It’s suitably fitting that Dave Goode, one half of Irish ex-pat party starters, the Potbelleez requested I meet him and partner in crime Jonny Sonic at Studio 54. In this case Studio 54 is an inner-city terrace filled to the brim with DJ detritus and what looks like the essence of lives spent awake at night. Knowing that these guys are responsible for some of the most serious club nights going down in Sydney at the moment, it’s hardly surprising. First thing that jumps out is this is NOT your average house, but The Potbelleez are far from your average house DJs. The Potbelleez are pushing forward with what they call ‘Junkyard’ house.’ It’s a blend of dirty, filthy, booty shakin’, energetic, housey-electro, accapella, sample cutting with judicious use of scratching and other hip-hop techniques that enthrals the trainspotter and every clubber in venues from Moulin Rouge to Home. So amongst piles of records in racks, over-used couches and discarded packets of cigarettes, we sit down to talk about their biggest coup yet: a 28-date world tour and a slot at Ireland’s biggest Dance festival.
For those of you that don’t know, Dave and Jonny are some of the funniest, friendliest guys ever to share four (or these days, six) decks. Dave plays the part of the no-nonsense purist house DJ: goatee, smiling, cueing, and a cigarette always at a jaunty angle from the side of his mouth. Jonny’s got the rockstar suave, tatts, peircings with natural presence behind the decks and in the Studio. Having been a working partnership for just under three years, it’s amazing what they’ve achieved. Rocking with Groove Armada on 4 decks after promoting G.A’s ‘Ragbull Records’ launch last year, Their huge weekly Saturday night party ‘Moulin Nights’ at Moulin Rouge running 1 year this August, Friday nights at Mars Lounge, Once a month in the Main Room at Home being the only Irish Djs to ever achieve this, radio hosts on Bondi FM and now have just taken over from Sydneys Godfather of House Johnny Gleeson at Q Bar, and Sundays at Plan B, The Potbelleez have forged one of the most innovative and compelling partnerships in Australia’s house scene right now.
ITM: So how’d the tour come about?
Jonny: We just signed a management deal with Phat Planet and on the back of the Moulin Rouge residency and a gig a the Surrey Hills festival we landed a spot on a new Jim Beam sponsored World DJ tour for Asia and Eastern Europe. We have some friends in Shanghai who had seen us play at Moulin and they have just opened Shanghai’s first really rocking super club – the 1500 capacity VIPROOMS – which is where we kick off the tour.
Dave: We’re in China from 29th of June, arrive in London at the 5th to play AKA at the End. Then Romania then back to London to The Egg, which just got voted best club in London. We have gigs confirmed on the tour in Istanbul, Romania, the Black Sea and two nights in Moscow. It’ll be amazing. The place is buzzing too. We’ll be able to push a harder sound, The Potbelleez sound. Then we’ll be playing gigs up and down from Belfast to Limerick, Galway, and back over to Europe.
ITM: You guys have never actually played together in Ireland before, have you?
Jonny: No man, we met here. Dave came second in the Irish mixing championships and the guy who was judging it was John Power, an old mate of mine, great DJ. Six years later we’re all in Sydney livin’ in the same house. I used to listen to Dave on Irelands Nova FM radio back in the early days. It’s two degrees of separation.
Dave: It’s a weird triangle but it’s all come together, and now John Power’s our European booking agent. We’re playing Godskitchen, Global Gathering at Cork, on the same bill as David Morales, Kerri Chandler, Sasha and Digweed, Paul Oakenfold, James Zabiella, Tim Deluxe, Teisto, Carl Cox, Dave Clarke, Adam Freeland, Steve Lawler and Danny Howells. I’ve been dreamin’ of being on these bills for 12, 13 years. It’s amazing.
ITM: Australia’s been pretty good to you, then?
Jonny: Australia’s great because of the all-night licenses, where in Ireland it’s 2am, which will be a bit strange, ‘cause I’m used to being up all night. Sleeping’s gonna be a new thing.
Dave: It’s harder to get the breaks over in Ireland in comparison to here. In Sydney you get rewarded from results.
Jon: Sydney’s been a gift to us: it’s so young, so vibrant and if people like you they’ll give you a shot, it’s not a closed doors network. People share more here, there’s more support between all DJs and promoters.
Dave: There’s no other country in the world that can sell out three major festivals in the space of three months. That’s how much music means to Australians.
ITM: Your styles have moved a lot over the last year through your residencies. Was that a conscious decision?
Dave: With me I’ve been buying different types of music forever. It’s just an extension of the music that we play. We just love house music, music in general in all its forms.
ITM: Are there differences between the two?
Jon: Dave’s more house, chunky or deep latin-driven, I came more from a hard house, techier, funky vibe. Over the last three years we have blended the two styles and found something new. With the six decks and all the tools it’s progressed into another sound. We can play deep house one place and electro in another, and then funky or latin influences somewhere else.
Dave: It’s great to be able to explore all genres mixed about with the gigs we have.
Jon: And the bonus is getting to play the odd set separately as its vital for us both to maintain our original roots in order to progress our sound.
ITM: Break down your regular gigs for us:
Jonny: Saturday nights are all about Moulin Rouge and we also have monthly guest spots down at the main room @ Home. Sunday nights is Plan B, La Fiesta sound system, but before that, on Sunday morning we’ve got Q bar, Johnny Gleeson’s old slot. It’s pretty tough getting down there at 8 in the morning, great fun though. We can play music you can’t play anywhere else: dark deep, electro skank. Pretty tough stuff. And we have monthly parties with Kink at Kikkon and monthly underground Potbelleez events.
Dave: Thursday, Jonny does a funk and breaks night with Mike One and Ben Yabsley at The Bourbon. Friday’s at Mars Lounge is our newest residency. It’s a sexy glamour night with a great vibe. We play real disco jackin house music there.
Jonny: On top of all that we’re doing college four days a week each.
Dave: I’m doing a Bachelor of professional studies majoring in Audio Engineering.
Jonny: and I’m doing Business and Marketing.
ITM: You guys are made for each other.
Jonny: It’s Feng Shui mate!
ITM: You guys have been hosting ‘Moulin Nights’, Saturdays @ Moulin Rouge for nearly 1 year now. How’s that going?
Dave: It’s our baby, it’s packed every week, really mental vibe every week. We went in to put on a full on party night, and picked the DJ’s that we wanted. It’s a really tight team in there. Everyone works really hard. We’ve got certain DJ’s that we wanted for a certain sound. Like Tim McGee, head of Ministry, brings the most cutting edge music every week.
Jonny: Tim is one of the best around. You should hear him. He is Savage. Great persona behind the decks. Then there’s Ben Korbel the ‘Sounds’ legend and Uk Funk Maestro Tom Da Silva, Coops and Jesse… we recently brought Tom in as resident, he’s one of our favourite DJ personalities, really got a great vibe on the decks with a really original sound. The crowd at Moulin are so educated and energetic. That’s why we have been pushing hard the whole year!
Dave: Kings Cross has become the heart of Sydney clubbing, taking over from Oxford Street. Our night is fully established now and it’s as strong as ever. Now its time to go on tour!
The Potbellez tour throughout Asia and Europe in June, July and August:
29th June – Hong Kong China, Jim Beam Mix It up Tour
30th June – Nanjing China, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
1st July – Nanjing, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
2nd July – Shanghai China, Viprooms
3rd July – Shanghai China, Sunday Sessions
5th July – London UK, AKA/The End
7th July – Romania, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
8th July – Romania, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
10th July – Romania, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
11th July – London UK, The Egg
15th July – Dublin Ireland, The Vault
16th July – Limerick Ireland, Trinity Rooms
21st July – Ireland, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
22nd July – Istanbul Turkey, World Kite Boarding Event
23rd July – Istanbul Turkey, Jim Beam Mix it Up Tour
24th July – Istanbul Turkey, International Kite Boarding Festival
27th July – Black Sea Mamaia, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
28th July – Black Sea, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
29th July – Sofia, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
31st July – Cork Ireland, Godskitchen Global Gathering Festival
5th August – Moscow Russia, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
6th August – Mosacow Russia, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
13th August – Sydney Australia, Moulin Rouge with Love Tattoo
13th August – Sydney Australia, Home Night Club
20th August – Sydney Australia, Moulin Rouge 1st Birthday
24th August – Wuhan China, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
25th August – Nanchang China, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
26th August – Nanning China, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
27th August – Nanning China, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
28th August – Shanghai China, Jim Beam Mix It Up Tour
2nd September – Perth Australia, Perth
3rd September – Sydney Australia, Moulin Rouge
