DANNY HOWARD – JANUARY COLUMN

WHERE DID EVERYONE GO?
Welcome to January everybody, the time when club-land goes on holiday for a few weeks whilst we all recover from champagne and turkey hangovers — with the bank balances as empty as the dancefloors, in some cases! Do we all just retire to the sofa feeling sorry for ourselves? I hope not, but however you decide to go into raving hibernation, don’t leave it too long before you let loose, get down, rip it up, shuffle, throw shapes, dance, chat rubbish, sing, laugh, eat a kebab, pre-drink, after-party, crowd-surf, lose your mates, pull, walk of shame, meet new people, hug strangers, cry, contemplate, hands in the air, oh my god I love you, etc... Now, where’s the nearest gym?! 

FUTURE FIVE...
It’s that time when all the blogs, magazines, broadcasters and pretty much every bod in dance music throws out their predictions for the next twelve months. Some you’ll take more seriously than others, but it’s all a matter of opinion at the end of the day — and I’m not afraid to share mine! Throughout January, I’m showcasing the artists who I think are set for big things in 2015 on my BBC Radio 1 show every Saturday at 4pm. Be sure to tune in for sets from Tchami, Shift K3y, Cristoph, Julian Jordan and Blonde.

CLUB LIFE
I recently heard Steve Angello talking about his frustration at DJs being fast-tracked to the main stages of festivals and not “paying their dues in the clubs”. I actually have to agree with Steve on this one... It’s great that there is new talent coming through and also that the scene is on such a level that the demand is there for huge production shows, but there isn’t anything quite like the intimate connection with a crowd in a sweaty dark room. It’s part of the process of growing as a DJ, and I would advise any up and coming artist to go out and get as much experience in the club (no matter how small) as possible. It will set you up for the future, no doubt. Amid all speculation, when it’s done properly, there is an art to it after all.

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS... BUT THE TOUR
For the first time ever, I’m going to be doing a select run of shows with the brand I created to focus on UK talent, DJs and producers. The namesake of this column, Nothing Else Matters... But The Music! Think straight up tunes with no gimmicks... Just handpicked DJs, me and you! Exploring the deeper side of house, I’ll be descending on smaller venues up and down the UK, bringing the party during February and March — and I’ll have the odd special guest joining me as well. Keep an eye out for more info at www.djdannyhoward.com