Oh! You Pretty Things

"Hear the music

Say the word

See the light

Join the herd

Love it comes

Love it goes

Diamond memories

Go with the flow"


(Felix Da Housecat - Intro From "Silver Screen" -2002)

Perhaps felix was rhyming about the fantasy, glamor, and exhilaration one can only experience in a club full of sweaty strangers that is so poetic. It's a universal phenomena. And in this case, it was prophetic...parties weren't meant to last......

The last Nag far surpassed even the best scenario I had imaged. The queue curled long around the smelly alleyway just like old times, and every time I turned around there was an old regular. And trust me, after playing every week for 6 years there were many many cycles of 'regulars', of every possible sort, and everyone made an effort, carrying on the Nag aesthetic, i.e. got out their eyeliner, sticky tape, mirror ball masks etc......it really was a fabulous looking crowd (cheers to Chris from We Know What You Did Last Night for the fantastic pics). Boy George performed just before me and truly bedazzled everyone, he was really was on form I must say.... maybe he was inspired by the sentiment of the night? The only minor annoyance was Pete Burns', uninvited, performance. After playing my first three tracks to an ecstatic audience, I looked up to find him on stage with a mic waiting to perform over a CD he had the sound engineer put on, on a separate CD player out of my view in the DJ booth. Then he had the gaul to make a catty remark about me. You can imagine my offense since it was my last performance of a night I'd just dedicated 6 years of my life to! But I think anyone who was there can agree, he didn't have the music or voice to back up his big attitude. His performance was really more of inappropriate interruption than anything, and luckily the crowd were rightly in my favor and gave him big ol' boooo! Thanks ;)

Here is my playlist from the night. I spent about three days sifting through all my old vinyl, re-discovering so many memories in that black plastic. For my last Nag set, I didn't want to play anything that came out past about 2003. It was all about the electro-clash-back. And it was interesting playing vinyl for the first time in about a year. I think it is more emotional, less analytical......Although, that could have easily just been the circumstances of it being a completely indulgent nostalgia trip.....but even so, vinyl has more physical presence because it's analogue, making you sense it rather than think about it. But hey, there is nothing wrong with thinking a bit about music a as long as it doesn't replace the feeling part. In fact it's best to feel it and think it. It was interesting to play that format again. I'm happy that I could still rock it out with vinyl...but god, it was too bloody heavy...and dusty!.....anyway, let's save the CD/Vinyl debate for another blog. Here is the playlist:

JoJo De Freq's best of Nag Nag Nag (the early years) set:

★Felix Da Housecat - Silver Screen - Jaques Lu Cont Remix (City Rockers)- This is possibly the ultimate anthem of the time. An absolute, hands down classic.
★Kiko - Monique - David Caretta Remix (Goodlife) - French muscle!
★Steril- Grey (Gigolo) - Stompling/marching German-style techno stiff-riff with an ironically sweet an seductive Japanese female vocal. An underground Gigolo clash-sic.
★Legowelt - Disco Route (Ghostly Internatonal) - Legowelt is a truly brilliant artist. Were is he now, I wonder? I might do a retrospective on him at this blog later.....
★Kiki - Gas 126 (Bpitch) - Samples "Heat Of Glass" by Blondie to an ecstatic effect.
★Vitalic - Poney Part 1 (Gigolo) -OMG is this not the most beautifully powerful dark techno record in the word?! He wrote this with sympathy for the pony's forced to slave on circus fairground rides, apparently. I played this non-stop for a year in 2002, and had another un-played copy hanging on my wall in plastic. No joke.
★ Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Stock Exchange (Gigolo) - Possibly my favorite track from as a synth-pop duo. Uplifting, melancholic and poetic. I wish I could of played many more, but time was limited.
★ TGV - Fools Gold (Turbo)- This was a staple in my bags for years high NRG melody...OMFG how I love it.
★ Ellen Allien - Salzsee (Bpitch) - This is very early Ellen. 2001 I believe? It sounds like a cosmic harpsichord from the future. One of my faves from her.
★ Kiki - Wasp (Bpitch)- OMG this is the most underrated electro-tech anthem. I played it a Glasto 2004 and people are still talking about it.
★ Monologic (TBL)- This is a strange Detroit Ghetto-tech-electro hybrid. Got it on import, never heard anyone else ever play it, but it didn't leave my box for years. Bounce dat.
★ Christopher Just - House (Cheap) - Can you believe this came out in '99!? It's so a head of it's time, it's frightening. It was the photo-type for new acid house. In fact I've not heard anything in it's style better since. Gwan Christopher.
★ Ascii Disc - Einfach (L'arge D'or) - This was simply my favorite NRG acid disco record for years. Brilliant.
★ Kiki - Luv Sikk (Bpitch) - Yes, I know another Kiki track, but to be fair his early stuff still sounds so good. Classic.
★ Creme De Menthe - Plastique (Disco B) - Apparently this guy was from the north of the UK. This is surely the coolest, sexiest, quirkiest pop of the time. I love it.
★ Dot Allison - Substance - Felix Da Housecat Remix (Mantra) - Still sounds sultry and anthemic as hell. Another classic. Seek this one out.

So it's time now to let go of Nag Nag Nag. A lot changes in 6 years. I've moved on. And I'm sure so have you. This is a good thing. I think this will be the last time I speak of it.

xxJ