Dexter Jones

Rue Jay on Carl Cox closing UNVRS Grand Opening Night With His Track. He Didn't Even Send It to Him!

Dexter Jones

Show Notes

Carl Cox closed the historic opening of UNVRS Ibiza with Rue Jay's track, and Rue had absolutely no idea it was going to happen! This wasn't just another night in Ibiza. It was the very first night of UNVRS, the spectacular new superclub created following the takeover and transformation of the legendary Privilege Ibiza, once the world's largest nightclub. And as Carl Cox brought his extended opening set to a close, with the sun rising over Ibiza, he chose to finish with a track by Birmingham DJ and producer Rue Jay. The incredible part? Rue hadn't even sent Carl Cox the track! In Part 1 of the Dexter Jones Podcast, Rue tells me the extraordinary story of how he discovered what had happened, and why that moment meant so much after years away from the music industry. We also travel back through Birmingham's legendary clubbing history, from Godskitchen and Sundissential to The Steering Wheel, the Rainbow and RocknRolla. Rue shares his journey from carrying boxes of vinyl around Birmingham hoping for a DJing opportunity to promoting hugely successful club nights, taking RocknRolla to Ibiza and eventually stepping away from music to build his Vivid Ink tattoo business. We discuss the changing music industry, working with Premier League footballers, the pressures of running events and the moment Rue rediscovered his love of DJing. It's a fascinating journey through British dance music history, entrepreneurship, Ibiza and the extraordinary moments that remind us why we fell in love with this music in the first place. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Carl Cox, UNVRS and Rue Jay's Comeback00:57 Welcome to the Dexter Jones Podcast01:14 Carl Cox Closes UNVRS with Rue Jay's Track03:21 The Phone Call That Changed Everything04:09 Discovering Carl Cox Really Played His Track06:40 Rue Jay's Early Musical Influences07:42 The Prodigy Experience and Electronic Music08:28 Birmingham's Early Clubbing Scene09:37 Godskitchen, Trance and The Steering Wheel11:00 Learning to DJ with Paul Thomas12:52 What Made Birmingham Clubbing So Special?13:25 Clubavision and Lost Clubbing Archives15:43 From DJ to Promoter: Club DNA17:38 The DJ Opportunity That Changed Everything18:33 Advice for Aspiring DJs21:08 The Legendary Steering Wheel Residency22:40 Hard House and Speed Garage26:00 Building Birmingham's Club Nights29:33 Mud Club and the Rise of Afterparties30:45 Creating RocknRolla at The Rainbow32:14 Taking RocknRolla to Ibiza36:04 Life Beyond Music: Building Vivid Ink38:15 Tattooing Premier League Footballers39:43 Why Rue Jay Stepped Away from DJing40:44 The Gig That Reignited His Passion42:05 Charity Raves and Roller Jam44:02 The Reality of Owning a Venue45:00 The Risks and Pressures of Promoting Events45:53 How COVID Devastated the Events Industry This is Part 1 of my conversation with Rue Jay. Part 2 is coming next week! If you enjoy genuine conversations about Ibiza, dance music, clubbing history and the people behind the scene, please subscribe to the Dexter Jones Podcast. Question for the comments: Were you at Privilege Ibiza back in the day, or have you experienced the new UNVRS? I'd love to hear your memories! Thanks for watching! Dexter 💛

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