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Interview with TWIST promoter Steve Darragh
Reported by Sharon B
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Submitted 11-08-04 08:55
Love it or hate it, there is no doubting that when it comes to after-parties in London, no one does it quite like TWIST. Week in and week out TWIST faithfuls pile on the TWIST bus and head over to Vauxhall for their weekly fix of funky, driving or just plain banging hard house in all its shapes and sizes being mixed by some of London’s biggest and best DJ’s. After only a few weeks TWIST was already making moves in club land and word of mouth, and a party that actually lives up to its promises and hype, has resulted in TWIST being voted number one after party by Harderfaster members and with their continued devotion to pleasing the clubber and making it the best party in town, it looks like a real contender for the HF Awards 2004. This Bank Holiday Weekend sees TWIST move from its usual venue at the Fire Club in Vauxhall to one of London’s most famous venues, The Fridge in Brixton! Sharon B managed to catch up with TWIST promoter Steve Darragh to find out more about the little party that’s making big waves.
TWIST Logo
Sharon B: Twist has managed to be a huge success ever since its very first party – why do you think that is? What is the ethos behind your event and what do you attribute its success to?
Twist was not a huge success at the beginning. It took an awful lot of hard work constantly promoting and finding the people who understood what we were trying to achieve. There were far too many occasions when I had to pop off to the cash point to get money to pay the DJs. Gradually the faithful started to get bigger and bigger and we continued to offer consistency and quality. These are the main reasons for its success.
SB: You have some of London’s best DJs as your residents – can you tell us about your decision behind each residency and what it is that they bring to your party that makes them unique?
I believe we have the best residents in the UK, if not the World when it comes to Hard Dance; We have Ian M and Karim who offer massive experience and credibility (what these guys are doing on a weekly basis just has to be experienced to be believed), then the next tier is The *Ting*, Danny Gilligan, Peter Ward, Lady Bianca and Mike Tulley. All of these DJs offer versatility ( all can play various styles from funky through to hardcore), All write their own compositions, all look good, all have strong, fantastic personalities, need I go on......Finally Red and Blue are our new kids on the block and are great fun.
The thing that makes them all unique is their ability to entertain and stimulate at the same time.
SB: How did Twist first come about? What made you decide to throw a Sunday after party?
When Trade died as a weekly party there was a group of about 30 of my friends still wanting to listen to harder music but with no where to go. One of these, Peter Ward, was a Trade resident but played his tough funky set there and told me his first love was hard music so we started a little party in the second room of what was then the Viaduct. Having been going to Trade for years we knew where they had perhaps gone off the path and had a very clear idea of what music policy Twist should adopt.
SB: Over the last year Twist has managed to build up a very loyal following – what is it about your party that makes people want to return on such a regular basis?
It's because it is a real club that offers consistency and quality. From the same venue each week to the same best security on entry, the coat check staff, the bar staff, the DJs and of course many of the clubbers are regulars so this builds a fantastic atmosphere and special feeling. For some people missing a Twist is one of the hardest things in the World to do. I regularly get texts from people on holiday saying they wish they were there. We now have regulars from Birmingham, Bristol and Leicester who come back week after week!
TWIST crowd
SB: What do you think your party offers that others lack?
Once again I keep mentioning it but it all boils down to consistency and quality. If you come to Twist one week, like it, tell all your friends and come back the next week and it's all changed..... I do believe a proper club is completely different to putting on a special event. Both can be highly enjoyable experiences though, just different.
SB: A short while ago clubbers were able to get from venue to Twist on the Twist bus which was a hugely enjoyable and innovative experience – what happened to that idea and will we ever see the return of the Twist bus?
We still run the Twist Party Bus almost every week. Obviously The Fridge is our main Saturday night club now and the bus is rammed each week. Occasionally we will have extra buses on at other events too but we have fairly much found our own crowd now. Twist is packed regardless of what events are on the night before. What surprises me most are the weeks when nothing is on the previous night and we are still busy.
SB: Twist is only put on as a special occasion at the Fridge as the Fire Club is its usual home – how do you feel the party transfers to the Fridge and has it lived up to your expectations?
The Fridge is without doubt London’s favourite venue and it is very exciting to be able to hold Twist there. I think it’s great to have a special treat once in a while and although we know everyone loves Twist at Fire, Twist at the Fridge makes a nice change.
SB: What can we expect to see at Twist at the Fridge for the upcoming party in August? What will make this event different from the last Twist at the Fridge?
This Twist will offer exactly what Twist has become renowned for; Consistency and quality. There will of course be some new surprises but you will just have to wait and see. We will definitely have improved chill out spaces and the second room will be a cafe with relaxing music played quietly.
The Famous Disco Balls
SB: You are known as one of the more vociferous promoters on the scene – how important is it to you to say what you feel and stand by your convictions?
Anyone who knows me knows I say exactly what I think. My mouth has always been very fluid. I have opinions on most things. In one of my first jobs for Thomson Directories, I was at an International Sales conference with 2,000 colleagues getting a pep talk by the CEO about how well we could all do. At the end he asked for any questions.
Silence.
So I held my hand up, stood up and asked him how much money he earned last year to gasps of shock around me. I explained I wasn't being rude just wanted to know what to aim at.
Later on he singled me out and shook my hand and said I was the only person in 20 years who had asked that question. I whispered in his ear if you tell me I promise not to tell anyone else so he told me.
A year later I was the top sales person in the UK.
SB: As someone who does feel that they can make a change what changes would you like to see happen over the next 12 month in club land to bring it back to what is important – i.e. the music and the clubbers?
Better quality events where the priority is the music and clubbers, not just numbers through doors. I much prefer to be at a party that feels right and that goes off rather than one that is rammed and flops. Of course the ideal is busily going off!!!
SB: Obviously you have some of the best DJs playing for you already, but is there anyone who has yet to play for you that you would like to see at a Twist event?
We do get criticised for not giving enough chances to up and coming DJs however I am lucky enough to get to see most of these DJs at some point and to be honest there is a distinct lack of talent out there. Some of the so called saviours of the hard dance industry would not even be considered for Twist.
I really would like to see some exciting talent shine through as the same old DJs are getting a bit boring and overplayed in London.
Jon Rundell and D.A.V.E.The Drummer impressed me when they played and I do feel a leaning towards a more hardtech style so I guess Mark EG and the like would be interesting.
TWIST Resident Danny Gilligan
SB: What advice would you have to up and coming DJs desperate to be included in one of your line ups? With a reputation as strong as Twist has it must be an ambition of most hard dance and hard house DJ’s to play for you so what would you advise them to do in order to get your attention?
Firstly, never be desperate. Choose a club you believe in and become part of it. Red and Blue attended Twist and gave me a different demo for 21 weeks before getting a chance. They made themselves become part of the party. A DJ contacted me recently stating he would be perfect for playing at Twist. I asked him when he last visited and he said he had never been.
That’s not a good start.
SB: You have a reputation as a promoter for treating all those involved with your party with incredible fairness and believe that a job done well deserves to be rewarded accordingly – what are your views on DJ’s who play for free or a reduced wage merely to get noticed? Do you feel this benefits the scene in anyway or merely sell talent short?
Oh no...This is such a difficult question.
If a group of kids are having a game of football in the local park, I'm sure a few of them dream about being Beckham. Who am I to deny them a dream? The reality is probably none of them ever will be pro footballers but can still have a very enjoyable time playing the game.
The trouble arises when a few too many of them actually start to believe they are as good as Beckham and deserve to be in the final.
If I were in a position to take one of those kids off the local playing field and into a cup final I would not expect him to be grateful for the chance and play for free. He would be paid accordingly because of his talent.
If anyone has a talent that others are paying to see they should be paid.
Simple.
Steve at one of TWIST's many themed events
SB: Twist manages to do exceedingly well on its own two feet but would you ever consider a collaboration with another night and if so, which night would that be?
We never have and unlikely ever will. You don't walk into McDonalds and ask for a BK Flamer do you. People who come to Twist know exactly what they are getting. There is no point in diluting a top quality product (whatever it is) with something different. We have never really teamed up with anyone. However some of the other nights we are involved in may lend themselves to collaborations and never say never.
SB: Not only do you run hugely successful club events but you are in the midst of setting up your own record company called “Volcano” – can you tell us more about this? What are your hopes for the label and what style and genre will you be producing? Will it be strictly hard dance or will you embrace other artists and sounds?
We are very excited about Volcano Records. Ian M will be the debut release for the label which we are delighted and proud to be able to say. All the residents will be releasing records for us however we are very much on the lookout for quality material. The label will encompass not just hard dance but will concentrate on the harder side of music and we are very interested in the future so many styles across differing genres including deep techy sounds will be heard.
SB: You recently spent time in the USA looking into setting up more events abroad – how did this go and is this the next direction for you? Global domination?
I was very disappointed actually. It made me realise just how fortunate we are here in London. The actual venues themselves have along way to go to meet our standards. There are some great people out there who are currently pioneering the scene especially in San Francisco but in all honesty there is a long way to go. All plans are on the back burner for now as we concentrate fully on plans here. The Bank Holiday Monday Twists are doing very well and have practically become an institution now. The exclusive 7 hour set by Ian M on 30/8/04 is one not to be missed.
SB: Having had a hugely successful year already where would you like to see yourself in 12 months time from now? What ambitions do you have left that are so far unfulfilled?
It has been a very exciting year so far but we really feel like it’s just beginning. Things are moving so fast. We are extremely pleased with the way everything is going. We have had a great response to rescuing the Fridge and to be a small part in the success of this legendary venue is very rewarding. I would like to thank everybody for their very kind comments and support. We do have some fantastic plans for the next year though. We have many ambitions. As well as the labels we have plans for a DVD release and a possible magazine. However our biggest ambition is to be voted the number one afterparty in London by HarderFaster. Perhaps two years in a row might be asking a little too much though!
Twist @ The Fridge
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On:
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Sunday 29th August 2004
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At:
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The Fridge [map]
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From:
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5.30am-Superlate
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Cost:
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Members Free// £6 concessions // £8 flyer // £10 otd
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Website:
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www.twistclub.co.uk
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Ticket Info:
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Only 250 Concession Guestlist spaces available! E-mail: 6guestlist@twistclub.co.uk
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More:
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When London's number one afterhours party holds an event in London's number one clubbing venue you can rest assurred that it will be one hell of a party!
TWIST boasts London's finest resident DJ line-up featuring Ian M, Karim, Danny Gilligan, The *Ting*, Peter Ward and Lady Bianca; add to this The Fridge's superb sound and lights, colour laser, amazing decor and relaxing seating areas for when you need a break from the dancefloor action, TWIST's outlandish and extravagent production of pyrotechnics, colourful stiltwalkers and live stage shows which in the past have included chainsaw wielding human flamethrowers(!) that put most Saturday nights to shame and, of course, over 1500 of the most savvy clubbers who know how to party.
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Flyer:
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 - 
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Other Features By Sharon B:
What's it all about? Alfie! - Getting Technikal with Alf Bamford
Heat UK presents....SW4!!! - Interview with Damian Gelle
Interview with Innovate Resident Nick Sentience
Interview with Ferry Corsten
Talking to a Legend - Interview with the world's Number 1 DJ - Tiësto
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.
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Comments:
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From: Luckyfuka on 11th Aug 2004 11:11.36
Good interview, good party, good luck 
From: Danny Gilligan on 11th Aug 2004 11:15.34
well done steve, a chance to finally speak...;o)
From: WEBBO on 11th Aug 2004 12:47.17
well done steve keep up the good work see u on bank hol
for the ian m 7 hr marathon ( get the bananas in ) 
From: karl davis on 11th Aug 2004 13:10.29
only been in london a while but twist and fridge are my fav places great parties fab decor and always top line ups
From: Latex_Zebra on 11th Aug 2004 13:12.15
Well it's good to know that if you fail as a promoter and club owner that a fantastic career in Telesales awaits you. 
From: Annabel on 11th Aug 2004 13:38.45
What's Twist? Never heard of it.
From: Psycloud on 11th Aug 2004 15:27.47
Twist is by far the best club of its type I've ever been to. I used to be a regular at Afterssential in B'ham but Twist is now what Afters used to be like a year or so ago so I've switched clubbing to London PURELY so I can go to Twist. Thanks Steve for making my weekends!
From: richbowenuk on 11th Aug 2004 16:18.24
Good interview Steve! Glad to have been part of the team and helped out where I can. Sunday mornings are now my fave part of the weekend!!
From: Annabel on 11th Aug 2004 17:31.42
Excellent interview Steve. I knew the moment I walked into Fire/Twist 18 months ago that it had the potential to be the best party in London. So glad I was proved right.
From: sambo on 11th Aug 2004 17:49.01
Cheers Steve for having us last sat night for the B Day party was wicked having all my mates at fire finally. They all thought the club rocked and cheers mate for always saying HI.
From: *Ting* on 11th Aug 2004 18:37.57
Excellent stuff Steve. glad to be a part of THE after party!
From: James Nardi on 11th Aug 2004 19:51.51
Good shit Steve & the crew!
From: sunvisordude on 11th Aug 2004 20:49.55
from the early days at the viaduct to the the current days at FIRE! twist has to me always been something special. seeing what it has turned itself into is in my eyes something rather amazing..........keep changing, steve. Thomas-Bernadus
From: Lisa B on 11th Aug 2004 23:19.34
Fantastic Interview , Fantastic Year !! Twist is the most friendliest afterparty i have ever come across !! Steve Darragh Well done !!! Ur a Top Bloke !!! xxxx
From: DMX on 12th Aug 2004 02:27.35
I remember when I first started going to Twist and there were just 20-30 people in attendance each week. It's been great to see it grow to what it is now. Fantastic job, Steve. 
From: papa_lazarou on 12th Aug 2004 10:08.59
Yeah I remember the early days too - massive transformation very quickly!
So Steve, what exactly was your message track mate? 
From: HouseGuy on 12th Aug 2004 10:11.16
nice article, outstanding job, Steve!
From: PETER WARD on 12th Aug 2004 10:46.06
Add your comments here !
Excellent interview, questions answered honestly and straightforwardly. Twist explained ! Well done Steve !
From: Lady Bianca on 12th Aug 2004 11:16.12
Totally!! Great interview Steve, I am thrilled to be part of Twist and thanks again for all your continued support! Three cheers for the Twist crew.....
From: BrinnO on 12th Aug 2004 13:26.00
Keep up the good work Steve! An inspiration to us really...
From: Shaun on 12th Aug 2004 13:31.40
You are god Steve! 
Love ya really....
From: EssQue on 12th Aug 2004 13:34.00
Now that must be the best interview I have ever read
From: gravitational pull on 12th Aug 2004 14:26.07
I remember twist from its early days. Congratulations must be given, its sure gone a long way.
From: TOMMY FOUR SEVEN on 12th Aug 2004 14:27.54
Nice one steve, a toast to the future of Twist, and thanks for support.
From: Jam Gorilla on 12th Aug 2004 16:11.23
Intelligent, coherent and informative... If only more interviews were like that - well done, keep bangin'
From: *cheeky chick* on 12th Aug 2004 17:42.38
From: AshAttack on 13th Aug 2004 11:01.00
Good interview Steve and good solid support from the ressidents!! Well done
From: tall_tidy_girl on 13th Aug 2004 21:18.28
What a brillaint interview steve! Well done for all your hard work u put in!
From: Steve Maynard on 14th Aug 2004 14:46.38
I used 2 go to the affterpartys when it was the viaduct, the music has always been wiked- well done 2 steve & the team 4 making it what it is 2day!!
From: Chris Humphreys on 16th Aug 2004 13:46.40
The London scene in very capable hands
From: Anastasia_k on 17th Aug 2004 13:11.50
I love being a part of the most exciting party to hit the london dance scene.
And i'm sure every time a clubber comes through those doors the perfect memories are made. Onwards and upwards.
From: Darz on 17th Aug 2004 23:51.26
some1 who tells it how it is always gets my respect.
From: lix666 on 18th Aug 2004 12:19.44
Excellent interview Steve totally true as well - good job you're not in politics or you'd get sacked!
I remember the first twists with staff out numbering the clubbers....see how it's grown under your tutelage onwards and upwards so I can say "I knew him once..."
From: Mikey P on 20th Aug 2004 09:16.27
Steve - An excellent article...who won't be interested in experiencing Twist now..! Better start getting the builders in
(n)ever the diplomat..pleased to see you remain true to form & yourself.
E-List Mike
From: Menthol Taz on 21st Aug 2004 02:01.47
Well done Steve - really proud & pleased it all worked out. We know how hard it was at the beginning, you deserve all you have now. Good luck for the future and cya @ the party. xx T&K x
From: The Philosophers on 21st Aug 2004 12:03.24
We knew Steve before Twist was even a twinkle in his eye. Twist came about because Steve realised that something new was needed. We were sick of going to clubs where you never knew from one week to the next what the quality of the music would be. We yearned for a club you could count on to deliver the goods - and Steve delivered Twist! He had the foresight to see what was needed and as a dedicated clubber himself he knew what clubbers wanted. In those dark days of 2002, when the average Twist attendance was about 50, Steve stuck to his guns. He was sure that excellence would be rewarded. The success of Twist is a standing tribute to Steve's faith and his key role in rejuvenating the hard dance scene in London. The secret of Twist's success is a commitment to the best new music and a readiness to listen to its customers. Good on ya Steve and long may Twist twist! Dave & Paul
From: Stefan on 25th Aug 2004 00:20.04
Steve would like to pass his thanks on to everyone and says he is very touched by all the compliments.
We both look forward to seeing you all at Twist again soon.
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