Bontan's First Club: "I Could Feel the Thumping Kick Drum and Started Buzzing!"

My First Club takes us back to the beginning, transporting DJs and producers back into the depths of their memory, asking them to take us on a trip to those pivotal first nights in clubland. Following entries from the likes of Eats Everything, Herve, MK, and Shadow Child, we caught up with bouncy house-head Bontan for a waltz into a weekend he'll never forget.

My first proper clubbing experience was at the Southport Weekender in 2007. I didn't live too far away from Southport and I had been on a few nights out there already as there was a place playing house music called Bar Non. I'd met other house heads in Southport and they convinced me the weekender was going to blow my mind. It happened twice a year, once in May and once in November. My first one was in May. I honestly didn't know what to expect. I was only 18 at the time so I'd only been out a few times because my baby face meant chancing underage clubbing wasn't going to happen.

I was really into the soulful US sound at that time. People like Chuck Love, Miguel Miggs and Stacy Kidd were the highlights of my record collection, so how I never knew about the Southport Weekender before was beyond me.

I was one of the first people in on the Friday and we went into 'The Beat Bar'. I got a few nervous drinks down me then headed straight into 'The Powerhouse'. I could feel the thumping kick drum and started buzzing. We got in and I didn't even know who was playing but he was laying down some chuggy grooves. Within about an hour the place was absolutely rammed. The thing I loved about it was the diversity of colour and creed. I had never experienced anything like it! Everyone was on the same level.

I hadn't even seen the line up so I asked a random bloke next to me for a look at who was on the bill that night. Up next was Dennis Ferrer, then Kerri Chandler for four hours closing the main room. I was fucking buzzing. I then looked at the Saturday and Sunday line-ups and it was littered with huge names and live acts. Again I was totally shocked that I had never heard about the weekender until a few weeks prior!

I went for a wander when 'The Powerhouse' had closed after an emotional 4-hour set from Kerri, thinking my night was over until the Saturday evening. How wrong I was! I went back to 'The Beat Bar' and Jimpster was playing 6-8. Absolute result. I stayed there until the very end. When I finally made it to the taxis, the sun was blistering so thank god I only had a 20-minute ride home. I woke up to numerous texts on Saturday morning from everyone asking what time we were going back. I assumed it would be the evening again but it started at 2pm later that day! I then realised it was going to be a marathon not a sprint. I was straight back in there for around 4pm.

I spent the next two days listening to raw house grooves. I can honestly say it influenced me to start producing my own music. I hadn't attempted music production prior to the event so I got home and did my research. By the time the November weekender came around I had my home studio set up and was learning my craft as a producer.

After that weekend I didn't miss a single weekender for years until it moved down to Minehead. A career highlight of mine was getting to play at the Southport Weekender at their final closing event in May just gone. It is such a sad loss to the music industry.

Bontan plays the THUMP stage at Lovebox tomorrow.

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