HEY DJ! – Eyeplug talks to Barnet Mark

I’m now 49 but I started going to gigs when I was 13 and haven’t stopped in all this time. I’ve been a DJ, Promoter, been in a few bands (Vox), Venue Manager, T-Shirt seller, Band Manager and have even done a bit of band security. I started my Punk night London Callin’ at The 12 Bar Club over 11 years ago now and co-promote with other various promoters.

1. What were your early musical influences?

I was lucky enough to have a mother involved with a record label in the sixties, so I grew up listening to a lot of Ska, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Small Faces, The Kinks, The Who & The Animals, by the time I could pick my own music the likes of Slade, Sweet, Mud, Bowie, Bolan and all The Glam stuff in fact, influenced me entering my teenage years, then punk happened, of course I didn’t realise it at the time, but it changed my life forever.

2. What sort of Music do your gravitate towards generally?

I listen to punk, Ska, Rockabilly & Mod mainly, but as I’ve got older my tastes have broadened and I take in many other genres of music.

Our Sponsors

3. What have been the bands or sounds that have always been in your play-list or record box?

The Clash, The Jam, Elvis, Dropkick Murphys, Slade, Rancid, Desmond Dekker, Madness, Toots and The Maytals, The Who, The Kinks, The Small Faces, The Stray Cats, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Stiff Little Fingers, Cocksparrer, The Cockney Rejects, The Ruts… Just to name a few.

4. What about the Formats available, your thoughts on Vinyl, CD and MP3?

I nearly always DJ off CD, I play vinyl a lot at home, and listen to my iPod whilst travelling. I don’t drive, so it’s much easier to carry around a case of 200 CDs rather than records.

5. Any Current Bands that you feel seem to be producing the goods?

Argy Bargy, The Fallen Leaves, The Uppercuts, Eastfield, and The Skints to name but a few.

6. What can we expect to hear on your show or during your Sets?

I’ll play anything apart from Thrash, Speed, Dark Metal, Modern club music.

7. Anything that you Really Hate and Why?

Modern R’n’B – it has no soul and certainly ain’t the blues!

8. What about Requests?

As long as I have the tunes with me, haven’t already played them and have the time, I’m more than happy to accept requests.

9. Tell us what you are up to at the Moment, where can we catch you playing etc?

I’m managing The 12 Bar Club In Soho at the moment and playing with my band Viva Las Vegas, so I haven’t been doing a great deal of DJing lately, but I do like to jump up and play a few tunes at The 12 Bar every now and then!

10. Your thoughts on the future and things that excite you Beyond Music?

6 years ago I had a minor stroke, luckily I’ve made a pretty full recovery and my life has changed so much since then, from giving up my print career and taking over at the 12 Bar Club, getting married, moving from North to South London. I wouldn’t even begin to predict the future as I’ve seen how much things can change in such a short space of time.

Outside of music, I’m a big Chelsea fan and have a season ticket, I like to travel, so like to get away with my wife as often as possible to sometimes off the beat places.

11. Have you met or Worked with anyone Interesting on your Musical journey?

I’ve sold T-Shirts for The Clash (The line-up after Mick Jones Left) and PIL on a European stint my band at the time Big Bad Wolf supported The Pogues in The 80s, Tour managing The Business in Malaysia. These stand out the most to me: running The 12 Bar Club and being around music so long there’s a hell of a lot of interesting and famous people I get to meet.

12. Top Fave Tunes Right Now?

The Fallen Leaves : Trouble
Los Fumadores (Defunct) : My Wifes Clothes don’t Fit Me Anymore
Cocksparrer : Did You have a nice life without me
The Downtown Struts : Victoria
Eastfield : Another boring Eastfield Song

Links

facebook: facebook.com/barnet.mark
twitter: twitter.com/barnetmark1

admin

More Posts - Website

Originally posted 2012-09-07 13:06:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter