitely fit the dress code of “Shock & Awe”.
Jackster: I haven’t actually decided yet although myself and Taz have discussed a change of gender for the night… I’ll probably wait until a couple of days before for a flash of inspiration.
If you had to spend your birthdays anywhere else (other than Clean & Serene) where would it be, and why?
Tazman: If I couldn’t spend my birthdays with my friends here in Sydney, I would have to say it would either be back home in London with friends and family or if money wasn’t an option… Charter a plane and get all my friends to party on with me in Ibiza for a week of mayhem.
Jackster: I’d probably say sitting on a beach in Barbados sipping on a local beer, drawing on a local smoke as Brittany Murphy asks me very politely to come back to bed! Obviously C&S comes a very close second!
What can we expect from this month’s Clean & Serene guests, Mo Funk and Alex Taylor?
Jackster: I first met Mo about a year ago when he played a couple of times at Dig Deep and his love of music is so obvious. As a DJ he plays a wide range of music and is always doing something behind the decks… He gave me a recent demo CD of his and it had over 50 tracks on it in just over an hour.
There’s not much I can say about Alex that people don’t know is there? He’s one of the best DJs I’ve ever heard, his mixing is impeccable and he has that knack of playing just the right set at the right time. I was so chuffed when Alex said he’d play because from a selfish perspective he’s one of the first DJs I’d choose to play at my birthday party!
What do you guys have planned for Clean & Serene in the future?
Jackster: We’re not working to any great plan and we’re happy the way things are… We’ve got the second birthday coming up in November which will be great fun. We have discussed the idea of doing bigger one off events possibly in conjunction with other similar sized nights but it’s no more than an idea at this stage. As we all have full time jobs and DJing commitments away from C&S time is always a limiting factor.
What are your current top 5 tracks?
Tazman: 1. Ralph Falcon & Oscar G – Dark Beat, 2. Neurotic Jock vs Cam Farrar – Tribal Beats (Luke Bowditch Mix), 3. Dave Armstrong – Good Shot, 4. Seven Day Weekender – Chic-o-laa (original Mix), 5. Patrick Alavi – Overflow.
Jackster: 1. Big Bang Theory – Do U Got Funk?, 2. Gabriele D’Andrea & Andy Funk – Blow, 3. Hardsoul – Former Destiny, 4. Children of House – The Freek EP, 5. Devoted – Gotta Have.
Dresscode for July’s Clean & Serene (Friday July 18th) is ‘Shock & Awe’. Head on down the Burdekin from 10pm-6am, entry is $10 members and $15 non-members. For more info check out ITM Whatson.
