Once A DJ

Once A DJ is brought to you by:
https://www.vinylunderground.co.uk - 10% off your next order using code onceadj
https://www.sureshotshop.com/ - Record adapters (including customs) & accessories
https://myslipmats.com/ - Custom and off the shelf Slipmats, dividers and more.
Once A DJ is a https://remote-ctrl.co.uk production

Other ways to support the show
Follow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Any feedback or questions? Hit up the Once A DJ Instagram Page
Subscribe to the Once A DJ Patreon
Buy your Once A DJ Sureshot 45 adapter clamps

6-time snooker champ and lifelong record collector Steve Davis took the mainstream by surprise when he started DJing...
his career blossomed quickly, but he'd been paying his dues with digging and collecting for decades previous...
In this interview we get into the day job and also the new hustle, and how they complement each other, and also how they're very different.In this fascinating episode, we sit down with one of Britain's most famous sporting icons - six-time world snooker champion Steve Davis - to explore his journey into electronic music, DJing, and his band The Utopia Strong.
Steve shares incredible stories about the golden age of snooker in the 1980s, including the legendary 1985 World Championship final against Dennis Taylor that 18.5 million people watched until the early hours of the morning. But more importantly, we dive deep into his lifelong love of music, from discovering prog rock and psychedelic music as a teenager, to becoming a respected DJ on the alternative electronic music scene, to creating experimental instrumental music with The Utopia Strong.
This conversation explores the parallels between elite sport and creative pursuits, the importance of obsession and dedication, dealing with success and failure, the power of humor and perspective, and why at 68, Steve feels like Peter Pan with no intention of retiring.
Whether you're interested in snooker history, electronic music, or the mindset of elite performers, this episode offers unique insights from someone who's mastered multiple crafts.GuestSteve Davis OBE - Six-time world snooker champion (1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989), BBC snooker commentator, DJ, and member of electronic music trio The Utopia Strong.
Known as the "Romford Terminator" during his dominance of snooker in the 1980s, Steve has become equally respected in the alternative electronic music

Once A DJ is brought to you by:
https://www.vinylunderground.co.uk - 10% off your next order using code onceadj
https://www.sureshotshop.com/ - Record adapters (including customs) & accessories
https://myslipmats.com/ - Custom and off the shelf Slipmats, dividers and more.
Once A DJ is a https://remote-ctrl.co.uk production

Other ways to support the show
Follow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Any feedback or questions? Hit up the Once A DJ Instagram Page
Subscribe to the Once A DJ Patreon
Buy your Once A DJ Sureshot 45 adapter clamps

https://www.instagram.com/supremelarock
https://linktr.ee/supremelarock
In this episode of Once A DJ, Adam Gow sits down with the "newly crowned king of the Drum Break", Supreme La Rock. What begins as a nostalgic look at a four-year-old mesmerised by a Christmas turntable evolves into a masterclass on the evolution of hip hop and the relentless pursuit of the perfect record. Supreme recounts his pivotal teenage summers in New York, where witnessing block parties and B-boys first-hand sparked a mission to bring that burgeoning culture back to a then-untouched Seattle.
The conversation captures the emotional weight of a life built on "real hip hop," moving from DIY mixers fashioned with toothpicks to international tours and deep-seated friendships with legends like Biz Markie. Supreme reflects on the transition from an "outcast" teen to a world-renowned digger, detailing the shift from 99-cent gambles to chasing rare acetates. It is a reflective journey through the philosophy of selection, the importance of community, and the simple, enduring power of soul music that makes you want to move.

Once A DJ is brought to you by:
https://www.vinylunderground.co.uk - 10% off your next order using code onceadj
https://www.sureshotshop.com/ - Record adapters (including customs) & accessories
https://myslipmats.com/ - Custom and off the shelf Slipmats, dividers and more.
Once A DJ is a https://remote-ctrl.co.uk production

Other ways to support the show
Follow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Any feedback or questions? Hit up the Once A DJ Instagram Page
Subscribe to the Once A DJ Patreon
Buy your Once A DJ Sureshot 45 adapter clamps

This one picks up where we left off - right at the moment when a mobile DJ dressed as Dr. Stiff meets a pop star called Andy Pickles and accidentally builds one of the biggest hard house labels in the country. Amadeus takes us through the Tidy Trax origin story properly this time: the Hit the Decks albums, the handshake deal that launched everything, and why sometimes the best business moves happen when you're just trying to help a mate out.There's a proper detour into wedding DJing (Amadeus has got opinions), stories about turning up to gigs dressed as a doctor with his wife as a nurse, and the moment he realized he'd gone from making tracks in his bedroom to running a business with 40-odd staff. The conversation wanders through sampling culture, remixing everything, and why nothing's truly original - from disco to hip hop to hard house to the ATV logo. It's not a linear career journey; it's more like watching someone accidentally stumble into their life's work and then double down on it.By the end, we're talking AI, Paul McCartney getting paid for robot Rihanna tracks, and why you can't build a wall to stop a train.

Once A DJ is brought to you by:
https://www.vinylunderground.co.uk - 10% off your next order using code onceadj
https://www.sureshotshop.com/ - Record adapters (including customs) & accessories
https://myslipmats.com/ - Custom and off the shelf Slipmats, dividers and more.
Once A DJ is a https://remote-ctrl.co.uk production

Other ways to support the show
Follow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Any feedback or questions? Hit up the Once A DJ Instagram Page
Subscribe to the Once A DJ Patreon
Buy your Once A DJ Sureshot 45 adapter clamps

Amo/Tidy Trax links:
https://www.instagram.com/tidytrax/ (label)
https://www.instagram.com/tidyamo/ (Amo)
https://www.youtube.com/@tidytrax

In part one of this two-part conversation, we sit down with Amadeus Mozart (Lee Marlow), one half of The Tidy Boys and the architect of the Tidy Empire that defined UK hard house.
Born in Kettering in 1965 into a working-class family, Amadeus traces his musical journey from his audiophile father's obsession with the Moog synthesizer to becoming a disco devotee in the punk rock era. We explore his formative years being bullied at school for loving Village People while his classmates embraced The Clash, his discovery of London's underground gay club scene in the 1980s, and navigating the AIDS crisis while waving the flag for gay rights.
This episode covers the crucial early years: his friendship with Darren Kennedy, the influence of classical music through his gay housemate Norman, and the loss of his father in 1996 just before his breakthrough success. It's a story of passion, persistence, and staying true to your musical vision against the odds.
Key Topics:
Growing up with Spotlight on the Moog (1968) - the pre-Kraftwerk electronic revolution
Being into disco during the punk rock movement (1977-79)
The UK's reaction to the "Disco Sucks" movement

Just wanted to share a couple of thoughts in lieu of new episodes for 2026!