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There’s nothing wrong with clubbing at any age but don¹t make yourself look an arsehole. 46 year old superstar DJ Graham Gold spoke to mezzmusic this week, as he prepared to celebrate 30 years of DJing, with an allstar party in London’s Kings Cross. A black music aficionado since 1970, his pedigree matches the vintage of seminal New York jocks like Francois Kervorkian and Tony Sapiano, making him one of dance culture’s earliest (and most influential) enthusiasts. Nowadays, he’s Kiss FM’s elder statesman jock, runs the jam packed weekly Peach (at London’s Camden Palace) and came in at number 37 on DJ mag¹s latest poll (up from last year’s 40). His only regret? Missing acid house’s Summer Of Love because “I was living by my then wife’s rules.”
Mezzmusic; Does this 30 year point mark some kind of watershed in your career?
Graham Gold:”Not at all, I Œve spent the last 7 years fighting people’s perceptions, just because I did the breakfast show on Kiss FM, which was the show I never wanted to take, anyway. Because I knew radio and I knew the show would always need to be about the lowest common denominator, music-wise as well as in terms of cheesy presentation. I’d been doing pirate radio since 1982, doing JFM from Battersea, I fought for Kiss so when they asked, I did it.”
mezz:-How easy has it been to stay in touch with musical trends?
Graham Gold:”I don¹t jump on bandwagons but I see logical progressions in how music develops. I either move with it or I dont. Over 30 years I chose not to get into the punk thing, for example, because it was angry music and I wasn’t interested. I never got into the new romantic thing, either, because that was just white-boy pop music. My first loves were Otis Redding and Same Cooke and rocksteady before its transition into reggae. The music I¹ve liked has always been black orientated. We were all soulboys back then, me, Carl (Cox), Oakey (Paul Oakenfold) would be playing hip hop, (Judge) Jules has his soul… What I play today isn¹t soul or R&B but it¹s still soulful.”
mezz: You remain hugely enthusiastic….
Graham Gold: (interrupting)”It seems to me that if you¹re enthusiastic and you shout about music, then you almost get dissed (disrespected) for that enthusiasm. Carl Cox and Oakey have both told me that they adore the way I present because my enthusiasm for the music is so evident, but it seems to me that if you come across enthusiastically, then you¹re not perceived as cool, hip or trendy. I think that’s a bit of a Œfuck, really. But why the fuck should I appease anybody? I¹m still me, but I¹ve maybe mellowed a little.”
Mezz: You were a name London DJ before the Nicky Holloway/ Rampling/ Oakenfold jaunt that kick started acid house in 1987, where were you at that time?
Graham Gold:”That was the one period I missed and if I could ever turn the clock back, it would be to have been a part of that. I was the resident at Gullivers those days (London’s top soul club) and yes, we were playing acid but I was also married with children. I guess I was living a bit by my then wife’s rules. ‘No, you can¹t do this, ŒYou¹re too old for that’, that kind of thing. You read so much about it because it was the start of everything that we have today. I only ever went to one M25 rave, too. But that was then and this is now. But I was always aware of it. Like now, I read every music magazine, I make a point of checking out new DJs that I’ve never heard of, and where they¹re playing.”
mezz: DJs get older yet still stay at the top, is the age range of your audiences changing similarly?
Graham Gold:”If I was your traditional 46 year old I would be staying at home, going down the pub or going out to eat- clubbing wouldn¹t be part of my life. But 10 years ago, I was 36, E’s came along, and the people who had alrready got married, had kids, but used to be hardened clubbers when they were 20, started coming out again. If you go to Bedrock these days, the ages start at about 22. People say that my club Peach is young but since we’ve moved musical direction I¹ve definitely noticed the crowd getting older. But every club has its 17 year olds whether its Cream, Gatecrasher, Slinky or Passion.
Having said that, I¹ve seen a geezer about 60 on the podium at Passion, but wearing white gloves, with a stupid fucking backpack on. That I question, it’s not what I want to see. I spoke to the club about it and they said that everyone is welcome, we’re not pretentious, which is also really good but I think you should still draw the line. While I still go clubbing I wouldsn’t wear white gloves and a raving hat. There’s nothing wrong with clubbing at any age but don¹t make yourself look an arsehole, or open yourself up to ridicule. The hardcore age range is still 17-25 because they’re the people with disposable income.”
mezz: What’s your stance on the Daft Punk track?
Graham Gold:”Ahh,...., I think it¹s a great *radio record, it’s not hurting anybody, it’s sing-a-long, it’s happy,...” Graham Gold was also the first radio DJ to start featuring our news scripts, back in 1998 (on his Kiss FM shows). Happy birthday Graham and here’s to the next 30 years.
Jonty Adderley
http://www.grahamgold.com
http://www.bedrock.org.uk (Graham Gold’s a regular)
http://www.recordstore.co.uk (for loads of Bedrock type trance releases)
