Alan Thompson on Emigrating to Australia and 600 Lovers

"In big cities, young gay men can be very insecure and therefore very promiscuous. We've all been. I certainly was in my past, but I've now been with my partner for 12 years, in a totally monogamous relationship."

Ministry's newest star DJ Alan Thompson, who made his name through ten years DJing at Trade, will shortly be jetting off to Sydney to headline at the Ministry of Sound party for Mardi Grass, the world¹s biggest gay festival. Meeting with Skrufff's Benedetta Ferraro this week in a Soho coffee shop, he chatted about his sexuality, experiences and coping with the girl groupies he increasingly attracts. He also revealed that like Jason Bye, Home's new Sydney resident DJ, he'll shortly be relocating from London, though in his case, actually emigrating.

Skrufff: You're going to Australia imminently for the Mardi Gras, have you played there before-

Alan Thompson: "No, this is my first time, although I played at the Sleaze Ball in September last year, which is the winter party that supports the Mardi Gras, but I've never actually participated to Mardi Gras, not even as a punter. I'm really excited about playing there, I expect it to be quite a special weekend."

Skrufff: How big a deal is the Sydney Mardi Gras from a gay perspective-

Alan Thompson: "Of course it's the biggest gay and lesbian festival in the world, it attracts people from all over the planet and it has been going for many years. I've always wanted to go. It's about being out and proud and celebrating our sexuality."

Skrufff: Are you still madly in love with Australia-

Alan Thompson: "Oh, totally! It's my favourite country to go to and I'm still involved in the process of emigrating…"

Skrufff: Will you be moving there permanently-

Alan Thompson: "Yes and we've actually set a date, September 2003. Things are moving on nicely, we've chosen our destination; for the first year we'll be living in Sydney and after that we'll move to Queensland and hopefully open some kind of restaurant or a small hotel/motel, something chic and contemporary, for a more trendy clientele…that's mine and my long term partner's plan."

Skrufff: What about your DJing career-

Alan Thompson: "Well, there's a time limit on our permanent resident's visa that we have to honour and as much as I enjoy my career here, we're governed by this deadline now. I filled in the application form for the residency five years ago, and my career back then wasn't as strong as it is today. I do have some doubts, but then again it's been an ambition of mine for so long, that I think I have to follow my heart. I'll probably still continue DJing in Australia and come to guest in the UK."

Skrufff: What do you expect to miss about London-

Alan Thompson: "I've lived in London for 20 years now, and I still believe it's one of the best cities in the world to live in. I have so many friends here, a great social life, there's a great buzz around… all things that I'm going to miss. As you get older though, your expectation of life changes. I've lived in the fast lane for so long now, that I need to go down a gear. In fact I need to go into reverse. I need more of an outdoor lifestyle, with not so much pressure and emphasis on material things."

Skrufff: Where does your new deal with Ministry fit into your life-

Alan Thompson: "The move to Ministry is certainly a strong point in my career. Since I left Trade I just wanted to concentrate on my house sets. I'm a DJ from the 1990's school, so to speak. When we started playing there weren't so many genres in dance music, so we were playing a variety of music, some house, some techno or some deep house, all in one set. DJs today tend to specialise just in one style. For me moving to Ministry means that I can play more underground house. They respect what I do and to me this is a good move."

Skrufff: You mentioned in our previous Tags

• Alan Thompson