2Klub - DJs - Eddie Halliwell

Eddie Halliwell

Eddie Halliwell, another 2Klub discovery, is becoming well-known for his unique style, not only in the clubs across the North of England where he has played most frequently, but also nationally and now internationally. A 2002 survey placed him in the Top 40 of DJs internationally, which is a phenomenally rapid rise to fame since our first meeting in January 2000. I have had no role in his later fame and success, but I did give him his first professional residency, which helped start him off.

Eddie combines hard tunes with superb scratching effectively re-mixing live! He's both a born showman, interacting with the crowd and working them up to a frenzy, as well as an extremely accomplished technician on the decks.

I first heard him playing at a house party in Birkenhead in January 2000, after his enthusiastic friends had insisted that I see and hear him play. I was impressed and offered him a residency soon afterwards.

Click for an eight minute video of the night I met Eddie, (viewable in Real One Player)

Streamed

Downloadable

My apologies for the quality, which isn't great, as the camera didn't have a light, and the picture deteriorates when compressed. However, you should still be able to get a sense of the moment.

We met at the launch of Totally Mashed, (later renamed Good Greef). I'll get more video of that event up when I get 'round to it - later this year I hope.

Though this sounds like a dream come true, (friends get promoter to hear mate play at house party, gets residency, becomes superstar DJ), it is actually what happened. I take no credit for Eddie's fame, other than having had the nouce to spot talent when I came across it and giving him his first chance. The rest has been down to Eddie.

He played for 2Klub in Manchester, on our float at The Love Parade in Leeds in the Summer of 2000, and then for 2Klub's event, SWEAT, in Birmingham.

Eddie's initial guest appearances included Totally Mashed and Good Greef in Manchester, Jump in Sheffield, and Sundissential North in Leeds. He then went on to secure residencies with Raukous at Bed in Sheffield, Sundissential in Birmingham , Garlands in Liverpool and Gatecrasher.

In 2001 he toured South Africa and January 2002 saw MixMag featuring Eddie's talents with a free cover CD, Bosch! Those who had heard only that CD got a hint of what he can do. It was an appetiser to a main course best enjoyed live, in part because he jealously guards his scratching technique - before he became recognised nationally he would never release demo or promo CDs in case other DJs could work out what he was doing!

After a productive time with the Tidy Trax DJ agency, in 2002 Eddie switched to join Serious after being approached by Judge Jules, (the agency run by his brother Sam), and one of the most influential and significant in the UK at this time, (see the DJ agencies section on the Community page).

"Politics" in the music business generally is a minefield, and Eddie realised this from the start. Apart from being a skillful manipulator of vinyl, he is extremely careful and considered in his management of his relationships with the people he works with, a very useful skill in the development of a successful DJing career.

If there can be said to be any criticism of his position as a DJ, it is his disregard for music production. In a recent article in MixMag he claimed to be focusing on DJing rather than production, something which has been met with raised eyebrows by many well-established DJs and something of a curiosity as he has qualifications in music technology. Amongst many well-established DJs, the greatest regard goes to those who have developed new styles of music and pushed the boundaries. This has only been possible by those who are involved in its production. For Eddie to dismiss production is to them to deny himself the possibility of achieving the level of respect accorded to the world's best.

Since the days of Eddie's first residency at 2Klub in 2000, to today, he has traveled a meteoric path, going from strength to strength, playing both nationally and internationally. His story is the realisation of the dream of almost every young DJ.