Rocking the tent

If DJs were famous monuments, Johnny Moy would surely be the floozy in the jacuzzi. Not that Moy was taken away for cleaning last year; we’re talking about his terminal status as a fixture in the Dublin scene.

But the name Johnny Moy could soon become as revered in the Dublin indie world as it already is in dance circles. The work is Moy’s new Headzinc project, a “funkypunk” act or, to the uninitiated, a rock band with DJs in it, a la Linkin Park.

Headzinc will be performing live for the first time at Witnness this year, and Johnny Moy can’t wait. “It’s the first time I’m playing live and there’ll be six people on stage with me so I’m really excited,” he enthuses.

Clubbers who have seen Johnny Moy DJ are well aware of his erratic mixing style, and know he is a man never afraid to take risks, even if it means sacrificing basic ability in favour of his own brand of eclecticism. This is of course the same Johnny Moy who mixes Underworld into Royksopp without batting an eyelid. And that’s just his support slots. It’s no surprise then that the ever eclectic Moy has absolutely no idea what type of music his new band will make!

“In a nutshell, everything,” he says. “It’s not dance music, it’s punky funk. See I’ve always had an eclectic style of DJing and I’ve always been slightly across the board so for the most part people who like what I do will like this. It’s just about good music. I’m trying not to be gentrified. It goes from Philedelphia soul to New York underground punk.”

Moy anticipates at least some criticism from his dance audience.

“Headzinc is a music-based project, not a dance one”, he stresses. “We are definitely not a dance act. I can take criticism pretty well, but generally people who just bitch and moan about stuff I don’t pay any attention to. Any scene is going to have these types. They can come and judge us for themselves”.

So with Witnness shining like a beacon on the horizon Johnny Moy and Headzinc are ready to make you dance.

“I think it’s great that we have a festival that’s diverse and covers most credible genres of music and doesn’t rely on pop,” he observes. “Witnness last year was absolutely amazing. I was piggy in the middle with Spiritualized and Kosheen. I just got up there and did my thing and it worked out. I hadn’t got a clue!”

And a final message for the public?

“3 o’clock in the dance tent on Sunday, be there!”