"One of the most promising DJs in the UK with a great future. Technically fantastic" says Gary Pitt, from the London offices of superclub Cream.
John Spacey - disco decnician
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With 2010, a new decade beckons. The last few months have seen the continuing strength of John's BeGoodMusic brand with higher profile gigs than ever before.
John's masterful DJing skills have reached thousands of people at over 500 events in over 90 venues in 7 countries.
Eight appearances at Ministry of Sound in London including the 6th birthday of BeGood alongside Chris Lake and Laidback Luke in March 2010, Release Yourself with Roger Sanchez in August 2009 and the fifth birthday of BeGood alongside Erick Morillo at Subliminal Sessions in March 2009.
Eight sell out BeGood on the Thames London Boat parties, ranked Number one in Time Out magazine, Critic's Choice in the London Evening Standard and featured on Ministry of Sound TV.
A 24 date of the French Alps including the highest club in Europe.
North American tour dates including playing the hottest club in New York's East village and in downtown Philly.
John's quest to inform, educate and entertain continues.
Back in Summer 2007, John was interviewed on Ministry of Sound TV, and appeared alongside headlining names such as Joey Negro, Mark Knight, Steve Angello, Kenny Dope, Osunlade and Simon Dunmore at Ministry of Sound when BeGoodMusic hosted their own room at the legendary venue for the Summer season.
Since the inception of BeGoodMusic in Feb 2004, he's taken the brand from a single event in Covent Garden to audiences in the UK, France, USA and Spain and captured the following and imagination of thousands through his growing portfolio of appearances.
2006 was also a significant year which included holding a Saturday residency at London's Centro alongside Hed Kandi's Sundays, taking BeGood's flagship bi-monthly into it's third year at The White House in Clapham, gigs at Pacha Manhattan in New York, performing sunset at Cafe Del Mar and Mambo alongside Roger Sanchez, Es Paradis with Pukka Up, The Cross, Pacha London and selling out four BeGood on The Thames London Boat Parties.
John never fails to captivate an audience with his aural montages of funky melodies, spiritual vocals, filters, accapellas, jacking bass lines and tribal rhythms laced together in his very own inimitable style, constantly adding layers in the mix.
There are few limitations to John's performing potential and his sets are often the very definition of a musical journey, seamlessly traversing the genres of down tempo and rare groove up to soulful house, vocal house and the many hybrids through to tough, tribal sounds. Maintaining versatility is paramount.
Its all about the music.
Beginning with 9 years of classical training on the Cello and Piano, John also attended the Yamaha Music School for 5 years, during which time he represented Scotland competitively at National level aged only 16. His influences are are as diverse as his tastes. From Kerri Chandler to Miles Davis and kitsch Hammond-a-Go-Go Bossa' LPs to the productions of LTJ Bukem. From John Barry's film orchestrations to the soul of James Ingram and George Benson. From Dean Martin and Tito Puente's classic latin sessions to early psychedelic Pink Floyd and Hendrix, it's all taken in, absorbed and appreciated.
Looking back
His interest in dance music was initially fuelled by swapping cassettes in the early 90s. Around this time, music was evolving rapidly and through exposure to crossover anthems such as Gypsy Woman by Crystal Waters, John became hooked on the genre. It was late 1995 that John first had a chance to try out a friend's set of 1210s whilst at the University of Stirling. Taking to the art like a proverbial duck to water, John started using the main installed sound system in the Students' Union club to hone his new found talent during lunchbreaks and in any spare moments he could find - between documentary shoots for his Film course, screenings, lectures, musical and theatre rehearsals and co-editing the Student Newspaper.
Within a few months of teaching himself how to work a mix, he was promoting and running the Saturday house night Carrera in the Students' Union - with himself as the main resident. John designed the branding for the events and engaged the assistance of Cream's graphic studio in Liverpool to finish the logo professionally. Everything had to be just right. Within 11 months of buying his first dance record, he was shortlisted to the final of Kensitas UK Club DJ of the Year.
1996 was an invigorating time for clubbing. Doing the business at the time was the groundbreaking Tori Amos Professional Widow, The Candy Girls' handbag anthem Fee Fi Fo Fum and just about anything with Armand Van Helden's name on it. The club was small, dark and hot but the atmosphere was electric: lads with shirts tied round their waists blowing air horns, girls in bikini tops, people dancing precariously on 12 inch wide drink shelves and any other makeshift podiums... by the second event, the tapes he was selling for a fiver were being snapped up from the DJ booth.
It wasn't until 1998 that John even acquired his first set of budget turntables as wages for a gig in Edinburgh, although the first mix he put together on those trusty second hand belt drives rewarded him with second place in Muzik Magazine's Bedroom Bedlam.
Building a reputation
Fast forward 4 years to August 2002 and John rocked it at the famous Saturday night Fiesta Del Agua water party in front of 2,000 beautiful people from around the world, in the amazing Es Paradis, on the most inspiring of islands, Ibiza.
The same season, he reached the top 12 from over 1,350 DJs for a residency at the world famous Liverpool superclub Cream in July 2002 and supported the legendary John Kelly alongside top resident Lucci at the Cream Pre Party - pre Amnesia - at Bar M, San Antonio, Ibiza. In the words of Erick Morillo, this was assuredly Off the hook.
2003 witnessed John making debuts in Miami at the Annual Winter Music Conference and in Brussels, headlining the First Anniversary party of one the city's best venues. During that Summer, we've seen him rocking venues across Ibiza including Savannah, Coastline and the legendary Terrace at Amnesia for Cream. Back in the UK, he's performed for Garage City and for Soul Heaven at Ministry of Sound in London.
The next chapter
2004 to 2006 has marked the steady rise of BeGoodMusic seeing John's residency portfolio expand rapidly across London.
His performances are rooted in house music, both soulful and uplifting, but his bar sets take an eclectic twist, exemplified in sumptuous sets at Eclipse Notting Hill, where John was known to seamlessly weave from chill out and world music through soul and rare groove to Latin and house to an audience including notable household names from film and music.
Expect professionalism. Expect considered thought and preparation in every tailored performance, technical excellence on three or four decks and the very best house music from Europe and the US.
Further achievements
Besides presenting an all day party at the 2003 Miami Winter Music Conference, his lengthy credentials include supporting Danny Rampling twice - to acclaim on Radio One and dates on the Orange enjoy music UK tour supporting Jon Carter, Norman Jay MBE, Jean Jacques Smoothie and Yousef, supporting Darren Emerson, taking a 2nd place in Ministry Magazine MOS Radio's DJ of the Year 2001 and taking Runner up in Muzik mag Bedroom Bedlam. Current London residencies include Eclipse bars, Boujis, Babushka, Retoxbar, Red, The Paragon Lounge, and The White House in Clapham, home to Norman Jay's Dusted and Defected in the House pre parties to Ministry of Sound.
About John
John was born in Edinburgh, 1976 and was educated in Scotland 1980 - 1997, finishing with a BA Hons in Film and Media. Along the way, he's been the photographer and the photojournalist, the artist and an actor of sorts during his early forays into theatre whilst at Stirling University and in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The dedicated designer, sometimes presenter, and always the perfectionist.
Legendary clubbing moments include hearing Danny Rampling drop Constipated Monkeys' Cro Magnon for the first time in 1999, seeing India sing live at Southport 30 and Barbara Tucker's legendary impromptu performance on a table - on the beach - at Bora Bora - in one of Ibiza's famous electrical storms after spending the afternoon on the Terrace at Space for Alex P's birthday.
The 2003 Miami WMC also had it's share of special moments including Lisa Millet's appearance at the Soulfuric party at Rain and an intimate poolside PA from Shaun Escoffrey on the white sand of South Beach, candlelit under a yellow moon through the palm trees.
John is now London based in Film and Event Production and as an Event Producer, has worked with many performers from both sides of the Atlantic, hundreds of PAs, DJs and live internationally touring bands.
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