Clubs / Clubnights
DJ Business Lady: Putting the fun back in your end of year appraisal
Has partying or clubbing become a bit, well.. too cool? Too much shoe gazing and not enough letting loose?
DJ Business Lady is putting photocopying-bum levels of fun into her DJ sets and the renowned ‘Aftertwerk Drinks’ night which closed the financial year last weekend.
Picture this, it’s 2020 and smack down in the middle of lockdown you’ve been made redundant from your day job, evicted from your house and your side hustle (hosting pub quizzes) has come to a screeching halt.
is needed now More than ever
You’re totally disillusioned and devastated. But out of the depression rises a character so powerful, with shoulder pads so pointy and spectacles so sexy, you are the epitome of satirical capitalist success. You are DJ Business Lady.
“This project started as a joke, a protest, and a way to survive. Now it’s a fantastic community of inspiring individuals and I’m constantly amazed” – photo: James of the Sneaky Rascals
At least that’s how Abi Willmington says it went down: “DJ Business Lady is rich, successful and powerful. She’s the absurdity of hustle culture and rise-and-grind mentality.
“Her debut was during a livestreamed fundraiser for (housing and homelessnes charity) Shelter, a farewell party to our home before we were evicted. With some help and DJ lessons from my wonderful partner Extra Medium, I stepped behind the decks and the rest is history…. or, as I like to say, biz-story.”
Inspired by style icons like Marge Simpson, Dolly Parton, Paris Hilton and drag, as well as pumping party club bangers, DJ Business Lady (DBL) was born.
From the get go she was well received, and like many women in business she found companionship and, more importantly, community in her business partner Direct Debbie – aka hair, beauty and prosthetics whizz Panda Cooper.
DBL explains, ‘She’s the H to my R, the synergy to my strategy. Without her, there’d be no custom-made leopard print power suits, half the bling and certainly no After Twerk Drinks at all. You know when you meet someone and you both bounce ideas off of each other and each time they get crazier and crazier, well that’s us and I love it!
“Together we’ve played festivals like Boomtown, Shambala, Bestival, and Shindig. In Bristol we’ve performed at the Lanes and the Attic Bar with the brilliant Thickboy Records crew.”
Direct Debbie and DJ Business Lady wear matching suits and bling, and hit the decks together at venues around Bristol and festivals countrywide – photo: Caitlin Damsell
The irony is they created a full blown business out of DBL. The collective now includes more than ten people with a variety of performers that include DJs, MCs, burlesque dancers, and all-round powerhouses.
“We’ve already onboarded Kathika, Jaz, Aimee, Antonia, Johnny, Abi, Luisa, MARIA, Yazbo, our ever-elusive Unpaid Intern. We’ve more new recruits so keep an eye out for DJ Line Manager and Betty Briefcase.
“This project started as a joke, a protest and a way to survive. Now it’s a fantastic community of inspiring individuals and I’m constantly amazed.”
DBL, Direct Debbie and their crew are driving this fun loving party narrative inspired by the good times they’ve had at festivals like Boomtown, Bangface and Balter.
They over-index in silliness and the lighter side of partying and it’s exactly the energy you’ll find at DBL’s and Direct Debbie’s After Twerk Drinks. A “totally bonkers” premier event on April 5 celebrated the Financial New Year.
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On entry, party goers were assigned fictional job titles and inside they played corporate ice breaker games and collaborated with Rich Goldman (Boomtown’s resident gold trader) on their business ideas before auctioning them off for gold.
“To mark the end of the financial year there was a midnight countdown to Darude’s Sandstorm which included a lot of money canons and party poppers,” said DBL. “There was also a ‘board-approved’ lineup of DJs playing house, garage, bassline, silly bootlegs, a sprinkling of cheese and a splash of drum and bass at the end that left people screaming ‘A.O.B?!’”.
DJ Business Lady selects four tunes for your next office party:
Man in Finance Billen Ted, David Guetta
Shake That Eminem, Nate Dogg – Shake That (AYYBO Edit)
We Like to Party Vengaboys
Anaconda Nicki Minaj (Vandal on Da Track remix)
Find DJ Business Lady and her crew performing at Gay As Fuck at the end of May; with Thickboy Records at the Loco Klub in June; and at Boomtown and Shambala festivals.
Check out DBL’s side-quizness here.
Main image: Abi Wilmington / Panda Cooper
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