Lisa Pin Up has held her place as a headline DJ now for over 16 years. It's not surprising that she's finally taken a five month break away from the scene to finally become a mum! Raring to get back to the action and take back her place as the queen of bounce, we caught up with Lisa to see how she's been finding things and find out just what a DJ does with all that time on their hands.

March 31st sees you return in a big way to the Hard House scene, but now you’re a mum! Congratulations. Does this give you a new outlook on things?

Not really, I thought it was going to, but I'm a fairly chilled person anyway, so I'm just getting back straight back into the swing of things now.

Did you have any weird cravings?

I wouldn't say strange, but I did get a bit greedy, and used to polish off half a box of Fererro Rocher every morning.

Did you used to eat them before?

No, I wouldn't turn them down, but it's not something that I usually have to have. Every night I'd tell myself 'I won;t do that again' and then the next morning I just had to have them.

How have you dealt with not being in a club for the best part of five months?

It's gone quite quickly if I'm honest, I was a bit pre-occupied with the baby. I spent a lot of time going through my records, tidying up, but I did miss it so I'm looking forward to getting back.

You’re playing at Storm on your first night back, what are your most memorable memories of Storm over the years?

Well I've actually played at the Emporium for nearly the whole of my DJ career starting off at passion. I played there before hard house was even invented. Then Storm came along and we had our own style of hard house. I'd say one of my most memorable nights was my 'God Save the Queen' tour. Just because it was my own tour, and looking out across the crowd and seeing all the décor like the union Jacks actually brought tears to my eyes.

Your DJ Career now spans to over 16 years!! That’s a really long time for anyone. What keeps it exciting for you?

It's a night out. I just love going out, the whole thing. Clubbing has always been in my veins. It's the getting ready, going out and seeing my friends and hearing the music I like obviously, because I'm the one playing it haha!

Over the 16 years what are the biggest changes that you’ve noticed?


When I first started, clubbing as a whole was a lot more underground. Then it became more mainstream and every kid wanted decks instead if a guitar, and it exploded. Now it's gone back more to how it was, and I like because it's now the people who are really into it. Doing it for so long you do see a lot of changes, but you just take it with a pinch of salt.

For people that are relatively new in discovering you as a DJ, have you played hard house for the full 16 years?

I started of with Pushca in London, and then I was managed by Miss Moneypenny's in Birmingham. As they were glam clubs I played my music as hard as I could get away with but as my sound got tougher, we parted ways. Then househouse clubs started to spring up and In 1997 I hosted the hardhouse room at Freedom/bagleys in London where I djed there every week 5-7am for 5 years.

Do you mix with any other material and what are your guilty pleasures?

Not really no. Because hard house is what's in my heart, it's the only music I feel I'm an expert on. I wouldn't want to start trying to get into other things really so I just stick to what I'm good at.

You’ve taken a break from producing now, but who are the producers whose tracks are often getting into your track lists these days?

I wouldn't say I have a favourite. Looking through my collection, I dabble in a lot of producers. I probably have one of every producers tracks. I listen to a lot more bouncey hard house, so I look out for bounce producers, and then I'll take the track and edit out softer bits and make it a bit harder, which I do on Cubase on my laptop.

You have a new mix available, what will we find in it?

It's called 'Fave Tunes, Mix 1' and it basically features all of my favourite tunes that I've been playing out for the last year in the clubs. Kind of does what it says on the tin haha!!

(You can get the mix here)

Lisa Pin Up makes her monumental return to hard house at Storm's 12th birthday on Saturday 31st March. the line up also includes The Tidy Boys, Sonique, Fergie a Passion Classics room.

Tickets are available through the Emporim Website