Eddie Halliwell’s Debut India Tour Kicks off This Month

Eddie Halliwell

It’s hard to get a good glimpse of Eddie Halliwell while he’s playing because he’s such a whirl of energy and activity. The Fire It Up Radio (his syndicated radio show that reaches over 11 million users and his new EDM label) boss and “clubland’s answer to Rocky” [according to MixMag] is a force to be reckoned with. We last saw him at the Future Music Festival Asia in Kuala Lumpur this March, driving a thousand-strong crowd into a complete frenzy with a set that lay at the crossroads of driving trance and progressive, tech-y house. We expect the same treatment as he toursIndia for the first time.

That was some set in Kuala Lumpur. Where’s all that incredible energy coming from and where can we get some?

It’s purely a passion and enjoyment for what I do. When you get feedback from the crowd that brings the energy out. For that gig, I’d literally stepped off a 14-hour flight, got on site, showered, changed and went straight to the gig. But when you’re enjoying yourself, you tend to forget you’re tired.

You’ve had a bit of a taste of the scene on this side of the world. Any tweaking to suit our audiences?

As a DJ, I’m very open-minded with the music I play. It’s always uplifting and full of energy but I play across the board, really. You just have to test the crowd and judge the reaction from record to record. You have to feed off the audience and see what’s working. It also depends on what time you’re on and which DJ you’re playing before or after. It’s very important for a DJ to adapt to the environment; whether you’re playing in a small club or at a festival. Your sets need to vary every time and as long as your music is organised you can have so much to choose from.

With all the different residencies you’ve held in your career ”“ Goodgreef, Gatecrasher and Cream in Ibiza – which one stands out for you?

I’d say Cream inIbizais a special one. Also, Gatecrasher which was very early in my career. It was fantastic to experience playing around international DJs like Paul Van Dyk and Tiesto then. It was a great platform to gain experience. I think residencies are important for a DJ before they go on the circuit. It’s a great learning curve. You learn so much being around DJs and watching them and learning how to do warm-up sets and how to close.

Travel tips from the pro? Never leave home without ”¦

Your computer and your phone but a good travel tip is, it’s absolutely essential to have vacuum pack bags!

And when in doubt? Any hairy stories?

Call your management! I was inBrazillast year with my tour manager and someone took him for a soundcheck. We’re in the middle of nowhere and his phone died. No one spoke English! It was half an hour before the gig with no one around. Luckily, my tour manager turned up. You find yourself in situations where you can’t speak the language and you think ”˜What am I doing here? Who can I talk to?’ So sometimes there’s a language barrier, but touch wood, it always runs smooth!

Halliwell’s Submerge Tour begins in Mumbai

8^th June: Blue Frog,  Mumbai

9^th June: Blue Frog, Delhi

10^th June: Pebble, Bangalore

 Visit http://www.submerge.in for entry details