Legend, pure and simple, is the term usually attached to the name Brandon Block. From his earliest hellraising days to his more laid back style today, things are never simple and straight forward with the godfather of partying hard. As he heads to the epicentre of clubbing hard, a legend in itself, Club 414, to grace the decks Latex Zebra picked up the phone to talk about drinking, the credit crunch and eating grubs.

Brandon Block is one of few DJs whose very name conjures up the essence of the word party. He has been part of the scene for almost as long as there has been a scene and he has pretty much seen it and done it as well.

He has hosted radio shows, been on TV (more on that later) and played up and down the country and all over the World. He still does in fact. On September 26th, Brandon Block returns to Club 414 to play at the new house event Funky 414 London. After weeks of missed calls, text messages and family crisis (mine actually), holidays (both of us) trips abroad (him, lucky git) and driving round the country for gigs (him again) we finally managed to find a time that was right and sit down for a very pleasant chat.

The first, and most obvious, question I asked was what he is up to right now, well other than gassing with me on the phone. “It’s kind of a strange time out there at the moment but I have a residency in Watford for Bed delivering cutting edge vocal house.” Not one to let a quiet scene keep him quiet he travels all over the country on Saturdays playing, “Up north, down south… The midlands, hard to pick a place! Electro parties in Kent, another house night in Derby.”

Brandon is no stranger to the 414. As well as a few unnamed, or unremembered other parties, he also played back in the early naughties for Sleepless during their year long stint at the 414. With fond memories he said “It’s a long time since I’ve been there and I’m really looking forward to coming back.”

Ask about the current downturn in clubbing and just about everything Brandon says is optimistic, taking the rough with the smooth. “There are some really good gigs, some not so good and plenty of excellent ones. It’s seems like the luck of the draw sometimes.” Still when you’re flying off to ”Eygpt, Thailand and Ibiza” to name a few, you can’t really complain.

Getting serious for a moment he tells me, “The credit crunch is affecting people a lot, people can’t afford to go out as often and pick and choose a lot more. Bank holidays,” he continues, “Holidays, they all have an effect as well. It’s the usual things”

Moving away from the doom and gloom of recession we talk some more about music, it’s clear that this is something he is still passionate about after all these years. So much so that we laugh when he reveals, “I think I’m having a bit of a mid life crisis musically at the moment! I’m playing electro stuff but I really want to find stuff with a groove, good old house music, tuneful stuff. I can spend days looking through my music to find the right stuff.” Asked about the current electro rebirth? “It probably won’t last too long,” he muses.

So what does he have up his sleeves for Funky 414 London? “Plenty of classics,” I’m sure everyone attending will be pleased to hear. “I’m playing a lot more classics at the moment as well.” This coupled with his current sound of party music is sure to have the place rocking.

Brandon Block's production career whilst not prolific has certainly been a commercial success with two chart tracks, one hitting the top 20. “Once I get a bit more time I’ll hook up with my mate who I produce with and we’ll do something.” When you’re playing all the over the place, time in the studio is probably hard to find, I ask. “Production isn’t really my main thing, especially at the moment.” Of course not a bad thing to be able to say with two chart hits under your belt.

No stranger to TV, his infamous appearance at the Brits in 2001 made headlines the next day. As well as this he has appeared on reality TV “Reality TV, It’s coming to halt,” he tells me, thankfully I imagine many readers will think. I asked if he was ever offered I’m a Celebrity. “I was up for that a long time ago.” Would he have eaten the grubs, I pestered? “I would have probably eaten horse shit if they’d asked me to at the time!”

To finish off I moved on to the topic of his legendry status as a party animal. He won Muzik Mags “Caner of the Year” award a few years back! “I’ve stopped drinking at the moment. My sessions are very few and far between,” he chuckles to himself. “When I do have ‘em now, I have ‘em!” A few two dayers in Ibiza recently confirm there is still plenty of life in him yet. “People still fall by the wayside and I can still drink like a fish.” Proving in no uncertain terms you never really lose it.

That said “I don’t find myself enjoying it as much, I’m getting older and do I really want to be falling rounds the streets at 40 like an idiot. There is the odd occasion where we must make the effort and have a big piss up,” he continues. “My reputation does precede me though, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who comes near.”

So what’s a quiet night for Brandon now then “Just a few drinks down my local, I still see a lot of my old school friends so we just do the normal stuff.” With that we chatted a little longer as I walked the dangerous line of potentially organising a meeting whilst not being seen to throw the gauntlet down. Sensing frailty he warns me, “Don’t hurt yourself.” A meeting outside of a pub it is then.