I was invited on the Lauren Laverne BBC 6 Music slot 'Social Recall'.
Songs that span the Queen of Clubs journey.
A selection of curated Queen of Clubs songs, spanning 2004 to 2019 across dancefloors, my DJ sets, festivals, club nights I booked for, the nightclubs I owned and trashy but my very kind of favourite parties - afterparties!
“A song has to take on character, shape, body and influence people to an extent that they use it for their own devices. It must affect them not just as a song, but as a lifestyle.” - David Bowie
The play list was really cool to get together, as Rich Pack and I have been collecting and remixing a load of the old tunes for the Queen of Clubs soundtracks and also while writing the book the music was such a special and integral part of the story but also our lives back then.
I have made you a Spotify playlist of all the songs I submitted, but there was only time for a few live on air as we chatted for a while - this is pretty much my dream question, talking about music, making my dream playlist remembering mental parties and my book (hahaha)
I have also added links for the artists so you can check them out as well
Spotify Play LIst HERE Lauren Laverne Interview HERE
Bloc Party | Helicopter
Some of the guys from Bloc Party were doing a DJ set at a party I booked, they were unrelentlessly bombarded all night by requests to play Helicopter, at the end of the set they crumbled, resulting was a tug-of-war mosh pit explosion on the dancefloor.
Paloma Faith | Stone-Cold Sober
Before Paloma got a record deal I booked her to do performance art piece in the Shoreditch nightclub I was running It involved 1 square meter pile of feathery down, burlesque fans, a fake pregnancy belly and a kilo of pilchards...
Klaxons | Golden Skans
The Shoreditch National Anthem of 2007. It echoed through the streets, day and night, at any pub you stepped in and every warehouse afterparty. I can't hear this song without thinking of Hackney
Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Maps
Karen O was such a massive style and musical icon during my first years arriving in Shoreditch
The Futureheads version of Hounds of Love
DJ set my secret weapon (1)
Queens of the Stone Age | No one Knows
DJ set my secret weapon (2)
The Gossip | Standing in the way of control (Soulwax Remix)
It is such a memorable song time during this period, Beth Ditto is such an inspiring a powerful frontwoman. This remix takes it to another level
Alex Clare | Too Close
In my VERY early days of booking, I got Alex in for a weekly Wednesday residency. He played for £40 and a steak dinner. He was one of the most talented soulful singer-songwriters doing the rounds in those early days.
Florence and the Machine | Cover of Postcards from Italy | Beirut
I had booked Florence to play my little Christmas party before she had a record deal, she was singing a cover of Post Cards from Italy as I nipped out for a cigarette and was arrested moments later, changing the direction of my whole life...
Fake Blood | I Think I Like it
Always played on repeat during our 'after party' sessions.
The Rolling Stones | Paint it Black
This song is stained in my memory, it was playing as I stood looking over The Bathhouse dance floor (the first club I owned) at its peak, the next day it all came crashing brutally down...
Donna Summer | Love to Love You Baby
We had a club night called Love to Love at The Bathhouse put on by Sophie Ellis Bextor, Richard Jones and crew. It was a messy and wild party.
Fleetwood Mac | The Chain
(The UNKLE Edit would also be super cool if the original isnt the right vibe for the show)
Always the greatest 'last song' of a DJ set and also the song I birthed my little girl too. I get the fear and a cold sweat every time I hear it now. - It's still my favourite song of all time, I just can't listen to it.
Dave Phillips & the Hot Rod Gang | Tainted Love
I adore the original and played it in all my DJ sets and Rich Pack included this epic cover on the Queen of Clubs Soundtrack
I'd love to hear about your epic parties, memories of wild nights out and rabbit hole festivals...
The dancefloor feels like light years ago (well they have been a distant memory for me for years now) but with the COVID-19 closure of clubs, events and parties... are you feeling 'armchair nostalgic?' for the party nights with friends?...
This could help with a 'kitchen disco' ... Listen to the full Queen of Clubs Soundtrack Part 1 & 2 here
Grab you copy of Queen of Clubs here
PS: I just realised I pretty much had the same hair since the early 2000s in the polaroids (just with better extensions :) haha)
This pic is from the BBC 6 interview... still put on lipstick and my best dress (Coco Fennel, for those of you who have read QOC this is the dress from the terrible glass smashing scene)
All this fanciness for a 'no visuals/camera' interview.
BUT red lipstick comes with a 'superpower frame of mind'.
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