With contributions and photos from Justin Banwell, Si Beisly, Chris Burford and Wayne Braybrook. An increasing number of mobile DJs are now offering their clients the option of an authentic retro roadshow as an alternative to a modern mobile setup. This gives the DJ a legitimate reason to buy (or restore) a traditional DJ setup and gives party organisers the choice of a retro rig that is ideal for themed parties for older guests who also enjoy experiencing the kind of ‘mobile disco’ they remember from their youth.
One of the pioneers of this concept is Chris Burford, who has been successfully offering a retro setup to his clients for a number of years and was primarily attracted to the idea by a sense of nostalgia. “I had often thought about going back to playing vinyl,” Chris told me, “but it wasn’t until a chance conversation with my good friend, Andy George, back in 2014 that it all came to fruition. Andy is a collector of old PA and DJ equipment. We got talking and he showed me his store room, floor to ceiling full of old gear, and I was like a kid in a candy store!
I bought a Citronic Avon console along with a pair of H|H speakers and a couple of light screens and I was up and running.” Another early adopter of this trend was Wales-based mobile DJ Justin Banwell, whose retro journey was initially prompted by a request from a client. “Around five years ago one of my regular hotel venues asked if I would provide an ‘80s disco for a Christmas party night,” explained Justin. “So I thought ‘why not do it with original ‘80s equipment?’ .
This led to me travelling hundreds of miles to Ipswich to buy a set of Citronic record decks, then adding equipment and vinyl from fellow DJs. In total it took about six months to put together my initial retro show before I did my first ‘80s Christmas party which was a huge success.” If you have been DJing since the days of vinyl – and held on to your decks, records and light screens – setting up a retro show may be simply a case of digging out and refurbishing your old gear.
However for younger jocks – or those who didn’t have the space to store their vintage gear – the prospect of putting together a retro lightshow, music system AND vinyl collection may seem daunting. One option, at least as a starting point, could be to stick with modern playback equipment but paired with a retro lightshow. This is the route taken by Wayne Braybrook who runs Imagine Disco in Ely, Cambridgeshire. For ‘80s nights he plays music from his regular digital setup but with a retro-style lightshow.
This combines authentic light screens with modern LED PARs and a custom-built Rubik Cube box fitted with LED strip lights to create a retro-inspired show that combines both modern and vintage technology. “I started to put the show back together about five years ago,” Wayne explained, “after having a lot of enquiries for ‘80s nights and wanting to provide something ‘different’ to everyone else.
It initially took around a year to collect the light screens from various auctions etc. and refurbish them. However my show is always evolving, I’m still collecting!” At the other side of the spectrum, some DJs are embracing the resurgence in popularity that vinyl is currently experiencing and playing records for all kinds of parties – not just retro-themed events – alongside a modern lightshow. Si Beisly and Dave Taylor, who run the Ace of Clubs Roadshow in Dursley, Gloucestershire are proud to offer the area’s only vinyl AND digital mobile disco.
For large corporate events they play from a collection of 20,000+ records primarily, but also have a laptop and controller to hand for more recent requests. When I asked Si why he likes to play from vinyl he told me, “The reason is very simple, I enjoy the whole performance of it: opening the sleeve, checking the correct side to play (instrumentals go on if you’re not observant and in a rush with a punter in your ear!), giving it a quick brush, putting the tone arm on the record, cueing up and of course the unique tone offered by vinyl.” The DJs who run fully retro shows also enjoy the experience of playing records. “There’s really nothing like playing vinyl all night, cueing in the records and searching through my cases pulling up the next song,” enthused Justin. “I love the opportunity to play my vinyl collection and seeing the look on people’s faces when they realise that I’m a ‘real DJ’ playing records,” added Chris. “It’s like going back to a better time in my DJ career,” said Wayne. “The guests at these types of parties really WANT to party and have fun and there’s less expectation for things like ‘play my song now or else’ .
It’s a completely different way of working. Oh, and the music’s a lot better too!” Part of the appeal of setting up a retro roadshow is using authentic gear, so their choice of console is very important to these DJs. “Having started with the Citronic Avon, I then had the opportunity to buy a Citronic Thames II,” explains Chris. “It was my favourite deck back in the ‘80s, when I paid £500 for it from Orange Disco centre in Reading, so it seems fitting to be using it now.” Citronic was a popular brand of twin deck console in the ‘80s and remains so during the current retro revival. “I chose the Citronic Thames II,” Justin told me, “as this was the flagship disco deck for many a mobile DJ back in the day, plus I always dreamt of having one back then but couldn't afford it!” Si and Dave, meanwhile, use separate decks and mixer, opting for the club standard Technics SL1200MK2s alongside a truly iconic retro mixer. “We use an old Matamp Stereo Super Nova, to some vinyl jocks it’s the Holy Grail of deejaying as only 300 were made worldwide (this one is 018)!” Si enthused.
Lighting also clearly plays an important part in creating an authentic retro experience, so I was interested to know which lights were the DJs’ favourites. “It has got to be my infinity time tunnel boxlights,” Justin told me. And Chris’ answer was similar, “my favourite light... tricky one… probably my three infinity lights. I spent a lot of time refurbishing two of them, so yeah, I would say they are my favourites.” While Wayne chose one of his own creations, “Probably my Rubik Cube.
OK, it’s not truly retro being only a couple of years old and running on LED strip lighting, but it’s the one that gets the most comments and, being something that I built myself, it’s unique to me. And that’s exactly how a lot of the lighting used to be back in the day!” It’s clear that the DJs who offer retro roadshows love the experience and challenge of DJing the oldfashioned way, but what do party guests make of it? “They absolutely love it, they can't get over the fact that it's 100% vinyl and love the whole look of the lightshow,” said Justin. “They love it,” echoed Chris. “It’s the whole wow factor from the old lightshow to the fact that I’m playing real records.” So it seems that the retro craze is being embraced by DJs, clients and guests alike, but there are – of course – downsides to running a retro show. “The gear is heavy, bulky and awkward to get into some venues,” sums up Wayne. “I certainly don’t do much in the way of upstairs function room work with this rig!” For that reason, most of the DJs offering this kind of service limit the number of retro roadshow bookings they take, continuing to use a modern setup for the majority of their gigs. “To ensure that they don’t conflict with my regular wedding and events business, I only take on one ‘80s disco per month,” explains Justin.
Meanwhile Chris aims for even fewer bookings: “I try and minimise my retro shows to around six a year, this keeps it fun and if I did anymore my back would probably ask for a divorce!” Wayne also limits his retro bookings, but feels there is plenty of demand, “At the moment, I do around a dozen gigs a year (my main business is weddings), but I could do a lot more if I took the time to advertise it properly.” If reading this article has inspired you to tap into this unique niche and setup your own retro roadshow, I’m sure you’ll be wondering how easy it is to source the equipment.
Wayne’s take is that, “it’s not too difficult to come by and can be picked up fairly cheaply. The big problem being that a lot of the light screens tend to be hand-built so the expense comes from taking them to bits, re-wiring them and making sure they actually work!” Justin’s experience was similar, although he thinks prices may be rising. “I was very lucky that five years ago you couldn't give vinyl away really and many of my DJ friends gave me stacks of records.
I did have to buy some, plus all the equipment, but it wasn't that expensive. If I had to buy it all now it would definitely cost a lot more though!” Unfortunately, Chris agrees: “Like most things, when I started collecting records and gear, it was quite inexpensive but as the retro discos became more popular, people saw an opportunity to inflate the prices, but it will depend what you’re looking for.” Bookings for themed parties are not the only opportunities that Justin has gained from his retro roadshow. “I was recently contacted by the BBC to provide an ‘80s disco for the filming of a TV series which features a 1983 school disco,” he explained. “Working alongside ‘80s act Nik Kershaw, it was a fantastic experience and the programme will be aired on the BBC around February 2019.” Offering DJs and clients alike the opportunity to indulge their nostalgia, it looks like the rise of the retro roadshow is showing no signs of slowing down.
Could you be the next DJ to step back in time and take up the challenge of forgoing the ease of digital playback to return to DJing with nothing more than two decks and a box of records?
