Welcome back to ‘Matchday DJ Of The Week’, where in each issue we put 10 serious and not so serious quick-fire questions to a matchday DJ from the world of sport! This week we sat down for a chat with West Ham, England Rugby & resident Wembley DJ, Tony Perry.
- Name: Tony Perry
- Occupation: DJ @ Wembley, West Ham & England Rugby (Among more...)
- Website
The Interview
SM: How long have you been DJ’ing?
TP: I got my first turntables in 1999, so its been 23 years (some how)! I was 12 when I started to learn and have worked mostly in clubs, events and radio since. With sports specifically, it’s around 8 years.
SM: How did you initially get your foot in DJ’ing in football stadiums?
TP: I was DJ’ing at a Ski festival in France when one of the promoters asked for my details after watching my set. He’d recently won a contract with England Rugby and drafted me in to record a mix series for their o2 Touch campaign in 2014/15. That eventually led to me becoming England Rugby’s DJ, something I’m happy to still be doing today. From there, I’ve been lucky to meet some of the best event producers in the world. I have learned so much from them and am fortunate to have worked in a broad range of sports and stadiums since.
SM: Can you give us a rundown of the clubs & organisations you’re DJ’ing for currently, and those you used to work for?
TP: I worked with UEFA as Wembley resident for EURO 2020 which was a really special time, for all of us involved I think. I’ve been resident for England Rugby since 2015 and am also working closely with West Ham, the Football League for the play-offs and Carabao Cup Finals at Wembley. In the past I’ve worked with the FA for both England men and Lionesses, the Premier League assisting with curation for certain events, projects with Liverpool, Chelsea & Arsenal, MLB Europe, Welsh Rugby, Formula E, Boxing and others. Later this year I’ll be working the Laver Cup at the O2, Rugby’s Autumn Internationals, the NFL at Wembley, and am super excited to be heading to the World Cup in Qatar to work with FIFA for the first time.
SM: Can you remember your first football match/stadium experience as a child?
TP: My dad, and especially my mum Sue (aka the sue-ligan) are football fanatics. My dad took me to Highbury as a 3 year old (what was he thinking), and apparently I cheered the wrong team all game. No surprise. A few years later my mum took us on a tour of the old Wembley just before EURO 96. I loved it. She also took me to play Sunday league football for years even though I was quite obviously rubbish… she really is a saint, and perhaps a bit crazy. But, I was lucky to get them both tickets to the Euro‘s when I was DJ’ing last summer, so in a way, they did get to see me play at Wembley after all!
SM: Would you say your first experience of live football and the memories of that day were motivation for taking on stadium gigs?
TP: I’d actually say that Sunday league football was my first motivation. Before matches, I’d make mixtapes to get me and my team mates energised, and sometimes, it really gave us a boost. I did the same when travelling to watch Premier League matches, with the tunes blaring in the car on the motorway, sometimes even dubbing commentary over certain tracks. The music would make me feel like I can run through walls! The idea of taking all of that energy into a stadium environment for professional athletes and fans was probably more of a fantasy than a motivation, so I am really appreciative of the opportunities I’ve had and take full advantage every time I get to play in a stadium. It can impact the players, the result, the memories of 1000s of fans and the mood of a city, or even a nation as it did last summer. It’s an incredible privilege for all of us sports DJs and I really believe our role is going to be huge as the decade progresses.
SM: Who’s the best player you’ve seen play the beautiful game live?
TP: Thierry Henry (the greatest we’ll ever have in the UK). Followed closely by Emmanuel Eboue…
SM: Who is your favourite DJ?
TP: Fatboy Slim. He puts so much into every performance to ensure it’s a show, and something memorable. Also a huge fan of DJ EZ & Jazzy Jeff. All of these guys create incredible energy with their selection, technique & persona, all of which are a big influence on how I like to play both in stadiums and clubs.
SM: Which piece of music do you think is the ultimate track for motivating a footballing side?
TP: I mean ‘Freed From Desire‘ is the biggest ballad in football for me. Chantability rating is 10/10 and edges Seven Nation Army for getting stands bouncing, and the players going as a result. It’s an obvious choice. My favourite memories of playing it are the EURO 2020 semi final, at half time of extra time. England at last re-took the lead over Denmark, and had to hold on for 15 more minutes to make their first final since 1966. You could literally taste the nerves. So I thought, if we can get the fans going absolutely bonkers as opposed to biting their nails in relative silence, it will go a long way in relieving the tension. The place went mad, it was electric! Also played a mash up of Gala with Depeche Mode when Forest won the playoff final earlier this year. Absolute limbs from the Forest fans and they now play that edit at the City ground. Brilliant!
SM: Which tracks are regulars on your matchday playlist?
TP: Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics album with the heritage orchestra has so many gems on it, perfectly fitting for the big stage. Joel Corry and Calvin Harris of course always go down well over here in the UK. I am really looking forward to experiencing other football cultures later this year and will of course be making full use of my Shoot promos!
SM: On a final note, are there any funny mishaps/cock-ups that have taken place that come to mind when you think about your career so far?
TP: Playing a radio-edit of Mylo‘s ‘Drop the Pressure’ at an England Fan-Zone full of families. Not the smartest idea (check the lyrics, even on the radio edit). A well known news service calling me Toby Parry during the EUROs, a name my friends won’t let me shake off… and probably my worst of the lot, playing a full 3 minutes at the half time show for the NFL at Wembley with the booth monitor on blast, but the master turned all the way off (I couldn’t see the top of my mixer in the mini DJ booth).
We’d like to say a huge thank you to Tony for taking the time to talk to us. We wish him the very best for the rest of the season!
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