Is Simon Cowell going to launch a search for a DJ TV show?

Reports were around last week that Simon Cowell was in discussions with various dance industry figures with a view to launching a DJ version of the X factor.  Pacha the famous Ibiza club (where Fantazia did a weekly residency in 1999) have said they were not interested in the show being held in the venue.  Reaction of other promoters has been generally negative see this idea as not cool in a world of cool people.  All I know that Fantazia have not been asked to take part, I guess we are not in that world of cool enough people at the moment.  Would it be a bad idea though to have someone of Cowells undoubt PR skills promoting the industry?  The recession has hit clubbing hard (if not the bigger one off events that Fantazia do), and anything promoting the wider scene and getting people into those local venues week after week to watch DJs perform their stuff, or even buying the records of up and coming producers could be a great thing.... however its all so likely to be just a bit of spin is it worth even talking about.....?

The annual DJ Top 100 poll is now open

It has been an annual fixture for many years and it is open for you vote now. The DJ Top 100 poll for DJs around the world once had national importance with it results reported in the national and international press and was a bell weather for the dance music industry and reflected some of the biggest excesses of the super star DJ days with vote rigging and dirty tricks galore.

Its importance has declined over the years along with the status of the superstar DJs however it is still fun to see the annual bun fight among the B and C list DJs that make the list. The UK Rave scene does not get a good representation as it is generally dominated by House and Trance DJs from across Europe. Worth a look anyway

The poll is open until the 23rd September

Want to be a Fantazia DJ or MC then read on...!

We are always getting sent demos from upcoming DJs who want to play at a Fantazia event. We do try and respond to these but the advice we give is often the same. Clearly there are many people applying for a limited number of spots so not everyone can be successful. However we do have some top tips about how to boost your chance of playing at a Fantazia and at any other promoters raves.

Sign up to our exclusive email giving you all this inside information. We think you will find it invaluable. If you have any comments or extra insights do post them once you have given it a read.

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How to become a Fantazia DJ if you are up and coming?

Djs often ask how do I get to play for Fantazia?   We book big name DJs for our events because thats what you all demand.  However there are places in the support arena and even early in the event in the main arena which we have and continue to use up and coming DJs or lesser known ones.  From there you can get yourself notice from being on the flyer and get a following from people posting ratings on you.  

How do you get one of those spaces?  Make your self useful to us.  Help spread the word on the street/Facebook etc etc about the events that we are doing. Become a ticket seller and bring along your friends on mass.  Your hard work and efforts will be rewarded and if your DJ style and technique is up to the standard Fantazia expect a place could be yours.  From there the sky is the limited for your DJing career!   So where do you start?  Send us an email and we will point you in the right direction.  Just click the title link

One week left to vote in the DJ Mag Top 100 Poll

The annual global guide to which is the world best DJ comes to an end next week.  Dance music is not the force it once was but certainly every DJ wants to be up there still to prove that they are still and force to be reconned with.   It also brings out the PR agencies in force trying to gain your vote.  This year Paul Oakenfold's contacted us to get Fantazia on board for his campaign.... someone must be getting desperate with 1 week to go

Who said the super DJ age was over? Think again

Apparently Carl Cox was paid £20,000 for a recent gig at a Cardiff nightclub, an amazing amount for 3 hours work on a Saturday night in a regular venue. I guess the age of the superstar DJ is alive and kicking! Of course if anyone is worth its its Carl...

Darren Styles Skydivin album

Its a sign of the strength of the UK Hardcore rave scene that artist like Darren Styles have the confidence to release albums of their own work and get them TV advertised. To justify the expense sales must be good and only a more mainstream audience could get the numbers. UK Hardcore is in good health and long may that continue. With a teenage (15) daughter I know that her friends are really into the music. Some people laugh at the kids, but these are next years audience and a sign that future growth will come in the parties as they turn their aspirations from spending on the music and merchandise into actually going to the events.

It was the same back in 1992, and I have posted about this before with the flyer collecting etc.

Now when am I going to get my review copy Mr Styles. Oh well we can hear it all in September as he is one of the headline acts for Fantazia Heroes 3D

Sonique added to Heroes 3D. Amazing

Click the heading to read the story.

Great news that Sonique will be doing a live PA at the forthcoming Heroes 3D event. It will be amazing to have her for the first time at a Fantazia Scotland event!! The vocals will really go down a storm and its great to have such massive hits sang live once again at one of our events. :)

This line up looks amazing!

Grooverider. Will he be set free?

Was reading last week that Grooverider has pleaded guilty to possesion of cannabis which he was caught with on entry to Dubai several months ago. I see that his name is on the line up for Gatecrasher Global Gathering for May, but will he be out in time. I believe the sentance could be 4 years.... fairly harsh for a few joints worth of hash.

Would it put you off though if the government brought in similiar rules here? I am sure it would.......

So whos starting the "let our DJ go free" campaign? I can't say I have seen many MPs campaigning for him on TV news yet.....

Fantasylands 2 Featuring Fantazia Main arena

In our biggest 12 months of putting on parties since 1992 it was amazing to announce today that Fantazia next event will be at Fantasylands 2 at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingilston, on the 12th April 2008. An amazing parties it promises to be, following on from Novemebers event. The 12,000+ 5 arena spectacular will once again equal the parties from the height of the rave scene.

Full details of the line up and arenas are yet to come but in the mean time do check out the footage from the last one:

DJ video interviews

With the help of Vicki from FPR radio we carried out quite a few interviews on Saturday with the DJs etc that played. These will be added to the site in due course which should be another great addition to the site along side the audio interviews that are already there.

We hope this will turn Fantazia into a Hardcore TV Station at some point.....

Talking of DJs....

Whilst on the subject of DJs, I went to an interesting dinner in London the other week and was surrounded by some of Fantazia and the scenes biggest DJ names from the past and present, including Jeremy Healy to one side and Danny Rampling on the other. It was also great to see Nigel Champion of N-joi and Allister Whitehead. Anyway Danny seemed to have changed since dropping most of his DJ work and Radio 1. Much of the hippy laid back ethos has gone. When you get Children and a family that often is the case. Those responsibilities way heavily.

Jeremy Healy mentioned he was excited about his new girlfriend, but was fairly secretive about her identity. She arrived later and who was it? Patsi Kensit of Liam Gallagher, Eastenders, Lethal Weapon 2 and an 80s pop band (the name of which desserts me)fame. Definitely had a boyhood crush there at some point. Jeremy your a lucky man and goodluck to you both.

DJ Mike Cosford out of retirement

Had a nice chat with DJ Mike C(osford) the other day, which was great as we hadn't spoken for some time. He has been out of the scene since doing youth work and then counselling. Anyway he has got the taste for DJing once again and I can't wait to add him to a billing on a future Fantazia.

For those that don't know the name, Mike played an important role in many of the early Fantazia albums including compiling the First Taste album as well as appearing on Club Classics 1, 3, House Collection 1, 6. He also played the love lounge at many of our 1992 parties. Lesser known is that Mike was a for runner in the rave scene setting up Incantation in 1990 doing illegal and legal ravfes around the SW, with many early performance from a young and relatively unknown DJ Sasha. Talking of which he said they might be able to find some long lost recordings from those nights, which would be a blast for such early events. Lets keep out figures crossed.

Welcome back Mike, always a pleasure.....