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The Big Chill Changed My Life... Says Maq
Many say The Big Chill changed their life in some way or another. We thought it about time we heard your stories. Kicking us off, is Maq, who recalls his first ever DJ experience - at Eastnor 2003- ″Kick them out of the way and get set up, you're on!″
- ″...You'll need to reassign the crossfader...″
- ″...Get your first track cued up!″
I look up over more knobs and buttons than I've ever seen in my life before and see a teeming horde of grinning, waving, cheering, yelling punters. It's 11pm on the last night of Eastnor 2003 and there is only one thought in my head.
What the HELL am I doing on this side of the decks?
It all started before the Summer Chill. I'd happily been a punter at Big Chill events since Enchanted Garden 2000. I'd played instruments as a child and played a few clumsy basslines when I was at uni but I was under no illusions that I was anything but a punter.
I'd thrown my hat in with the Forum-created Cider Decider Corporation, just a bunch of friends who were keen to play some folky, lairy party tunes. Due to a shortage of DJs, I'd been put on the roster to play at our ″next event″. I have no idea why, I'd never touched a mixer in my life before. I was expecting a small, low key pub night. I wasn't expecting Eastnor.
I take a shaky breath in and cue up my first track, hoping that one hour of hands on experience and two agonising weeks of choosing tracks would be enough for my 15 minutes (literally) of fame.
″Yeah, right there's cool...″
So far so good, I appear to have pressed the right buttons and there's actually music coming out of the speakers. The intro seems to go on for half an hour....
The beat kicks in and I start bopping along. If nothing else I was determined to play tracks that make me dance, even if no-one else would. I busy myself with getting my next track ready, too nervous to see what the reaction from the dancefloor is. Maybe if I just keep my head down I'll be offstage before anyone gets too bored.
Hey... they're dancing! Get me! I'm playing tunes and everyone's dancing!
The rest of the set passes in a blur. Cheers erupt from the dancefloor as the first bars of my last track kick in. This is fun, I can see why people enjoy it so much.
And then it's over. I stumble offstage, dazed, as our next DJ takes over. I think people are congratulating me, they might be asking if I'm alright, I can't really tell.
It's been two months since Eastnor and I'm getting a set together. I'm playing out in Kings Cross on Friday. Amazing how quickly your life can change when you get involved with the Big Chill.
Maq
Written: 13th Oct, 03
Read: 2835 times
