Goldie
By Eve Cheesmur
The phone rang, and a man cheekily answers 'Ello Sweeeeheart'....
I knew immediately the Kingpin of Drum & Bass Goldie himself was on the other end of the line.
After a bit of banter, the veteran DJ started verbally slugging it to me and letting me know his thoughts on the current state of the electronic music scene.
There's a passion and love of music with Goldie, and after being in the industry for over 20 years, he sure knows his shit.
The last time Goldie was in Aotearoa was a good few years back, he couldn't remember exactly when, and neither could I to be fair, but things get vague when you're having a good time right?
None the less, he loves NZ, passionately talking of Queenstown and how excited he is to be performing in a well organised event like Northern Bass to see 2015 in. He was apparently talking to his buddy Doc Scottjust the other day about the good times they'd had over these ways and was excited to be in with 'The New Zealand Local's we are blessed with'.
In a nostalgic interlude, Goldie talked of how Kiwi's have always embraced his music and the expectations from the audience is high. "You can't get away with none of this nancy 2 hour shit sets, New Zealanders want to be going large for 5 hours at least"....and he intends to deliver for the New Years festivities.
So, what has changed in the last 20 years for Goldie in music and the drum & bass scene... the crowd. He expressed fears of the next generation not being as 'gutsy' as it originally was.
"There's no spoon feeding this new class gentrified music... that would be like putting McDonald's on the table, and I only serve music which is like Wagyu beef. My music is similar to a fine car, it can come in all different shapes, sizes and colours, I just get in and drive it and the crowd comes for the ride".
The label Metalheadz is kicking ass currently also, and keeping Goldie and his label pal Anthony busy and passionate about what's to be released in 2015.
Speaking of 2015, what has the Metalheadz man himself got in-store? Well, a bit of Bikram yoga it would seem. "I keep thinking to myself, after 20 or 30 years doing this, how did I live? Yoga gives me an organic way of being and lifts my serotonin levels normally, as does my gallery and art. I intend to do a bit more painting this year and will be stopping off in Melbourne for a few days after NZ to workshop".
Goldie is most certainly a drawcard for this years Northern Bass (amidst other stellar acts), and what are the three words he'd have to say to you lucky punters heading along......."Come get some".
****More swearwords were used in the making of this interview, but have been removed for readers eyes.