We spoke to TP DJ Nathan Dawe

Nathan Dawe has gone from DJing at birthday parties at the age of eleven to headlining yacht parties in Zante.

From Burton upon Trent, he isn’t your standard hip-hop and house DJ.

His multi-genre mixes have attracted over two million plays on Soundcloud, and he’s rubbed shoulders with Danny Howard and JLS’ Aston Merrygold, all while he holds it down in Timepiece

What caught your interest in DJing at a young age, and can you remember your first ever gig?

When I used to go to family functions and parties I used to look at the DJ and think I wouldn’t mind giving that a go.

I always thought, from a young age, I wanted to be the DJ I saw at parties, the person in control of supplying the music.

What’s your favourite genre to play out?

Hip-hop. It’s what I grew up with and I still love it.

What’s your favourite and most hated track right now?

I wouldn’t say I have a favourite song, just nice songs I like in each genre, it would have to be an old-school R&B track like “What’s Luv” by Fat Joe ft. Ashanti.

As for my most hated song, I couldn’t stand Jason Derulo’s “Wiggle” when it was out, but the music that’s out at the minute is all pretty good.

How do you feel about getting song requests?

I like interaction with the crowd, but not so much when you get the few who are a bit too annoying (laughing).

Some clubbers keep nagging you to play something you can’t fit into your current set because you’re playing a certain style of music – they think you can so they’ll keep hassling you.

Generally though, I like interacting with the crowd.

What’s the best part about being a DJ?

Travelling is nice, meeting and seeing loads of different people, but it can get tiring.

It’s great to be in control of the night out – you hold the key to making people’s night good or bad.

The money’s good once you get to a high enough level, you can’t get a much better job than playing the music you listen to all day and everyday and getting paid for it, and having a few drinks at the same time.

What’s the best city in the UK you’ve played in?

I play in Birmingham quite a lot, it’s got a nice scene.

The clubbers enjoy it – they get dressed up and have a good night, so at the minute my favourite city is Birmingham, but that could change as I haven’t toured every city yet.

What do you think of Timepiece in Exeter as a venue?

I like Timepice. It’s cool, it’s different, it’s original. It’s not your standard new type of club you’d expect. They’ve stuck to the originality of the club which I like.

What was it like playing in Zante for Friday Flava?

I was the warm-up DJ for events in Zante at the time, for David Meylan who runs Friday Flava.

I like the people and it’s a beautiful island, the locals are really nice and polite compared to other countries, and the weather’s always good.

What memories do you have playing with particular people, and who would you like to DJ alongside in the future?

The reality stars are always fun – the Made in Chelsea and the TOWIE guys, they’re always a good laugh.

I like DJ EZ at the minute, he’s very skillful and does things that other people couldn’t even think about doing.

Check out Nathan’s multi-genre mixes on Soundcloud and social media to see where he’s playing live:

Twitter: @nathandawe
Instagram & SnapChat: djnathandawe

Bookings: [email protected] or [email protected]