Sammy Jo down below
Scissor Sisters' touring DJ de jour, Sammy Jo, is bringing his decks down under. Andrew Georgiou chats with the spin king as he heads for Q Bar
Sammy same same... Sammy Jo
You've been long time pals with Jake Shears since pre Scissor Sisters days. What's the history? We met at a club through mutual friends and since we lived next door to each other we would always have coffee at the same cafe every day.I loved his nutty taste in music and his slightly demonic sense of humour. Maybe he saw the same in me?
Have you had to bend your style to suit the Scissor Sister tour? They give me full freedom to do what I want. Obviously I could go out there and play all pop tracks and ‘the hits' but the reason they hired me is that I DON'T play that stuff. I mean of course I'll indulge once in a while but I think they prefer that I play what they would like to hear at a club, which is a more eclectic set.
What have been some highlight gigs that you think you will look back on in 20 years? DJing for two years every Thursday night in my pants at The Slide in NYC - THAT was good fun. Playing in front of 70,000 people opening for SS when they headlined the V Festival in 2005. Playing at Space in Ibiza I guess could be considered a milestone. And my first residency in NYC, a party called Messy, that no one came to.
What's are you spinning at the moment? "Ready For The Floor", (LA Riots Mix) - Hot Chip, "Le Night Dominator"- Touch, "Faces of Meth" (T Rek Mix) - Nick Coleman.
What can we expect to hear from you at the QBar gig ? I guess most of my stuff would be labelled electro/house but labels tend to change depending where you are. I always love when a crowd is really with me cause then I get to fuck things up and throw in a camp classic or something a bit more rock. You never want the poeple to get too comfortable.
How much do you love our city? One of my dearest friends, DJ Sveta lives there so it's always lovely to see and DJ with her. I love the fact that Sydney has this bustling urban/metropolitan side to it yet 20 minutes away there is an entirely different beach side relaxed atmosphere. Both qualities appeal to me so I appreciate that you can have it all.
On Tour With Sammy Jo debuts at Q Bar, Level 2, 44 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Phone (02 9360 1375) Saturday 24 May 10pm Tickets $30(+bf) available from Moshtix