Tales from the flipside review...

Mark Devlin – Tales from the Flipside

Private jets, getting drunk and glamorous women flocking round are just some of the few things that spring to mind when you think about the life of those superstar marquee name DJ’s. For the small minority all this and more is certainly true but outside the Premiership league of DJ’s the lifestyle is very different.

Blues and Soul writer and DJ for the last 14 years Mark Devlin lifts the light on what reality is like for the vast majority of DJ’s in his book Tales From The Flipside. As any clubber knows the real nights specializing in R’n’B, Hip-Hop & Dancehall are not in a vast supply and thus the world of a DJ in this arena is very different from those dance DJ’s who can enjoy bigger fees, more opportunities abroad and become household names in half the time.

While you may think that after a few chapters Devlin is moaning perhaps too much about a career many would do at a drop of a hat and he could easily go get a 9-5, realize that the guy like many others in the urban field have put in years of graft while still having uncertainty and repeatedly annoying scenarios while out playing.

This book serves as an eye opener for those who think that a DJ’s job is merely turning up to a club and throwing on a few records. Equally entertaining as insightful Devlin lets the reader in on a day in the life of a DJ and all the circumstances that come with the job. Stupid requests from pissed-up clubbers, dodgy promoters and everyone’s hated people, bouncers, all get taken to task while lifting the light on a career you wouldn’t expect your careers teacher accepting back at school.

From his own personal accounts to anecdotes of major players and friends in the scene this book is as equally as important as Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton) to anyone that is passionate about music. If you want to DJ and believe it’s all money and no problems, then ignore this book and keep daydreaming, but if you want to be told how it is pick this up now.