8 minute read
Dave Sweetmore interview
Since 1996, Dave Sweetmore has been an ever present familiar face on the Northern and UK Music Scene, building up a loyal fanbase.
As an established concert, festival, event and nightclub DJ and host, specialising in 'the best and coolest records ever made' he has entertained hundreds of thousands of music fans at many legendary clubs around the UK, and as a concert and festival DJ has worked alongside many bands including Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, Scouting For Girls, Razorlight, The Fratellis, Lightning Seeds, The Selector, Cast, The Feeling, Black Grape, Dodgy, Twisted Wheel, Feeder, and many more. You will also find him at many large festivals including Kendal Calling and Geronimo and back home at Rochdale Feel Good Festival.
A regular on many radio stations, his own personal Manchester based show ‘The Dave Sweetmore Show’, has regularly featured guests such as Status Quo, Frank Turner, Stereophonics, Shed Seven, James, Travis to name just a few. Dave is also a loyal supporter of new and unsigned music. You can hear Dave every weekday on Tameside Radio Drivetime.
As a stadium announcer and DJ for Rochdale AFC for 21 years, he won many accolades and awards from the likes of Sky Sports and the BBC. Sky Sports named him ‘The Best ever DJ / Announcer In Football’.
Style caught up with Dave to discuss his exciting career, future plans, the changing music industry and how he has kept his feet firmly on the ground...
Style: How did you first start out in the music industry?
Dave: My dad was a DJ and then a promoter for 60s and 70s bands - a lot of what he did was at Heywood Civic and those nights have become quite legendary now as he had some massive bands on. I was really into music and heavily involved from the age of about 14 working as a roadie. I’d get picked up from school on a Friday and off to gigs all over the country or flying to Ireland and back Sunday night! So it wasn’t a normal teenage life! I became friends with lots of 60s and 70s bands like The Searchers, Herman's Hermits, The Animals, The Yard Birds, Bay City Rollers, Lieutenant Pigeon – it was very much a circuit and everyone knew each other.
I worked as a roadie until I was about 18, then by pure chance one night I ended up helping my mate out with a mobile disco and we got a load of bookings from that, so I started DJing.
I then moved onto pubs and nightclubs in Heywood which seemed like a natural progression. I learnt my craft in Heywood and I’m dead proud of that. I’m a Heywood lad and back then Heywood had an amazing nightlife.
By the early 2000s there was a really good music scene coming through with the likes of the Arctic Monkeys and the Libertines. So I ended up cutting down on the generic pop scene and finding my feet on the Indie scene. That’s when I started getting a name for myself outside of Heywood which happened very quickly which I’m grateful for. I met the right people by chance, they looked after me and I quickly fit into this Indie music scene that accepted me.
You’ve had a packed summer of gigs and festivals, what’s been the highlight?
Just getting so much work in... I mean, the weather could have been a better! But I feel really lucky. I do always wonder when the year is going to come that I’ve got to get a proper job!
Your positive energy and enthusiasm always keeps a crowd entertained. How does it feel to attract such large audiences?
I was called a "hype man" in a review once and I'd never heard of it but I thought - I'll take that! I still get excited - it's the best feeling in the world seeing hundreds or thousands of people infront of me dancing. Especially being back out after the pandemic and seeing people having a good time. There’s nothing better than looking out now off a stage and seeing people dancing, being happy and making memories, and knowing you’ve helped create that. That’s why I still love it.
Your work as a stadium announcer and DJ at Rochdale Football Club picked up a lot of press interest, even worldwide! Tell us the story...
Yeah, when I started at the club in 2001, most football stadiums were playing whatever was in the charts but Rochdale let me do what I want really. So I started playing The Beatles, Stone Roses, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and all of a sudden ended up in the national press with people saying the music at Rochdale was brilliant! It did the world of good for me, and for Rochdale as well. And over the years, a lot of other grounds started playing similar music.
Leaving Rochdale AFC after 21 years was a massive decision but it felt like the right time. I had some of the best times of my life at the club. The New York Times got in touch when I left and named me as 'the inventor of British Rock n Roll football' which was humbling.
How did you get into radio?
About ten years ago, Revolution 96.2 wanted an Indie DJ to present a show on a weekend night. I think I did about four months training before they let me have a show. Again, they were really good with me because they let me play Indie classics but also let me introduce new bands and I’m a big supporter of new music. I’d been involved in Radio Manchester for a while as a guest too. I then ended up at Tameside Radio and now host the drivetime show.
Which new artists should we listen out for?
There are so many. But there's one band from Rochdale called The Sprats who I’m getting right behind. They are the first band from Rochdale for a few years that I feel are really making a name for themselves on the Greater Manchester circuit. I just hope people from Rochdale get behind them as well.
Always make sure you see the support bands when you go to gigs… The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys – they were all support bands once. I just think it’s really important to support new music. You never know who your new favourite band is going to be.
The music industry has changed massively since you started out - how do you feel about the changes?
The positives are you can form a band in your garage and everyone around the world can hear your music. But at the same time, it's very disposable and the days of having a record in your hand are gone - you don’t have to queue up for the record shop or at venues for tickets. And more and more young bands are just bringing singles out instead of building up to releasing an album. There's a lot more new music getting heard though.
If you could tour with any band who would it be?
The Beatles!
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
The highlight has been meeting so many of my heroes that have now become friends. I was very fortunate when I was starting out to quickly meet people like Clint Boon from Inspiral Carpets, Bez from Happy Mondays and Mani from The Stone Roses and become friends with them. I still pinch myself. For me it’s become the norm, but I still don’t take it for granted. Earlier this year, the Inspiral Carpets did a comeback tour, and that was quite mad being on a tour bus with a band I used to watch on Top of the Pops!
Favourite album?
Little Man Tate, About What You Know. Pretty much anything The Beatles did. And Oasis, Definitely Maybe. Being a teenager around here when Oasis released that album changed our lives really. They looked like us and sounded like us!
Would you like to see an Oasis reunion?
Part of me would like them to so younger people can see them live. Part of me thinks leave it and go down in history. I love the music Noel is bringing out. He’s a genius –he’s probably up there with Lennon and McCartney as one of the most important songwriters ever.
What are your future plans?
Going forward I would like to concentrate on gigs, tours and festivals, working with bands. I’m there as a tour DJ now rather than carrying the equipment! It’s sort of gone full circle. It’s 30 years since I started working in music and when I leave my house to go to work I still get as excited as I did when I was 14. I feel so lucky.
Interview: Ruth Parkinson / images: Jackie Meredith
