Mention Essex to somebody of a certain age and several images may spring immediately to mind.
White stilettos. Bleached blonde hair. Ford Capris. Romford Market. And, more recently, The Only Way Is Essex, which apparently confirmed to the rest of Britain that everybody in Brentwood spends Wednesday afternoon having their teeth whitened.
We’ve taken a bit of stick over the years.
The infamous “Essex Girl” stereotype really took hold during the 1980s and 90s, with the white stiletto becoming almost part of the uniform.
But there’s rather more to Essex than that.
Essex Has Always Known How to Party
Long before reality television discovered Brentwood, Essex had already made a serious contribution to British nightlife.
If you loved soul, funk and jazz-funk during the 1970s and early 80s, The Goldmine on Canvey Island was one of the places to be. DJ Chris Hill’s residency there helped establish it as an important part of the southern soul scene. Then there was The Lacy Lady in Ilford, another celebrated haunt for the soul boys and girls.
These weren’t simply places where somebody put a few records on.
People travelled for the music. The DJ mattered. The records mattered. Dancing mattered.
And I rather like that.
I’ve always had a particular love of soul music myself, so there’s something pleasing about working as a DJ in a county with that history behind it.
Then There’s the Other Essex…
I moved to the north of the county in 2018, and anyone whose mental picture of Essex begins and ends somewhere around the M25 might be in for a surprise.
It is beautiful up here.
Open countryside, fields, tiny villages, winding lanes, historic houses and some genuinely magnificent places to hold a party or wedding.
You can celebrate in a Norman castle at Hedingham Castle, whose estate covers 160 acres, or choose grand country-house surroundings such as Gosfield Hall.
And that’s barely scratching the surface. Essex County Council’s list of licensed wedding venues alone runs from country estates and historic houses to racecourses, hotels, barns and more unusual locations across the county.
From Canvey Island to Castle Hedingham
That’s perhaps what I like most about being an Essex DJ.
There’s no such thing as a typical Essex event.
I could be providing music for a stylish wedding in the countryside, a 50th birthday party in Chelmsford, a corporate event around Brentwood, an engagement party near Colchester or a celebration in a village hall somewhere that requires Google Maps, local knowledge and possibly a search party to find.
And the music can be just as varied.
I’m as happy digging into soul, Motown, funk and disco as I am moving through the 80s, 90s, indie, rock, dance and current music. The important thing isn’t imposing my musical taste on your party. It’s working out what your guests want and creating a dancefloor around them.
Looking for a DJ in Essex?
I’m based in Essex and provide professional DJ services for weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries, engagement parties, corporate events, Christmas parties and celebrations throughout the county and beyond.
Good equipment matters. Good music matters.
But after many years doing this, I’ve learnt that knowing when to play something is every bit as important as knowing what to play.
Perhaps those soul DJs on Canvey Island knew a thing or two after all.
So whether your Essex party is taking place in a castle, country house, hotel, barn, pub or somewhere considerably less glamorous, I’d be delighted to talk about the music.
White stilettos entirely optional.
