:: INTERVIEWS :: LADY BIANCA

New Year = A Big Fuck Off Party and of course Tidy’s contribution to the New Year festivities centred on Pontins Holiday Camp in Blackpool for the much anticipated “Tidy Time Machine” event. Following the same format as the infamous Weekenders, this was three days and three nights of all things Tidy, featuring favourite DJs as well as some names who had yet to grace a Weekender stage.

New Yeas Eve itself featured the best of past, present and future across the three arenas, with room 2 celebrating the distinctive sound and achievements of Trade, the “hard-house galactic mother-ship club” which gave rise to the scene that we enjoy today. Trade was a weekly after-hours club at London’s Turnmills that became famous for musical progression and cutting edge sounds which became the foundations of today’s hard-house; starting with gentler funky-esque beats, through New York house and techno, then right up to the harder, faster, simplistic yet addictive and innovative output from the likes of hard-house legends Ian M, Pete Wardman and the greatly missed Tony De Vit. These days, Trade reserves itself for special occasions such as Bank Holiday weekends, and still draws in capacity crowds when ever it occupies the vast Turnmills complex. Through a certain amount of ignorance, I missed out on weekly doses of this world-famous club but thanks to one-off parties that Trade still hosts, (the most recent event was on Christmas Day), I can appreciate why Trade was such a phenomenon; it is utterly different from any other club I have been to or reviewed in style, atmosphere and musical flavour. Despite missing the glory days of what many call “The Trade Years”, I always feel a sense of belonging when I am at any of the one-off Trade events; Catholics go to Rome, Muslims go to Mecca, I go to Trade.

Trade had (and indeed still retains) one of the best and most loyal group of residents - the main-room line-up has changed little over the years; there is no vast pool of “DJs on rotation”. This is an essential element in keeping the Trade brand values alive - the reason for Trade’s meteoric rise and iconic status was because their DJs worked together to deliver a musical progression and cutting edge sounds. To be a Trade resident is, for many DJs, one of the highest accolades you can earn, an accolade which is bestowed only very rarely. Indeed, Lady Bianca was the first “new resident” appointed for many years, and boy did she deserve it. She was on hand this New Years Eve, along with some of her Trade DJ colleagues, to deliver a “taste of Trade” set at the Tidy New Years Eve Weekender. Delighting Trade regulars and lots of Trade virgins with her addictive play-list, peppered with original and updated versions of Trade tracks, Lady Bianca brought a bit of Trade style to Blackpool.

I managed to steal some of the Lady’s time while at the Weekender to ask her some questions. Looking calm, cool and relaxed from her exhilarating set, Lady Bianca initially seemed shy and slightly bashful. Despite her privileged status as Trade resident, she is extremely modest and was absolutely delighted to have just played her first ever Weekender set:

Ru: Did you enjoy that?

LB: Did I enjoy that? I’ve always wanted to play at a Tidy Weekender and to be asked to play my part in The Trade Room was awesome. I’ve heard so much about the Weekenders but nothing compares to actually being here. I was a little nervous, but once I started the crowd reacted positively and the time flew by.

Ru: This evening your set followed Andy Farley’s; you’re good friends with him I believe?

LB: Yes he’s my bitch!! (Laughs)!! In fact we are flying off to Thailand in a couple of days for three weeks. It’s a strange feeling because for so long he was (and still is) one of my mentors. I continue to learn so much from him, he is inspirational and to follow on from him here at Tidy is a great honour for me. It was a real treat to be playing with Ian and Steve too as we rarely get to play on the same line ups. They too are both very dear friends and also two DJs I look up to and always will aspire to. All three of them are my heroes of hard dance and all for different reasons… for me, no one will ever do quite like them!!

Ru: Before becoming a Trade DJ, I read somewhere that you were a regular on its dance-floor. Did you ever think that you’d end up headlining with Trade stalwarts such as Pete Wardman, Malcolm Duffy, Alan Thompson and Steve Thomas?

LB: Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d DJ let alone be a Trade DJ! When I started partying at Trade in 1992 I wasn’t even thinking about DJing... I was a professional Show jumper/3 day event rider and part time riding instructor preparing to study Equine Science and Physiology at Agricultural College! To be honest I was so naïve I didn’t even realise there were several DJ’s playing on the one night; I was firmly rooted to the dance floor from start to finish and completely lost in the music. It was the only place I was hearing sounds like that and I was in love with it! Only as I got more curious about the music did I start taking an interest in the way the night progressed and who was playing. It started off tribal and built slowly through techno to the harder stuff. Years ago you used to hear a lot more techno at Trade then the sound went a bit more commercial before the hard house sound took off so there was a lot of diversity. Each DJ had there own sound and they all worked so well together, really taking you on a musical journey. The Trade DJs both past and present are and always will be my musical mentors; they shaped me as a DJ. When I started, Trade was of course top of my list of places to play but I also knew that the Trade DJ stable was a hard one to get into if at all, they had their residents and that was that. Then they asked me to do some CDs for the test lounge and I did 5! All different: house, techno, groovy hard house, harder hard house and one that was a progression through of all them but I made an effort to pick the tracks that I thought would fit on the Trade floor. It worked and the rest is history… it truly is a dream come true for me playing for Trade and working alongside the guys I worshiped for so many years is priceless, its still blows me away every time I play there and I always smile when I see “Lady Bianca” on a Trade flyer or advert.

Ru: Normally when I ask a DJ about influences, I am usually offered one or two names. But you’re list reads something like a who’s who of hard-house and techno. Of course the Trade DJs are in that list including the much loved Tony De Vit. If you hadn’t gone to Trade, how different do you think things would have turned out for you?

LB: [Laughs] I know… but they all did it for me in different ways, some still do. If I hadn’t gone to Trade I am not sure I would be DJing... who knows. It was there that my curiosity started and I heard music that still makes me shiver. That was the catalyst for my clubbing and music addictions resulting in my DJing.

Maybe I would have made it to more of my show jumping events on Sunday mornings and stuck at training for the British Equestrian Team with a view to riding with the British Olympic team at the Olympics. Lady Bianca as a DJ name almost certainly would not have existed.

Ru: Talking of your DJ name, why the name Lady Bianca? Are you really aristocratic? And is your name really Bianca?

LB: I was wondering when that question will surface… I tell you what… ask Farley if he thinks I’m a Lady!! No seriously it is my real name. My mother is Russian/Romanian and my title decends from that side of the family. I’ll let you into a little secret too, I was once a Debutante and it was a nightmare… I hated it, the whole shebang was far too prim and proper for me, I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy.

Ru: Many will recognise the name Lady Bianca as an established resident DJ at Trade with a definitive style. With the exception of your set for us tonight at Tidy, does playing at Trade differ from your other gigs?

LB: Yes, it does a lot. I mainly play Trade classics from the years gone by and some newer stuff like remixes of the Trade classics and new bits that are Trade sounding. Occasionally I will play more recent releases that fit with the older sound for the newer Trade babies that are coming through. It helps keeps it a little fresher too. I’m currently producing a lot of groovier funky hard house with phat bass lines that isn’t too far fetched from the older sound but I’ll mainly play that at Trade and other gigs wanting me on earlier as it isn’t to hard or fast.

As for other gigs...? It all depends on my set time and what they want me to play really… can be hard and fast or slower and groovy even slightly techie. I like to mix it up when I play... some groove, tech, hoovers, classics and the filthy hard stuff but it generally depends on what the crowds up for.

Ru: You started clubbing at 17, where you into hard-house then?

LB: I was into all sorts of dance music. Speed garage, house, techno, drum n bass, hard house and Old Skool. They all made me feel good and got me dancing like a loon. Hard house was different then and the music I was hearing on the straight scene was so different to the gay scene. I was going to all sorts of places like the infamous Mud Club at Bagley’s (now Canvas), Freedom and Double Dipped also at Bagley’s, Labyrinth in Dalston, Garage at Heaven, Sherbet and at The Soundshaft, Love Muscle at The Fridge, and Club UK, Trade, Melt, Warriors and Gallery all at Turnmills and the Heaven and Hell parties in a warehouse in Wandsworth somewhere! It was great!

Ru: A monthly promotion in Canterbury called Beyond Dance was the setting for your DJ debut back in July 2000, your performance earning you an instant residency there. Can you tell me a little more about how you transcended from clubber to DJ?

LB: It was one weekend in 1998; I’d been out all weekend and was at a chill out after Trade, and before Sherbet. I was hooked on the vibe at Trade and the fact I was dancing to music I wasn't hearing anywhere else. My hunger for hard house and techno had begun. I danced from start to finish, week in week out and after a while started to become more aware of the music changing becoming harder and more intense every few hours, leaving me and many others pouring with sweat and shouting with joy at our favourite tunes. I had, over the years, discovered that there were different DJ's playing and grew more aware of the DJ’s themselves, how they played and how it made me feel. My curiosity was growing... how did they get me feeling the way I did…? I wanted more and more. I was addicted and loving every moment! I had got the DJ bug and subsequently spent most of our chill outs at my friends’ house annoying the hell out of them with my unbelievably bad attempts at mixing. Trying to learn to mix after a morning at Trade... not the best idea but I pursued.

I bought decks on finance and started going to record shops and embarrassingly try to sing the vocal and tunes from my favourites heard at the weekend but always got the words wrong. Slowly, I built up a collection of vinyl, everything from garage, house, techno and hard house and I was given some records by DJ friends along the way, enough for me to practice, if you could call it that! I didn’t have a clue where to start… I tried and tried but was making such a racket that I basically gave up and just used my decks to listen to my favourites and mess about on at chill outs. Then a few years later, a friend of mine was running a small party in Canterbury, Beyond Dance. He knew what I got up to at chill outs and decided to challenge the DJ I was hiding inside. He put my name on a flyer... he called me Lady B and presented it to me one night whilst partying! Well being away with the fairies at that point I thought... no problem... yeah right! Next day I was in shock and not sure how the hell I was going to pull this off. So I practised everyday for about 3 weeks leading up to the gig.

Thanks to some helpful hints from some DJ mates I was doing better than at the chill outs and being sober helped! Then I had to go to Ibiza for a week, the week before the event! I was so worried I wouldn’t be ready, and then before I knew it I was standing behind the decks getting ready to warm up for Darren Christian from the Gallery!! Great! No pressure or anything... only another one of my DJ gods to hear me make a complete twat of myself along with a club full of people! So after I was sick 3 times I put my 1st record on, hands shaking so much I kept almost knocking the needle off! 2 hours went by so fast and I managed to get through my set with a few glitches but nothing too bad! Still not sure how I did it but getting my 1st residency from that gave me the courage and determination to carry on. I was hooked!

Ru: A little over a year later you were despatched to Asia to entertain the masses in Hong Kong and China, that must have been something of a culture shock?
LB: To say the least! That whole year had been a whirl wind for me so to end it on tour in China was amazing. I was told I was only the 3rd female DJ to play out there and there were film crews, radio shows and a gig itinerary that was exhausting in itself. Having only been playing just over a year, I was completely overwhelmed. It was a challenge to say the least but a great learning experience. A friend and I were flown out to Hong Kong and put up in an amazing hotel where were based for a month. On Friday’s we were flown to different cities in China, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing where I played on Friday and Saturday nights then on Sunday’s we were flown back to Honk Kong. I was taken out for the month as the tours resident DJ and was playing alongside John "OO" Flemming, Darren Stokes, Darren Christian and Azzido Da Bass. Each DJ had a different sound; thankfully I had varied taste in music and what I liked to play so we worked really well together. The tour also consisted of a dance troupe of Aussie girls, 2 Japanese VJ’s, 2 translators and 2 tour managers, one for the dancers and one for the DJ’s. It was a massive operation.
The crowds were the biggest I had ever played to at that point, usually around 2-3,000 people per night and I was so nervous. There were all sorts of age groups too I saw the usual young and middle-aged clubbers but there were whole families out too. On one occasion a little girl no older than about 6 was dancing on the stage in front of the booth, she was ecstatic, it was wonderful to watch her. What looked like her grandparents were stood near by also having a little bop! Surreal! I also saw the China Olympic team in there team trackies! The clubs were so different not what I was used to… they were vast! All the best equipment, sound and lights, loads of different rooms and levels with lifts and escalators, karaoke suites, shot drinking bars that looked more like speed drinking bars (we made good use of them!), restaurants in some and so many different VIP lounges and dressing rooms some were like hotels!
Musically I was challenged. Here I was, an inexperienced DJ, in China, playing alongside world class DJ’s and not having a clue what the crowd would want to hear. I took funky house, tech house, techno and hard house and basically progressed my sets according to the crowd’s reactions. It was the biggest learning curve I have had and I quickly learnt to read the crowd and keep them on the floor. The funniest moment had to be when I realised that every time I put my hand in the air the crowd copied! One hand or both they were there doing the same and cheering so loud it was mind blowing!
Ru: The line-up at Blackpool represents pretty much every part of the hard-dance arena, a bit like relatives, friends and acquaintances who have been gathered for a recording of “This is Your Life” and thus an opportunity to reflect on the achievements and colourful life that is the hard-house scene. If you had to chose just one person for a lifetime achievement award for contribution to hard-house, who would it be and why?
LB: I would like to present this award to… (drum roll)… Tony De Vit!! Hands down, that definitely goes to Tony. Tony championed the underground hard house sound in Trade for years and brought it into mainstream clubs and the straight scene. He played a major role in making hard house what it is today and his productions were pure hands in the air brilliance!
Ru: Given the diversity of hard-dance, if you had to name just one track that was somehow able to summarise everything you believe is representative of the scene, which track would it be?

LB: Oh bloody hell… just one!! Ok…. The Dawn. I was listening to it just yesterday and before I knew it, I found myself standing there with my eyes closed covered in goose bumps! It has just the right amount of groove, filth and melody and is crowd pleasure extraordinaire!

Coming a close 2nd is a remix of Legend B’s - Lost In Love from 1997!

Ru: As a clubber, do you have one particular event that stands out as your most memorable?

LB: Probably Dance Valley in Holland.

RC: What makes you say that?

LB: It has countless arenas’ serving up all sorts of dance music delivered by some of the worlds best DJs and as its all outdoors in the sunshine... well mostly anyway!! What could be better! Oh and Dutch men are gorgeous... (Laughs)!

Ru: What are your views on the one off pairing of DJs for back-2-back sets?

LB: B2B’s can be good if the DJs complement each other musically and technically. I have been asked to DJ b2b on occasion with DJ’s that I know I just won’t work well with musically.

Part of the whole b2b thing is the fun of it and the anticipation…waiting to see what the other plays and where you take it from there. You have to enjoy it and the more you do the more the crowd feed off you.

I have played b2b with a few different DJs over the years, some I enjoyed more than others.

Mostly I play b2b with Steve Thomas. We’ve played on a few occasions now and we both love it! We have a right old laugh too, we’re like too old woman… it’s your turn dear... no after you dear LOL and Oooo what shall we play next... this one oooo no misses I think this one! We’ve been asked to do more too... Fab!

I also played with Paul King in Australia. We both got shafted on a gig out there so when the promoter asked if I wanted to go b2b I said great! That too was hilarious! We both got so drunk we were all over the place in the booth... not a usual for me but the pictures were funny and the crowd were in stitches!

A b2b set that is most memorable for me as a clubber has got to be Ian M b2b Paul Glazby in Manchester years ago. They were both pushing each other and it got harder and faster… it was electric! I’d pay good money to see that again!

Ru: DJing is of course just part of your talent, production wise you’re co-credited with Trauma on the Vicious Circle release “Oblivion” [Track 3 on Ian M’s Weekender 8 CD] with Illogik’s “Gods Child“ on the flipside. Where do you see Lady Bianca going in 2007 and beyond?

LB: I did Oblivion with Paul King ages ago now, it was my 1st and so far my only release!! It did so well I was amazed! I am so self critical I wasn’t 100% sure it was going to do the trick but when Paul told me it was one of the highest sellers of the triple pack I was made up! Ian M and Farley also showed such great support I couldn’t believe it! I remember Ian stopping me at a gig we were both playing at to tell me how much he liked it and I will never forget how happy I felt!

I have done a few other tracks that have yet to be released… probably because I’m not 100% happy with them and haven’t had the time to go into the studio but in 2007 I am going to make time to get back in the studio on a regular basis again. I also have my own studio that I desperately want to start using. I studied Audio Engineering but haven’t been able to put it into practise much…again time is the problem but I am hoping to fix that!

You can expect to hear everything from groovy funky hard house, techno and tough electro fuelled house from me in future so keep your eyes peeled!

Ru: Do you play vinyl, CDs or a mixture? Do you have a favourite?

LB: I play both but vinyl is my favourite to be honest. CDs just don’t do it for me but needs must!

Ru: You’re early clubbing years were spent mainly in gay clubs with gay mates, I think you once described straight clubs at the time as being “meat-markets”. These days though, when you are not working, where are we likely to find you on a Saturday night?

LB [Laughs] Yes… Hammersmith Palais…I was young!! It was hideous!!

Well to get me out when I’m not playing now is a bit of a rarity. I have a rather active 1 year old miniature bull terrier that needs a lot of attention so I can’t go out for any long periods of time or he trashes the house! If I do plan a night out – (and once I get going that generally includes the following morning and afternoon too) he goes to his Gran (it’s like having a child!). I’ll either travel to a gig I’d like to check out... could be anywhere in the UK or abroad in fact or to something a friend is playing at. Otherwise, it’ll be a house or techno club for something different.

I’ve been invited to Cocoon club in Frankfurt, Sven Vath’s club Me and a certain techno loving friend will hopefully get our arses over there in the New Year!

Ru: If you could change anything about today’s clubbing scene, what would it be?

LB: Well the politics that go on behind the scenes in club land mainly between promoters and clubs can leave a bad taste in your mouth but it’s the same in every industry really. I never saw any of it as a clubber but as a DJ you do.

On a more serious note though…GHB... DON’T DO IT... It’s a killer drug! Its used as an alloy cleaner!! It’s so unstable and people are falling victim to it more and more… if I could make it illegal to sell and possibly take it out of circulation altogether I would, its horrid! I’ve seen what it can do at its worst and it’s not pretty and can be fatal. Why bother!! It burns plastic glasses so you can only imagine what it’s doing to your insides.

Ru: If you were to host a Christmas lunch and could invite one famous person to join you, who would it be and why?

LB: Catherine Tate!! What fun would that be! One person and all those fabulous characters! I’d be wetting myself!

Ru: What would you buy her as a Christmas gift?

LB: A wooden squirrel! What a f***ing liberty!

Ru: If you were the Queen, what would have been the underlying tone of this years Christmas message be?

LB: Sounds corny but it would have to be World peace!! (and no, being a Miss World contender is not on my CV or “Things to do list”).

Ru: Do you have any words of wisdom for our readers?

LB: If you have a dream or ambition, don’t give up on it… dreams can come true, mine did! What ever you do, give it your all, that’s all you can do and if anyone tries to put you down don’t let it bother you, turn it around and use it to make you stronger! Life is what you make of it so make it a good one to the best of your ability and don’t let anyone take that away from you!

Ru: Do you have a joke you could share with us?

LB: You asked me to think of a joke when I agreed to this interview, all the jokes I know are well rude!

Ru: Superb – just what we like…

LB: Now you tell me, I had to call loads of people on the way up here for a clean joke, so after all that effort you can have it:-

The inaugural flight of Irelands Air Fungus was coming in to land at London Heathrow. Captain Murphy and First Officer Fitz-Patrick are at the controls and have never flown to Heathrow before. As they get closer to the ground they see the runway. “B’ Jesus how short is that runway?” asks Captain Murphy. “Yeah, but look how wide it is” replies the First Officer

Ru: Ah, OK, thanks for that. Are you sticking around for a bit?

LB: Sadly not, Steve Thomas and me are about to fly down the motorway as we are due to play at Trade’s New Year Party in just a few hours.

Ru: Its been great to meet you, thank you for an awesome set tonight, and hopefully we’ll see you at another weekender soon.

LB: Pleasure’s all mine babe, thank you Tidy for inviting me, Happy New Year to everyone at Tidy and to all the Tidy clubbers, thank you for making me so welcome – it really has been another dream come true.