Live Greg Wilson recording from Melting Pot @ Queens Park Bandstand 08.07.18.

Three hour mix available to stream/download, recorded earlier this month at the Melting Pot takeover of Glasgow’s Queens Park Bandstand amidst the UK's summer heatwave, which was fortuitous given this was an outdoor occasion, my slot on a Sunday evening between 7pm and 10pm.

It was still very warm but slightly overcast when I started, but the sun, I’m told, broke through with the Confidence Man mix I’d just done with my son, Ché, which I debuted – its lyrics perfectly coincidental, people later messaging me to ask what the ‘sunshine’ track was. This is the one – just made for this weather:
https://soundcloud.com/confidenceman/confidence-man-out-the-window-greg-wilson-che-wilson-mix

Kicking off with ‘Reality’, the Late Nite Tuff Guy rework of Soul II Soul’s ‘Back To Life’, I played 31 tracks in all, 32 with a ‘one more tune’ inclusion, which I went back to hastily put on a couple of minutes after what I thought was my final track had finished (I edited the gap out in the recording to spare you the wait). The Glasgow crowd got their way, but how could you refuse them, it had been such a joyous 3 hours, not to mention the previous 2 hours with Andrew & Simon from Melting Pot hitting the right vibe, as ever, with the tunes they played.

It’s pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to Melting Pot, they really know how to set up a DJ and make sure that’s what’s going out of the speakers sounds as good as they can possibly make it – it was no surprise when they were brought in a number of years ago to assist in setting up Davis Mancuso’s London Loft parties, working with the most meticulous of sonic perfectionists. The spirit of The Loft still continues via Lucky Cloud, with Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy, a frequent Melting Pot guest, playing a big part.

Their approach to hi-end sound rightly sets the bar high, and whilst you’re DJing you know that they’ve got a close ear on everything, not just when you start, but right up until the final note of the very last tune you play – they really pride themselves on their sound system, and it shows, Loud & Clear Hi-Fi helping give them that special edge.

Having run their parties for 17 years, DJs throughout the world cite it as a favourite stop-off. The Melting Pot crowd know their music, there’s a whole history now to what’s been cultivated in Glasgow during this time. As they say themselves, they provide the setting for a DJ to play whatever they feel.

It’s the type of environment where it’s easy to introduce new stuff you’ve been working on (providing it grooves, of course). Along with a trio of tracks I’ve been busy on with Ché, there are also a couple of ‘70s singles I’ve reworked with Henry Greenwood, Marshall Hain’s ‘Dancing In the City’ and El Coco’s ‘Mondo Disco’.

The Confidence Man track suggested me finishing with Primal Scream’s ‘Movin’ On Up’ (or at least I thought that would be the case), referencing, of course, the band’s origins in the city. However, the one before this, the Flight Facilities rework of Paul Simon’s ‘You Can Call Me Al’ was played completely without knowledge that the great singer/songwriter was appearing in Glasgow just a few days later as part of his farewell tour.

I won’t name the last track – a spur of the moment choice, but one that felt so right as it played out for those last few minutes before we all made our way back into the night, my drive home to Liverpool with Primal Glyn accompanied by that fluffy feeling of satiation, having shared a memorable musical evening with a wonderfully receptive crowd.

MELTING POT @ QUEENS PARK BANDSTAND GLASGOW 08.07.18 (greg wilson live mix)

Music vibes simultaneously emphasising present moment and emotions. 🎶Do you feel the vibes? Connect with yourself and peace your mind!🎶

Bookings: matt@thepool-london.com 
Promos: promo@gregwilson.co.uk 
DJ Dates: https://blog.gregwilson.co.uk/upcoming-dj-dates/
Greg began DJing in 1975 and is regarded as one of the most important figures on the UK dance scene. He enjoyed hugely popular residencies in the early eighties at Wigan Pier and Manchester’s majorly influential Legend, having originally started out in his hometown, New Brighton. A pioneer of mixing in the UK, he became the first ‘dance music’ specialist hired for a regular weekly session at Manchester’s now legendary Haçienda club in 1983. Greg was instrumental in breaking the new electronic, post-disco records coming out of New York, a sound he has dubbed ‘Electro-Funk’.

In 2003 he set up electrofunkroots, a website documenting this crucial era in the evolution of dance culture. After a two decade hiatus from the booth, he returned to DJing and soon welcomed bookings throughout Europe and, subsequently, worldwide.

Greg was the first DJ to mix live on British TV, putting together the first UK radio mixes of their type for Piccadilly 261 in Manchester and showing a certain Norman Cook (later Fatboy Slim) how to scratch.

Nominated by DJ Magazine for outstanding contribution, and also named amongst their top twenty remixers of all-time, Greg’s remix credits include Grace Jones, The XX, Groove Armada, Bryan Ferry, Confidence Man, Gilberto Gil and Simian Mobile Disco, whilst he’s edited tracks by A Guy Called Gerald, Talking Heads, O.M.D., Electronic, Imagination and Missy Elliot.

In January 2009 Greg’s reputation was further enhanced when his Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1 received almost universal acclaim and was selected as one of 10 classics that spanned the show’s near 17 year history.

Greg’s Blog, ‘Being A DJ’, was launched in June 2010 for observations on various aspects of club culture now an online touchstone for an ever-increasing amount of dance enthusiasts and aficionados.

In August 2010 he co-curated areas at the inaugural Vintage Festival at Goodwood, which was named ‘Best New Festival’ at the UK Festival Awards.

He has produced a series of documentary podcasts, Time Capsule, Random Influences and Early 80’s Floorfillers, as well as the long-running blog series, Living To Music.

Greg has given talks on music and DJ culture at a number events at venues The Tate Gallery in Liverpool and London's Southbank and Institute Of Contemporary Arts, whilst in 2013 he was invited onto a panel alongside legendary figures Nile Rodgers and Giorgio Moroder @ ADE in Amsterdam. 

In 2014 he unveiled the multi-media label Super Weird Substance, focusing on recording and live events. In 2015, the label released 8 vinyl singles, brought together in the 2 CD comp, 'Greg Wilson Presents Super Weird Substance'. September 2015 saw a memorable Festival No.6 Happening in Portmeirion and Greg rounded off the year with the Liverpool-based celebration of the 40th anniversary of his first club date in 1975 as well as being presented with DJ Magazine's Industry Icon award.

Greg launched his Credit To The Edit club collective at 2016's Festival No.6 and since then has taken it to Liverpool, Berlin, Brixton, Bethnal Green and finally back to Portmeirion for Festival No.6 2017.

2017 saw his label host the epic 14 Hour Super Weird Happening at Liverpool's Florrie, following a mixtape collaboration with Alan Moore, who also appeared at the Happening, whilst it also saw the digital release of The Super Weird Society's 'Gone With The Vibe', released the following year on the first Substance Select 12" vinyl alongside 'The Ghosts Of Watling Street', 'The Best Is Yet To Come' and 'Summer Came My Way'. 2018 also saw the release of Vol.3 in Greg's long-running Credit To The Edit compilation series.

After a handful of further releases, the label was put into hibernation with the onset of covid. Diversifying, ‘Greg Wilson’s Discotheque Archives’ was issued during 2020 lockdown as a limited run paperback, with more books, both Wilson’s own projects and by other authors, now planned.

guitarist/bassist, more of a studio player these days.  Into writing & recording original soundscapes, Shoegaze influenced guitar music but love everything & anything, Motown, soul, funk, Beatles, to Cocteau Twins, to Massive Attack to John Martyn...basically anything thats genuinely decent.  Open to collaborating too so get in touch. Demos and sketches below are either previous work I’ve been involved with or done myself. Would love to find a good drummer & bassist to work with putting these ideas into proper form and dare I say getting back out there and doing some gigs?.