Nightlife: A-listers’ party DJ brings ‘VIP atmosphere’ to the Island

  • DJ who has accompanied A-list acts performing in Jersey this weekend
  • What’s coming up? See our what’s on diary below
  • Artiste Anon – read our columnist’s views on house parties

A DJ who has performed alongside A-list acts such as Beyoncé, Sting, Kanye West, Lionel Richie and Grace Jones will headline at the Royal Yacht’s Drift club this weekend.

Guy Preston will join The Drift’s resident DJs, Craig Alder and Tam at the free event on Saturday night.

The London-based DJ has played at high-profile parties and events across the world, including private parties for high-profile stars such as the singers Prince and Kanye West and Hollywood actor Jamie Foxx, as well as at launch events for famous brands including Louis Vuitton and Tommy Hilfiger.

When the DJ was asked recently what his best gig had been to date, he replied: ‘Probably playing a New Year’s Eve party for Tommy Hilfiger, Mick Jagger and Pierce Brosnan on Mustique.

  • Doors open at 8 pm, but guests are advised to arrive early ‘to avoid disappointment’.
  • Strictly over-21s only.
  • For table reservations contact james.curtiss@theroyalyacht.com.

‘It’s great playing to people who have creativity running through their veins – it allows me to go off the hook into uncharted waters.

‘I can take it closer to the edge in terms of what I play when the audience are people who have pushed the envelope themselves,’ he said.

Event organisers said Preston was ‘highly regarded as a versatile party DJ’ and he has gained a reputation for his ‘agile performances, being able to tailor his sets to the mood of the crowd and the client’s needs’.

Craig Alder, resident DJ at the Royal Yacht, said Preston would bring a ‘VIP atmosphere to the event’.

‘DJ Guy Preston has rubbed shoulders with famous names such as Mick Jagger, Pierce Brosnan and Beyoncé, and he also happens to be Prince’s favourite DJ,’ he said.

‘We feel certain that he will bring the VIP atmosphere of an A-list party to the Royal Yacht in October and we’re sure that with his encyclopaedic knowledge of music and his experience, he will be able to give the crowd exactly what they want.’

Sgt Pipon are due to play The Star, in St Peter's Village, next Friday

SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER

  • Blue Note: Live Electric Blues (at 4 pm; Backbeat)
  • Kitty O’Shea’s: Poitin
  • Mayfair Hotel: Skyline
  • Ommaroo Hotel: Gary Palmer
  • Soleil: Northern Soul & Motown with DJ Rex

FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER

  • The Inn: Breezin
  • Kitty O’Shea’s: Not 2 Shabby
  • The Star: Sgt Pipon

SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER

  • Blue Note: Live Electric Blues, at 4 pm
  • Dolphin Hotel: The Old DV8 Lindon and Nigel
  • The Green Rooster: Backbeat
  • Kitty O’Shea’s: Bree & Mike
  • Mayfair Hotel: Skyline
  • Ommaroo Hotel: Gary Palmer
  • Soleil: Northern Soul & Motown with DJ Rex

Our anonomous columnist on the path from private parties to executive planes and penthouses

SO here I am, at another private party. Tragic.

I don’t like private parties. I don’t like the food. I don’t like the dress code. And I don’t like the way you have to say awkward hellos to people you only half know.

Not the best start, then.

Then the music starts and things really go downhill.

This was supposed to be a 21st and, lo and behold, we have the best in cheesy classics from Stilton FM.

Then I realised something: being a DJ must be one of the only careers where the work genuinely gets easier as you build a name.

All major DJs started out as young lads and lasses playing all sorts of birthdays, parties, even the dreaded wedding or two – I know I did.

I’m looking at this young lad who is currently hidden behind his Apple MacBook laptop, crudely attached to two speakers, struggling to keep up with demands ranging from Katy Perry to Skrillex and the slightly more intoxicated uncle pleading for some ‘more northern soul’.

He’s doing his best to cover all the bases and please everyone, but it’s all a bit of a racket.

I remember when I was in this position (I refuse to do private events now) having to drag all my equipment up and down flights of stairs every weekend – sometimes for a little bit of money, but usually for free – just for the joy of playing a couple of tracks.

But it does get easier.

If this lad sticks with it, he may get some work in a bar or even a small club.

Do well at this level and the fun really begins – invites to play at dedicated music events, maybe even your own residency somewhere.

Nothing beats rocking up to your own gig with just a pair of headphones and tiny USBs, to a crowd of people you don’t know and killing it for three hours.

You can forget the cheesy music too – as your career as a DJ progresses so does your licence to really play what you think is correct.

Excel at being a top local DJ, produce your own tracks and get signed, and the sky is the limit.

BBC Introducing have helped acts such as Bondax and Disclosure break though to be some of the biggest acts in the country, all from very humble beginnings.

Top global DJs can charge hundreds of thousands of pounds an hour for a set – and don’t forget the private jets, crazy riders and penthouse suites that come as standard.

Calvin Harris played Liquid in Jersey in 2008 and Jersey Live in 2010.

Last year, he earned $66 million and broke Michael Jackson’s record by having eight top ten hits from a single album.

People see these figures and forget that his real name is Adam and he used to work on the fish stand at his local supermarket, DJing when he got the opportunity, at private parties, with dodgy food, and awkward hellos.

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