DEEJAY
Mr Shit is a disc-jockey for the ages - a broad-caster and eclectic specialist renowned for his detailed, site-specific sets of stirring sound.
You might glean some sense of why he is feted as a 'sought-after' selector in the just-published Louis Vuitton City Guide for Sydney by perusing the comprehensive overview below. ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Jack's collection spans all era's and genres of recorded music - digital files, CD's, vinyl and even shellac get a spin (he possesses the world’s only 3-armed, hand-made, dual turntable on which to play his hundreds of classic 78s). A year or so ago he was selected to go head-to-head with our new Prime Minister DJ Albo for the launch of the Community Cup. It's fair to say both blokes bonded over their shared love for the work of lesser-known local luminaries on wax.
In a recent instance of strange serendipity Albo also appeared on the rare-as-hen's-teeth invites for Splendour In The Grass' iconic (and insane) Tackle Shack afterparty last year, which marked the final hours of Jack's 20 or so playing for the thrice-postponed 20th anniversary edition of the festival. Indeed Jack was the sole 'headliner' on day one as all live acts were cancelled due to dangerous weather conditions, leaving Mr Shit as the only entertainment on at all. Determining not to leave any disappointed crew or punters bereft of music, instead of playing between the main-stage acts as scheduled he spun for almost 7 hours straight, the final 4 or more of which can be streamed here. Jack kept busy throughout the whole COVID catastrophe, not only developing his hi-fi Remote Relay DJ facility for online sets served live and direct to households and businesses cut off from culture - but also being the romantic risk-jockey at the world's first Dementia Disco. Last winter he also had the immense privilege of playing two 5-hour-long sets (in the cavernous glory of festival hub X-Cathedra) for his premiere appearance at the Hobart's infamous Dark Mofo. On the occasion of the first Sydney lockdown Jack uploaded two highly bittersweet sets to his Mixcloud - intended to tide the isolated over during this time of domestic lockdown. One set was recorded as news came in that it would be the final afternoon of pub and club trading in NSW, the other served as a farewell to his beloved brother as word arrived amidst a long bracket that he had departed this mortal coil. Both are long, almost unmixed and highly rich listening. Just prior to this global pandemic Jack was blessed to have had the opportunity to work internationally: spinning on a huge yacht for a Malaysian pre-wedding party off Paphos in Cyprus; then relaying timeless tunes for the wedding and reception at Liopetro the next day. That was followed by a brilliant bracket through Sousami's superb soundsystem in Limassol, prior to a wonderfully convivial gathering of great spirits at Bar Praxitelous in Athens. For most of the past decade back home Jack has been a Main Stage mainstay at Falls Festival in Marion Bay, Tasmania - often playing up to and across the midnight hour on New Years Eve. A few years ago he became the first FBi Radio DJ to be accorded the great honour of spinning stunning sounds at the iconic Golden Plains Festival in Victoria. In both States it only took a single song to have the lead singers of headliners (Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips and Neneh Cherry, respectively) approach him to enquire as to precisely what the crazy psych and hip hop tunes he kicked off with were. Three years back Jack debuted in a boutique Tassie context in late-summer instead, closing the Saturday night programming of A Festival Called Panama with a three-hour set, at an exquisite, platypus and pademelon-filled property deep in the rainforests of the Lone Star Valley. It was a career highlight: a bacchanalian frenzy of dance, rhythm and melody - an amazing instance of transcendent joy for all present. Not long prior Jack was excelling at one of his specialities - interstitial music between headline live sets at huge cultural events. Wollongong's Yours and Owls Festival has a laid-back and inclusive beach-side vibe that is second-to-none. As the sun went down - and the crowd warmed up - he threw this little bracket of bangers down. Jack also annually heads north to play the fabulous family-run Gum Ball in the Hunter Valley. For 8 years now he has been deployed to keep spirits aloft into the early hours - after all other acts cease at midnight - via hilarious headphone sets, brimful of brevity and beats, at the (not so) Silent Disco. Meanwhile, back in his home town, when not performing to thousands at gala events (like his reprise role opening the Sydney Film Festival in Sydney Town Hall's fabled Centennial Hall - pictured atop this page), he remains astonishingly busy with variegated club dates and residencies - all whilst being widely respected as Sydney's finest wedding DJ. This unparalleled diversity of practice may be why the Splendour in the Grass festival books the fella every year to play it's afterparty at the secret, feral, late-night, beyond-laminate, Tackle Shack - yet also marries those depraved low-order lurkers with high society, via Jack's role as resident of the proper people's Gold VIP Bar. Schizo Shit, friends!
Here are two differing examples. The first is a four hour continuous unedited portion of what became an 8 hour set on the final day of a recent Splendour. It was performed and recorded solely out of an iPad (so there's no EQ tweaks, let alone mixer tricks) yet it had the party people going absolutely buck-wild - becoming a highlight of the entire weekend for many of those present. Listen in and you'll no doubt agree - that evening was utterly SPLENDID!
BOOKINGS
Jack is available for all manner of public and private functions
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SAMPLE FURTHER FAREAll three styles of music-playing are catered for!
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POPULAR!a snippet of a set from Brisbane indie night 'Fans'...
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STRAIGHT!a 4th of July special at Sydney's famed Opera Bar...
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CRAZY!a bizarre bracket from an especially kooky 'Jack Off'...
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FESTIVALS
Dark Mofo, Laneway Festival, Splendour In The Grass (one of just two Gold Bar residents who also conduct the festival afterparty annually), A Festival Called Panama, All Tomorrow's Parties, Big Day Out, Parklife, Field Day, Playground Weekender, Farmer and the Owl Festival, The Great Escape, The Gum Ball (annual Silent Disco resident), Art On The Street, Anode, Earth Dance, Peats Ridge, Cockatoo Island Festival, High and Dry, Flight Path Festival, Sydney Film Festival (opening and closing Gala Balls), Falls Festival (Lorne, Byron and a decade at Marion Bay), Taste of Sydney Festival, Hunter Valley Wine Expo, Marrickville Festival, Vivid, Sydney Festival, Harvest Festival, Dig It Up, I'll Be Your Mirror, Antidote, Sydney Sacred Music Festival, Broken Heel Festival, Golden Plains, Festival of Dangerous Ideas (resident)
EVENTS
Sydney Opera House Open Day, Sydney Festival Opening Party, AGNSW’s Contempo Ball, Wellington Jazz Festival, Auckland Live in Aotea Square, MCA Art Bar, Jurassic Lounge at the Australian Museum, The Black Butterfly Ball, Xplore Conference Closing Party, Hugh Wennerbom's Feasts and The Argyle Pub in Taralga, Scarborough Winery Showcases (Hunter Valley and Darling Harbour), The Finders Keepers Markets (annual Sydney resident), PYD Design Markets, The Gangsters Ball, The Absinthe Club, Love Jam, Campaign Monitor Xmas Party, AGNSW’s Archibald Prize Announcement, Carriageworks Christmas Party, COFA Annual, Fraser Studios Launch, Australian Poetry Slam Final, The Sydney Film Festival Club, Bondi Open Air Cinema, The Chauvel Cinema, Blue Mountains Burlesque Ball, Hunter Valley Wine Industry Awards, Even Books, Wolverine Wrap, Wonderland Wrap, The New Inventors Grand Final, Creative Sydney Etsy Party, ACO Underground, SPAA Awards, Rage's 25th Birthday, Enmore Dog Show, The Axeman's Benefit, Sydney Festival Launch and Wrap Parties, Harvest Festival After-Party, Paradiso Bar at Sydney Festival, Boon Companions Debut Sydney Event, Sunset Piazza Comedy Gala, 2016 Sydney Film Festival Opening and Closing Galas, Lord Mayor's Election Night Party
RESIDENCIES AND REGULARS
Past: The Famous Spiegeltent, Summer Playground at the Sydney Opera House, Misfits, Miss Peaches, Oxford Art Factory, DJ-at-Large for The Chaser, Sydney Rock and Roll and Alternative Markets, The Hellfire Club, The Star, The Opera Bar, Oxford Art Factory, 34B Burlesque, The Beresford, The Clare, The World Bar, The Imperial, The Beach Road, The Columbian Hotel, The Cliff Dive, Black Penny, Dr Pong, The Flinders, Black Cherry, The Oxford Tavern, Ruby Rabbit, Kinselas, Vegas Lounge, Petersham Public House, Twist and Shout, Jingle Jangle, Purple Sneakers, Goodgod Smallclub, Green Park Hotel, The Newport, The Newtown Social Club, The Vic, The Paddington, FBi Social / The Kings Cross Hotel, The Lansdowne Hotel, The Cricketers Arms, The Bearded Tit, The Great Club, The Imperial, Petersham Bowling Club, Tokyo Sing Song (founding booker and long-term curator)
Present: Sin City Soirée at the Hollywood Hotel (last Friday of every month), Dean and Nancy on 22, Maybe Sammy, Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre, Palmer and Co (weekly),
CLUBS AND PUBS
Meow (Wellington), Mables (Wellington), The Sherwood (Queenstown), Cassette 9 (Auckland), Mighty Mighty (Wellington), The Golden Dawn (Auckland), The Matterhorn (Wellington), Libertine (Auckland), Cherry Bar (Melbourne), The Workers Club (Melbourne), Willow Bar (Melbourne), The Toff In Town (Melbourne), Red Bennies (Melbourne), The Gasometer (Melbourne), The Brisbane Hotel (Hobart), The Byron Bay Brewery, The Enmore Theatre, The Factory Theatre, Crystal Bar, Clovelly Bowling Club, Camperdown Bowling Club, Home, The Union Hotel, The Oxford, The Studio at the Sydney Opera House, Q Bar, Handle Bar, De Nom, Spectrum, The Abercrombie, The Hopetoun, The Annandale Hotel, Uber-Lingua, Hyde Park Barracks and Sydney Town Hall for the Sydney Festival, Tone, Tonka Bar, The Sky Terrace, The Red Rattler, The Rose Of Australia, The Captain Cook rooftop, The Lady Hampshire, The Lord Gladstone, Botany View Hotel, The Queens Hotel
MAJOR SUPPORTS
Cornelius, The Dresden Dolls, The Dirty Three, Matt and Kim, How To Dress Well, Tortoise, JD Samson, Andy Votel, Funki Porcini, Throwing Muses, Amanda Palmer (solo), Australian Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring, Dave Mason, Kučka, The Decemberists, Andrew WK, Melanie Pain, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The Raveonettes, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Flaming Lips, Hot Chip
Dark Mofo, Laneway Festival, Splendour In The Grass (one of just two Gold Bar residents who also conduct the festival afterparty annually), A Festival Called Panama, All Tomorrow's Parties, Big Day Out, Parklife, Field Day, Playground Weekender, Farmer and the Owl Festival, The Great Escape, The Gum Ball (annual Silent Disco resident), Art On The Street, Anode, Earth Dance, Peats Ridge, Cockatoo Island Festival, High and Dry, Flight Path Festival, Sydney Film Festival (opening and closing Gala Balls), Falls Festival (Lorne, Byron and a decade at Marion Bay), Taste of Sydney Festival, Hunter Valley Wine Expo, Marrickville Festival, Vivid, Sydney Festival, Harvest Festival, Dig It Up, I'll Be Your Mirror, Antidote, Sydney Sacred Music Festival, Broken Heel Festival, Golden Plains, Festival of Dangerous Ideas (resident)
EVENTS
Sydney Opera House Open Day, Sydney Festival Opening Party, AGNSW’s Contempo Ball, Wellington Jazz Festival, Auckland Live in Aotea Square, MCA Art Bar, Jurassic Lounge at the Australian Museum, The Black Butterfly Ball, Xplore Conference Closing Party, Hugh Wennerbom's Feasts and The Argyle Pub in Taralga, Scarborough Winery Showcases (Hunter Valley and Darling Harbour), The Finders Keepers Markets (annual Sydney resident), PYD Design Markets, The Gangsters Ball, The Absinthe Club, Love Jam, Campaign Monitor Xmas Party, AGNSW’s Archibald Prize Announcement, Carriageworks Christmas Party, COFA Annual, Fraser Studios Launch, Australian Poetry Slam Final, The Sydney Film Festival Club, Bondi Open Air Cinema, The Chauvel Cinema, Blue Mountains Burlesque Ball, Hunter Valley Wine Industry Awards, Even Books, Wolverine Wrap, Wonderland Wrap, The New Inventors Grand Final, Creative Sydney Etsy Party, ACO Underground, SPAA Awards, Rage's 25th Birthday, Enmore Dog Show, The Axeman's Benefit, Sydney Festival Launch and Wrap Parties, Harvest Festival After-Party, Paradiso Bar at Sydney Festival, Boon Companions Debut Sydney Event, Sunset Piazza Comedy Gala, 2016 Sydney Film Festival Opening and Closing Galas, Lord Mayor's Election Night Party
RESIDENCIES AND REGULARS
Past: The Famous Spiegeltent, Summer Playground at the Sydney Opera House, Misfits, Miss Peaches, Oxford Art Factory, DJ-at-Large for The Chaser, Sydney Rock and Roll and Alternative Markets, The Hellfire Club, The Star, The Opera Bar, Oxford Art Factory, 34B Burlesque, The Beresford, The Clare, The World Bar, The Imperial, The Beach Road, The Columbian Hotel, The Cliff Dive, Black Penny, Dr Pong, The Flinders, Black Cherry, The Oxford Tavern, Ruby Rabbit, Kinselas, Vegas Lounge, Petersham Public House, Twist and Shout, Jingle Jangle, Purple Sneakers, Goodgod Smallclub, Green Park Hotel, The Newport, The Newtown Social Club, The Vic, The Paddington, FBi Social / The Kings Cross Hotel, The Lansdowne Hotel, The Cricketers Arms, The Bearded Tit, The Great Club, The Imperial, Petersham Bowling Club, Tokyo Sing Song (founding booker and long-term curator)
Present: Sin City Soirée at the Hollywood Hotel (last Friday of every month), Dean and Nancy on 22, Maybe Sammy, Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre, Palmer and Co (weekly),
CLUBS AND PUBS
Meow (Wellington), Mables (Wellington), The Sherwood (Queenstown), Cassette 9 (Auckland), Mighty Mighty (Wellington), The Golden Dawn (Auckland), The Matterhorn (Wellington), Libertine (Auckland), Cherry Bar (Melbourne), The Workers Club (Melbourne), Willow Bar (Melbourne), The Toff In Town (Melbourne), Red Bennies (Melbourne), The Gasometer (Melbourne), The Brisbane Hotel (Hobart), The Byron Bay Brewery, The Enmore Theatre, The Factory Theatre, Crystal Bar, Clovelly Bowling Club, Camperdown Bowling Club, Home, The Union Hotel, The Oxford, The Studio at the Sydney Opera House, Q Bar, Handle Bar, De Nom, Spectrum, The Abercrombie, The Hopetoun, The Annandale Hotel, Uber-Lingua, Hyde Park Barracks and Sydney Town Hall for the Sydney Festival, Tone, Tonka Bar, The Sky Terrace, The Red Rattler, The Rose Of Australia, The Captain Cook rooftop, The Lady Hampshire, The Lord Gladstone, Botany View Hotel, The Queens Hotel
MAJOR SUPPORTS
Cornelius, The Dresden Dolls, The Dirty Three, Matt and Kim, How To Dress Well, Tortoise, JD Samson, Andy Votel, Funki Porcini, Throwing Muses, Amanda Palmer (solo), Australian Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring, Dave Mason, Kučka, The Decemberists, Andrew WK, Melanie Pain, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The Raveonettes, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Flaming Lips, Hot Chip