The Year 2000
I came across a scrap book in the loft and found this picture in a clip from an Evening Times (now Glasgow Times) article from October 2000. I read the article again and both that and the picture left me with really mixed feelings. I don’t really know what to say about this, so please bear with me.
October 2000. This picture was taken at a Boardwise/Burton gig at Mclellan Galleries in Glasgow, showcasing the latest snowboarding video they had produced. As Jengaheads, we provided the soundtrack for the night. At the time we were flying high, dj-ing all over the place, a bit of a hot ticket. I broke a rib that night, but that’s another story. The scene and our dj-ing career at that time was incredible. I loved it.
This photo shows me at my best and worst. I was having a great time. I was holding onto my punk sensibilities but also hiding being cripplingly shy. I loved the attention but also, at times, needed to hide away. I wanted to be a rock star but also understood the value of being a recluse.
October 2000. I was juggling an aspirational DJ career and a day job. I was about to become a dad for the first time. I suppose I didn’t really know my place in the world and maybe I still don’t. Since that picture was taken, I have become a dad to three and a step-dad to another three. I have only played tunes out a handful of times since 2006 and my ‘career‘ has changed significantly. My life has taken its twists and turns, as all of ours have. I realised that, at the time, it was easier for me to present a front that I hid behind, rather than to be really honest about myself.
I think these days, I’m much more in tune with myself and much less driven by my view of self. Sometimes you have to let the ego go.
I’ve always got two fingers to stick up. Punk’s not dead.