We were pondering the concept of the whole "back to back" thing in our undersea command centre the other day and one name popped up more than it is really fair to ignore. Erratic and eccentric elder statesman of the Ibiza and UK scene Tim Sheridan is, let's face it, The Don of the back to back thing. After only some cursory journalistic 'research' after a very long lunch we discovered this DJ not only seems to have been doing it longer than most.... he certainly has done it with the most different DJs. The slut that he is! So we collared this professional co-pilot in the busy countdown to the opening night of his new VVWI recordings label residency at Fabric's bastard child Matter this Saturday. Despite the chaos and carnage of the panic of the last few days before a superclub opening he managed, as ever, to give us a long and verbose analysis of the back to back phenomena. We decided, in a vain attempt to control Sheridan's famously effusive interview style, to keep the questions as simple as possible. So we boiled it down to Four "W"s. What. When. Why. Who. Easy!
So. Tim....
What is Back to Back DJing?
(laughs) I am assuming you mean explain it as if to a Martian or something? I suppose it isn't quite as clear cut as it appears maybe. I mean some duos are up in the DJ booth together but they might be playing half an hour each... or one is playing tunes and the other doing effects and loops? It's never clear. It's interesting in general I think about what people see in the booth as opposed to what they hear. How do you know these days if someone with a laptop is playing something pre-mixed for example? They do an' all I've seen it! scandalous. Producer-stroke-DJ acts are billed as 'live' a lot but what does that mean? pressing a few buttons? from the dancefloor it's very hard to tell. And very easy to cheat. My own philosophy of it is that if something can't go dreadfully wrong in an instant... and by that I mean you have to be constantly working on what you are doing to stop it going wrong (laughs)... then it isn't live. Playing the fucking Penny Whistle properly is harder and takes more practice and skill than playing records... so also for 'live' I like to see something like some musicianship up there too I guess. Sorry I digress!
To me, back to back is one-on-one-off. I know there are other ways. People prefer two each or whatever, to me though I find that if you can't get a groove going... and by that I mean a groove with whom you are working with, as well as a musical flow... if you can't get that one-on-one-off thing going on then it's just not as good. I suppose for me it's about energy levels. That method keeps you both on your toes and because of that... the dancefloor benefits ultimately 'cos neither one of you is 'coasting'. I mean, what's the point of seeing a double act unless there is something happening that the individuals involved can't do by themselves? the point of of it really is to be better than the sum of it's parts. In my view, and it's just opinion is all, when you get two DJs playing say... 2 each, you are basically hearing one DJ do his thing, then the other. There isn't much cross-pollination going on. It's one DJ and their 'style' followed by the other and theirs. When it is one-on-one-off, and for the Martian readers out there I mean playing one record each at a time, you get something outside the two DJs. Something better I think.
When do you do it? and when are the best circumstances for this?
Actually nearly always (laughs). Whenever it is a VVWI event it is required that the headliners be back to back and often the other DJs too. In our early incarnation as an afterhours all over the place (VVWI was once in 7 separate cities simultaneously on Sundays: helpful Ed) it was compulsory to be a 'jam' if you like. In my head I modeled the afterhours on the Jazz afterhours of the 1940s and 50s. I mean... whatever you do or think it's happened before in some guise right? In these sessions the Jazz musicians would congregate somewhere, often just a house... and play. Blue Note famously preferred to record these sessions than in the studio or in a club! It's the place where you'd really let rip. I envisioned the VVWI afterhours as a place all the local residents would come and just get involved. Often rival clubs in towns would find their residents playing back to back after some saturday night politics had evaporated... which was nice (laughs). In Leeds for example I once counted 8 DJs playing at once. Which sounds awful but it wasn't! It was ace. There were my residents, some random guests, Geddes and Gavin Herlihy... it was a real WCW throwdown. There is a real and I should also say not accidental sense of competition in there. Each trying to outdo the other. The dancefloor can only benefit from that I reckon. So in one sense... your question of "when?" is as an afterhours it is a free-for-all thing. And it's just great.
However I'd say the best circumstances are when it's two really good DJs at the top of their game playing an extended set in a proper club. It just locks into something that like I said... is greater than the sum of it's parts... and when that happens it's magical. I mean many DJs reading this know that sort of being "in the zone" type thing. A bit like when you are driving and you realise you have driven for miles but not paid any attention to anything at all.... when two of you are locked into that thing it is brilliant. It's like... (pauses for a long think)... hard to describe... it's like you know when you've seen a favourite film loads and loads of times.... to the point of boredom even... but you watch it again with someone close who has never seen it? you sort of see it vicariously through them and enjoy it all over again. But that would never happen if you watched it alone. It's a bit like that. But obviously much better. Soz! it's hard to describe and I've never tried to before.
Why do it at all? Does it go tits-up sometimes?
Ah this is the question. "Why" is the one we should always ask about everything. I can tell you why not. Certainly not money. Most places, especially now, can't afford a double fee. So I basically split my wage with whoever I do it with. It's a two for one bargain! (laughs) . It's not for ego because really the entire point of it is to subdue the ego... the 'set' you usually do and the 'control' you have over a solo gig... and you have to trust in someone else. Why do it at all? I can definitely say the dancefloor benefits more than anything. It's really simple when you think about it. You get two DJs really having to think hard about what is going on instead of one who is doing their 'routine'. Trying to dig deep and be really honest?... I have been DJing for like... 26 years or something... and for me it's actually just more fun than playing solo. I personally think harder about what I am doing... I try harder... it's just a lot of fun. To be frank nearly every week walking into a club and thinking "tonight I am working side by side with.... whoever" can be a real buzz and more than anything, just really all about variety being the spice of life. I can't bear the thought of becoming one of those horrible old DJs who always sounds the same and gets more and more obscure and irrelevant as they get older. I need to be involved with other DJs to progress and change. Plus I have to DJ with the younger DJs now and then because I drink their tears from a tiny goblet to stay young looking.
In the two extremes when I am doing it, from a local ressie to a a big name... When it is with someone I have done it often with, it is just fucking ace... because we have a vibe already established. But I also get a massive buzz from first timers. Those who've never done the back to back thing. I tell you without fail they ALWAYS get nervy and ring me up and try to discuss a 'plan of action' or variations on that and I always as politely as possible fob them off because without fail after about 4 or 5 tunes in they are loving it. Always. It's simple. I've done it thousands of times so I just follow them to begin with. I just follow what they put on with something as close as possible. Later it gets interesting but there is no room for battling egos. That is when it goes tits up, which I have seen happen but fingers crossed not experienced. I sound like a twat but I can't think of time it's gone tits up for me. Meaning it just not working at all with someone, mistakes happen solo or duo but I can't recollect where I thought "I can't work with this person again". Actually now I think about it there was a time in ibiza when a really young guy was just blasting out hits when it was his turn in a group of several but you know... it can happen. Generally any friction can be smoothed out by just following the others. Tobi Neumann spotted it immediately when we were having a session in Ibiza. He was like "you are copying me aren't you?" Smart fella (laughs) he meant it in a good way though. Copying is a strong word because it implies that at any given time with no preparation except what I am carrying I can imitate any DJ at the drop of a hat, which nobody can do. I can follow them though. You can carry an extremely large and varied load of tunes on CD these days innit.
I'd like to make a disclaimer at this juncture and say I can actually DJ on my own and do nearly every week! (laughs).
Who have you done it with? any funny happenings? what were the best combinations chemistry-wise and ultimately... who was the best?
That's not fair, it's like when you do the 'thanks' on an album. You always miss someone out and piss them off. (we insist and prod Tim with some reminders). The most regular people are like..er... Mr C... with whom it's for me the most seamless and most fun, 'cos we are mates I 'spose. There is some larks and japery to be had there as well as us having a great DJ connection. Mike Monday is a great one who again, just "gets it" and it really flows. King Roc, not just on the decks but in the studio. Great rapport there. Lately with Spektre. As individuals and together. Again... we work together in the studio a lot too. I guess VVWI has a kind of 'A team' who are more regular when we do a formal thing... where the double header is a pre-booked headliner. When it's just spur of the moment it's really diverse though... Jon Carter, Mason, Arthur Baker, Geddes, DJ T, Tom Mangan, Ewan Pearson... sorry I am at a loss. It's a lot.
In the deeper past? well... (laughs) I don't know where to start. If we are talking about Ibiza then I dunno... Alfredo? that was an odd one 'cos he's very...er... particular. But we ended up doing the Space Terrace together quite a bit. Which shocked everyone but me most of all! Danny Tenaglia and I had a great laugh on Bora Bora once messing about for hours and hours. I feel a bit wanky it's a just a massive name drop innit? The whole thing, not just Danny I mean (laughs) The one with Tobi Neumann was funny 'cos for some reason the Germans like to sit down to DJ at afterhours. I found it really hard to sit. I kept crouching and wiggling. At one point we were sat together and as most of your readers probably know Tobi looks quite studious with his glasses on. He had a record in front of him a bit like he was reading it. So I cut the music and said "And now... here's Tobi with the weather". We did look like a couple of newsreaders (laughs). Burlington's very own Ryan O'Gorman has been there too many times to count! In terms of Ibiza then probably every resident of the island at some point or another. Christ! I honestly don't know where to start. It might be easier to say who I haven't done it with (laughs). I must say the old back to back thing really does separate the men from the boys. Naming no names but there are a few who not only refuse but look horrified when you suggest you play together... but then that might be 'cos it's me (laughs). However the best and original will always be old Smokin'. Jo and I would often turn around from our respective boxes and bags holding the same tune to play next, it was that close. I'd played back to back with many, many people over the years... long before I met Jo and even more since but yeah (at this point Tim goes a bit misty).... Smokin' was the best. Such a good DJ and I think being a woman was a big factor in the absence of ego thing. Which is what it is all about. Chemistry between two, rather than the best efforts of one. Bottom line? Back to Back is, in my opinion, giving the dancefloor a lot of energy. More than usual. So if the people on the dancefloor are happy then... well.... that's what our job is really isn't it?
veryverywrongindeed is at matter this Saturday June 27. Burlington Project readers can get a special discount for the night at :
www.ticketweb.co.uk
using the Promo Code : DISCODAMAGED 