Evil Rabbit
Manoid - Evil Rabbit - Jfunk - Quiche - malFUNKtion - AlfonsoMuchacho - COLOSSUS - DJ GJG - A Deeper Groove
I first got into DJing in 1994 when a guy called Lee Dean moved next door to my parents house in Cheltenham. He was a promoter for a night that had just got up and running in the town centre at a brand new club called Time. I was already into clubbing in a major way and was often found venturing up and down the motorway to Cream in Liverpool and The Brunel Rooms in Swindon, so it was a dream come true when he invited me round to his place to learn how to mix!
I was hooked straight away and went out and bought a pair of Kam belt drive turntables, a cheap mixer and a heap of 12 inches. I was really into deep funky American house at the time and couldn't get enough of tracks by DJ Sneak, The Bucketheads, Todd Terry and George Morel.
My first public set came at Time when Lee asked me to bring some of my own records down to the club as he liked my style and wanted to play some of my tracks. I was really excited that some of my tunes would be aired, but I was even more excited when I turned up and he told me I was doing the warm up for Rocky & Diesel!
I continued to pick up work here and there and managed to get my first residency at Perpetual Motion at a new club called Number 13. It was Cheltenham's best kept secret, with big name hardhouse DJ's such as Tony De Vit, Tall Paul, Steve Thomas in the basement and ME upstairs keeping it funky!
The night moved back to the bigger venue of Time where I was lucky enough to play with Anne Savage, Lisa Lashes and the other Sundiessential residents. Naturally, playing with these DJ's, my style became harder which got me noticed by the promoter of Queeer, which was a truly awesome night held in a sweaty pit in a dilapidated venue in the town centre. That's what made the night so good as the punters came for the music and the atmosphere, not the lavish surroundings of a superclub.
Unfortunately, the venue was sold to a leisure chain, but Queeer had one last party which I was lucky enough to play at. Carl, the promoter, said to me what every DJ wants to hear, "it's the last night, so let's go out with a bang. I want you to play hardest, dirtiest tunes you've got!"....and I obliged! Oh my god, what a night that was, 800 mad for it clubbers in a venue that should only have held 400...it was awesome, the best night I've ever had!
I continued to play at nights in Birmingham and Bristol, but I began to loose interest in the hardhouse and trance scene at the time, so I decided to go back to my roots and bring back the funk! Sadly, I lost contact with the hardhouse DJ's as they went onto bigger and better things, but since those days I have established a residency at J's Vodka Bar where I hold 'Evilrabbit' parties with my mate Andy Wallington.