DJ name
Jim Lister
Birthplace
Epsom
Age (if you’re brave enough)
43
Show
VERSION
When did your show start?
March 2016
THE GOOD
Most memorable gig
Too many… but I’ll go for Grace Jones at The Royal Festival Hall in 2008. It was the first time I saw her. We were right down the front and she was unbelievable. Towards the end of the gig she was doing ‘Pull Up To The Bumper’ and started a stage invasion and we didn’t need asking twice! Next thing I know I’m dancing about two metres away from Grace and loads of glitter starts falling from the ceiling. To make it all the more surreal, we bumped into Noel Fielding whilst up on stage. Grace Jones AND The Mighty Boosh…. Big.
Best club played
Plastic People
Previous radio stations
None, nothing regular anyway.
Favourite club crowd played to
The All Ends Up warehouse parties in Dalston, East London circa 2007/8. The most amazing warehouse space you can imagine. Two floors of music, a skate ramp, our mates doing the bar, free entrance. There were five parties in total, all put on by mates James, Isabelle & Simon. Guest DJs included Trevor Jackson, Benji B, Mark Seven and loads more, plus all our mates played too. I usually did the 5am set in the downstairs room with my mate Dayo. I’ve got a lovely memory of playing The Doors ‘Riders On The Storm’ at about 7am to a dancefloor full of lots of good friends. It doesn’t get better than that!
Favourite song since April 2015
Kamasi Washington – ‘The Rhythm Changes’
Favourite album since April 2015
The Comet Is Coming – ‘Channel The Spirits’. They’ve come up with a genuinely new sound and that’s not an easy thing to do in
2016.
Favourite label of 2016
Blood & Fire. I’m still buying up all their old comps, when I can find them. Some of them are pretty pricey nowadays unfortunately but they’re all amazing.
Best live act seen in Brighton and where/when
Oasis at The Brighton Centre, Xmas 1994. I got given a ticket on the morning of the gig and had no expectations at all. I think that I was more excited about seeing Ride who were supporting, but Oasis came on and blew the roof off.
Biggest influence on your DJing, and why?
Gilles Peterson. Not just on my DJing but my taste in music. I’ve listened to his show religiously since the early 90s when he was on Kiss FM and it really did change my life. Up until then I’d gone through indie, rock, funk, jazz, house, rave, drum n bass… and then I started listening to Gilles and it all came together beautifully. He opened my mind to a whole other world of music, people like Pharaoh Sanders, Milton Nascimento, Terry Callier, Pat Metheny and Sun Ra. Things were never the same again.
Favourite pub in town
The Better Half in Hove. In Brighton I’d say The Prince Albert or The Evening Star. It never ceases to amaze me how many great pubs there are in Brighton & Hove. We’re very lucky!
Favourite other DJ (non1BFM)
In a club it’s got to be DJ Nature. His nights at Plastic People were so good. I wouldn’t know 80-90% of the music he played, it was mainly new house stuff, with the odd old disco tune, never obvious stuff though, and always with a jazz influence. A great DJ, and a lovely man too.
Favourite club visited
Plastic People (UK), Shelter (US)
THE BAD
Least favourite genre
What genre is Mumford & Sons?
Name a record you regret playing
No regrets!
Worst gig, and why?
D’Angelo at The Roundhouse, July 2015. I had a slipped disc in my back and hobbled out especially for the gig when I should have been lying horizontal at home. As we arrived at the venue there were posters up saying that his performance was delayed by an hour. After standing around in a lot of pain for two hours they made an announcement that he was still on his way. I couldn’t face the pain of standing around any longer so went home. Next day a friend told me the reason he was late was because he was at a Dave Chappelle gig in Hammersmith. Cheeky.
Name one thing you don’t like about DJing
Crap set ups and sound systems… and having to keep the volume down!