Focus on What’s Wrong With Grooving?

DJ names
Glenn Fallows and Beatwell

Birthplaces
Glenn: Chelmsford, Essex
Beatwell: Bewdley, Worcestershire

Age
Glenn: 41
Beatwell: 38 going on 28.

Show
What’s Wrong With Groovin

When did your show start
April 2015.  The weekend after the launch.

 

THE GOOD

Most memorable gig
Glenn: James playing an acoustic set at the Town & Country club back in the very early 90s.  Tim Booth spinning around and around and around swinging a loudhailer will never leave my mind.  More recently, The Renegades of Rhythm (DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist playing Afrika Bambaataa’s record collection) at Brixton Academy last year was incredible.
Beatwell: Crikey. There have been so many. Erm, I guess my first all nighter, Quest at the Que Club in Birmingham in March 1994; Amp Fiddler at The Jam House (Circa 2003?) springs to mind too – intimate, funky and tight as hell.  DJ wise I’d say that supporting DJ Maseo from De La Soul at The Blind Tiger or supporting both Norman Jay and Nightmares On Wax at the Concorde 2.

Best club played
Glenn: Koko in Camden.  That was with a band, rather than as a DJ, but looking out off that stage was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.
Beatwell: Concorde 2 is always special and it’s local.

Previous radio stations
None.

Favourite club crowd played to
Glenn: The Mojo Club in Hamburg was pretty special (again with a band rather than as a DJ).  Playing in Europe is always a total treat and the people are always really warm and welcoming.  It’s really rare that you’ll get a crowd that will dance like fools, but also clap at the end of an instrumental solo like they’re in a jazz gig.
Beatwell: The front Bar of the Concorde 2 can go right off on selected nights. Also I need to mention the Pagoda Stage at The Secret Garden Party and the Groove Garden at Standon Calling festival.

Favourite song since April 2015
Glenn: The Arcs – Stay In My Corner
Beatwell: Difficult. I seem to have cained Jamie Woon’s ‘Sharpness’ since it came out. It’s my shower song. Ooh err!

Favourite album since April 2015
Glenn: Soundsci – Walk The Earth
Beatwell (scratches chin): Hmm, again this is tricky. Maybe Jono McCleery’s ‘Pagodes’ or Matthew Halsall’s ‘Fletcher Moss Park’.

Favourite label of 2016
Glenn: Difficult one for me this time.  Since doing the radio show I’ve been really skipping around the genres that I listen to and so it changes all the time.  I’m going to say DFA Records, but I’ll have changed my mind by the time I get to the end of this sentence.
Beatwell: Gondwana

Best live act seen in Brighton and where/when
Glenn: Public Enemy at Concorde 2 a couple of years back.  They were just flawless.  It was when Flavor Flav had been refused entry to the country and nobody knew whether or not he was going to make the gig.  They spent the first 20 minutes pretending he wasn’t there and then …. yeah boyeeee!!
Beatwell: I guess I have to say the hundreds of times I’ve seen The Impellers right? (the pair exchange looks like lovers frozen in time). Or maybe, just maybe, De La Soul at the Concorde 2.

Biggest influence on your DJing and why
Glenn: Insofar as club DJing, I’d say it was probably going to The End in Holborn during the Big Beat Boutique days, seeing insanely eclectic DJs there like Bentley Rhythm Ace and others that really hit it hard like Cut La Roc and The Freestylers (all three of those acts did an FSUK mix album around that time, and each mix is amazing).  In terms of radio DJing/presenting I’d say it was probably Mark Radcliffe and his various co-hosts, but particularly Marc Riley.  They’re always so relaxed and irreverent, it makes listening to their shows feel like you’re just hanging about with your mates taking rubbish and having a laugh.
Beatwell: My brother for guiding me in the right musical direction.  LTJ Bukem for schooling me on the crossfader and Gilles Peterson for the taste making skills. Also maybe the early Big Chill Festivals. Sorry, that’s too many right?

Favourite pub in town
Both, in unison: The Farm Tavern or The Basketmakers Arms.
Glenn: It much depends on which end of Brighton I happen to be at the time.
Beatwell (looking to Glenn): We met in The Basketmakers.
Glenn (nonplussed): Oh.

Favourite other DJ (non1BFM)
Both: Mr Scruff
Beatwell: and Norman Jay.

Favourite club visited
Glenn: The End (as mentioned), or The Blue Note in Hoxton Square.  Neither of these exist now, so it shows how long it has been since I stopped going to clubs.  I should name one that’s still there…. Er,  Notting Hill Arts Club.
Beatwell: Sounds On Sunday on the top of the Greenwood Hotel in Sydney, Australia was pretty special.  And I’d say Que Club in Birmingham for nostalgia.

 

THE BAD

Least favourite genre
Glenn: That type of jazz where it sounds like each member of the band is playing a different song, sometimes in a different time-signature.  I hate that stuff.  It makes me angry.
Beatwell: Modern pop music.

Name a record that you regret playing
Glenn: No regrets.  That’s a sentiment, not the name of a record.
Beatwell: Manteca’s  ‘Pa’lanta’ on Freestyle Records. It’s not that it isn’t a good record, more just that I played it at the wrong speed. I blame a Funk 45 being pressed at 33rpm myself.  And the several pints I drank before hand.

Worst gig, and why
Glenn: A few of us went to see a Fela Kuti/afrobeat tribute at the Brighton Dome a few years back which featured some incredible musicians including Tony Allen, half of James Brown’s horn section and some other incredible players.  It was ok, but I was expecting to be blown away and I wasn’t in any way.  It sounded like the band had never stood on a stage together before, as everything was really loose and rough around the edges, which just doesn’t work for afrobeat.  Anyway, they did a few gigs around the country that were well reviewed, so maybe they used that show as a rehearsal and got it together after that.  Fair enough, but not sure I really want to pay to watch a rehearsal.
Beatwell: Yeah, we were there together. Amazing musicians like Tony Allen, Pee Wee Ellis and Maceo Parker on stage but clearly they hadn’t rehearsed and the sound was awful. I’d add, probably like a fair few other 1 Brighton DJ’s who were unfortunate to be there: Shuggie Otis at the Concorde 2. Just a bizarre gig all round.

Name one thing you don’t like about DJing
Glenn: People (some, not all) and hangovers (although I realise the hangovers are my own fault).
Beatwell: Requests.  Also DJing with Glenn.