Up Close With Pete Tong

13-10-2006 17:25

Your radio show celebrated 15 years of broadcasting this year? How do you keep the show fresh and exciting every week

? The hunger and the constant quest for new music that is the biggest thing that keeps it fresh. Every year the show always evolves and I have always believed in evolution rather than revolution. If you look at what she show sounded 15 years ago to today it has changed completely. There are more changes this year that are more obvious with the new timeslot of 7pm which has condensed the Friday night show, but I have a new show on a Thursday night as well and I still oversee the Essential mix on Saturday night. Change keeps you hungry, keeps you fresh and the camaraderie within the community with the internet as you are speaking to everyone all the time from all around the world.

Is it still a buzz being there with millions of listeners as they start their weekend

Yes of course there is, I wouldn’t do it to be honest. It is the biggest fun about doing the R1 show particularly compared to any other kind of radio show you’ve got one of the biggest network and online listeners which has always been really important to me.

You broadcast to around 2 million people in the uk and worldwide. How does it feel to have achieved such a global following

I have been very lucky that I have been left alone for so long being pretty much kept in the same time slot for since I first started in 1991. It’s always been about Friday nights and it’s always been about starting the weekend. I can’t believe it’s been 15 years to be honest, but I think it’s a huge pay off that I have always held down that slot and it has certainly enhanced its reputation worldwide. I am also proud of it and enjoy it.

You’ve started a new show on Thursday nights as Part of R1’s in music we trust programming. Tell us more about it.

The BBC have got a general remit to get more involved in new platforms and to get the younger audience to enjoy the output of the BBC in a more modern way. It’s getting harder as there is more choice and there is more and more competition and more fractions in terms of the audience and how they enjoy their media. Radio 1 is at the forefront of the BBC and is getting out there and getting amongst it. These shows, of which there are 4 of them and I am doing one are meant to be gateways I suppose, or a one stop shop for all things that are happening in the world of electronic music and dance music. It is a great opportunity for me as they are really getting behind them, they have started really well and I think they will start pushing them more next year once all the legalities have been sorted out about podcasting as the new shows are designed to work first and foremost as a radio show, but they are designed to be enjoyed as shows that can be downloaded to your phone or iPod or MP3 player or to listen to online.

You do outside broadcasts in the UK and internationally. Where have you broadcasted from this year and are their any more to look forward too

I always want to do more but it all depends on budgets. Things are a lot more streamlined now since when I first started, we used to all go off in different directions doing different shows in different places. Now when we do something especially if it is in a different country it tends to be the whole station. This year we have done broadcasts from Dundee and Ibiza and we are going to Amsterdam in October. It’s great getting out in the regions, but it tends to happen when the station does something and not just when it’s Pete Tong on the move.

You do a night called Pure Pacha in Ibiza and this will be your 4th consecutive year. How have the parties gone this year and what have been the highlights

The highlight for me this year is that is wasn’t just about one night and it was about every night. It was about the residency as opposed to the dj’s. When I started it I was taking over from Ministry which was a high pressure night we had all the biggest names in the world on the night so you tended to look back on the season and you could say that was a good night and that was a good night. After 4 years, it’s really the party that is bigger than any one DJ. I had a really great opening few weeks with Laurent Garnier doing the opening party, but it’s been really consistent throughout the season and we had a really good ending with Bob Sinclair.

You also started ‘Pure Pete Tong’ at the Ministry of Sound this year. Tell us more about it

I wanted to do a residency in London and I thought it was less confusing this year to use that name. It’s been a phenomenal residency and probably been one of the best things I’ve done this year and we’re definitely going to do it again next year, though we might change the name and we are just discussing it now. I think Ministry is an underrated venue believe it or not…and I want somewhere where we could stage some shows and show off a bit, I wanted somewhere with a decent sized second room and also needed a place where I can get down and dirty and the main floor is still in my humble opinion one of the best in the world with an awesome sound and dj booth.

More about Up Close With Pete Tong on page 2