Hi Graeme, can you start off by telling us a bit about how you came about to be a Dj as I heard originally it wasn’t the plan and came about by default?
I was working in a record shop called Selectadisc in Nottingham in the early 1980s whilst playing saxophone in a band. The owner of the shop bought a local nightclub and told me I was going to be his DJ. I wasn’t keen, but I’m glad I decided to give it a go. The owner, Brian Selby, died last year and at his funeral I realised that I owed him so much.
You are synonymous with The Hacienda – can you fill us in on how you started working there, and how you became one of the key resident DJs in its heyday?
I first met Haçienda DJ Mike Pickering in 1987 at an i-D photo shoot in London. I was aware of him through his Quando Quango ad T-Coy record releases. As we were both pioneering house music “up north” we became friends and put on a night at The Hacienda called “The Northern House Review” in February 1988 to showcase my Submission label and his Deconstruction label. T-Coy and my band Groove also performed. The night was a huge success and that lead to Mike asking me to cover his Friday night throughout June while he was on holiday. I ended up staying and DJ’d with Mike until 1992 when I then moved to Saturdays and stayed until 1996.
Graeme Park & Mike Pickering live @ The Hacienda ~ August 1989 (3 hour set) by Magnetback on Mixcloud
The Hac celebrated the 30th anniversary of it’s opening in 2012. Can you rhyme off a couple of memorable moments from years gone by?
One New Years Eve we set off fireworks inside with a bang! But there were burning embers in the air that did hang. I don’t think I’ve played in a DJ box that’s been any higher. So I got a great view of someone’s hair on fire. One birthday night we had a fairground outside. There was a ferris wheel so big and wide. Burger vans had food that smelled good. But they sold none due to the presence of Ebenezer Goode.
The other day we were listening to the Hacienda Mix that you were putting together, how did go about picking the tracks, and why are these special to you?
Erm… like I usually do. I just make it up as I go along. Well, apart from the Haçienda 30 CD which took a lot of planning. I started with a list of over 100 but the 19 tracks that got cleared first and that ended up in my mix are all special to me for a variety of reasons. One of them is Mrs Park’s tune. Can you guess which one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BphhnkWuFtE
Decades on from the good old days, there are so many categories of house and bass music emerging from the UK scene right now. For someone like yourself, how do you feel to hear these sounds coming back round again?
I love it! It makes me feel 20 years younger. Mind you, when I see photos of me 20 years ago I look younger than I do now. That’s just weird.
(At Jive Turkey, Sheffield)
(In Sarajevo with Nancy Noise)
With technology evolving and the digital revolution of music what’s your take on thing like MP3s, Serato, Beatport, Souncloud etc.? Have you had to embrace these and get involved? Or are you able to keep it real with Vinyl?
I embrace all technology! I’ve been using Serato with vinyl discs for five years now. That means I get the best of both worlds. I refuse to use any form of “auto sync” though. It’s no fun. I have a skill that might die out and I just love mixing all forms of music live with vinyl. The 8-year-old Park twins are being taught the art by the way.
Do you have any big gigs lined up or plans for 2013?
My diary for 2013 is already filling up and you can find out where I’ll be spinning at http://thisisgraemepark.com
Music aside, what else have you been up to over the festive season? Was Santa Park busy with the presents ;)
Setting up the Park twins’ iPad Minis and building acres and acres of their bloody Lego.
Do you still find the time to go out raving, and enjoying the clubs, which you have spent so much time in over the years? Are you still in touch with the likes of Frankie Knuckles and the gang?
I DJ’d with Frankie Knuckles a few weeks ago at a Hacienda 30 gig in Leeds. He’s still my favourite DJ in the world ever and he was, as always, superb! So much so I let him carry on almost an hour into my set time.
We are looking forward to having you back at the Subbie – what do you enjoy most about returning to our Glasgow basement?
The Subbie is one of the finest clubs in the UK and I love playing there. The crowd let me do my thing while they go crazy. It’s the perfect gig in a wonderfully dark venue with a kicking sound system and fabulous staff. Oh, and the fact that one of the directors of the club is a fellow Aberdeen FC supporter, makes playing there an utter joy!
THIS SUNDAY WE ARE IN FOR A MUSICAL TREAT WITH THE DELIGHTS OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST COLLECTIONS OF CLASSIC HOUSE SHOWCASED BY ONE OF THE DANCE MUSIC’S FINEST PARTY STARTERS.
EXPECT THE VERY BEST AS HACIENDA LEGEND PARKY CREEPS BACK INTO HIS FAVOURITE BASEMENT ONCE AGAIN FOR A RARE FOUR HOUR SET…
ENTRY IS FREE TO THOSE WITH A HAPPY MONDAYS GIG TICKET & £5 ADVANCE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE HERE.