DJ John Logan is the newest addition to the XXL fold and you can find him at the club’s Mid-Week party with a mix of current chart tracks and the night’s more familiar retro sounds. Dave Cross found out more.
Hi John, how long have you been playing at XXL Mid-Week?
I’ve been at XXL Mid-Week since July this year and it’s been a great few months. The team at XXL are awesome to work with and the customers couldn’t be nicer.
Where are you from originally?
I’m originally from Ireland but I’ve been in the UK forever. Mostly in South London with a brief sojourn in East Sussex.
How long have you been DJing and how did you start?
I’ve been DJing nearly five years. A random chance encounter with a bar owner on a night out accompanied by a lot of bravado meant I managed to talk myself into my first regular gig. Luckily I was able to deliver the goods: I was there for nearly a year, but I lost track of how many times I was asked to TURN THE MUSIC DOWN!
We are so fortunate to live in these times where technology means that ANYONE can DJ. I know the jump from traditional DJing with vinyl and CDJs to controllers, laptops, iPads and even phones has led to some elitism in the industry, but I think progress is a great thing; the new developments in tech allow us to build so much more into our sets and do things that were unimaginable a few years ago.
What else do you do?
I took this giant leap of faith and made a decision to commit completely and gave everything else up. If I was going to do it, I wanted to do it properly. I’ve always been musical, I play the guitar, I produce my own music and have a ton of bootleg remixes I incorporate into my sets. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, but I love it and felt it was the right path for me.
How would you describe what you play at XXL Mid-Week and is it different from what you play at other venues?
I play a pretty wide mix: 70s disco, 80s synthesizer pop, 90s house and R&B, along with modern chart music and some Latin. XXL Mid-Week is this beautiful marriage of retro and contemporary sounds. It’s a more diverse set than I would play anywhere else and I’m very lucky because I have this genuine love of these different styles that fit in with and, now, define the night.
For those who have never been what is XXL Mid-Week like?
On a Wednesday, XXL is a relaxed, laid back mid-week social with a fun, light, upbeat atmosphere. It’s a friendly place to chat, mingle and dance with a mixed crowd of older and younger clientele. I work at XXL on Saturdays as well and they can get wonderfully intense and crazy, but this is the perfect bridge to the weekend – whether you decide to make a night of it or have an early start the next day.
Can you pick five tracks that are really big right now at XXL Mid-Week?
Apart from the current chart favourites these always go down a storm:
- Love to Love You Baby by Donna Summer
- Chain Reaction by Diana Ross
- Relax (New York Mix) by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
- Toxic by Britney Spears
- Proud Mary by Ike and Tina Turner
XXL Mid-Week is at Pulse, 1 Invicta Plaza, South Bank, London, SE1 9UF.
Entry is free for members, £5 for guests.
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