Butterfly Pete

Pete on the Wheels in NYC

NB It sounds best on a broadband link due to high quality MP3

So how did the butterfly come to be?

Well.....In the beginning I used to make up compilation tapes using other peoples C.D.'s as a source of free music. I made loads at one point and started giving them out.

Later in life when I had a decent music collection of my own, I was always wanting to play stuff to people, I loved sharing music and started taking charge of the HiFi at most parties I want to. This however started pissing my mates off as they had tunes of their own, so I was told to"piss off and become a D.J.!".

Good idea I thought. This lead to me D.J.ing with two HiFi's and an old soundlab mixer (DSM 15 for all you anoraks) at parties.

After walking out of my job with Sky a year later, I thought it was time to take things a step further and used my pay check to buy an old second hand C.D. deck unit (Numark C.D. 7020) armed with pitch control. I could at last mix tunes together! I taught myself to beat mix by watching D.J.'s in clubs and, after nicking as many tricks as I could, I practised both at home and friends parties. They were happy now I could D.J. and provide entertainment.

After a few years of House parties, weddings and being let down by a few clubs who promised to deliver, it was New Years eve 2001 and I was going to Godskitchen with some guys I met in Ibiza. We were all in fancy dress and I kinda forgot, but with the help of some deelyboppers and a pair of fairy wings which I had borrowed from a mate, I dressed up as a butterfly. The night was great and people seemed to dig it untill I went for a piss halfway through the night. The bloke next to me then asks why I am dressed as a fucking fairy?! To which I shouted "I AM A FUCKING BUTTERFLY!!!!!!! ......... ALRIGHT!". After the pair of us finished pissing ourselves laughing, I knew that the wings had to come out again!

The time came to sell my V.W. Beetle. It was wicked but was starting to fall apart so I sold it and bought swome decks, (Numark TT1) and mixer (Numark Blue Dog) and taught myself to mix on vinyl. Then I knew things were going to get good. I had a few one off gigs using decks but I had no D.J. name. One event wanted my name on a flyer so in a panic I went for Big Beat Pete, so cheesy but so catchy!

After loosing my mates at Whirl-y-Gig (a hippy club night in London) I started chatting to some people who looked welcoming. They commented on the wings and deeley boppers I had on (always a good conversation starter that one!). We got chatting and at the end of the night they asked if I wanted to go to a club called Planet Angel. I went and noticed how this felt more like a party than a scary night club.

By the time I had been to a few of them, my mixing was just getting good enough to get a C.D. done, so I gave it to Planet Angel to see what would happen.

Planet Angel contacted me and asked if I could play 30 mins in a new room they were about to open.

Planet Angels main room played global trance, so I thought with all this euphoric music they were playing, I had better be funky to balance it out. So I played 30 mins of bouncy, happy, Big Beat . The club then let me go on for another 45 mins so I knew I had my foot in the door! A year later I had played every month since the start, so this became my first regular slot. I dropped the name Big Beat Pete for Butterfly Pete so people knew it was me by this time, it was a wise move.

Then one night at Planet Angel, I had to wait for a load of drummers to stop before my set started, I was waiting, having a fag and thinking of what tunes to put on, when I heard a voice screaming at me to start. I looked and she was having a right go! I had no Idea who it was so I simply screamed "I'M HAVING A FAG!!!!! ALRIGHT! ( It later turned out to be Sidetrakka!)

Then an hour into my set people started to ask me if they could have a go mixing! I let this one guy on but declined the rest! This carried on through the night, then at the end this rather happy chappy comes over over and gives me a card and asks me to call.

I had no idea what he did, so I called straight back the next day. As I was a tad hung over, I asked for Wax Equisition! After Caroline had finished laughing they arranged to meet me for a drink. Wax gave me a record he wanted me to play at the next Planet Angel. We had a laugh and before I knew it I was having a mix in their front room. The Kitchen Club's magic was starting.

At the next Planet Angel they all turned up and gave me a Kitchen Club T-shirt and let me be in their gang! The rest as they say is history!

NB It sounds best on a broadband link due to high quality MP3