Jamie S23 hooks up Leeds jungle promoters Jungle Jam to get the lowdown on what’s going down on 5th February and how it all began. Check it out!
Where did Jungle Jam originate from? Break down your timeline for us.
“Jungle Jam has been running since 2004. It all kicked off way back when I was at University in Leeds which has been it’s hometown ever since. Our first venue was a typical working mans club with a very special shiny silver curtain and a small stage, that didn’t phase us though, we were just a bunch of mates wanting to play out.
We loved drum & bass at the time but jungle has always been our real passion and although we missed the golden era of the scene first time around we all have taken a huge amount of influence from it.
The first big DJ we booked was probably Doc Scott, this was our 3rd event I think? A Metalheadz themed event where he played an amazing old school jungle set.
Soon after we switched to a bigger venue, one that maxed out at 1,200 people and we knew then that this was a massive deal. Jungle Jam featured artists such as Kenny Ken, Marvellous Cain (who we brought out of retirement via MySpace!) and UK Apache who performed his final live PA at one of our events.
The next move was to a warehouse venue in Leeds called Beaverworks in 2007. Some of the DJs we featured were Goldie, Storm, Randall, Jungle Drummer, Ratty & Tango and Benny Page who all played some amazing sets to our then dedicated crowd of jungle ravers.
Finally in 2012 we landed at Mint Club where we featured Congo Natty and in turn this proved to be our busiest night to date.
We run Jungle Jam 5 times per year in line with the University calendar as well as a joint venture with Sub Dud for New Years Eve.”
Giving the theme of your nights, do artists still play vinyl?
“Some used to but mainly by way of control vinyl using Serato to be honest. The biggest switch technology wise has to be USB sticks into CDJs. Our residents are probably the only ones who do still turn up with a box full of records actually which is great to see.”
Bristol has Full Cycle, London has it’s obvious roots, what has Leeds done for the jungle scene?
“It’s been the promoters of Leeds who have really pushed the scene forward rather than an individual sound or artist. Metropolis was a huge drum & bass event at one point although they have now gone down the route of offering a multi genre experience.
Certainly Ant TC1 deserves a mention though and the label Dispatch Recordings.”
How do you put together a lineup that represents what Jungle Jam stands for?
“It’s more than just putting together a lineup in your head and thinking – that’s going to work, let’s just do that.
We follow what’s going on the scene, who’s popular, who’s releasing what, what DJ sets are going down well. You also have to be on top of your game quickly because artists are usually booked for more than one event a night so you can’t rely on just a simple wish list. One thing we always have to remember is people won’t buy a ticket if the line up isn’t relevant and exciting.
Jungle Jam is all about representing the scene so we want to book artists who we feel are representing too! The likes of Serial Killaz, Hype, Congo Natty, Nicky Blackmarket for example.
The whole booking process usually takes us a good 3 months!”
Talking of lineups, what would be your dream team line up? Live PA?
“I know it’s not possible now but I would have loved to book LTJ Bukem alongside MC Conrad for a Logical Progression set. Others would have to be Stevie Hyper D and UK Apache doing a live PA just one last time.”
So much money was spent on production back in the golden era of jungle, how do your nights compare to the likes of World Dance and Helter Skelter in terms of this?
“Artists fees are so expensive so it’s sometimes hard not to look at this as secondary aspect although in 2016 people are coming to an event rather than a club night so it’s also kind of expected.
We are so lucky to have Mint as our home, it’s got an amazing Funktion 1 sound system that makes your nose tingle, projection screens, cO2 cannons and so much more.
We certainly don’t forget about production that’s for sure.”
Talking of production, the crowd contribute to this with whistles and horns. Do you see much of it?
“Our crowd is 90% students, 10% older heads. Some of the more seasoned ravers sometimes bring a horn. I’ve heard it on many of the old tapes though and the vibe it created was next level. I’ve looked into the idea of selling branded horns, we might even be able to give these away in the future so watch this space.
One thing I do know though is a whistle or a horn is 100 times better than a crowd full of people on their mobiles filming the event. It’s a personal preference though, we can’t dictate how people enjoy their night, it’s the experience we are providing and hopefully a good one at that.”
Fancy a night out in Leeds? Grab a ticket quick as they are almost gone!