SGM Interviews Trevor Nelson!!!
What made you want to become a DJ?
I didn’t want to become a DJ I just became a DJ. It was just a hobby, I was a bit of a geek and an obsessive about music. I was a record collector not really a DJ. I done a school disco in my school and from that moment I just liked it really. I liked the idea of making people dance. I liked the safety of being behind the decks as appose to being on the dance floor and having to ask girls to dance and all sorts of rubbish like that. In a way I fell into it. I fell into it for musical reasons not fame or anything like that. I never thought it would take me as far as it did.
Who inspired you?
There were a couple of DJ’s, but in those days (80’s) there were only a couple of DJ’s worth listening to. There was a guy called Robbie Vincent, who did Radio 1 for a while but he was mainly Radio London. There was a guy on Capital, an American guy called Greg Edwards. I used to religiously listen to those two. In clubs there was a guy called Paul Anderson who I used to DJ with on Kiss but before that the first club I went to was the club Paul Anderson used to DJ at. He used to play electro, hip-hop, stuff like that, and so he was my favourite DJ.
What gives you the bigger rush…… DJ-ing to a big live crowd or live on Radio 1?
There completely different really. I think in the long term I’ll always be a broadcaster so I love doing radio. I really do like doing Radio 1 because once I get into the flow of it I just like it, I’m quite natural at it I think. Doing radio you’re kind of on your own so you can wear what you like, look how you like, feel rough or you can look smooth. It’s not superficial in the terms of the way you look, it’s just all about you connecting with your audience and playing tunes which is what I think I’m quite good at. Clubs are different, I mean if you have a good night then great, if you’re not having such a good night then its not so great. Its like you can’t tell what’s going on out there. When you’re on radio you can’t count how many people are listening, you just have to DJ as if everybody is listening. When you’re in a club its in front of you. When it’s good it’s brilliant, when it’s good the rush is incredible. But when it’s not so good, when the equipments not great or the crowd aren’t feeling what you’re doing, it’s not the best place to be.
What did it feel like when you got your first slot on R adio 1?
I should have felt a bit more euphoric than I did. I don’t know, I just don’t get too excitable about anything. I knew it was a big moment in my life I’ve got to be honest with you. I didn’t jump up and down because it was quite a difficult process to get on Radio 1. I had to submit a tape, there were probably about fifty other guys going for the same show. Twenty of whom were capable, and they had to choose one guy. There was a lot of politics at the time because Radio 1 was going through a change over. You know with the old garden and the new garden. There was a hell of a lot of politics and I didn’t want to be part of it. So I was just relieved to get the show. I knew what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to push RnB on Radio 1 because no one was calling it R n B at the time and I really wanted to. It was the start of a brand new chapter in my life so I was excited. I started on the bullet time slot on Sunday afternoons at 2 o’clock just before the Radio 1 Chart Show so it was a big slot to start on and I was very nervous for the first few weeks. I was petrified to be honest.
Was it a hard decision to leave K iss FM after so long?
It was easy. I used to listen to the soul show on Radio 1 and to be honest with you I just didn’t rate it and I just felt that there was something more contemporary happening out there. I mean the guy was playing good music and I know him I’m not going to diss him but I just didn’t think it was now and I felt that hip-hop was becoming so influential that you couldn’t ignore it. Merging hip-hop and soul is what I wanted to do and I knew that from playing in all the clubs that it was the thing. I just knew that I was up for the challenge.
How long were you at Kiss?
I was at Kiss for a total of ten years. I was there for five years as a pirate DJ and five years as a legal DJ.
Did you leave Kiss as soon as you heard about Radio 1?
Yeah I left Kiss to join Radio 1. It was quite difficult for me to leave Kiss. I mean at one point I was the Director of Kiss. At one point a pirate was broadcasting from my own flat. Kiss was like family to me. You know to pirate Kiss and to go to Radio 1 which was completely foreign. I didn’t know many people there, it was an institution really. It was a completely different thing. I wouldn’t be coming up to Dundee if it wasn’t for Radio 1. I mean you wouldn’t have heard of me. So that’s why I really wanted to do it. I wanted to go around the country
R n B has exploded all over the world in recent years……. How do you see it progressing over the next five years?
Well it’s interesting. I think right now it’s at a situation point in terms of how far it can go. You know it’s done what it can do. It’s a matter of consolidating it’s position. The thing about R n B is that for some people they wear it like a winter coat, you know it’s seasonal. Some people like all styles of music, they treat R n B as a new pup. There attitude maybe well I’ll like R n B for a few years then I’ll go back to guitar. But there’s a hardcore R n B fan base t hat are going to sustain the music forever. I don’t think it will go back underground for the simple reason that unlike other forms of music this music is artist driven and when an R n B artist is signed to a label their signed to make an album not a single. You don’t get artists signed for singles, like you do with dance records. You know people will do a single, they’ll flap it up, put it on a compilation. Maybe do another single if it’s good but nine out of ten times it’s never good. With R n B artists, you name any artist there’s an album, there’s a commitment. So you’re signing an artist like you’d be signing a rock band. That means that the music’s got more protection. You know I’m never going to be bigger than any of the artists on my scene, whereas say dance music DJs are bigger than the artists on their scene. That’s because its artist driven. So I don’t think it will go underground. I think what will happen is only the quality artists will be signed in the future. They went through a stage of signing so many R n B and Hip Hop artists, but they are realising that not everyone’s going to make a lot of money for them. I think only the quality artists will survive.
You have DJ’d all over the world, where is the nicest place you have DJ’d?
I think one of the most beautiful clubs I’ve DJ’d in is a club in Athens. I can’t even tell you what it’s called because it’s got a very strange name. But it’s a big club and holds a couple of thousand people. It’s outdoors by the coast, by the sea, by the beach. It’s phenomenal. There are beautiful models dancing on a catwalk in front of you. The only problem is, I like using vinyl and when it’s windy sometimes the records jump but it is a beautiful scene. That’s one of my favourite places. But my favourite club to play at in the world is Pasha, which I’m doing right now. It’s not ridiculously super club in the sense of technological lighting and all that stuff. Its just really warm, lovely and brilliant people run it. Gorgeous people work there. I just love the room that I play in. It’s just how I’ve always envisioned DJ-ing should be. So Pasha’s my favourite club in the world but there’s one in Athens that is very close.
You must have attracted some groupies over the years….. Any interesting stories?
Yeah there has been some interesting stories hasn’t there. I mean I think I get my fair share of attention. I think I’ve done quite well do hold it down to be honest. Because in my line of work, I mean girls particularly love R n B. I think I’ve got a relationship with people on the radio and they come out and see you and obviously the TV stuff so I get my fair share of attention. But I’m a taken man so its quite difficult for me to you know talk about it. It’s part of the scene and I don’t like dissing people, so I’m nice to everyone. You know what I’m like. It’s difficult but listen I’m never going to say no to the attention. I know so many DJs I know don’t get that. I’m not going to turn around and say oh I hate that I wish it had never happened because I know so many guys who don’t get any of that because their playing hardcore techno you know what I mean they just don’t get that. They get groupied by men. I’d rather be groupied by women.
What CD’s have you got in your CD player at home or in your car?
Right now on the underground I would say there is still some sort of R n B in the more soulful side of things. There’s a guy called Raheem Devorm. He’s just very sort of on that new sole tip. It’s very nice, I very much like it. I’m listening to Missy Elliot right now. She’s a bit schizophrenic with her beats. She’s always very interesting to listen to, not so easy to dance to. Also Kanye West.
Do you listen to live bands or dance music in your spare time?
Only because I’ve been in Ibiza recently I’ve been listening to more dance than normal but it will always be live bands
If so what bands do you like?
I had tickets for Coldplay and I didn’t go. It’s not because I don’t appreciate other types of music, I just don’t have the energy to go to see bands anymore, unless I’m really crazy about them. The last act I saw at a concert was Common. His name is Common. He’s awesome, he’s rapper. I saw John Legend as well before that. Both awesome.
The last time you played in Dundee on Hogmanay live on Radio 1, broadcast to millions…. Was it strange broadcasting to the nation from a small city in Scotland on the biggest night of the year?
That was the buzz of it. We worked really hard to make that happen. It’s easy to do something in London or Birmingham or Manchester you know it’s easy. I saw the club in Dundee and I got blown away by it when I went up there for a gig. I just thought you know what Radio 1 want to do for the first time in their history, R n B at 12 o’clock. Which was incredible. Instead of doing it obviously from London and the whole country thinking “Oh London again!” I thought lets go to Dundee. There are people who kind of follow me and like me to go to strange places. So there were people from around the UK that came. But most importantly I think it was great for the Dundee crowd who were into R n B. It just makes you feel that you’re on the map you know and I like doing that. The club could support what we wanted to do and we thought that technically we could support the club and it was a great night. It was hard work for everyone concerned because Hogmanay traditionally to me, in Scotland is quite a cheap night out and a lot of outdoor things are going on in Scotland. I think it was an amazing night I hope you got a lot of good reaction to it. Even for people who weren’t there its great for Dundee.
We hear your back in Dundee at London on November 9 th What do you expect this time with the new freshers coming in?
Well put it this way, I’ve done Dundee Uni a couple of times and its always good crack. I’ve done the club for a public night and student night before and then I did New Years Eve. So this will be my 4 th trip to the club. The fact that I’ve waited eleven months to come back is deliberate because Hogmanay was such a big night, you don’t want to come back to quick and it would be quite flat. So I figure that waiting this long is good because people will be more interested in seeing what you’re going to do. I think it’s a great buzz for freshers . I think with freshers, they are special breed of clubbers because half of them haven’t been clubbing before until they go to university. They let their hair down when they go to Uni and the other half have been clubbing before. So they create a very unique atmosphere in the club. Especially when they are the only ones in there. They feel free and loose and it’s a great buzz for me because their also people who probably watch my Lick Show or listen to me playing on Radio 1 and their eager to meet you. I think the energy will be incredible more than anything else.
A lot of girls up hear will want to know if you are single when you come up to this area in November……. Will you be?
Aww what do you want me to say to that!!!!! All I can say is treat me like an actor. I’m a massive actor.
Number one I wouldn’t leave the club with someone and get married. Number two it doesn’t stop me smiling or window shopping. I’m a window dresser, there’s nothing wrong with window dressing. I’m not single.
