Les Calvert

Les is one the biggest DJs on the Liverpool club scene and has for many years. His obsession with records started from an early age spending any money, including school dinner money, on vinyl. Sneaking records back into his mum’s house without her knowing, in fear of hearing the same line over and over again from her “have you spent all your money on records again?"

Les started working behind the counter at 3 Beat Records supplying records to world class DJ’s such as Paul Oakenfold, Judge Jules & Pete Tong. He was involved with setting up Boss Records (a sister label of 3 Beat) in conjunction with Ministry Of Sound, giving the label it’s first top 10 national hit Angel City – Love Me Right, selling over 40,000 copies in the UK then following it with another national hit BCD Project – Do You Know. Les decided it was time to concentrate on producing his own music and DJing so handed the baton over to Anton Powers who continues the success of the label.

Blackburn based record label All Around The World then called upon Les to become head of A+R for Adhesive Records. The job was simple, bring to them the big tunes he’d been playing first in Liverpool. The first offering proved to be a national winner, Inaya Day – Nasty Girl a top 10 hit in the U.K. and went on to become a hit around the globe. Les still works closely with the label.

Les was approached by Liverpool radio station Juice FM where he was given a weekly show of a Friday night. Within a short time he was given a second prime time show on a Saturday evening. Realising Les’s popularity, Radio City Liverpool’s largest independent radio station approached him to make the move over to their station. A decision that didn’t need thinking about, it was the right move and it paid off. Hosting his show from the world famous Liverpool tower every Saturday night it was only a matter of time before his show was given the peak time slot of 8-10 a position he still holds now.

Over the last 5 years he has played Liverpool’s premier clubs alongside internationally renowned DJ’s. Society gave Les his first residency, where he played along side John Cotton & Jimmy Jay where he quickly delivered his own unique style and sound to the club often working on 3 turntables. Within a matter of months he was the main DJ in Liverpool’s up and coming trendy night club scene. Dave Graham and a then unknown David Whelan came on board and together they provided a soundtrack that would pave the way for most nightclubs, bars and radio shows within Liverpool. Funky house was born, the spirit of disco was still alive and diva’s would be belting out there vocal’s all over there tracks. This trio delivered music on the dance floor like no other could dream of!. As time moved on Dave Graham quit his position of promoter & DJ. It was now all in the hands of Les and Dave Whelan promote and continue. Together the pair brought some of the finest worldwide act’s to town to perform live on stage, Tera Deva & Georgie Porgie are 2 that clubbers will never forget. Even Hed Kandi while in it’s early year we’re called upon by Les and Dave to bring there club tour to Liverpool before anybody else. The club was at capacity, locking it doors with an hour of being open for business on a Saturday night. Society moved to a larger venue on Duke Street taking a new resident on board, Mike Di Scala. Les, Dave and Mike quickly took to the studio as the The Chosen Few putting together future classics such as Nobody’s Business, The After Party Many major label were quick to call the boys to do remixes of there project’s includeding Milk & Sugar – Stay Around, Herd & Fitz – Just Can’t Get Enough, & Antoine Clamaran – Everybody. This list of remixes would grow over the coming years.

Proud of the reputation of being Liverpool’s first gay friendly nightclub, a move over to rival club Garlands was next for Les working with long time resident’s Dave ‘n’ Huey who have been there since day one a decade ago. Garlands has a magical atmosphere that has to be seen to believe. Not only being part of the team in Liverpool, Les is also is resident at Eden, Ibiza gracing the turntables every Wednesday Night during the summer season on the white island. Summer 2007 was the busiest and most talked about season so far for Garlands playing the up and coming Ibiza Boat Parties as a pre warm up to Eden would always see the night get off to a messy start for many clubbers. With the departure of Huey, Dave and Les continued as main resident’s and to this date you can see them doing what they do best, giving the crowd a party from beginning to end!

The latest challenge is a new after-hours residency at a small underground club called Passion. Situated on the same road as Garlands playing a weekly exclusive after hours set on a Saturday night to a selected few hundred clubbers who continue to return week in week out.

So here’s the picture making music in the studio, playing the tunes on the radio and seeing the reactions on the dance floor every weekend....it don’t get better than that for a DJ!!

e-mail: steve@smp3.co.uk or steveparry@blueyonder.co.uk  Tel: 07798 940 322