Q+A: Andy C

Let’s have some other career highs.

The Brixton Academy All Night show, obviously. ‘Body Rock’ being played on the Radio 1 breakfast show – more of a career surprise than a career high! The last night at The End. That was a career sadness. Mainstage at Global, our first album, my first ever pirate radio show, my first massive rave, Voodoo Magic playing between Bukem and Kenny Ken. That was a big deal back then. DJing to 80,000 people at the Arcadia Spider at Glastonbury. I could go on. I’m blessed!

I’m guessing you’re deep in practice mode right now?

Morning, noon and night, learning all the new tunes and thinking about what people will really want to hear. Each crowd is different; I put the same thought into a Metalheadz show as I do a Renegade Hardware show. You’ve got a particular crowd, and you’ve got to entertain them. For Ally Pally, it’s a celebration of d’n’b so I’m going to cover as much ground as I can. Whittling the list down is the hard part. The fun part is working out sick mixes! I’ll be up until 7am in the studio, leaping around because I’ve worked out a killer double-drop that will properly kick off. It’s such a buzz. Always will be.

Is there a special Andy C formula, or a science to double-dropping?

Keys can’t clash, keep your EQ tight and keep counting. It’s all in the bars. I’m constantly counting bars, all the time. It’s an in-built metronome, constantly ticking at 174 BPM. I run off for a toilet break and I’m counting down bars knowing how long I’ve got left until the next mix-point.

Have you ever had one of those really long pisses and almost missed a mix?

Absolutely! Last time at Brixton Academy. I must have over-indulged in the first hour or so and it just went on and on. I was thinking ‘Shit! I’ve got five thousand people out there, I’m going to miss my mix!’ I just made it back in the last eight bars. It was a bit like the nightmares I have in which the tune runs out, I haven’t found the next one and everyone’s booing. People have sent me a joke picture of a DJ booth with a urinal underneath. Might have to request that on my rider.

What’s the most lavish thing on your rider?

I know some guys who take the piss just to see if they can get it. PlayStations backstage, decks in the hotel room, being picked up in a Rolls Royce. But for me, it’s vodka, water, Red Bull, beers. Has been for years.