2011 January 18

Essential Mix Revisited

It was two years this week since my Essential Mix was first aired on Radio 1. This has proven to be one of the landmark moments of my DJ career, bringing my name to the attention of a whole new group of people, mainly younger, who weren’t previously aware of me. There was a fresh wave of interest last year when it was selected, as part of the Essential Mix 500 celebrations, as one of 10 classics spanning the show’s entire history, which stretches all the way back to 1993.

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:59+00:00January 18, 2011|CD’s / Digital, Hear, Magazines, Mixes, Remixes / Edits|4 Comments

Hooky’s Book

I was recently asked about Peter Hook’s book by Joe Rose on the Big Chill forum. He commented “just been reading about you in Hooky's 'Haçienda - How Not To Run A Club'... sounds like those early days at the Hac were bizarre!” To which I replied: “I'm particularly happy there's finally a book about The Haçienda out there that gives props to the black scene and its key influence on the club. Generally this is missed out completely when people are writing about its part in dance culture...

By Greg Wilson|2025-04-07T10:37:59+00:00January 18, 2011|Black Culture, Books, DJ / Club Culture, Interviews, Manchester, Read, The Nineties|0 Comments

2026 DJ DATES:

31.12 Todmorden – NYE @ The Golden Lion

17.01 Belfast – The Deer’s Head

23.01 Bristol – Lost Horizon

05.02 New York – Jeans

07.02 Upstate New York – Disco Chalet

13.02 Los Angeles – Spotlight

14.02 San Francisco – Great Northern

21.02 London – Fac 51 Haçienda @ Drumsheds

06.03 Brussels – C12 Brussels

08.03 Bognor Regis – Bugged Out

21.03 Leeds – Downtown Disco @ Archive

03.04 Carlisle – The Brickyard

04.04 Dewsbury – The Terrace

05.04 Liverpool – Gloria’s

18.04 Margate – Margate Arts Club

19.04 London – Jazz Cafe

24.04 Manchester – Manchester Cathedral

02.05 London – Disco Disco @ Queens Yard

16.05 Bristol – Where We Belong Festival

23.05 Hastings – The Print Works

30.05 Steyning – Steyning Festival

12.06 Stockport – Moovin Festival

20.06 Newcastle – Frate

27.06 Penzance – Golowan Festival

11.07 London – Brixton Freight Island

26.07 Manchester Freight Island

26.07 Hertfordshire – Campo Sanchez

31.07 Oxfordshire – Wilderness Festival

I’m a DJ from Merseyside. I started out in 1975, but stopped for almost 20 years, between 1984 and the end of 2003, at which point I started again.

One night during the period I wasn’t deejaying, turning off my mind, relaxing, and floating downstream I had what might be termed a moment of clarity. Paradoxically, although I was no longer a DJ in the literal sense I suddenly became aware that I’d never actually stopped being a DJ, for even if I was in a room with just one person I couldn’t help but ask them ‘have you heard this?’, and not only ‘heard’, but ‘have you seen this / read this?’, for it goes beyond music. Already taken somewhat aback by this nugget of self-discovery, I realised, in true eureka style, that this all pre-dates my being a DJ and goes back as far as I can remember – I’ve always had an inherent need to share, it’s absolutely central to my nature. This was quite a revelation.

So it’s no wonder that I became a Disc Jockey, for once I fell in love with those circular pieces of magical plastic during my formative years, it wasn’t a matter of choosing this as a path, the path pretty much chose me.

I don’t intend this to be a DJ blog as such, but more a blog by someone who happens to be a DJ – a place where personal emphasis takes precedence over professional, although, as I’ve already explained, the two aspects are, of course, inescapably entwined.

If you want info about my DJ appearances, email greg@gregwilson.co.uk for regular updates.

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