By Freddie Saunders
It’s no secret to anyone whose studied at university over the last few years that the student DJ epidemic is in full effect and not going anywhere anytime soon. You wouldn’t be far off in the north-west assuming that everyone and their mum has a speed garage mix waiting to be gifted to the world at some obscure 4am afters.
With that being said, this is not something to be judged.
It’s hard not to want to take part, and I’m no exception to this. After seeing a stream of mates mixing at both pres, afters, and in some cases, selling out venues, it’s easy to see why playing for fellow students and ravers alike has such a strong appeal.
There are plenty of positives to be taken from having such a strong student DJ scene, particularly for those who take part directly. As argued by student at LJMU and president of their DJ society Jonnie Hickey, “It’s all about the access to the social circle you need to start growing yourself as a DJ. We have more free time as students so we can go out, play mid-week and meet likeminded people.”
This social circle Johnnie speaks of is one that I’m happy to say I’ve seen grow more and more over the last few years. Students across all backgrounds coming together, dancing to the carefully curated mixes of their friends and anyone who wants to partake in the scene. The unifying feeling of dancing together, bonding over the music and expanding one’s taste is hardly something to be frowned upon.
With that being said, it would be remiss not to acknowledge, as any student DJ is familiar with, the condescending eyeroll reaction as if to say, “you’re a DJ… yeah, course you are.”
Young musicians and creatives more broadly are often met with that cynical, patronising response often expressed by those without the confidence to create something for themselves.
To me, this judgemental opposition to students giving their time and effort to a creative discipline is misguided, unneeded and I would go as far as to argue, irresponsible.
In short, we need student DJs. Not just because we occasionally need a friend to keep the vibe going after the ride home from a night of dancing, chatting to strangers and partaking in all rave culture can give us.
I’m sure any raver’s familiar with that feeling when the music’s not hitting the way it was, the party is running a little dry, and the nearest corner shop feels like a lifetime away.
Enter that one friend who’s been mixing for a few months and hasn’t quite got it yet. You’re not sure if a living room set is a good idea but who cares. You’re in too deep. A few hours more and the birds will start chirping as the blunt instrument of reality will begin to hit. The comedown, the bedrot, back to the real world.
So where’s the harm in showing your DJ friend some love for keeping the party going? Why not let them play you the mix they just spent the last week crafting? As anyone who’s ever been to a good afters can attest, the joys of dancing in a stranger’s kitchen, chatting to new people and keeping the night alive post-rave are not to be dismissed. Student DJs have provided many of these moments and for this, I know I’m certainly grateful.
Hedonism isn’t everything though. As established, student DJs can be of great importance, a necessity to continuing the debauchery of a great night out and taking it into the next day. However, this is far from the limit of what they offer our culture collectively.
Student DJs are a staple of the UK grassroots music scene, particularly in the north of England where for generations, artists have had the freedom to play to new fans and have their work supported by a flourishing independent music culture. Such a culture is severely under threat in the post-covid landscape we now occupy.
In 2023 the UK Music Venues Trust (MVT) reported that 125 grassroots venues that year were forced to close their doors, citing the scene as “significantly underfunded compared to other areas of culture.”
Our grassroots music scene in the UK is not just an economic asset, employing tens of thousands, but an integral part of our culture and identity, giving the world artists as wide ranging as Joy Division to Fatboy Slim.
When asking local student DJ LAYLA about the impact that these venue closures could have on the rave scene I was met with a poignant response. “There’s a lot in a name” she told me “house or jungle, whether we’re inside or outside there’s always going to be people dancing and music being made.”
While this is a sentiment I think that encapsulates the DIY ethos of UK rave culture, I also believe that such a scene needs support in the post-covid economy.
As DJ Soc president Johnnie Hickey admits “The closure of these grassroots venues is about as dire as it can get. You have to start off in these smaller venues because these places are your foot in the door to becoming a DJ so with these closing, it cuts off access to new up-and-comers from being able to make a name for themselves.”
This also raises the issue of DJs who are better established/managed, attaining disproportionate influence over the scene. Consequently, venues will give preferential treatment to these bigger names and less of a chance to the smaller up and coming talent that our scene needs to be nurturing.
In essence, student DJs are keeping the torch of our grassroots music culture lit and for that they deserve a place to play. Our scene should not fall victim to a government which doesn’t care to see the economic and cultural value in this space.
An investment in grassroots culture is an investment in youth culture, and an investment in youth culture is an investment in the future.
So before you might roll your eyes at the next ambitious student, trying to make a name for themselves mixing in front of their mates or in any of the few grassroots venues we have left, ask yourself, do you really want to live in a world where students aren’t trying to make each other dance? Do you want to live in a culture where creative communities suffer and spaces for people to express themselves become increasingly sparce?
As history shows with the rise of 90s acid house, illegal raving, and students throwing house parties across generations, when we don’t have a space to play, we’ll find one.
It’s essential we acknowledge that many DJs live in service of a culture that provides an escape from the mundanity of our conservative society. Labour government or not, us Brits have one of the most socially conservative cultures in western Europe.
It’s this reason that our rave movement exists as the antithesis to that. What better antithesis is there to the social confines of conservative Britain than a haven of music, dance and self-expression? A place where social constructs of class, status and judgement of others can be left at the door while the real world waits. A community where women, minorities, non-binary people and any kind of non-conformist can and should have their space to dance and feel welcome.
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