 |
Features
|
|
|
| Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! |
|
|
|
|
|
Meet the Most Wanted events team: Lisa B and Craig Paxton
Reported by Macavity
/
Submitted 23-05-05 01:37
There are probably more than a handful people on here who would love to give up their days to be full-time dance party promoters. Imagine having a job where you were encouraged to post on Harderfaster, ring international DJs and promoters, and had to spend your weekends going to clubs.
To many it sounds like bliss and a lot more exciting than sitting in an office surrounded by people who listen to Alanis Morrisette and spend the weekend painting shelves and watching re-runs of Hollyoakes. But despite the obvious attractions is it really as fun and laidback as you might think it is?
Lisa B and Craig Paxton who run the Events department at Most Wanted certainly know what it's like to be full-time party pushers. Between them, and assisted by a very loyal and hardworking ground team they are the the guys behind Innovate, Therapy, Twisted, Old Skool Euphoria, Extreme Euphoria, Blue, Polysexual South and the soon to be launched Sunday afterparty Faith.
So if you've ever dreamt of being a full-time promoter then perhaps you'd better read on, to find out what it's really like to be part of the Most Wanted dream team.
How did you get into promoting?
Lisa: I started by working on the door in 1995 at a promotion called Intrigue which was Most Wanted's first ever event. You might say it was the event that put us on the map.
Craig: I started promoting up in Edinburgh over 7 years ago but my first real taste of the London hard dance scene was 5 years ago when I discovered the Fevah parties at the Tube. From there I got the bug for hard dance and gradually discovered more and more parties that I enjoyed. The likes of Fahrenhite, Solid Sunday, XLR8 and Provocation all had such an unbelievable atmosphere and I really was hooked. From going out so regularly I got to know so many people and eventually an opportunity presented itself for myself and a couple of friends to do a regular Sunday afternoon party at the infamous Hanover Grand venue just off Oxford Circus. We seized it with both hands and Sunday School was born.
How long have you been a promoter?
Lisa: I’ve been involved in promotions for about 10 years and a Promotions Manager for three. Lee Bridle and Lisa Fitzgerald have always been there to coax me along the way.
Craig: I've been involved in events and promoting in one sense or another around about 5 years in London now. Sometimes it feels like a lot longer, but I can still remember that first party as though it were yesterday.
Craig pondering on his next flyer design
Did you always want to be a promoter?
Lisa: Yes always. Clubbing has been a big part of my life ever since I was 18. Back in the day I would be out Friday to Monday most weekends and you’d always find me on the dance floor. I then had two children which I wouldn’t change for the world even though it seriously limited my clubbing life. Working in it is great because I still get to enjoy the scene in a very big way.
Craig: In all honesty, I would be lying if I said yes. I started off working in night-club industry up in Scotland in bar management and came down to London to try and further my career in that area. As you generally find in most London bars, there was quite a large Antipodean contingent amongst the staff and they soon had me out every weekend clubbing until the early hours. From going out every weekend I gradually got more and more involved to the stage where I was helping out with flyering and organising flyer teams for other promotions and then progressed to the stage where I felt I wanted to try and have a go myself.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking of going into promoting? What skills do you think you need?
Lisa: You need to have a strong head on your shoulders and be able to take a lot of criticism. You also need to be able to take the good with the bad. Promoting can be very time consuming. It’s not just a weekend job like some people may think. It can be 24/7 sometimes. It can be very difficult to juggle my home life with such as demanding role.
Craig: Tenacity, common sense and above all a good sense of humour.
Lisa B (Left) with Anne Savage and John Fleming's Manager
Promoting to me sounds easy. Surely all you do is book a few djs and a venue, design a pretty flyer, hand it out and then spend the night schmoozing with djs back stage. It this true?
Lisa: I wish it was that easy. There are so many things you have to get right. Not only do you need to book the right DJs and get the night right musically, but you also need to have a good team around you to help you create a night where clubbers want to party.
Myself and Craig (My new partner in crime ) have a great team around us which is something every promoter appreciates .
We also make sure we get every detail right. Our design department get a lot of grief from us. We won’t print a flyer until the whole team is happy with it. You can ask Andrew our designer at Most Wanted how hard to work with us can be sometimes! It’s about getting the whole night right.
Craig: Most definitely. The only thing you forgot is all the glitzy dinner parties, glamour girls and Hollywood movie premieres. Sometimes I don't know how I manage to actually fit promoting into my hectic social schedule!
Does the novelty of clubbing wear out after a while?
Lisa: Not for me! I don't so much go out clubbing as such any more, but my job is to be in clubs three out of four weekends so I do just that. I sometimes feel I practically live at The Fridge and I also love doing events at Turnmills.
Over the year I’ve worked on hundreds of events, not just in London but also in Nottingham, Ireland and Ibiza. I'm Looking forward to indulging in other venues in 2005, especially Extreme Euphoria Vs Tidy at es paradis this summer.
Craig: Personally, I still really enjoy going out and socialising with my friends in a club environment, but the way that I go clubbing has definitely changed over the years as I've got more involved. If I hadn't have got into promoting, had the opportunity to try new things and meet all of the fantastic people that I have then I probably wouldn't be doing this now.
Lisa B
What's the best bit of the job?
Lisa: There's been a lot of good bits I can tell you . But mainly the buzz of seeing so many clubbers enjoying something you have created. That's the biggest buzz any girl could get out of life, wouldn't you say? Two people I would like to thank especially for helping me to evolve in my job has to be Anthony Dean, who I worked with on Extreme Euphoria from the start and helped me along the way to the job I'm in today and of course Dickon Laws... I thought I knew promotions inside out til this man showed me there was a lot more to learn and that's something I certainly did from him. His presence at Mostwanted will never be forgotten and I miss him greatly, but I also wish him all the luck in the world. Thanks D xx
Craig: Looking out onto a packed dancefloor on the night of the event and seeing the smiles on the faces of all the clubbers.
And what's the worst?
Lisa: Getting up on a Sunday afternoon knowing the party has finished and the rest of the world are out having Sunday lunch.
Craig: 7am on the morning after the event has finished and trying to make your way home on the tube after having been at the venue for 12 hours. Just trying to stay awake until you get home is a challenge in itself.
What are you working on at the moment?
Lisa: At the moment we have lots on. We're working on Polysexual South, Oldskool Euphoria (which is one of my favourite parties to do), Extreme Euphoria's next Album Launch, Twisted and Innovate. Also in Ibiza we're doing Extreme Euphoria Vs Tidy, which is going to be so much fun, so could say that we have our work cut out. We also have some exciting new projects coming up. Watch this space!
Craig: One thing that I have learned in this industry is to never give away too much too early, so at the moment, I'm working on getting myself fit for getting on the beach in Ibiza this Summer.
What's the stickiest situation you've ever been in?
Lisa: Wouldn't you like to know !
Craig: A few years ago, I was over at a mate's house and he came home from a night out to find me in the house with his mum. I managed to persuade him that I was there waiting for him to get home, but he took a lot of convincing.
Craig and Lisa
I hear you're helping to promote a party in Ibiza. That's sounds exciting. Can you tell us about it?
Lisa: I certainly can! Extreme Euphoria and Tidy will be hosting parties every Tuesday at ES Paradis. These nights will be fuelled by only the best in hard dance djs. So if you are out there this summer come and check us out.
Craig: As Lisa says, two of the UK's biggest and most respected brands, Extreme Euphoria and Tidy, will be working hand in hand throughout the Ibizan season to take the UK hard dance sound to the White Isle. We'll be exporting a vast number of the UK's top Ddjs in an unprecedented assault on clubbers' paradise to really leave our mark.
Tell us something we might not know about being a promoter?
Lisa: We don't sleep much, we work very long hours and we can’t stand blaggers!
Craig: I go through lots of pairs of socks from all of the walking around I do at the weekends.
What's your favourite party that you've worked on and why was this party so good?
Lisa: For me it had to be Twisted’s 6th Birthday at SEone when Prime Mover came out live. That night was one that stands out to me as one of the most memorable nights of my career
Craig: Innovate in January at the Fridge was unbelievable. Up until the event itself we had been really nervous about how the party was going to be, as it was only 2 weeks after New Year. To our amazement, the venue was packed, the atmosphere in the Fridge was electric, people were smiling all over the place and it just had that real, feel-good party vibe. Everyone left that night feeling really satisfied and the feed-back we received afterwards was amazing. It's times like that which make all of the blood, sweat and tears worthwhile.
Photos courtesy of Most Wanted.
Share this ::  :  :  : 
Follow HarderFaster :: 
Other Features By Macavity:
Ben Coda Gets Ready for Glade Festival
The Tidy Boys are Back To Clean Up London
David Minns Tells Us Why South London is The Place To Be!
Russia's No 1 DJ, Bobina Springs into London
Ali Wilson - From Harderfaster to Carl Cox's Favourite Producer
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
|
|
|
Comments:
|
From: Danny Luu on 23rd May 2005 07:27.25
Glamour girls?  . Keep up the good work 
From: ~deleted1390 on 23rd May 2005 07:51.01
Nice one. As Mr G said, keep up the good work. 
From: carl nicholson on 23rd May 2005 08:07.38
Top People! A credit to the industry!
From: Less is Bat on 23rd May 2005 08:36.24
Ace makes a good read 
From: bennett on 23rd May 2005 08:48.14
lisa gave me my 1st chance in the extreme euphoria dj comp!
it wont be forgotten
From: Norris123 on 23rd May 2005 09:51.14
Well done Scottish! Good work Lisa.
At least we know what to buy you for Crimbo Craig - Socks...
From: Gordan on 23rd May 2005 10:20.21
From the glitzy H.Grand to the Friday 13ths in the woods - wicked parties over the years with many more to follow! Bring on the summer!
From: Tina Martin on 23rd May 2005 10:22.37
And what a team!! Love the pout in that pic Craig!! mwah!
From: Tina Martin on 23rd May 2005 10:22.45
And what a team!! Love the pout in that pic Craig!! mwah!
From: Dickon Laws on 23rd May 2005 11:07.00
Such a lovely couple  . MW events couldnt be in better hands. Wish them the best of luck with all the projects.
From: Danny Gilligan on 23rd May 2005 11:12.34
Nice interview, Craig nice pose bru ;o)
From: Simon Rutherford on 23rd May 2005 11:29.54
Great work guys. It's nice to know there are still such genuine people at the top of an industry that can be so lacking. (oh, and that pout's up there with the Techno sex face mate. Nice.  )
From: Maria on 23rd May 2005 15:36.44
Great interview with two hard working promoters.Good luck with all your future plans. Hope to see you guys very soon!
From: Camden Nurse on 23rd May 2005 19:36.05
Well done to you both!
From: K.A.R.L. on 23rd May 2005 21:57.19
Am looking forward to working with this double act....
From: Hannah Wild on 23rd May 2005 22:18.48
Good work guys!!!! 
From: Element7 on 23rd May 2005 22:50.36
I actually play Alanis Morrisette in the office.
From: Letty Bird on 24th May 2005 04:35.00
Nice interview! You guys put on some sweet events! Best of luck! ;o)
From: Richard Launch on 24th May 2005 09:20.30
Great stuff guys - Loving your work at the moment.
From: Dani T on 24th May 2005 10:46.41
Brilliant interview... Keep up the good work guys
From: Charlie Rox on 25th May 2005 12:04.30
Top interview and love all the parties, always a real honour and pleasure to play for most wanted, craig and lisa....cool as ice!!!!!
From: Minx! on 25th May 2005 13:42.52
Wicked interview guys... It's been a pleasure working with you both - two people that I admire and have learnt a lot from. I look forward to more of the same and hope to be taught a great deal more from both of you!!! Big wet sloppy   from the Minx 
From: Lorenzo Barrero on 25th May 2005 14:05.06
Wicked interview Craig and Lisa. Have throughly enjoyed the Most Wanted parties you have put on. Looking forward to what else is in store for 2005 and beyond!!
From: anushka007 on 25th May 2005 14:20.55
Great interview and bring on 2005/2006/2007...till forever
From: djlaw on 25th May 2005 15:58.47
You guys rock, awesome interview! Have completely enjoyed playing for you bring on the Therapy Sessions
From: Nikki S on 25th May 2005 16:36.55
Nice one guys!
Nx
From: TEK-DJ Management on 25th May 2005 17:30.26
Great stuff Craig and Lisa, credit to you!
From: Duracell Bunny on 25th May 2005 21:52.56
Two of the nicest and warmest people of our industry!
From: cd on 26th May 2005 07:42.12
Innovate rocks - keep up the great work guys.
From: HIGH SEEKER on 26th May 2005 09:55.19
GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE AND ESPECIALLY A HUGE THANKS TO CRAIG HRE WAS REALLY HELPFUL TO ME WITH THE INNOVATIVE!!
From: Disco Diva on 26th May 2005 17:07.02
Nice interview guys, keep up the good work xx
From: Little Miss Hayley on 26th May 2005 17:33.17
You guys work sO hard and it's great to see you enjoying the success...and still having fun! Extreme Euphoria vs Tidy may just have convinced me to finally get my ass to Ibiza. See you on the circuit. H x
From: pink kitty on 30th May 2005 11:20.16
Good to see you at HHH, Craig Congrats!
From: ronjac on 1st Jun 2005 05:36.34
Its been a joy to meet you both and we hope call you friends, we wish you good luck for the future and look foward to seeing you both at your next event. Ron & Jacqui x
From: Donna Birt on 1st Jun 2005 13:36.51
Good work guys... look forward to many more weekend sessions xx
From: Type 1 on 1st Jun 2005 14:36.35
Both Legends!! keep up the good work!
From: Mike Harris on 1st Jun 2005 17:18.18
Hard working and super friendly!! WELL DONE GUYS!!
From: Holly-Anna on 3rd Jun 2005 07:19.17
Quality Interview! Bring on IBIZA!!!!!!!!!!!
From: matt gardner on 4th Jun 2005 00:17.24
u know how to throw a wicked party guys, keep it up.
Oh, and thanks for all your help Lisa x
From: VANESSA8 on 7th Jun 2005 13:01.36
Just want to say that I am very proud of Lisa she works very hard. Great interview FROM MUM X
From: Fitzy on 4th Jul 2005 21:39.08
Add your comments here !
From: Fitzy on 4th Jul 2005 21:42.10
(Also known as the original Mrs Twisted) Lisa has carried on the role to perfection, I couldnt have done it better myself! Long live the queen!!! xx
|
|
|
![[HarderFaster] - Work Hard, Play Harder!](/images/mainbanner_top1-xmas.gif)
