Colin Hudd… A DJ that has been setting dancefloors alight since the 80s
Hi Colin, amazing journey for you, still rocking the joint three decades on. What music were you listening to as a kid in your bedroom that first turned you on about dance music…
“I guess my older brother turned me onto dance music, he followed the charts and was into the rock n’ roll Elvis thing – and I reckon that qualifies for early dance music for me.”
So why did you start DJing in the first place ?
“I started DJing because I loved dance music and girls. I thought through DJing, it would combine both pleasures…”
Where was your first ever gig – what was it like?
“My first gig was in between a band at a private function in a hotel in Tilbury, Essex and all I remember was how pleased I was to play Barry White out REALLY loud!”
Looking back, which DJs back in the day did you look up to?
“I was always quite taken by Radio One’s Emperor Rosco, Greg Edwards pushed my buttons on the radio as well and my two favourite club DJs were Terry Ray and Steve Wood.”
Your DJ mates over the years?
“Well Tongy and I knew each other from when I used to do a gig in Gravesend called ‘Wings’ at the Battle of Britain – and Oaky I knew from his visits to Flicks with Trevor Fung and Nicky Holloway. Good pals…”
So ‘Land of Oz’ at Heaven, spinning with Oakenfold every Monday – how the hell did all that come about?
“Well we later used Paul and Pete at Flicks on a New Romantic night on Thursdays. Paul and I became bigger friends over the next few years, one night in ’87 round my home, I played him a pile of stuff I loved and had bought but could never play at Flicks because it was too fast and different. A few months later I got a phone call from him asking me to cover for Johnny Walker at ‘Spectrum’ at Heaven – I remember the phone call…”just bring all that stuff you played me round your house and DON’T TALK – just mix”. My background was always the talking DJ – it was the era I was from and I had always hated it, so the thought of just mixing was music to my ears. When I walked into Heaven that night, it was like being hit by a train.”
What are your favorite memories from that club?
“We had an awesome night one Monday, North vs South. It was The Hacienda’s Mike Pickering and Graeme Park one end and Oaky and myself at the other – all with four decks each…it was truly awesome and something I really wish someone had taped. The other thing I remember is Oaky and I always had such a great laugh, always pissing about and never being too serious, well apart from the music of course. That was the other thing I remember, how eclectic the music was at Spectrum, we really did cover a huge variety of music from Acid to Garage, Balearic and Belgian and Euro – not only that, there was a wealth of great new music coming at us from all directions as well as the stuff we were producing ourselves. Trevor Fung and I then took ‘Spectrum’ on the road to Manchester every Monday – that was a crazy time…leaving London at 3pm hoping to get there in time for the gig. We actually blew a car up on the way once, we got there so late they had to put a tape on of us from the week before and a guy was miming to it with headphones on. Because it was Manchester there was always a party afterwards, we usually didn’t get back to London ’till mid morning by which time Trevor and I would go straight to a record shop and buy more tunes…not always a shrewd move when you’ve been partying all night. Trevor and I also had an awesome Caister in ’88 – we took House music to the event and we did an after hours set together that was amazing, spinning and mixing one track each – it was fierce as fuck…I can still remember that room locked down and dancing – the organisers didn’t know what had happened and couldn’t understand why no one wanted to go to bed at 4am.”
Did you expect what was back then a fairly small scene (London vs the North West really) to develop into a phenomenal worldwide business?
“We knew it was the start of something special, but I’m not sure any of us thought it would have the legs that it has had. It’s such a big scene now who could ever have imagined?”
What have been your best clubs you’ve played at over the years in the UK?
“Heaven was always special for me, they always got it so right, great lights and sound. I always liked playing there up in the gods, it was a great DJ position, you really could control the room. That and Legends of course on Old Burlington Street, that truly was the best Saturday night in London for two years in ’88/’89.”
Biggest tunes that you’d fight Lennox Lewis if he tried to take them off your record shelves?
“The hip house stuff still sends me wild, Fast Eddie – ‘Yo Yo Get Funky’ and Doug Lazy ‘Let It Roll’. ‘Rock To The Beat’, some twisted Belgium stuff and of course ‘Where Love Lives’ courtesy of Alison Limerick.”
So, the ’90s, how were they for you?
“It just got a little more wild in some ways, there I was sitting indoors one day in 1992 and Paul rings up to see if I want to share the U2 Zooropa tour with him, so there went summer in the best possible way ever. Then in 1994, I was invited to Singapore by Lincoln Cheng to open the Velvet underground next to Zouk. Through the late 90s I spent some time with Nigel Champion doing some tracks under the name of HHC and spent some time prepping new tracks for an Audio Deluxe LP with Paul Borg.”
Tell us about your production releases and remixes…what stand out?
“My proudest remixes were for Billy Idol – ‘Flesh for Fantasy’ and a couple of tracks for The Blue Aero Planes which I did with Paul Borg my Audio Deluxe partner along with our classic ’60 seconds’. I’m also still very happy with a tune I did with Pete Lazonby – ‘The Colours’ and a few tracks I did with Nigel have stood the test of time…’Were Not Alone’ and ‘Distant Shores’. But in some ways the most fun was when we made ‘Mental’ as the Manic MC Richard Cottle was an amazing musician to work with on my first outing.”
Best club outside of the UK?
“Easy. Pacha in Ibiza.”
What DJs over the years have you just thought, yeah!!!!
“Obviously Oakenfold, he was totally professional and always worked the dance floor, Derrick May was good to watch, tough beats.”
Charlie Chester vs Brandon Block vs Nicky Holloway vs Lisa Loud…biggest loony?
“Nicky Holloway no contest, the others are pussy cats by comparison.”
What’s next for the Hudd?
“Well I am preparing for a few gigs back in England when I come back, a Flicks revival night is so way over due – it was 30 years ago when it started and I’ve been approached about some back to 88/89 events here in Bangkok recently which is where I live now.”
