Tommy Smith

From the birth of acid house to the unlikely story behind one of the biggest dance hits of the 1990s, Richard Norris joins Chris Hawkins on How To DJ. A pioneering figure in British electronic music, Richard looks back on his extraordinary career, from creating the groundbreaking Jack the Tab compilation before he'd even heard acid house, to forming The Grid with Soft Cell's Dave Ball and making the iconic Swamp Thing. Richard reveals how a banjo player discovered in a London pub ended up contributing to a million-selling hit, reflects on the magic of London's early acid house scene, and shares the creative chemistry behind Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve, his collaboration with Erol Alkan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of How to DJ, Chris Hawkins welcomes back much-loved DJ, journalist, and author Dave Haslam, the podcast’s first-ever guest. Reflecting on his remarkable four-decade career, Dave shares memories from Manchester’s legendary music scene, recounting his early days with the fanzine Debris, nights at the Hacienda, and interactions with iconic artists and cultural pioneers. The conversation explores the evolution of club culture, the challenges of sustaining a creative career, and what it means to curate both a crowd and a legacy. Dave opens up about community, collaboration, and the moments on and off the decks that have defined his journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rusty Egan is one of the true pioneers of British club culture. As co-founder of the legendary Blitz Club, a key figure in the New Romantic movement and a founding member of Visage, Rusty helped shape the sound, style and attitude of a generation. In this episode of How To DJ, Rusty joins Chris Hawkins to look back on more than four decades in music — from discovering electronic records and experimenting with drum machines, to building the atmosphere at the Blitz, helping launch Camden Palace and watching DJ culture evolve into a global industry. Rusty talks about programming a dancefloor, why a DJ should never make the night all about themselves, the importance of collaboration, his experiences with artists including Midge Ure, Steve Strange, Peter Hook and Tony Hadley, and why his love of discovering, making and playing music has never disappeared. A wide-ranging conversation with one of the originals about club culture, creativity, longevity and what it really means to be a DJ. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Hawkins welcomes Tom Wainwright, one of the Hacienda’s most beloved resident DJs. From humble beginnings washing pots alongside Laurent Garnier in Manchester’s iconic Dry Bar, Tom Wainwright takes us through his journey from buying his first records with paper round money, to warming up the Hacienda’s legendary dance floors, to spinning in clubs around the world with Gatecrasher and Ministry of Sound. Now a governance lawyer by day, Tom reflects on the highs and lows of life as a professional DJ, Manchester’s evolving club culture, and the enduring magic of house music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jagz Kooner joins Chris Hawkins for a career-spanning conversation about DJing, production, remixing and his part in some of the most influential British music of the last four decades. Jagz traces his journey from growing up in West London, recording songs off the radio and buying 12-inch records with money from his paper round, to becoming immersed in acid house and building his own studio with no formal musical or engineering training. He tells Chris about meeting Andrew Weatherall, the creative chemistry that led to Sabres of Paradise, the Sabresonic parties and records including Haunted Dancehall. He also reflects on what made Weatherall such a unique producer and why remixing gave him the freedom to completely dismantle and rebuild other people’s music. There are also stories from working with Primal Scream, The Charlatans and Kasabian, touring alongside the future Chemical Brothers, and his long friendship with Noel Gallagher — including remixing tracks from Oasis’ Dig Out Your Soul. Jagz also talks about bringing Sabres of Paradise back to the stage and a lifetime spent experimenting with sound, machines and music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This previously unreleased episode of How To DJ is released in loving memory of William Orbit. Recorded after William had returned from seeing Madonna perform in Paris, this wide-ranging conversation captures the Grammy-winning producer, musician and artist in his own words — and, at William’s request, we’ve chosen to release it in its original full-length, unedited form. William talks to Chris Hawkins about his lifelong obsession with sound, discovering DJ culture and pirate radio, building studios, making records with Torch Song, Bass-O-Matic and Strange Cargo, and the extraordinary journey that took him from struggling for money in Crouch End to receiving a phone call from Madonna and helping create Ray of Light. He reflects on working with artists including Madonna, Beth Orton and Britney Spears, the highs and lows that followed enormous success, his approach to creativity, and why he believed you should never underestimate the power of the random. It is funny, candid, occasionally chaotic and unmistakably William Orbit. Released with love to William’s family and friends, and in memory of a true musical genius. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Chris Hawkins sits down with hard dance pioneer Rob Tissera to look back on more than 35 years behind the decks. Rob recalls arriving in Manchester at the height of the acid house explosion, practising in a tiny room in Chinatown and getting an early break DJing at the Haçienda before going on to become a fixture at some of the biggest clubs and raves of the era. He also tells the story of the illegal warehouse rave that ended in a mass arrest, after Rob took to the microphone and urged the crowd to fight the police — ultimately leading to a three-month prison sentence. Rob and Chris discuss his rise from pirate radio and the Blackburn rave scene to international DJing, his approach to selecting records, embracing new DJ technology and why, after more than three decades, he’s still chasing new music, making records and loving life behind the decks. How to DJ is a Listening Dog Media production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Hawkins sits down with one of the UK's most influential musical curators, DJs and record collectors for a conversation that goes far beyond the dancefloor, Andy Votel. From building homemade DJ setups powered by Hornby train controllers to discovering hip hop through crate digging, Andy explains why he's spent a lifetime breaking every rule in the DJ handbook. He reflects on Manchester's underground music scene, the birth of Twisted Nerve Records, launching the careers of artists like Badly Drawn Boy, and the global obsession with uncovering forgotten music through Finders Keepers. How To DJ is a Listening Dog Media production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Una has spent four decades at the heart of Manchester's underground music scene. In this episode, the co-founder of Electric Chair and founder of Homoelectric and Homobloc looks back on the clubs, record shops and communities that shaped him, from discovering house music in Sheffield to helping define Manchester's nightlife. He explains why reading a dancefloor matters more than technical ability, how eclectic music built Electric Chair's identity, and why creating spaces where people feel they belong has always been more important than chasing commercial success. Luke also reflects on sobriety, ADHD, creativity, the changing culture of clubbing, and why he believes young people are rediscovering the magic of dancefloors in an increasingly divided world. How to DJ is a Listening Dog Media production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tommy Smith joins Chris Hawkins to tell the story of the legendary Blackburn warehouse parties that helped shape the UK rave scene. From discovering acid house in the late 1980s to organising illegal all-night events in disused mills, Tommy reflects on community, counterculture, clashes with the police and why he believes the movement changed society forever.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices