Biography

DJ Oz’s first ‘real’ musical influences came way back in 1987, it was during a school trip to Holland that one of the girls on the coach put on a cassette she had borrowed from her older brother.  The said cassette featured the then virtually unknown music HIP HOP from the first listen OZ was well and truly HOOKED.  He then proceeded to spend ALL available money on U.S imports from artists like Schoolly D, Public Enemy LL Cool J and many others.  As he got into it he later started listening to the more “underground” artists like Big Daddy Kane and his all time favorite group EPMD (who he still listens to today) before getting into the burgeoning Gangsta Rap scene like NWA, Ice Cube, Boo Ya Tribe and many many more.  This is where he got his first taste of a new form of Djing…..scratch mixing, mesmerized by the DJ’s backing the rappers, cutting between 2 records, scratching, it was like nothing he’d ever seen.  Seeing all the early innovators most memorably his total idol CASH MONEY doing these amazing tricks with 2 turntables and a mixer.  Then came his now “famous” statement to his 2 friends whilst talking about there future jobs.  “I’m going to be a pro DJ when I’m older..” amidst all the laughing it seemed a ridiculous thing to say at the tender age of 14 when the only DJ’s who made a living from it where the likes of Jimmy Saville, Dave lee Travis and the DON Terry Wogan.  But he proceeded to buy his first set of decks, a useless pair of mobile disco decks with a 2 channel sound mixer, impossible to do anything with but his first step on the road to his dream job.  Then came another huge influence on his musical taste, he became friends wit ha new guy at school Matthew Wood who was into the then underground music Acid House.  Oz again became hooked on this new form of music, often sneaking to Rochdale after school to buy the latest Warehouse Raves Album, the only way he knew to get hold of this amazing new music.  Within a week of leaving school at the age of 16, he borrowed enough money off his mum and dad to buy his first set of ‘roper’ decks – 2 belt drive sound lab turntables and a realistic mix, again he spent all the available money he earned as an apprentice Aircraft Fitter on the only form of dance music available to him through the people he knew and worked with – Hardcore whilst also making the biggest mistake he will ever make…selling virtually all his huge hip hop collection to fund his new taste in music, something he has regretted ever since.  He started to frequent some of the legendary clubs ie. Hippodrome, Banshee and Bowlers and although he enjoyed the clubs and atmosphere and liked certain aspects of the music he didn’t get!  So slowly his interest drained and he ended up going back up town on the piss with his mates.  Whilst on the piss late in 1993 the biggest turning point happened, they discovered the Hacienda, he and his mates went to Shine every Friday until a certain ‘gang’ incident shut down the Hacienda one Friday, so they decided to try the more expensive and harder to get in Saturday night.  Hearing the legendary Graeme Park spinning alongside Tom Wainwright ever single Saturday night for well over 12 months persuaded him to start DJing properly.  He bought his first and only set of Technics SL1200 (which he still uses today) and searched local shops like Eastern Bloc and Manchester Underground for the classics like he’d heard Parky play on Saturday nights ie. Donna Summer – Melody of Love, Police – Voices in My Head, Loni Clarke – Love Gots Me On A Trip So High, Kim English – time for Love, tracks he still considers classics today.  After a night out at the opening of a new night, started by former Hacienda resident Russ called Out in The Sticks, this proved to be another massive influence on his musical taste.  The music played by residents Russ and Craig and by the plethora of top quality guests like Mike Pickering, Full Intention and Dave Lee etc, made him lean more towards the music then known as Garage although he still loved the slightly tougher house played at the Hacienda.  After listening to a demo tape it was decided it was perfect music for the upstairs room at Rudes new residency in Oldham, Club 57.  After a successful warm up trial was offered a residency upstairs where he cut his teeth playing with some of the biggest names at the time like Tony De Vit and Chris & James and started to play regularly with another huge influence on his career Russ from Out in the Sticks.  His residency at Rude continued until it closed in 1998.  After this he started DJing in and around Manchester at some smaller bars like Bar 5 when he laded a dream residency at the hot new club Elemental which ended 8 months later.  A chance meeting with Paul Hilton resulted in the decision to re-open Rude.  After a couple of sold out one off parties at a small function room called Crompton Rooms in Shaw they moved the night to Eros in Royton on a monthly basis until the club lost its license 2 weeks before their biggest event to date.  In July 2002 Oz was running a weekly Soulful House night every Friday called Indeep at a brand new state of the art venue in Oldham called Threesixty: The Gallery Bar, the night was switched and proved so successful the Rude has been there ever since, promoted by OZ and running on a weekly basis it has become one of the Jewels in the northern clubbing scene bringing the biggest name guest DJ’s and best club nights.  Alone with OZ’s residency at this own night Rude, he has also managed to secure lots of other high profile guest spots, residencies and regular booking around Manchester, North Wet, England and Europe.

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