Greg Wilson: Encyclopedia discoteca. Joe Brooke-Smith reports from the floor.
Greg Wilson, founding father of British dance culture, has had an epic career spanning over 30 years, and one for which everyone in the UK scene owes a debt of gratitude. He started DJing in 1975 and held residencies at the legendary Wigan Pier before becoming the first dance music DJ at a certain Manchester night spot called the Hacienda. With the zeal of an evangelist missionary Greg introduced the UK to the post-disco sound emerging from across the Atlantic that he dubbed electro funk – a genre which went on to change the shape of dance music culture.
After retiring from DJing in ’83 Greg stepped back for 20 years to let the young ‘uns do their thing. But in 2003 (and much to the delight of the world dance music scene) Greg got back on the decks and began DJing across the UK and the globe with massive success. Now with two volumes of his lauded Credit to the Edit compilations under his belt, plus a string of appearances at sweaty clubs and festivals, the man is well and truly back.
Tonight sees him in London and gracing the turntables at the Horatia on Holloway Road. The Horatia appears to be a normal north London pub from the outside – but don’t let this fool you. The sister pub to Shoreditch’s Horse and Groom, The Horatia has become a hot-bed of activity from swing-dance lessons, Sunday markets and appearances from some of the top acts in disco, including the Idjut Boys and Faze Action.
So it’s with no small amount of expectation that I pitch up on Holloway Road at the start of a four-day weekend that’s set to be a scorcher. The party’s already in full swing and the man Wilson is already laying down the disco-funk as we fight our way through the crowd of revellers to gain access. It’s a sell-out night and this is glaringly, swelteringly obvious as we get inside – the place is rammed and it’s going off!
The interior is split into two, with the half near the door being no different from any other pub (although most pubs don’t show the Rocky Horror Picture Show on big screens plastered all over the shop). Then there's the step down into the dancefloor area that’s packed with jerking bodies.
Mr Wilson does nothing to disappoint, assaulting the revellers with electro-funk rhythms, massive pianos and more than one 'sing-along' moment that brings the place to its knees. He casts a low key figure behind the decks, looking very un-rock and roll as he flicks through his records or cues up his trusty reel-to-reel machine to unleash an edit on the crowd.
After Greg has finished, promoter Neil Thornton takes over the reigns and changes the vibe with some choice cuts of house music. The crowd keep pace with the change of tack and stay on the floor till the bitter end.
All in all, a successful night. I'll be coming back to the Horatia, and trampling over my old gran to get a chance to see the master Greg Wilson show us young wannabies how it’s done.
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