The DJ Who Wants Tony Blair Out

Youth culture was always driven by drugs, but the chemical clubbing generation has grown up. Nowadays, younger kids have other interests – computer games, the Net – and don’t take as much drugs. They also listen to rock as much as dance,” says long serving UK spinner, Norman Jay.

Speaking about the current downturn in clubbing, Norman thinks it has to go back to basics to survive.
“I come from the underground and know its value. In the past, small clubs were the building blocks for what became a huge industry,” he adds. “The best advice I can give is for people with drive and motivation to start their own nights. It’s a simple plan, but it’s what I did.”
It’s no idle boast: over 20 years ago, Jay and his brother Joey set up the Good Times sound system – as a reaction against what they believed was a stagnant club scene. Over the last two decades, the Good Times crew have become an inextricable part of the annual Notting Hill Carnival, which has grown to become the world’s biggest street festival.
“When we started off, it used to be a very insular, clannish event, which I hated,” he explains. “Over the last decade, I’ve seen it blossom into a wonderful festival that celebrates the best of the UK’s multi-cultural society.”
Embracing different influences is also central to Jay’s DJing – his sets span hip-hop, house, funk and soul – and he believes a lack of variety elsewhere has contributed to the slump in clubbing.
“If I’m asked, I’ll play a straight house set if required, but it’s not where I’m coming from, it sounds too samey. Punters have become informed and they’ll seek out good music. That’s why I love playing in Ireland. Musically, people know what they’re talking about,” he maintains.
It’s not just clubbers who have followed Norman’s DJing. Last year, he become the first ever DJ to receive an MBE from the Queen of England. Did he feel uneasy accepting the title from the British establishment?
“I’ve finally got over the shock of it,” he laughs. “I hope I’m perceived as the opposite of the establishment and that I was selected for my DJing merits. It’s the first recognition I’ve received for my work and it was about time someone from my industry got it. It also made my family and friends very proud.” (Laughs).
Of course there’s more to Norman Jay than the average egotistical DJ. A teetotaller – “but I still get my round in, as you’ll see in Dublin” – Jay is also about to appear on BBC current affairs programme, Question Time.
“It has already caused lots of discussion on my website (www.normanjay.com),” he says. “People think dance music is apolitical, but not all DJs are brainless and one-dimensional.
“There are issues affecting everyone, like getting Blair out of government,” he concludes.

Norman Jay plays The Village, Dublin on Thurs November 6