It’s been a huge transition for DJ Mark XTC from an inspired 15 year old boy scratching hip-hop tunes in the style of Grandmaster Flash to his current position as a DJ Skills lecturer in Manchester. However, that is half the story Mark XTC who has played at some of the most thought after venues in both the UK and further afield on foreign shores. This New Years Eve Mark is back at one of his favourite venues as he plays 2Kinky at The View in Frodsham... a place where he says he has never felt a bad vibe.

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What inspired you at 15 years old to become a DJ?

“I was a hip hop DJ back then, I wanted to be a scratch hip hop DJ like DMC. I was inspired by the likes of Grandmaster Flash and those artists where just the superstar DJ’s to me and the best thing since sliced bread. I just thought that all the ‘scratching malaki’ was unreal.”

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What was your experience of playing at the legendary Hacienda in Manchester?

“I won the North West DJ Mixing Championships in 89-90 and that was the first time I DJ’d there. After that I was DJ’ing in the basement with the likes of Bobby Langley although I’d played at the big raves and massive events for me that was the pinnacle of playing somewhere. When you’re playing at The Hacienda by yourself the buzz you get from it is unreal and the stigma attached gives you that tag of ‘oh you used to play at The Hacienda didn’t you?”

What is your most memorable gig?

“My most memorable gig was a Fantasia gig in 92, it was an outdoor event and although a lot of people have outdoor events these days it was different back then. Nowadays they have them loads of different DJs on at the same time and in different tents back then it was 25, 000 people at one stage. I was with mix factory, my cousin and MC Shine and I remember we all just looked at each other and thought god! To play to 25,000 people at one time was mind blowing.”

Apart from the UK where else have you DJ’d?

“I played in Malia 5 years straight which was pretty eventful, I’ve played in Germany, obviously Ibiza, all over the place really. I played New York and San Francisco, but the problem with those gigs is that I just went, did the gig and I was back home before I knew what had happened. That is the down side of DJ’ing. You go to a place which you want to see and you come back without seeing any of it! Its not all about the money, you’ve got to enjoy it and have a good time and that’s the beauty of playing at somewhere like The View, you know your going to have a good laugh!”

It’s set to be a big one this New Years Eve at 2Kinky, what are you expecting?

“2Kinky is one of those places you go to and you know you’re going to go and you’re going to have a good laugh and have good, bouncing people in front of you instead of moody people who’ll say ‘Oh I don’t like this tune, I don’t like that’. You go out to enjoy yourself not to complain about this and that and The View always has a good vibe, I’ve played there before and never had a bad vibe. There’s always people jumping up and dancing and saying ‘yeah, I remember this tune’ and it brings back memories for people. It brings back good memories.”

And after a long time in the game your now a lecturer at Manchester college, what does that entail?

“I teach DJ skills, and also MIDI skills and how to make music. Its giving something back after all this DJ’ing I’ve done over the years I’m now showing these kids what it’s all about.”

Mark XTC is playing the 2Kinky New Years Eve Black and Gold Party at The View in Frodsham. Special guests also include Rhythm Project, Rick Nicholls, The Project, DJ Chunky and Glamour's best in Paul Nunn, Mike Maloney and Steve Pasilda.

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