I used to do my homework to John Peel. There, I said it. I know it’s sort of expected for everyone involved in music just about to say that. But its true. I used to make tapes of the songs on his shows I liked, and then stop the tape if I didn’t like the song, rewind it and wait for the next track. Thus I have shelves (well, maybe one shelf) of tapes full of The Dead Kennedys, and the Rose of Avalanche, and Reggae, and bands I never really caught the name of, so my tapes always had labels that said unknown – unknown.
The thing I liked about John Peel was that you were never sure what he was going to play, and you more or less hadn’t heard it anyway when he did play it. And that same essence is what i like about a fairly new incumbant at Radio One, ‘master-mixologist’ Jaguar Skills. Having been busy in the last few years getting famous as being one of the most creative and eclectic DJ’s in the world, Jaguar Skills (real age name and hometown: unknown) has been making mixtapes and mash-ups since 2002, broke his hand, sold his (vast) record collection to fund studying Martial Arts with Taoist Guru ‘The Barefoot Doctor’, was coaxed away by Jade Jagger to play at her infamous Jezebel nights across te world, performing some vocals to Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (credited as Mat Ckill), worked with Lupe Fiasco amongst others, brought out two CD’s, and got a job on Radio One. Busy boy, eh?
Well, add to that huge touring artist. The blaclava-clad one (his stage garb) is set to embark on another nationwide tour, blowing the mind of punters in 15 venues up and down the land with his incredible, slick mixing of….well, just about anything. This time he’s taking a hand-picked crew ‘A-Team’ style of selectors to assist him, including Noisia, Monsta, DJ@WAR, Decibel, Jacob Plant, Matrix and Future Bound, UNION DJs, with more acts to be added. Also on stage will be incendiary duo KillSonik, Dubstep-dons Monsta, Drum & Bass veterans Sigma and Breakbeat Kaos’ Pixel Fist.
If you need to take some Jaguar Skills home with you (so to speak) you’re in luck as well, with a brand-new EP Scheduled in for the Spring, and a second compilation coming our way in the summer, for the iconic Ministry of Sound. If you can’t make the tour, or (more likely) you can’t get a ticket, all may not be lost if you’re intending to head along to Global Gathering, Bestival, We Are FSTVL or the Isle Of Wight Festival (on the New Dance Stage). He’s going to be dropping some of his legendary sets there too.
Me? I’ll be trying to sneak my tape recorder in. I’m pretty sure I won’t need the rewind button, and, call me devil-may-care, but I’m prepared to tape over my Dead Kennedys and The Rose of Avalanche songs. And that’s saying something.
| Tour Details23rd February – Birmingham, Institute w/ Local Support
02nd March – Leeds, Stylus w/ Monsta, DJ@War 08th March – Oxford, O2 Academy w/ Special Guest, Decibel, Sigma 15th March – Glasgow, Arches w/ Local Support 16th March – Bristol, O2 Academy w/ Special Guest, Decibel, KillSonik, DJ@War 22nd March – Sheffield, Plug w/ Decibel, Sigma 23rd March – London, Koko w/ Special Guest, DJ@War, Pixel Fist 29th March – Portsmouth, Guildhall w/ DJ@War 31st March – Wrexham, Central Station w/ DJ@War 13th April – Liverpool, O2 Academy w/ Decibel, Matrix & Futurebound and Jacob Plant 19th April – Norwich, Waterfront w/ Decibel, Matrix & Futurebound and Jacob Plant 20th April – Cardiff, Glam w/ Decibel 26th April – Kent, Winter Gardens w/ Decibel 27th April – Brighton, Coalittion w/ UNION 03th May – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms w/ DJ@War |
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