Interview: Paulette Goes BANG!

Having already established itself as a key ingredient in the social scenes of Paris and Ibiza, Paulette Goes Bang is an open minded musical showcase of "deep house baby makers and funked up future disco grooves", collected from  both Paulette's considerable 20 year DJ career and the varied record bags of the new and established talent that she carefully selects to join her.

As a Manchester native and a former resident of the Hacienda, Paulette selected the city as the location for Paulette Goes Bang's UK debut because it's a "discerning city musically, but also one where people are not afraid to party hard". We're sure that Manchester's clubbers will step up to the mark on 19th January when the night launches with a FREE party at 2022nq.

We caught up with the lady herself to find out more about what to expect…

Hi Paulette! You're a bit of a jet-setter, but where do we find you today?
Jet setter?  Yes I suppose I am sometimes. Although there are also times when transport is delayed or cancelled that I feel more like Paddington Bear: stranded, fretting and thinking ‘wouldn’t it be lush to be rushed in through the VIP / diplomatic airport channels direct to a waiting Lear Jet and G&T’ as I’m sure we all do. Right now I am sitting at home in Paris behind my desk in the studio, mailing out the playlist to my mainstream, peak time Radio FG mixshow.

Tell us a bit about Paulette Goes Bang. How did it begin and what was the idea behind it?
The idea for the Paulette Goes Bang deep house party woke me up from a deep sleep in January last year. The dream was so vivid I wrote it in my diary. It was originally going to be called SX3 (sexy) but I realised that even though I knew what it meant, that people might need a degree in quantum physics to work it so I settled on BANG.  I just wanted the BANG name but the Queen club wanted it linking more closely to me, so I settled on PAULETTE GOES BANG (homage to Dinosaur Go Bang an old house track – showing my age there aren’t I?) .

I felt driven to create my own party where I could play what I wanted when I wanted and not have to compromise my sound to please the people in the VIP. I also wanted it to be a new talent platform (which most people think is suicide as it’s harder to fill a club when you have unknowns on the bill). I think that the unknowns of today are the stars of tomorrow and that everyone should be given a chance. I am willing to stick my neck out. Maybe once it gets going I will use bigger names but I think it's important to give new talent a platform and mix this with  the names and superstars to keep the energy flowing in the right direction.  Aside from Richie Ferg (aka DJ Anechoic.fluid) Bang Manchester will have future appearances from the Disco Mums, Kath McDermott and Guy Williams amongst others. In Paris I am playing with my discovery Yan T and bringing the ever fabulous Jean Jerome (the original Radio FG house godfather) out of club retirement.

I asked a few key people for advice (got no reply but that didn’t deter me) then emailed my booking agent who said ‘good idea, go for it’. A few weeks later I had a meeting at the Queen Club (the club where I hold my Parisian residency) and they encouraged me to legally register and develop the idea. Bang was on the way to becoming a reality. The first hurdle was developing and creating a style that was completely different from the style that I was already known for without falling into the pitfall of just buying all the hits. Plus I am a dancer so it had to make me dance. I am also an eternal clubber, love Ibiza style and wanted to bring a little of that Ibicenco magic home.  Everyone loves a souvenir after all.

It seems to have grown very quickly, spreading from Ibiza to two Paris venues and now Manchester - how did this happen?
It was a natural progression.  I knew mid way through my season in Ibiza that musically the Bang vibe had become an integral and important part of my club ammunition and armour. Then like every seed you ever plant you watch it start to grow shoots and want to nurture it so that it gets bigger, better and stronger - then flourishes.  I remember vividly the early morning a few months into my ‘Bang’ season in Ibiza, when I found myself sitting on a beautiful terrace overlooking the beach at 8am in the morning watching the plane I’d just missed fly over head (like you do) and then hatching a plan to launch a night in Manchester and London encouraged by my two good friends Guy (Williams) and Sunni (Syal, Velvet Hotel) and a lot of red wine. Since then it has taken a lot of skype and phone calls, lots of meetings, some disappointments (some plans stalled but I’ve not given up on them). I tried a few places in Manchester but found Jamie and all at 2022NQ welcoming and  open to someone relatively ‘new’ in the region, open to developing new ideas with me and ready to showcase a sexy new sound home.

You used to play at the Hacienda didn't you... Tell us a bit about that?
I'm not embarrassed to say that playing at the Hacienda actually means I have a DJ career that spans 20 years! I never realised that until now… Blimey. Time really does fly. Playing at the Hacienda is one of the highpoints of my DJ career.  I spent so many nights there before I even dreamed of DJing there that I was convinced the bollard at the first corner of the dancefloor as you enter the club should have carried a plaque dedicated to me. It was a great honour to be chosen to play there and an unforgettable buzz to entertain people there every month for four years.

I was resident at the Flesh night: the Gay Traitor downstairs was my sole domain (although I did get to play on the hallowed main floor decks three times in that tenure). The Gay Traitor was sometimes so packed that you couldn’t get down the stairs to get into it and playing there (even scantily clad) felt like you were taking part in a close contact sport, fully dressed and in the most stifling heat. It was amazing.  My ‘Pussy Parlour’ friends were vociferous to the point of hysteria and brave or rude enough to give a time out T hand signal if the tune didn’t please them. These regulars were pure party people who loved disco, soul, house and anything soulful that moved their feet.  Some of whom have gone on to forge incredible music careers themselves.  It was THAT vibrant. People secured ‘their’ corners or spots either behind me dancing on the seating whilst admiring themselves in the mirrors (and occasionally knocking all my vinyl skidding across the wet concrete floor) or standing in front of the deck set up, dancing on the drink ledges, or on the bar. And pushing through into the underground backstage access. Sweat literally ran down those walls, the floor was like a skating rink and it was there I honed my arm's length guerilla DJ skills. Definitely four of the best clubbing years of my life.

How long has it been since you last DJed in Manchester?
Too long. But thankfully quite a lot less than a dog year. I’m not really sure how  or why I slipped out of the loop but I did. Probably because people think I am French... or maybe the old banana skin ruse…

Out of all the cities in the UK to launch Paulette Goes Bang in, why did you choose Manchester?
I chose Manchester because there really is no place like home. I love Manchester, will big it up and defend it to the hilt to anybody and everybody till the day I shuffle off this earth to throw shapes in rave heaven. I also know Manchester as a very discerning city musically but also one where people are not afraid to party hard – it’s nowhere near as VIP/table service driven as in other European cities. We’re also open minded and accepting, and that is really important for a launch.

What can people expect on the night in terms of musical style?
A rolling, powerful storm of deep house baby makers and funked up future disco grooves that will make you listen, dance and love from the likes of Maetrik, Jamie Jones, Ben Pearce, Maxxi Soundsystem and George Fitzgerald, Finnebassen, Justin Martin with a smattering of hijacked hi-jinx house classics and the odd googly just to keep you all on your toes... What my guests do however is purely up to them!

What three tracks will definitely be in your record bag on the night?
Chicken Lips, 'He Not In' (Noir’s personal edit)
Yousef, 'Beg' (Hot Since 82 remix)
Thomas Gandey & Maxxi Soundsystem, 'I Don’t Care'

Thanks Paulette, see you on the 19th!

Paulette Goes Bang launches on Saturday 19th January at 2022nq. Entry is free, but capacity is limited so you'll need to register for a free ticket below to guarantee you get in.

Tickets are no longer available for this event