Fritz

DJ Name: fritzgreatlakes

First Album: “Parallel Lines” – Blondie, 1979
First 7” Single: Either “Enola Gay” – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark or “Kids In America” – Kim Wilde, early 1981
First 12” Single: “Love Will Tear Us Apart” – Joy Division, 1983

First DJ gig: Playing after the band Easter in an underground dive in Wigan around ’90-‘91. Played seven Leonard Cohen tracks through the night! First ‘proper’ gig was “Soul Glo” 1995 at Isobar, playing Soul, Funk, Rare Groove and Electro on a Tuesday night to the rain…

DJing History (Selected Residencies 1995-2011):

Soul Glo at Dry Bar, after getting the boot from Isobar, with the legendary Jon Bus Stop

Generation X, Fridays with Jason Vereker

Bubble at Aqua, every Saturday for years and years, with Tony Lionni, Dave Boy Wonder G & Gareth Tray Barker, not forgetting Akeem on percussion. DJing on a rug and “Tune Sticks”!

Kinky Afro, Fridays at The Boardwalk with the dream team of Dave Boy Wonder G and Tony Fever Weaver. We DJed on the stage because the DJ booth of Haslam frightened us too much! Highlights included MC Tunes, the open mic. and Johnny Jay always turning up with great people.

Devotion at Holy City Zoo/NATO and the ballrooms of the Cheshire Set.

Around this time I was guesting a lot at The Rock And Roll Bar at South (big up! Phil Beckett and Wythenshawe Geoff), warming up for Dave Haslam at Freak at The Hacienda, playing Freak Out at Richfields and then Tray Barker and I started Love Music at Zinc with Mr. Haslam making the odd appearance.

Maybee Thee People Wood Bee Thee Tymes (Or Between Hulme & Ardwick) at Generation X/Zumbar. Manchester’s longest running Tuesday night? So many nights spent playing beautiful music to absolutely nobody… Good times!

Funkademia at The Attic/Pure Space/One Central. A dream residency, with DJs and promoters I loved and had worked with since the very early days.

The Devil’s Jukebox at Folk in Didsbury, with Chris Maude. A monthly sleeper that has seen some of Manchester’s finest DJs play country soul, folk funk and yacht-rock for sherbert and taxis. A night of beautiful music in a beautiful place with beautiful people.

Across The Tracks, right up to the present… Still working a dream residency with DJs I love and respect, still playing what I think the dancers want to hear, still loving the music!

Fave ever gig: The Funky Room, Pacha, on our honeymoon, dropping The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun” as the shutters opened and the Ibizan morning flowed in.

Musical heroes: Anthony H. Wilson, Velvet Underground, Neil Young, Jim Ford, Bobbie Gentry, Townes Van Zandt, James Brown, Sly Stone, Joy Division, Felt, The Byrds, Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, David Mancuso, Francois Kevorkian, Danny Krivit, Bernard Edwards & Nile Rogers, Stereolab and The Sea Urchins.

Fave DJs: Moonboots, Jason Boardman, Unabombers, Jon Da Silva, Dave Haslam, Martin Brew, Chris Maude, Jon Bus Stop, Goff, Phil Beckett, Greg Wilson, James Holroyd, Graeme Borland and Dave Boy Wonder G.

Fave Cheese: Stinking Bishop or Morbier.

Fave Drink: Bottle of Guinness.

Fave Trainers: Adidas Handball Especial. I have a spare pair in the attic, still unlaced and with tags on that I’m saving forever!

Things to do when not DJing: Ballet on Saturday, playing in the park, barbecuing