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Judge Jules' New Years Eve 2002: Pacing Yourself Is Key

Author: Jonty Adderley
Tuesday, December 24, 2002
As well as seeing in 2003 with a live radio 1 broadcast from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Judge Jules headlines London's biggest club event of December 31, Ministry's 50,000 capacity event inside the Millennium. It's a schedule he admits is stretching.

"Most people head out to nighteries far earlier on NYE than on a normal night, so pacing yourself is the order of the day," he told Skrufff's Jonty Adderley. "Which, admittedly is pretty difficult." Somewhat easier will be deciding which tunes to play.

"Playing at a large arena-style New Years Eve gig, as opposed to a small club-based event, usually involves combining your current set with some of the year's biggest musical memories," says Jules.

"So the biggest task is locating some tunes from earlier in the year, which are normally hidden somewhere inaccessible in your collection. The other key point of preparation is working out what to play at midnight. On this occasion, I'll be live on air on Radio1 outdoors in Donegal Square Belfast. I'll work out what my 12 o'clock record will be a couple of days in advance, and keep another track in reserve just in case the DJ before me plays my chosen midnight track before I do."


Skrufff (Jonty Adderley): You're the top name on Ministry's Millennium Dome bill with lots of hopes riding on you, do you feel any sense of pressure or stage fright-

Judge Jules: "I don't feel stage fright, but it's important to take a moment to think about what you're about to play, rather than rushing headfirst into your set. I
always play better when I've sat back, taken a metaphorical deep breath, and
thought about things."

Skrufff: Do you have any superstitions prior to big shows-

Judge Jules: "None whatsoever".

Skrufff: What are the essential items on your rider-

Judge Jules: "A bottle of champers (champagne), CD mixers, which surprisingly still aren't guaranteed to be there and decks positioned above 4feet in height for the sake of my back."

Skrufff: How was 2002 for you-

Judge Jules: "Depressing because the media tried to talk down the club scene, when all I witnessed was rammed clubs. It was fantastic in terms of the gigs themselves."

Skrufff: What were the key musical changes of the year-

Judge Jules: "People finally realising that trance wasn't dead, and that the (UK) nation generally wasn't enamoured (keen on) with progressive."

Skrufff: How much does New Years Eve mean to you as a special night-

Judge Jules: "From a DJing perspective, my favourite night of the Xmas period is Boxing day, but New Years Eve events are what we all remember for years to come."

Skrufff: How optimistic/ pessimistic are you about 2003 from a DJ/ music perspective-

Judge Jules: "Very optimistic- there's been a minor shrinkage back underground, but the crowd seems to know its music better than for many years."

Skrufff: What musical trends do you expect to break next year-

Judge Jules: "I hope that for the first New Year in ages, journalists avoid the artificial need to predict that some groundbreaking new genre's about to sweep all others aside. Good music will continue to prevail. It may not represent good copy, but this will still be the case in 2003."

Skrufff: Is the concept of the 'superstar DJ' under threat-

Judge Jules: "The concept was artificially created by journalists, and they can destroy it if they please. It's all about filling column inches, rather than a true reflection of the state of play in clubland. Some DJs pull a bigger crowd than others. All the other trappings of 'superstardom' are confined to actors and musicians, and always were. When did you ever see big club DJs in OK magazine or on Celebrity Big Brother-"
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