Melbourne’s Andrew Padula has been a very busy DJ in the past couple of weeks, he surprisingly found some time to speak to me about his triumphant win of the Found @ Thirst competition that took place in Australia recently. “This competition has taken place in 23 countries around the world, Australia being the most recent. The essence of this competition is to expose semi-professional, up and coming DJ’s.” After 9 years of DJ’ing Andrew Padula was chosen for this competition by David Christensen and John Curtin of Room680, which is one of Andrew’s residencies. ”The opportunity arose and I guess they thought this would be a great chance to expose me.”
Andrew began DJ’ing nine years ago, “I have always loved my music, I played piano from a young age and DJ’ing became a natural progression. I used to mix tapes for my mates at school, at 15 I started with mobile parties and then I moved into the club scene in 1999.” Andrew is influenced by anyone that has made or played great music. His diverse taste in sounds shows in his very eclectic and creative sets, there is always room for surprises when Andrew takes the decks. “James Brown, Bob Marley, Tito Puente, Dr.Dre, INXS, Quincy Jones, Derrick Carter- the list is as diverse at it is endless. I love all styles of music, old or new, as well as the elements of music. So whatever it is that I listen to, it will always influence me be it a positive or a not so positive way.”
When Andrew was told that he would be one of the DJ’s chosen to compete in the Found competition he was ecstatic. Unlike a normal competition where you usually send in a DJ set, biography or answer a questionnaire, industry professionals were asked to nominate candidates. “I was fortunate to find myself in a position that not many people have the opportunity to be in. It was very exciting. The competition exceeded all expectations. The organisation was precise and everything ran in a clockwork order. The quality of the product was second to none and the fun element was always maintained. The guys from Heineken, the shop in Sydney, the staff at Room680, Home (Sydney) and Family (Brisbane) definitely deserve their props.”
When entering a competition a lot of preparation is necessary and taking time out to perfect your set is very important considering you don’t have any idea about the tricks and tracks your fellow competitors will pull. Andrew spent a bit of time practising and organising his 15 minute set, this process is quite challenging because it does not give people time to show the judges what they usually do in normal circumstances- a set is usually an hour or more. “I chose a lot variety of music I wanted to play, then from there I just fiddled with those records for a few days until I nailed it. I added some accapellas, a few tricks and there it was. I also decided to utilise a bit of my own production, which in hindsight was a great idea. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous but that is all part of the experience. I was fortunate to have a fair bit of support with me, so that eased the nerves- and of course a few Heineken’s.” Andrew was also kind enough to give some advice to future DJ’s competitors that are yet to experience competition. “You will always be nervous before a competition but take comfort in the fact that all the other competitors are feeling it too. So be prepared for your set, get to the venue early enough to suss out the environment, the equipment and surround yourself with people that make you feel comfortable. Be composed and don’t rush yourself. Then watch it all unfold.”
Using his own advice Andrew felt relief when he won the State Final that was held at F4. His next challenge was to prepare for the Final, where the winners from each state were to compete in a final showdown. The winner of the competition would receive two grand and support Tong, Tiesto and Davoli at interstate gigs- a lot of pressure would have clouded each competitor. “The final was a whole different experience all together… as was my set. Personally I felt that there was much room for improvement after the State finals and I really wanted to nail the Nationals so I guess that’s why I wanted to do something completely different. I went about my thing the same way though, I started from scratch and had plenty of time to prepare myself.” And the winner is Andrew Padula…
“Personally this competition has done wonders, it has given me much more direction and a major confidence boost. It tests your character too. This was a well worth it journey. It was without a doubt the best experience I have had as a DJ in the past nine years. The gigs were nuts, just people everywhere and they were held in the best clubs that each state had to offer. So you can imagine I had a blast. As for Tiesto, Tong, Davoli and Miss Motif, they were just too cool. Very professional, respectful, approachable, really down-to-earth people, they are awesome at what they do. We all met up for drinks and hung out before each gig and then at the gigs we hung out and everyone gave me great advice. I bonded really well with Davoli.” Since his win Andrew has been busy and is yet to catch up on sleep. “The last couple of weeks have been quite a ride, I couldn’t think of a position I’d rather find myself. It is absolutely amazing, I am having a blast right now.”
So after an experience of a lifetime, where will Andrew be heading? “I would like to take this career as far as possible. I probably always remain within the realms of the music industry and why not. This job offers many diverse opportunities and I am just riding the waves as they say.”
Andrew has residencies in Melbourne at Candy Bar, Saratoga, Zos, The Motel and Room680, plus special events.
