soul II soul
back II life
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Trevor Nelson Interview by Sarah Bentley in 2006
Sarah Bentley is a London based music and youth culture journalist. She frequently contributes to Touch, Blues and Soul, ID, Timeout, Adrenalin, The Times, Marie Claire, XLR8R, The Fader and Riddim/Juice magazines.
Trevor Nelson, Friday 28th April 2006
Location: Dickenson Bay, Antigua
SB: Why is the event so special?
TN: It's the only time I can relax and be on the dancefloor. It takes me a while to find my groove again but once it's on, I'm dancing all night. I mean imagine Norman Jay going on the dancefloor all night in England. He might have a mosy about, hang-out but not get down and party like old times. That's why all the DJ's love it. I love Jazzies party. The events over, my party's done and everyone including all the organisers can let their hair down.
SB: Why is the event so special to you?
TN: All the DJ's that play at this event are my contemporaries. When we started this I was like the baby of the group but they're my peers and the people I always looked up to throughout my career.
SB: How did you become involved in the event?
TN: Jazzie asked me to be part of it from the get go. I'm one of the original pioneers. Nigel and Jazzie put the idea to me and I thought it was a great idea. I knew it would be hard to get people to part with their money but I was keen to do it and it's grown every year.
SB: What's so special about you four DJ's coming together to play?
TN: This is my number one party to DJ at by far. It's the only time me and these DJ's can get together to play. It used to be a regular thing but over the past ten years we've all gone separate ways and develop different niches. Plus the Caribbean's our spiritual home. We're all born in England but with parents from the Caribbean. The music scene today is pretty diluted. At this event everyone's here for the music and to play to that kind of crowd is a privilege. It's the most fun I have all year.
SB: What have you got planned for your party?
TN: I don't plan what I'm going to play. I just grab my box and add a few classic tunes from my library and I'm ready. If I think about it my set would be too muso and it's not about that. Common tunes sound so much better played at 4am on a beach.
SB: Do you remember the first time you met Jazzie B?
TN: It was at Trends in Hackney in the mid-80's. The club had double booked us - me and Soul II Soul. I was pissed, Jazzie was cussing me out. We got talking and it was all good. They was doing some fashion party and they'd just pulled off a big warehouse party so their name was really out there. After that we started doing gigs together. I wound down doing my soundsystem and just DJ-ed with Soul II Soul. They were soul but they had a proper set up like a reggae sound. We played together until about the time Kiss went legal and the record took off. Then I found my DJ-ing moving in another direction. For the next ten years we all went off and did our own stuff. We saw each other less and less. The DJ-ing was like the glue that held us together so when that ended there were some years we were apart so to come together for this event means so much. We're ambassadors in different areas. It's crazy to think how well we've all done.
SB: What's Antigua like as an island?
TN: Antigua's one of the more unknown islands. It's not commercial yet so we have more freedom to do what we like with the event. I get the impression the locals want us here. For the punters it's a great first taste of the Caribbean. Barbados is too commercial. Too much of a home from home. Jamaica can be too hectic. Antigua's the happy balance. It's authentic and there's beaches everywhere.
SB: What's the crowd like?
TN: Old bastards who are still up for it and some young pups that know their musical history. It's the people that complain about clubbing not having the same vibe. It's full of people remembering how to dance, how to have it like they used to. Even I have to think before I start shaking a leg you know what I mean. It's a real party crowd. Out of an average group of friends it's the most out going one's that come on this trip. There's only 100 people here but the energy feels like 500. By the end of the party we all know each other.
SB: What do the locals think of the parties?
TN: They're getting more and more into them each year. Rodigans party is the big night for locals but people are starving for this kind of event.
SB: Tell me about your party.
TN: My party's a private party. Last year the tone of the party was cemented before we got off the boat. Everyone was going wild and dancing on the deck in the rain. It was quite a bad storm. The boat was rocking about madly but it didn't stop people from enjoying the great food, drink and music. By the time we got to the beach everyone was soaked. I wasn't sure we could even do it but someone shouted bring it on Trevor or words to that effect and the party kicked off with everyone dancing in the sea. The first year I didn't do a beach party but a bar party - where Rodigan plays now, which was full of locals and ex-pats and back to lifers. A lot of Stevie Wonder music was played. It was beautiful.
SB: How does the event compare to other party's in the sun?
TN: It doesn't compare to any event. They might have sexy locations and more people but this is where the vibes at. It's the only event I play at that doesn't feel like real work. It feels like I'm having my own private party and everyone here is exactly the kind of people I'd like to invite. It's a privilege to be part of it. I'd like it to stay small. It can grow and still keep it's atmosphere but only if it grows to nothing more than say double the amount of people. 200 is still quite an intimate crowd, especially as you have all week to get to know everyone.
SB: How do you cover the event on MTV Base?
TN: I do a report from each party and we film the action at all the events. I rarely cover anything with a crowd of this sort of age group and it's great as they really show the youngsters how it's done. They look great, dance great, give fantastic interviews - everyone's having a really wonderful time. And it's nice to see the old girls looking sexy and letting it all hang out.
