Hanging out with some pretty notorious figures in the nightclub scene saw Tom’s attachment to music become undeniable. Although the need to put down roots and start a family is what led him back to hospitality where he started to build a career, trading late nights in for early mornings.
Buying records was always a passion of his, but what really kick started his obsession with collecting records was when he was introduced to dance music by a close friend Hunter Horden AKA (The Wax Revivilist).
The pairs combined love for music saw their house gradually turn into more of record store than a home, “we both had a history of collecting things and I think the record one defiently got out of hand.”
Spending hours flicking through records and deciding which ones to take to their next gig was a tedious process – being critical and extremely selective with their choices, “It was tricky, you have to build up your collection and learn the skills, it takes time to find tracks that work well together.”
It was Tom’s love for this laborious process combined with the world becoming more tech savvy that led Tom to believe the novelty of being a DJ was fading. In today’s world calling yourself a DJ is as easy as pressing buttons and hence why Tom is reluctant to mention he is one.
Turntables started to disappear out of venues, computers were able to sink records, key match notes making CD players autopilot. These digital mediums lowered the entry bar with practically anyone being able to label themselves as a DJ if that had access to a computer or even a phone.
Although there has been a massive resurgence of vinyls, for Tom he began to suppress his passion because of the changing attitudes around what it means to be a DJ. “Every man & his dog walks around saying he is a DJ, but it is more than just being able to hit play… it’s about connecting with people through music.”
For millennials they didn’t experience the whole production stage which came with playing vinyl, “I distinctly remember spending hours sitting on the floor listening to multiple records.”
His humbleness does not go unnoticed, and doesn’t justify the hard work and dedication it took to become a respected DJ back in the day. Although he doesn’t have as much time to DJ nowadays, the birth of Larry Diamond (stage name) allows for him to escape his responsibilities once in a while, allowing him to relive the glory days of being a cheeky teenager – no rules, blurry nights and slow mornings.
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