Tim Sheridan

Ahead of the his set at Egg on Sat 31st July, Tim Sheridan decided to feed himself to the lions…

Seeing as Republik is Space Ibiza’s Saturday night sensation we thought we’d ask one of Space’s most enduring DJs a few questions from some of the facebook ravers coming out this Saturday for Kidology presents Republik at The Egg. Always a good interviewee, Tim Sheridan takes questions direct from the clubbers as a little extra bit of buzz for any of you planning on joining our party.

Q.
When i first saw you at Space I thought you were Spanish. Do you consider yourself an ‘ibiza DJ’? alsoEverytime I see you DJ you are playing bits of everything. Techno, House, Minimal, Breakbeat… why is that and what will you be spinning this Sat?

Hahahaha you’re not the first who thought I was Spanish. Or Italian. Or any nationality who is a bit swarthy. I quite like that. I would say I was an “Ibiza DJ” for years yeah. In the sense that I lived there all year round and people booked me from other places on the back of seeing me on the island. Certainly in Europe I did a lot of Ibiza Reunion events and Ibiza themed lineups. A lot of people but especially regular island workers who I see every year go back to their homeland and I see them there in the winters so I guess that is all about Ibiza. Nowadays? no. I had to leave the island for family reasons and I don’t think it’s proper to say you are ‘Ibiza’ when you leave.
Musicwise? I think those labels are for other people to help them categorise. I just play House Music. Always have. You make me sound a bit ‘eclectic’ there and I’m not. There is a mix of types but they have an overall unity I hope. I do it because I only believe in good or bad music. So I try to play good hahaha. Mostly I just don’t get genre DJing. I don’t want to hear the same thing all night. I also don’t get the premise that you have to follow one record with one almost exactly the same just to sound fluid. You can be fluid and also be dynamic, take things up and down. Tracks can have different styles, labels….whatever but when you call them ‘techno’, ‘breaks’ it does make them sound incompatible but records have similarities and continuities beyond the drum patterns or fashions. They might be different genres but have the same atmosphere, key or sounds. A House track might segue into a techno tune but they have almost the same bassline maybe. Anyway… I just did Back to Basics last week so on Saturday which was awesome, I will more than likely re-try some of the tunes and edits that worked there. So… “House” innit?

Are you going to consider toning the face carpet down for your gig on Saturday or are you continuing to let it grow in an out of control stylee?

It’s funny people go on about the maddest things. Starting a conversation with me in a club about facial hair is like… I dunno talking about shoes hahaha! I don’t mean you mate I just mean in general. People can be very cynical and take the surface view that it’s ‘a statement’ or ‘a look’ and something I am….I dunno…. displaying for effect? I’m not. The boring truth is I live on my own in the middle of nowhere so I’ve no-one to impress except some sheep and I just don’t think about it. Anyone who knows me knows that I cut it all off all the time just for a change. Although to be fair right now it’s gone a bit far. Some kids last week were asking Beero “who’s the arab bloke playing now?” hahaha.

You can take one tune with you beyond the grave, what would it be?

It’d have to be something proper underground hahaha! sorry! that was very poor. “Return to Sender”? shit that’s another bad one. I dunno mate that is a really hard one if it’s just the one. I imagine stuck with one tune for eternity means you are in hell. So I hope the devil does indeed have the best tunes. Even if God has all the venues haha.

If you could play for as long as you like how long would it be for and why exactly?

I went through a long period of playing as long as anyone would let me hahaha. I did the Radio One stage a Glastonbury years ago and they stopped broadcasting on Sunday I think and I then played til Monday evening! I’d been at the decks for about 48 hours just pissing out the back of the tent and drinking mushroom tea hahaha. Why? I just love it. Massive ego probably haha. These days things are less…er… freeform. People expect a more fluid thing like we mentioned before so I do more normal 2 hour sets that are more punchy than meandering. I do like a 3 or 4 hour stint though now and then for a special thing. Saturday will be my first longer set for some time so I am revved up about that.

If you were in charge of your own republic, what would it be called and what 3 laws would you implement?

Easy. Yorkshire. Law number 1. “Fuck off out of it”. 2. “How much?” and number 3. “Annex Manchester”.

Do you have any special requirements, dietry or otherwise?

I have to eat my own bodyweight in fish everyday or I just die. Also I have to be transported in a cradle and sprayed with booze so my scales don’t dry out. I also swell to 40 times my size when swallowed by predators. But careful girls! those bristles are tipped with poison.

What are the biggest cliches when comes to DJing? What time is love? and…Who’s your daddy?

Hahaha good ones! It’s a 3 parter yeah? ok…. Number 1. DJ cliches? I am one love haha. Er… I’d say moodiness, taking it all very seriously possibly while wearing sunglasses… er… American DJs costing so much for no real reason I can fathom…. er …Photos… haha DJ photo poses make me piss. Number 2? About a quarter past mate. 3? My Daddy is my hero. Sick-making true fact, sorry.

What happened the very very wrong indeed love orchestra?

Ah you mean the “L.L.O”. The Limited Love Orchestra. What happened is I ran out of money hahaha. Great start…. great gigs. But the wind player is a jazz man from Paris… the guy on strings up North. Craig ‘The Machine’ had a mental hard task getting live triggering of all the studio sounds. Basically it’s a massive enterprise and right now agents and such are charging really too high prices for DJs so why would a venue pay for 4 people? all travelling from different countries with a shitload of delicate specialist gear…when they can get one guy with a bag of CDs to DJ instead? Bottom line is people don’t realise what is involved in starting up something like that. I mean just for myself I had to stop DJing for 2 months just to get fit enough to be able to play in time for hours. It’s harder than you can imagine because the other guys, they are top drawer. Jazz session men, classically trained. I was the weak link by a loooong way hahaha! Rehearsals, buying equipment, transport… Major Labels put huge amounts of money in bands before they even put their first tune out. However…. the mega gig we had at Matter with Trentmoller was recorded and that will be coming out on our VVWI label. And the band can re-start at any time cos all the lads have the scores and are pros…. no rehearsals needed now. So never say never. For a special thing I’d pay for it myself when I can afford it again. Cos it was so fucking nerve racking I nearly had a cardiac… but when you are into it it’s the best feeling in the world.

Who and what inspired you to get into djing and making music?

There was never a ‘moment’. I come from an Irish tradition and we do music from being nippers without really thinking about it. I always did it. Things like ‘becoming a DJ’ just sort of happened. When are you a DJ? when you first get paid? I didn’t get paid for God… the first 10 years maybe! It may be when you end up DJing more than playing in bands…. dunno. The whole phenomena of DJ culture… and I still find it all a bit weird… but it kind of happened around me and I just ended up part of it cos I was doing it when it started to become ‘a thing’. I love it, but it came from doing it for a laugh after gigs in bands. I mean The Utah Saints were the ones who gave me my break but I have to say probably Back to Basics gave me the most. I still just go there, get wobbly and dance all night on Saturdays off. Basics gave me my love of House no doubt.

Would you say the English were as good at clubbing/partying as any other nation out there? or do other nationalities do it better than us?

No. You think you are but basically the poorer or more troubled a place… the more they know how to have it. They NEED it more. A wet wednesday in Brazil or Romania can piss on a Saturday in England. The English are the most clued up, the most er…. serious about it. Which is good and bad. When the English do have it off proper though they really let the lid off the pot. Hope to see some of that on Saturday.

Where are you set to take your VVWI events now matter has ‘closed for the summer’ and do you miss Mr C now he has moved to L.A.?

Hahahaha I get the piss taken a lot ‘cos I always talk about Mr.C in interviews. It’s a fair cop. It’s purely cos we work together so often and he’s a top mate I always feel it’s my job as a mate to big him up. It’s daft I know. I do miss him actually hahaha… but we always have Skype… and our memories hahaha! Matter is re-opening. Fact. In the meantime we’ll see how this Saturday goes and hopefully we’ll be working again with these peeps from Republik and Kidology. This Summer is sooo hard on clubland though! Jesus all over the UK! It would be great if people realised their local club needs support over the next couple of months cos many are on the verge of closing…. joining the graveyard of some amazing places that we’ve lost recently. Your rave needs YOU!

What happened to all the free parties and afterhours? I went to quite a few and also wanted to say thanks!

Aww I’ve gone all soppy that is one of the first times anyone has said that! That’s an easy one… again, just can’t afford it. These things cost a lot and it’s not the House Pixies that make it all happen. Again, our scene needs a bit of support at the moment. Thank you for that though fella.

You’ve done pretty good at staying the course… are you embarrassed by your past and… why are you so fucking fat?

Oh right! I know you hahaha! Loaded question from my mate in Leeds. The past is always a bit embarrassing. Old fashions and TV programs that don’t date well. Of course I’ve done loads of stupid shit… made some daft records to try and pay the bills… but you know… some other stuff too that I’m ok with hahaha. I am not fat I am stout. I’ve been more of a hermit than ever lately so while I spend a lot of time outdoors I don’t get to swim every day like I used to so I’m afraid at my age… and being one of nature’s fatties anyway… it just stays on and gets harder and harder to get off. It’ll happen to you all eventually hahaha!

Find out more about Tim here:

http://www.veryverywrongindeed.com

http://www.myspace.com/timmysheridan


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