Reviews

Andy Weatherall is a man who wears many caps. He's a cult figure, electronica pioneer, top DJ, singer, producer, remixer and trailblazer for UK club culture.

It's a far cry from his Windsor-born roots.

"I saved up all my money and went to London at the weekend to buy records," he says of his early DJing career, "I just got a really good record collection together to the point where people started to say 'why don't you play this at our party', 'why don't you play this at our club'.

"I was kind of in the right place at the right time when the acid house explosion happened."

His early gigs included those at Danny Rampling's legendary Shoom club night, a fore-runner of the warehouse parties during the burgeoning rave scene in the late 80s.

"I got to meet a lot of bands that used to come to the clubs and they asked me into the studio," says Andy, "one of those was Primal Scream."

"The royalties are still coming in!"

He's now busy remixing tracks for Siouxsie Sioux, The Black Lips and XX Teens as well as working on his own album, due for release next year.

But he's taking time out from his hectic schedule to DJ at the Windsor Arts Centre on Friday 19 October as part of a Joe Strummer-inspired festival called Riot On The Radio.

"I got accosted in a pub in Islington by a group of very nice people that live in my old home town of Windsor," he laughs, "one of them talked me into playing at the Joe Strummer festival.

"I felt honoured to be added to the illustrious list so I couldn't say anything but yes really."

The weekend extravaganza will feature music, film and theatre - and Andy will be DJing alongside Barry Scratchy Myers, who was the official Clash tour DJ.

"It's a proper kind of rock 'n' roll extravaganza really", says Andy, "hopefully it won't be a nostalgia fest but people revelling in the joy of rock 'n' roll and all its associated 'accoutrements'."

However, Andy may not be able to escape a bit of nostalgia as he returns to his old haunts in Windsor.

"I did actually sing with a band when I was 18 - that's 25 years ago - at Windsor Arts Centre a couple of times," he remembers.

"It's a triumphant return to the Windsor Arts Centre for the Weatherall!"