Lisa Lashes

I grew up in a place called Holbrooks in Coventry with my mum, dad, 3 older
sisters and 2 brothers; I am second from youngest. It’s not always easy to live in such a big family, especially for my mum (!), but I’m lucky that they’ve always been ultra supportive with whatever I chose to do. I went to John Shelton School in my early years and then to President Kennedy Comprehensive School. When I left school my younger brother, my mum and I moved to Nuneaton where I got my first job in Marks and Spencer’s. I now live in Leicester.

I started going out, clubbing every week-end at places like Moneypenny’s and Chuff Chuff. My favourite DJs at the time were Lisa Loud, John Kelly and the great and late Toni De Vit. I remember it was all new to me; but as soon as I discovered the music I knew I wanted it to be part of my life… and this, everyday. That’s when I decided to learn how to DJ. I had a mate who had decks but his mum wouldn’t let him play loud music in the house, so I borrowed them off him. She did me a great favour...

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I grew up in a place called Holbrooks in Coventry with my mum, dad, 3 older
sisters and 2 brothers; I am second from youngest. It’s not always easy to live in such a big family, especially for my mum (!), but I’m lucky that they’ve always been ultra supportive with whatever I chose to do. I went to John Shelton School in my early years and then to President Kennedy Comprehensive School. When I left school my younger brother, my mum and I moved to Nuneaton where I got my first job in Marks and Spencer’s. I now live in Leicester.

I started going out, clubbing every week-end at places like Moneypenny’s and Chuff Chuff. My favourite DJs at the time were Lisa Loud, John Kelly and the great and late Toni De Vit. I remember it was all new to me; but as soon as I discovered the music I knew I wanted it to be part of my life… and this, everyday. That’s when I decided to learn how to DJ. I had a mate who had decks but his mum wouldn’t let him play loud music in the house, so I borrowed them off him. She did me a great favour there! Then I started buying records from charity shops and borrowing tunes from record libraries. I think my first record was Adam and the Ants “Stand and Deliver”, though I have no idea of where it is now. I often get asked about my DJ name; well I chose it because that’s what my friends and sisters used to call me when I was a kid as I have extremely long eyelashes. Then I guess my style and image suits it rather well!

My first gig was at a boat party on the River Severn in 1996 for Sundissentials. I was lucky to be discovered by Madders that same night, and that’s how I got my first residency. From there, I worked really hard practicing and trying to find other venues to mix at. People seemed to really like what I did and I suddenly got offered more residencies and played regular club nights at some of the most prestigious clubs in the UK: Base, Escape, Euphoria, Eat Your Words, Frantic, Fully Charged, Gatecrasher, Godskitchen, Golden, Goodgreef, Hotdog, Koolwaters, Naughty But Nice, Progress, Radioactive, ROAR, Scream, Slinky, Storm, Temple Theatre, The Met, Tidy, and Tranzaction. I think I’ve named them all! And since 2000, I’ve also had the privilege to headline all the top festivals—Godskitchen Global Gathering, Homelands, Tidyweekender, Tidy Magna, Creamfields UK and Ireland, Homelands, Knebworth, Escape into the Park, Planet Love, Gatecrasher Summer Sound Systems and Dance Valley. I always enjoy these marathonesque parties where la crème de la crème of DJs are reunited.

My job has also enabled me to play all around the globe, and I think I’m really lucky to be able to travel the world like I do. I get to go to the most amazing places, greatest clubs and meet loads of different people. I’ve toured the United States, Canada and Australia, while making appearances in Brazil with Guess Clothing, Tenerife and Corfu. Travelling is tiring and it can take a lot out of you. But I wouldn’t change it for anything. I get to play the music that I love in front of crowds of clubbers who are passionate about what I do. Each gig is unique. In China, on the Slinky in Heinekein Tour, I became the only female DJ to have played to a crowd of over 5,000 in that country. Actually, my best club memory was also a massive gig abroad: I played in South Africa in front of 33,000 people. It’s the best feeling ever to perform in front of huge crowds like that.

The most amazing project I have ever been involved with was the launch of the Lashed parties in Ibiza in 2003. I had already held residencies for several years on the island (Godskitchen, Judgement Sundays, Slinky and Tonic); but I wanted to create something completely unique on the summer’s hottest location. I wanted to put the fun back into the party. Lashed is a more exciting way for me to celebrate my furious brand of music with legions of clubbers.

I still can’t believe the success of Lashed in Ibiza. It has enabled me to take it a step further and bring it to an even greater global audience. This only became possible thanks to the help of everyone at Ornadel Management. I will never thank you guys enough. Their hard work helped to cement Lashed as a premiere dance event and therefore me as a top world DJ. We’ve taken the parties to China, Korea, Canada, New York, Miami, Holland, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, without deserting the UK & Ireland where we regularly sell out shows.

2005 was another massive year for Lashed. We released a groundbreaking album on Resist that I’m very proud of. I mixed hard dance with techno, trance and even breaks, and it is the first time it has ever been done. In the summer, we organised a one week Lashed holiday in Ibiza which was great fun it must be said! Then we embarked on a colossal world tour where I got to play in more than 30 clubs in 10 different countries in only 2 months! Again, this has never been done before and is definitely one of the greatest highlights of my career.

So far, my DJing career has been phenomenally successful, I am happy to say. I’m the first and only ever female to be considered among the top ten DJs in the world by DJ Magazine. I don’t like to give too much importance to rankings but it is an important achievement for me. And because my mixed albums, Hard House Euphoria (2002) and Extreme Euphoria Vol.2 (2003), have become the highest selling hard house compilations in the world, I’ve been nicknamed the Queen of Hard House! It’s very flattering but this is probably due to the fact that I don’t constrain myself to DJing alone.

Production-wise, my three most successful Tidy releases have been: “Unbelievable”, “What can you do 4me”, “Lookin’ Good”. My latest productions have come out on more underground cutting edge labels that correspond to the direction my style is taking. ‘Desire’ was a release on Gravity Trap in collaboration with hot hard dance producer Ingo and has received great critical-acclaim. My other track ‘Temptation’ on Riot! is another favourite amongst the best Djs on the hard scene with its breakbeat feel I’ve been getting sucked into since the last year.

I have gained my worldwide reputation for playing hard dance but am now being recognised for my skills in the breaks style. I have performed my dirty breaks sets at my Lashed nights alongside people like Freq Nasty, Rennie Pelgrim, Leeroy Thornhill and The Freestylers but also in some of the world’s leading clubs - Godskitchen in Birmingham, Turnmills in London, Bar M in Ibiza. My soon to be released breaks material is getting great feedback and is regularly played by some of the best DJs of the genre like Krafty Kufts. So there’s a lot more to expect from me in that particualr… because I just love it!

Rest assured that whatever I do, I do it hard and dirty; it’s my favourite way!

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