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Interview with Fergie

Reported by Ben Green / Submitted 18-07-03 14:42

On Friday 25th July, Fergie will play a special two hour showcase set for Frantic at the Fridge. Ben Green caught up with the legend to talk about his move away from hard dance, his current style and of course his hallowed position alongside ‘The Judge’ and (it’s all gone) Pete Tong at Radio 1 Smile



Ben Green: To quote your website "What immediately strikes you about Fergie is his smile. He’s one happy guy. How’s life treating you at the moment? Smiling?

Fergie: I always have a wee smile on my face, life is wicked at the moment, no complaints

BG: Your style has certainly moved away from traditional hard house / hard dance recently, and yet you’re headlining Frantic, who are synonymous with this style. What sort of set will you be playing?

Fergie: I moved away from Hard Dance about 3 years ago. The sound was getting very repetitive and I wanted to move on. My work with Radio 1 also meant that I had to adapt my style. Frantic are doing really well in London at the moment but I won’t be playing ‘Hard Dance’ as such.

BG: Do you think your audience has changed much in line with your change in style?

Fergie: When I first moved away from Hard Dance the Trade and Sundissential faithful would still come and hear me play but they soon got pissed off because of my change in style and they soon didn’t want anything to do with me. Thankfully they got used to it and started supporting me again.

BG: I notice on your latest Mixmag CD that a couple of tracks have been released from Shine Recordings. Do you have a connection with the club night Shine?

Fergie: I’m good friends with the owners/promoters so I always try and push their new releases. Shine has been going for about 9-10 yrs and it was once Belfast’s best-kept secrets. Its now deservedly very well known



BG: A lot of people involved in the scene have been paying their respects to the late great TdV on the anniversary of his death. Seeing as you were privileged to have been close to the great man, could you give us a few words to illustrate how he influenced music and your career?

Fergie: Tony’s style was to always try and sound unique and I think I have tried to do my best to recreate this attitude when I play. He was so flexible and would save his really Hard sets for Trade, he couldn’t play like that at Cream & certainly not at MoneyPenny’s so had to adapt for other clubs. Tony was always 6 months ahead of anyone else and again I try and educate the crowd much as he did

BG: Which is your personal favourite TdV track? And how do you feel about recent remixes - do they breathe new life into old classics, or should Tony’s legacy not be messed with?

Fergie: I don’t know about a favourite track but I think he would be well pleased with the remixes that have been done, especially as they are by new, young, exciting producers. Producers like Ben [BK] idolised Tony and came to Trade almost every week to hear him play and have done justice to Tony’s tracks

BG: How are you enjoying your Radio 1 duties?

Fergie: I’m really enjoying it at the moment - I’m only just starting to feel comfortable doing it so it’s getting a lot easier. I never expected to be playing hospital radio let alone fucking Radio 1. It’s a brilliant opportunity for me to expose new talented producers. We also have legends like Carl Cox, Sven Vath and Richie Horton on the show so its really exciting

BG: Do you worry that some die-hard hard dance fans might consider you to have less credibility by being associated with Radio 1?

Fergie: When Danny Rampling left and my show took over his slot I got a lot of stick, one comment made on a website was "You’ve replaced a Ferrari with a Ford Cortina." I don’t play Hard Dance on the show and Techno is a contradiction to what Danny used to play. I certainly have a slightly different audience

BG: What’s your opinion on the dance websites and forums? I notice you have started a forum on your new site, but do you ever lurk around HF and similar forums?

Fergie: I do look at the sites after my shows etc but I don’t get a lot of time with my gigs etc to do this. I like to hear people’s comments and take on board constructive criticism

BG: One of your first breaks was as a 'Future Hero' at Turnmills. Who would your current Future Hero(es) be and why?

Fergie: I was playing in Northern Ireland for about 5 years before I came over here and ‘Future Heroes’ was one of my first big gigs in the UK. My future heroes would have to include Anderson Noise from Brazil - very exciting talent



BG: What tracks have been permanently gracing your slipmatts recently?

Fergie: The Bomb EP
Illogik Rhythm Henreich B

BG: Do you have anything lined up production-wise?

Fergie: I have quite a lot of new stuff but I’m not completely happy with it at the moment. Its easy to produce a track that everyone else likes but a different matter producing one that you like. When you’ve heard a track on loop for 5 days it’s hard to feel the excited about it but saying that look out for a release in the next few months

BG: What music do you enjoy listening to outside of the style you play? Do you have any favourite bands?

Fergie: I am listening to Felix the House Cat a lot at the moment on the stereo. I love all that Electro clash stuff. If that’s not on then its Radio 1.

BG: "A good DJ should be able to play many styles. "A good DJ should concentrate on one style of music. Which do you think is true?

Fergie: I think a DJ should play according to the club he is playing at

BG: What are your favourite promotions here and abroad?

Fergie: At home it’s got to be Godskitchen and away…I love playing at Space in Ibiza

BG: Where do you see the hard dance scene in 5 years?

Fergie: I don’t really know, I moved away from it three years ago when every track started to sound very similar. Thankfully it had resurgence and moved more underground again and has definitely improved. It must be doing something right as most more mainstream clubs are only half full yet Hard House clubs are still ramming them in.

BG: Thanks Fergie!

Fergie: Thanks a lot, see you all next weekend


Fergie plays at Frantic presents DJ Showcase.01 - Fergie on Friday 25th July at The Fridge. For full details click here.

With thanks to Dickon @ Frantic for his assistance with the interview.

Pictures courtesy of Fergie @ www.djfergie.co.uk



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Other Features By Ben Green:
NastyDirtySexMusic: Review
SummerDayze 2003 @ Belvoir Amphitheatre, WA - Review
Interview with Lisa Lashes
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
Comments:

From: Stevi D on 18th Jul 2003 16:08.00
Im looking very much fwd to this party!

From: timmyd9 on 18th Jul 2003 16:53.50
Very nice Benny boy. Very impressed you used both my questions Big grin

From: The Scene on 18th Jul 2003 16:58.22
Yep cheers to Tim, Shaun and Marcus for a couple of the questions and thanks to Fergie and Dickon for their timely responses Thumbs up

From: girth on 18th Jul 2003 17:09.26
good work- would love to go see him actually- you getting free tickets ben? Wink

From: Shaun on 18th Jul 2003 17:29.13
He is a legend!

From: shazzabazza on 18th Jul 2003 19:12.51
Great interview Ben! Thumbs up Smile

From: Darz on 18th Jul 2003 23:54.04
Fergie's a legend!! I was in Ibiza two weeks ago, and he was playing for the Gallery @ Eden later that night, so I went to see him play what is usually a short warm up set to generate interest in the night at Bar M. He played for 2 hours, and fuckin rocked!!! There was one drunken tit who kept coming up to the front shouting things constantly at Fergie, whilst he was trying to mix, until it got to the stage were Fergie just turned the music off, and shouted in this lads face, "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT??!" It was hilarious, and thelad soon shut up, rather red faced.

From: Dee on 19th Jul 2003 15:06.24
Excellent interview Ben, go you. Smile

Laughs out loud @ Darz's story. That's brilliant. Big grin

From: Lizzie Curious on 21st Jul 2003 09:33.25
Nice interview Ben!
I saw Fergie play at Godskitchen in 'Beefa a couple of years ago and he was really excellent.
x


From: Karl Alexander on 21st Jul 2003 12:41.26
Great interview Ben !!
Thumbs up

From: Gurnmaster Deluxe on 22nd Jul 2003 19:59.32
Good quality interview mate, well researched Smile

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