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Steve Gerrard's Lifesong

Author: Aaron Roach
Wednesday, October 1, 2003
The door to becoming a superstar DJ has long been on the way to putting up the closed sign. With the current state of dance music showing only specialist DJ's get the honours, it's become more exclusive than ever to grace the decks not just in your own home town, but internationally as well.

You have to have an edge - an angle that someone hasn't fully covered. Throw in the potential of being a producing talent and you're definitely heading in the right direction. Such is the case for UK based DJ Steve Gerrard, who is fast becoming one of the rising stars of the electronic music scene due to the diverse style in which he carries out his duties as not just a DJ, but an entertainer.

Digweed has nothing but praise for him, and when you hear one of his sets that cross the house and breaks boundaries; you'd soon be nodding your head in agreement.

Did I mention he's also a part of Wrecked Angle-

It all started for Gerrard back in '98, when he found himself being the winner of Muzik Magazine's Bedroom Bedlam competition. "I initially won that competition with a chill-out mix that I did. That made people being to pay attention to what I was doing and made it slightly easier to find gigs, but it was still hard work. Gerrard continues.

"In 2000 I was voted Best Bedroom Bedlam DJ of the year and mixed a cover CD for the magazine. This also led to John Digweed asking me to play Bedrock and do a mix for Kiss 100 show. When things like that start happening, people start paying more attention and soon I was getting gigs all over the place."

Even after all the experience and attention Gerrard has been receiving, he still feels as though he's of up and coming dj status. Quite a modest look at a career that's including gigs all over the world. Gerrard explains.

"I still feel like an up and comer, to be honest. Even though things are going well, I'm not quite where I'd like to be just yet. I'd like to be playing as much as possible, but I still find myself with the occasional free Saturday night.

"I don't think the A-list of DJ's ever have Saturday nights free, do you- I'm certainly not complaining."

Sounds good to anyone who aspires to this kind of level within the DJ world, where what you play reacts well with what the crowd wants to hear.

"I love the fact that I get to play music I love to people who appreciate it, and I get to travel to places I might never get to see otherwise. It's not a bad job."

Not a bad job indeed. Is there room in the crate-

So where does a DJ that's become a success get the inspiration from to keep striving for that unique edge in the business- From Sasha and Digweed of course, with a little compilation called Renaissance, featuring a little song called "Song of Life" by a duo calling themselves Leftfield. Gerrard says it's a standout for him as far as inspiration goes.

"Song of Life was the first track that made me realise that dance music wasn't just throwaway cheese, and that it could have soul and intelligence behind it.

"I'm a fan of music that actually moves you and hopefully that's reflected in the music I play now."

While admitting there are plenty of artists that inspire him today, Gerrard admits, "Nothing today has made me rethink my views on dance music quite like Leftfield."

Seeing most of the world, there's bound to be some stories that come back to mind that make Gerrard laugh. Being mistaken as a barman is one of them.

"Once a guy came up and asked me for 2 bottles of Newcastle Brown. He was so fucked he thought the DJ booth was the bar."

I'm sure some people out there think it's just the punters that cause the laughs, but Gerrard's got another card up his sleeve.
"One big-name DJ gets into his music so much that sometimes you'll find him on the dancefloor, dancing to his own records.

On at least one occasion he's still been on the dancefloor when the record finished, and then suddenly realised that he's meant to
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