Dave Lovell (aka Davy Love), the presiding guru behind the popular Britpop night Blowup and manager of the Magnificent Sevens record label, is finally leaving Toronto and (so he says) retiring from DJing forever.
Before his goodbye party tommorow night at Sneaky Dee's, EYE WEEKLY caught up with Lovell via email as he toured Ontario and Quebec with one of his bands, the Oholics.
EYE WEEKLY: I seem to remember going to
another farewell party for you a few years ago, at the El Mocambo. Have
you really quit DJing this time? Or are you going to keep turning up
again and again, like Cher?
Davy Love: I'm 40, and finishing at 40 seemed like a nice round
number, like my beer belly. Unless the ghost of John Peel requests we
do a party together, I definitely won't be DJing again. No Who-style
comeback tour.
EW: You first started DJing up in the
Annex on Dupont, when it was still a pretty rough area. What gave you
the idea to play up there?
Well, I actually started spinning in Orillia at a biker bar, but
The Red Raven (which is now The Pour House on Dupont) was the site of
the first Blowup party. I picked it 'cause it had a "real pub" feel to
it. And it was close to my house.
EW: What would a typical set have been when you started DJing twenty five years ago?
Seeing as it was at a biker bar, I played a lot of George
Thorogood, CCR and rock and roll. Though I did play some Ramones for a
few bikers that came in.
EW: What records have tended to get the best crowd reactions, in your experience?
"Weed Bus" by The Stairs. "Loaded" by Primal Scream. "Northern Lights" by the Super Furry Animals. "My Generation." They've just got stellar grooves. And there are plenty of obscurities that get an insane response: Tony Ritchie's "Comin' on Strong." "The Wig" by Lorenzo Holden. Jigsaw's "One Way Street."
EW: How do you work a balance between playing new records and the old crowd-pleasers?
It's a delicate balancing act. I find that if a new track has
the same set groove and drumbeat you can slip it in without too many
people stopping and saying "Hey, this is new, i can't dance to this!"
But it is hard. When it works, it's magic.
EW: What do you think it is about Britpop that seems to play so well in Toronto?
The fact that a lot of people's parents are from Europe, where
British pop always sold the most. Even Italian, Greek, German, and
Polish kids parents listened to British pop growing up... it was just
such a force from the fifties to the seventies.
EW: What are the songs you wish people would dance to, but never seem to click with the crowd?
"Open My Eyes" by The Nazz. And "Don't Need Your Lovin'" by The Chocolate Watch Band. It has such a monster bass groove and backbeat. I'm always, like "Come on, please dance to this."
EW: What are you going to miss about Toronto? And what things are you going to miss the least?
I will miss being able to go to great record shops like Hits and Misses
whenever I want. Back to buying online now, I guess! But I won't miss
pettiness of the indie scene, or the crime. My car was stolen
yesterday. And my bicycle was stolen last month. Hopefully I'll still
be able to move...
EW: Do you think the Toronto club scene is in a better state now than when you arrived?
I think there a lot more parties and far more choices for people
with obscure and defined tastes... I mean, there were no black metal
prog-rock nights when I got here. I think that Blowup was instrumental
in making people realise that anyone can do a night, with any sort of
music. Saying that, though, too much choice has really made it hard to
keep a good vibe going. The attendance numbers are thinner everywhere.
It seemed like a real movement when Blowup was 500 people every week.
EW: Where are you moving? Do you know what you'll be doing when you get there?
I am moving up north, I will be going to school to become a plumber and to be closer to my daughter who is 20 months old.
EW: What's the politest way to refuse a crowd request?
"Sure. I'll play that for you." And then laugh quietly to yourself.