This Week Dave Ralph – The Liverpool DJ Legend Who Has Sorted It Out Big Time In Boston, USA…
So. where did your crazy clubbing journey begin?
“I guess that DMC really opened my eyes to the massive scale of club culture, but my passion really came with the arrival of house music in the UK. Heaven in London, Shelleys in Longton, Defhouse in Birkenhead, The Eclipse in Coventry and some mad parties in Blackburn were the foundations of my clubbing foundation.”
Liverpool to the USA, so how did that shit happen?
“I got invited to tour America with BT. I was languishing in Ibiza at the time and had always wanted to play the US so I accepted the offer and spent a month on the road with Brian. I was also touring extensively with Paul Oakenfold here, there and everywhere. When I returned home I think my enthusiasm for the US and it’s scene really helped Paul make the decision to go for the US. We spent a lot of time together on and off planes and it was pretty grueling – but at the end of it all we had a fan base. I loved it so much I decided to take a massive chance and relocate to Miami. I don’t think I have ever looked back…”
Musical influences?
“Peter Gabriel, Tangerine Dream, James Brown, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Ochre, Peter Skellern…”
Tell us about Boston life…
“Boston is one of the quirkiest towns in the USA. I say ‘town’ as it’s not the sprawling metropolis that is LA or the five boroughs of New York. Boston has what is termed as ‘old money’. This means that well established families are deep rooted in Boston culture. It’s one of the few towns in the US that does not have the grid system meaning it has roads with curves in. Despite what you might think, this does not confuse the average local and they are able to adjust their driving accordingly. Boston has some fantastic restaurants and if you are into your seafood, then Boston is the place to be. Lobster, shrimp, crab, scrod (yes scrod – not cod, I think its a cods cousin!!!) it’s all there and you can find it fresh and it tastes fantastic. Boston nightlife is somewhat of a let down though sometimes. You cannot frequent a bar or club in Boston unless you are 21, this archaic law makes clubbing in Boston, at times, a little tame. Although every major DJ rolls through, clubs close down at 2.00am (I could liken it to
the UK in the 70’s) – you just want one more hour to hang out but you gotta go home. There is one after-hours club in Boston but you can’t drink in there – it’s tiny and a little over-rated. Since Avalon closed down, there really has not been a great night in Boston but look out for a new night called ‘King Size Boston’ starting in September. Should be worth a look. Boston is very pretty though and rather a splendid choice for a family vacation and the aquarium is breathtaking. Boston.com is a good place to start if you plan on visiting.”
The Oaky story…
“Oh God!!!! Where does one begin on this one? Firstly let me say that without Paul I would not have had the opportunity to travel and see many of the places on the planet. In 1995 I made a record with a couple of other chaps called Hope and we named our little production outfit ‘Jelle Boufon’. It was a hot track and Paul ended up signing it. He then invited me to support him on a forthcoming UK Perfecto tour. We just got on really well and before I knew it I was going all over the globe with him. Paul really helped me understand another side of DJing I had not experienced before. His tour with U2 had really made him into the first superstar DJ. I mean, it was mental – the Oakie chants, the rock & roll feel of being on the road, the DJ tour manager, on and off planes, in and out of hotels – completely fucking mental. My popularity grew with his. Paul is a lot of fun and a fantastic business man. Ask him about Tracy Tree next time you see him!!”
Tell us about your club stuff news…
“I am about to start a new night at two venues in Boston – Roxy and Underbar. Roxy is a large capacity old theatre that has been around forever and Underbar is a very cool chic space with an Angel Moreas sort of feel that can send a pair of flares trembling at 400 paces. The night is called ‘King Size Boston’ and Deadmu5 kick it all off. ‘King Size Boston’ will be presenting great DJs to the market with residents including Melee, Justin Carr, Eli Wilkie and Randy Deshaise. ‘King Size Boston’ opens Wednesday September 17th. Check it out at www.kingsizeboston.com
Favourite ‘back in the day’ clubbing tale…
“Has to be the opening night of Renaissance. I was really excited for Geoff and it was a really big deal. I had never been to Mansfield before but I figured that it could not be that much further than Birmingham. At the time I was going out with a particularly (very hot) high maintenance girl. She was a model and was in the final of a beauty contest in Liverpool that night, but the contest was over by 11.30pm and Renaissance was on all night so it was perfect. As we made our way to Mansfield the weather turned and it started to piss down – by the time we got there it was torrential, I could not park anywhere near the venue and we had to make a run for it. Now, bear in mind she was in full make up looking like a Miss World contestant. We got to the front door and it was a mess. They were not letting any more people in, the doorman was being a prick and it was still raining. All I cared about was getting in. After 20 minutes or so Geoff came out and grabbed us in. I was so happy, drenched and still thinking of nothing else but settling down for a magnificent night of top tunes. I grabbed my girlfriend’s hand and proceeded to forge my way through the crowd into the main room. As I got into the main room her hand suddenly slipped out of mine. Even though the atmosphere was amazing and the place was going off I realized something was wrong. I turned around and looked at my girlfriend. Her hair was matted to her head, her make-up was running down her face, her clothes were soaking wet and she was standing there looking like an extra from the Rocky Horror Show with anger pouring from every part of her body. She had just seen herself in a mirror and that’s when she lost it. I think I was in that room a total of 15 minutes before we were back in the car and I was defending myself from a torrent of verbal abuse with the odd blow to the head for good measure. And that was my opening night at Renaissance UK.”
