Interview by Kate Magic
www.lovemagick.wordpress.com
Kate's book "88 - the untold story of a revolution" is being published in 2010.
Kate is currently looking for investors to help with publication costs, for more information contact Kate through her website address above.

Q. How did you start Whirl-y-Gig, can you give me a little of the pre-88 history?

A. Whirl-y-Gig was actually started by Ros Madden in 1981 as an AHP event. The Association of Humanistic Psychology is an umbrella organization for professional practitioners and independent interested parties alike. Whirl-y-Gig was a social space for people who enjoy dance as a means of self expression.
I went to the first AHP Whirl-y-Gig and was impressed by the event's apparent values of inclusiveness and respect for each and every person's human potential. I immediately became very involved and in 1985 Ros left me in charge of Whirl-y-Gig's future welfare. I had by then built the first Dance Trance Sound System and was DJ  at Whirl-y-Gig, initially assisted by Floyd Freud. In 1986 I was joined in life and at Whirl-y-Gig by Mary who brought skills in décor design, and with crew and policy management. By '88 Whirl-y-Gig was outgrowing the AHP and we separated amicably. From being a monthly event, Whirl-y-Gig was now becoming more frequent. It was also at this time that Jim arrived introducing an integrated psychedelic lightshow. The special marriage between sound, light and decor was finally established. A year later in February 1989, Whirl-y-Gig went weekly and it became my sole DJ identity and personalised spiritual journey.

Q. At what point did you notice the rave scene in London? How did it affect Whirl-y-Gig? Did it bring a lot more people in? Did the music you were playing change?

A. Whirl-y-Gig had slowly grown through several venues including three months at the then empty and semi-derelict Almeida Theatre in Islington, nine months at Notting Hill’s Acklam Hall, two years at Old Hampstead Town Hall, and by January 1986 we had finally found our first true home in a little known gem called Notre Dame Hall, off Leicester Square. By 1988, with such a journey already travelled, we did not see the steadily growing numbers of whirl-y-goers as related to anything outside of our own whirly evolution. What was obvious however, was that ‘dance’ was growing rapidly in popular culture, and rave was influencing many social groups and most particularly, from our point of view, the festival and club scene! We already had our own broad musical identity which was inclusive of many different electronic world fusions producing a unique, psychedelic, and completely alternative dance sound. The arrival of Dub in earlier years, club styles such as House, and then specifically Trance, were all undoubtedly big influences on the whirl-y-mix, just as Break Beat and Drum’n’Bass have been in more recent times. However, Whirl-y-Gig has always stamped its own identity on these generic forms. The process of inclusion of major new electronic styles has always been continuous and progressive, with ‘moments’ that only in retrospect represent giant leaps. In the grand scheme of things however, the influence of trance and rave culture was undoubtedly monumental. It was particularly relevant to Whirl-y-Gig because of the positive high energy music, shared ideals of peace, love, respect and freedom, plus common values of DIY independence and interest in broader social and spiritual issues. Whirl-y-Gig shares these values. We have always designed, owned and managed every aspect of our own production, making sure that each part is harmonious and complementary. Ultimately, it is still difficult to separate the emergence and evolution of dance music from Whirl-y-Gig’s own evolutionary process, but looking back, 1988 was certainly a time of rapid growth for us. Although we were not initially of the rave scene, we knew we were passionately united and spiritually connected, and remain so today.

Q. Do you see music as a spiritual force? How do you hold with the idea of the dj as a shaman ie someone who takes you on a spiritual journey? Would you agree that the dancefloor is a modern day church for our agnostic society?

A. Music is a spiritual force in my personal life. It connects directly with my emotional self and has influence on my day to day ‘spirits’ bringing sense of hope, connectedness and most importantly well-being. As a DJ, and at Whirl-y-Gig, I am very aware that we are providing an environment where these things become possible for everyone, but only if each individual remains free to engage in their own way. Therefore, every aspect of Whirl-y-Gig is wherever possible non-intrusive and non-specific to ensure that we create an opportunity for ordinary ecstasy in which we find positive, peaceful, respectful relationship. I have been described as the worlds first faceless DJ, no microphone and playing apparently with my back to the audience. However, the stage décor, lights and sound system provide all the necessary visual impact required and I play a small part. I am accessible, facing the same way as the audience, and sharing a journey that through music and dance creates a magical and significant trance state. As an artist my DJ sets are an expression of a higher purpose and inevitably a product of my emotional and spiritual self, but the nature and value of the experience is ultimately in the hands of the individual to make their own. In this way there are many parallels between the church and the modern dancefloor, but I think that is exactly what they are, parallels and a fine example of our expanding universe!

Q. How would you describe the feeling of a perfect night when it all goes right – the venue, the music, the people?

A. Every night must achieve near perfection in some great way to feel it has happened at all, and the magic of ordinary perfection is that it makes you want to create an even more perfect vision next time!