The Carl Cox And Friends concept began with a 12,000-capacity show in Rotterdam back in 2004 and, after touring the world, and is now making its first visit to Brighton.
"I used to run parties all over
the South Coast and South London, and it used to be like, 'Come to Carl Cox's party.' I felt that slowly went missing from
what I was doing over the
years," Carl explains.
"When we did this party in Rotterdam, we had the best soundsystem guys, the best lighting guys, the best staging guys. It sold out, everyone was really happy. So I proved my
point - people will pay to see
me and all the elements of
the show I put together."
Carl is following up a couple of triumphant nights at Heaven in London last month - his first club dates in the capital for three years Ð with a Brighton line-up which includes Fedde Le Grand, Stanton Warriors, Hot Chip (DJ set), Freestylers, Freemasons, Switch, Meat Katie, Jim Masters, Jon Rundell and Breakfastaz. There will be three arenas, with the roof of the main hall being lowered to create a more intimate atmosphere, and additional bars will be set up to try and reduce queuing times.
He now divides his time between Australia and the UK, and although he is now a fixture of the festival circuit Down Under, he was originally drawn to the country as
a haven where he could recharge his creative batteries.
"You have to step back a bit, or it all just implodes on you. You end up having no life outside of it," he says. "There's no point you doing what you're doing and only being 60/70% in the game. You're only
as good as your last party or
your last album."
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Carl first moved to Brighton in 1984, staying until 1993, and this was the place where he first fell in love with house music. He intends to make the city his home for
a second time by the end of the year and is looking to buy a
house by Devil's Dyke.
He was a ticket seller for the late-1980s outdoor raves and found the vanloads of clubbers he took up to these events wanted to carry on the party when they came back.
"That's how the scene grew. I was really on the cusp of something that no one in Brighton at the time could understand," he says.
"Myself, Norman Cook and other people, we were all interested in this music but there was no real outlet for it, everywhere was playing soul and funk."
Carl seized the opportunity, and in the process played an integral role in the development of British club culture.
"We used to create our own nights. I ran one at the Hove Park Tavern on a Sunday, with another DJ called Keith Allen. It was kind of our after-party at the weekend, in a pub. It was absolutely manic in there. We did it for about a year and then the police came along and that was the end of that.
"Then we moved to The Escape club, and I was also resident at The Zap. It was brilliant being in Brighton during the rise of this
kind of music."
Carl is currently recording a fourth artist album and a fly-on-the-wall documentary about his life is due out later in the year.
"We're blessed in where we've ended up," he laughs. "For me to still be doing things like this after 20 years, it's incredible.
"I don't sing, I don't dance,
I don't have any hit records, I'm
not on MTV, I'm not on the radio full-time. I'm just a DJ who knows how to put a good party together and bascially treat everyone like friends.
From 10pm, £25. Call 0844 8471515 or visit www.brightoncentre.co.uk
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