Welcome. 

For lots more edits that are not on Soundcloud please visit https://ole-smokey.bandcamp.com

I spent the four decades that I’ve waffled on about below, soaking up all the musical goodness that informs my sets today. I was always record collecting, but never thought about DJing, but that would all change when I visited San Francisco in 92. Little did I know that I wouldn’t be coming back for 11 glorious years. There I met Eddie O’Callaghan (former co-promoter of the Garden Festival in Croatia) and together we put on many club nights and events, the flagship being the Bulletproof Boat Parties. 

During those years Bulletproof welcomed countless DJ’s and bands to it’s parties including Mark Farina - DJ Shadow – Galliano - DIY – Gilles Peterson – Marquess Wyatt - Rockers HiFi - Derek Carter – Coldcut - Wicked – DJ Food – Frankie Feliciano – Greyboy and the Greyboy Allstars to name a few. I also had a residency at Mushroom Jazz playing alongside Mark Farina, DJ Is, Thomas (Then Wicked, now Rub n Tug) and George (Behind the Post Office)

When I returned to the UK in 2003 I pretty much retired from DJing, but worked for Eddie at the Magnet nightclub in Liverpool Booking the DJ and Band nights. When Eddie moved out to Croatia in 2005 to plant the seeds for the Garden Festival with Nick Colgan I went out to give them a hand and became a Resident DJ at the Garden Festival for many years. I have also been a guest at various gigs around the UK including Mr Scruff’s Tea Tent, The Devil’s Jukebox and The One Deck Sessions at Electrik 

If music be the food of love... play on brother!

Some of the ingredients along the way that have inspired and influenced the recipe.... 1970 - 1990

Led Zep 3 (first album I bought 1970) - Ziggy Stardust (first 45 I bought 1972) – David Bowie and Roxy Music on Top of the Pops 1972 - James Brown’s “The Payback” (first James Brown album I bought 1973) – Kool and the Gangs Wild & Peaceful (the second funk album I bought 1973) - Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon tour (Empire Liverpool 1974) - Bowie’s Station to Station tour (Earls Court 1976) – The Sex Pistols’ Never Mind The Bollocks, The Clash’ White Riot, the Stranglers’ Rattus Norvegicus and The Damneds’ New Rose in 1977 –Iggy Pop Live at Colston Hall Bristol 1977 – Ian Durys live at the ? 1978 - The Blitz club 1979 - Buying Planet Rock, Walking on Sunshine and The Message from Groove Records in Soho 1982 – Art Blakey, Airto and Roy Ayers live at Ronnie Scotts - Grandmaster Flash perforforming Adventures on the Wheels of Steel at the Venue London 1984 – Flim Flam v Meltdown (later Coldcut) at the Harp Club New Cross 1984 - Afrikaa Bambaataa at the Hacienda 1984 – Gil Scott Heron at the South Bank - Monday Jazz night and Black Market Fridays at the Wag Club (‘81-‘86) - Tom Waits at the Apollo (1981) The Dominion (1985) Hammersmith Odeon (1987) – The JB’s at the Town and Country Club London 1988 - Dirtbox and many, many warehouse “raves” (’81-’86) at places like Battlebridge Rd and Clink St years before the House music phenomenom arrived with a bang with the likes of Shoom – Norman Jay’s High on Hope and Shake and Fingerpop nights - Soul II Soul DJing at the Africa Centre – Sonny Rollins at the Royal Festival Hall 1989 - Tribe Called Quest, Pharoah Sanders, Roy ayers, Galliano, Brand New Heavies and Steve Williamson at the Jazz Weekender Camber Sands 1990 - Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge at the legendary Talkin’ Loud Sunday sessions at Dingwalls (‘87-’90) where you could hear Tribe Called Quest followed by Yusef Lateef’s Brother John and no one would leave the dancefloor! 

“What a Long Strange Trip It's Been”

I’m just glad I was along for the ride!

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