Local Rockstars: Dave Clarke about Queen’s Night and monarchy

Apr 18, 2013 | by Chloë Arkenbout | Event, Music

About the author

Born and raised in Amsterdam, lives to dance and dances to live on electronic music, has a small vinyl addiction, appreciates a little sarcasm now and then, thinks musicals are annoying and loves those moments where you lose track of time completely.

Dave Clarke a local rock star? Isn’t he a guest of honour? Mr. Clarke is legendary indeed, and I was honoured to interview him. He is a local rock star though, since he’s been living in our lovely Dam for a few years now. This man travels our globe to provide the world with crème de la crème techno. At our very last Queen’s Night he’ll be rockin’ the Melkweg.

You’re originally from Brighton, coincidentally just like my mum. You’ve been living in Amsterdam for a few years now, why did you decide to move here?
“To achieve a better quality of life, basically. Amsterdam’s a stunning city with inspirational surroundings, friends live in a walking distance and regular performances of my favourite bands are around the corner. And for a travelling DJ having a big airport nearby is essential.”

Are there any Amsterdam based DJs/producers you like at the moment?
“Always got time for Steve Rachmad, but I also like Tim Wolff‘s productions. Furthermore, many producers all around The Netherlands, like W1b0 from Utrecht and Mr. Jones from Haarlem. This is a hot country for techno.”

The techno scene seems to grow more popular every day. How do you see this developing in the future?
“I try not to think about trends, just do my thing and ride the ebb and flow. By predicting a trend with art or music when you make it, means you inevitably sell yourself and the music short for financial gain, at the expense of integrity.”

What was your most memorable DJ/producer moment of 2012?
“I have a lot of favourite moments, recently. Remixing the Manchester folk band I Am Kloot, getting the “_Unsubscribe_” project off the ground, DJing on the beach in Cannes, having my own stage at Tomorrowland and my best ever Amsterdam Dance Event showcase at the Melkweg… looking back it was a great year!”

You’re playing at Queen’s Night in the Melkweg. Next year it’ll be King’s Night though. Some people are against the monarchy and the royal family because they think it’s not modern, while others love the tradition. What’s your opinion?
“I’m not a great fan of monarchy. I don’t know much about the Dutch ones, except that the next king is ‘an expert in water management’. Not sure if that means damn good in plumbing or that he helped with the Rotterdam project. I can see how people like royalty as they last longer than politicians and are supposed to rise above that. In a way they’re great for tourism and for being a paternal figure for some people. Personally I don’t think about royalty as I cannot understand its relevance in a supposedly modern age, no matter how nice the individuals themselves can be or be portrayed.”

What can we expect that night?
“I’ve been doing the Dave Clarke Presents concept for many years now. At the Melkweg I hosted eight consecutive sold out editions during the Amsterdam Dance Event. For this Queen’s Night edition I invited Steve Rachmad, Cari Lekebusch and Paul Ritch among others to perform with me. I expect a night filled with solid music and a friendly vibe in my favourite Amsterdam club.”

You’ve already accomplished a lot. Are there things that you still want to achieve in your career?
“A collaboration with singer/songwriter PJ Harvey is still on my wish list, I just love her lyrics. And more productions as both Dave Clarke and under the _Unsubscribe_ alias with Mr. Jones for sure.”