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djrhi's little space to tell you of her up-coming gigs, share her thoughts, post reviews of her performances and have a chat with everyone...

Where the Crack is at :: The dj's view...

djrhi: Q&A From The Leeds Guide (16Jun04-01Jul04)

Review taken from "The Leeds Guide" Retro@Mission, Leeds

Retro@ Mission (Appeared Leeds guide February 2004)

Bursting onto the circuit last month with a cracking opening party is a name that needed little introduction and will be sure to send a tingle down the spines of anyone who recalls the early days of Sasha, Graeme Park and Paul Oakenfold.

Paul Taylor’s Retro events promise a true celebration of house, and with a recognised reputation around the UK and further a field, this original classics night can be confident of its winning formula.


Proud of four successful summers in Ibiza and two in Majorca, along with numerous dates in Wakefield, Bradford and Halifax, Retro arrives in Leeds to take over Mission, the new host for the classics night that began in Burnley so long ago.

Retro is one of those old- skool parties where you know what to expect and that’s why you go. Treats from the vinyl collections of Paul Taylor, Jay Lee Lloyd and additionally their first female resident- Rhianna- prove that while retro is not the mainstay in clubs these days, it still has a sizable following of people that thrive off some of the finest dance tracks ever produced.

Expect the memories to come flooding back as the tunes come flooding in. It’s safe to assume Retro will find Leeds a comfortable home, and the locals will find the experience a sentimental bundle of joy.

Katrina Huntley

Friday 6th February

Mission 10pm-4am

£6 members & NUS/ £8 others

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Club Night ..: Retro

Venue ..: Tall Trees, Yarm

Date..: 31st December 2003, New Years Eve!

Price ..: £25

Duration ..: 9pm - 4am

DJs ..: The infamous Paul Taylor, Ben Taylor and myself.

Details ..: Retro is renowned across the land for its outstanding parties, yet without a doubt, Tall Trees is the biggest in the UK Holding a massive 5000 capacity and teamed with a luxury hotel with all the frills, it truly is the Las Vegas club of Great Britain.

It was the first time I had been to the venue and I had high expectations, from the credible stories I'd heard not to mention the fact it was a sell out New Years Eve gig.

The Uk’s biggest club classics night and I was warming up, so getting straight down to it I kicked off with “Gotta love 4 u” by Serial Diva. Though the club was cold the energy was electric already, an unbelievable atmosphere that peaked as Paul Taylor brought in the New Year with “Insomnia” by Faithless.

In his own words it really did blow the roof off. Now im just looking forward to the year ahead with the Retro crew!

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Club Night ..: Purrfect Vs Back 2 Mine

Venue ..: Fudge Bar & Cuban Heels (Leeds Centre)

Date ..: Sunday 24th August 2003 (Bank holiday Special)

Duration ..: 12pm-2am (14 Hours !!)

DJ's ..: Marcus, Paul Christian, Deano, Sebastian James, Lukas and myself.

Detail ..: A one off Sunday special that brought Purrfect & Back 2 Mine together. A 14 hour spectacular session with djs from Good grief, Ascension, Glasshouse, Casa locos, Retro and Kahuna.

What Happened ..: Bank holidays in Leeds are always a big deal but this was definitely one to remember ! It all kicked off at midday and by the time I arrived it was rammed. After departing from Sundissential and arriving at Fudge, the sounds of Deano were blasting out and the crowds seemed well up for it. I played for the next hour, playing slightly older and harder tunes than usual dating back from 1989. My set started with “Think About the Way” - Ice MC - Robyx and finished with “Promised Land” - Rat Pack remix ! - Whitelable. Being one of the residents of Purrfect I’ve got to say this definitely was a purrfect night !

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Club Night ..: Retro

Venue ..: The Tube, Halifax

Date ..: August 2003

What Happened ..: It was my first gig in Halifax

Detail ..: As a Halifax virgin I was somewhat unsure of what to expect from this night. Preconceptions being that of a working class town full of lager louts and fighting! A far cry from the truth I have to say!

On arrival I was greeted with the up most of respect, warmth and first class hospitality, instantly putting me at ease.

As the pre-club bar began to fill there was a vibe of excitement and anticipation at the arrival of Retro's first female DJ! The night had clearly been well promoted and expectation was high.

The Tube is a small but incredibly well set out club creating an atmospheric buzz of intimacy and friendliness. I kicked off my set with "Make that move - Denise Lopez" and received a very positive reaction from what seemed to be an unbelievably up for it crowd!

They didn't let me down and I have to say I could have played all night! I finished off with "All I Want is the Bass" to a rapturous response and handed over to Ben Taylor.

On leaving the club I received so many kind words from well wishers and I must sincerely thank the club and the crowd for making it such a buzzing night, you were fantastic and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

I hope to see you all again on September 6th 2003!

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Review taken from "The Leeds Guide" Purrfect@Fudge Bar, Leeds

Starting out life in 2000 Purrfect is now into its third successful year, a monthly bash which has become so popular that the New Year has meant a move to a bigger, plusher and hopefully more fitting venue.

The crew- made up of promoter's Mo and Eugene - pride themselves on their policy of old skool and funky house, offering a Sunday night session, which is far from 'come down' and 'chill out'.

Fudge is the new location for the night, where this evening the boudoir inspired decor of flowing red drapes stretching the length of the roof give the venue a slick glow to welcome the cocktail of trendies and students soon to step inside...

First to take the reins is Rhianna Price, a recognised face on the leeds bar circuit she is one of the three Purrfect residents who've been here since the beginning, ready to face the regulars once more with her highly acclaimed style of piano classics and retro flair,

With a second set later in the evening the DJ box now faces a hoard of Saturday night continuums as rhi delivers a seamless blend of retro house, her confidence shining through as the next mix threads between the air bound arms,

Tonight each set is teamed with the exceptional skills of percussionists Big AI and Justin 'action jackson', A collection of steel drums, bongos and accompaniments that fully engulf the room at points, grabbing the groove with a furious session of drums and rhythm, while Sebastian James takes care of the vinyl.

Marcus is the last resident to graces the decks and by now the place is ready to take off. The packed club of excitement and frolic meets Marcus's offering with applause, his UK garage sound taking the hyped atmosphere and booze filled grins to the very end,

The exhausted crowds file out and stumble home- unfortunately all they have to look forward to now is work in the morning - surely anything but perfect!

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Club Night ..: Kahuna

Venue ..: Club Paradise

Date ..: Saturday 7th June 2003

other dj's ..: Alex P, Tony Walker, Graeme Wood, Lee Holdsworth, Dean.

What Happened ..: It was the launch night of djrhi.co.uk

Detail ..: With the long awaited launch of the official djrhi website, this evening at Kahuna, there was an air of excitement and anticipation running thoughout the club.

Flocks of clubbers made Paradise their destination tonight, here to witness the skills of Alex P, Tony Walker and of course - my fine self!

A joint celebration as this weekend was also my 22nd birthday and it certainly went down with a bang.

Piano classics and stunning retro breaks kept the backroom on a high till closing, proving that old skool is far from a dying genre. Retro is here to stay as classics never fail to bring a smile to anyone with an ear for first class tunage. Look out for me on Saturday 21st June Retro@Penningtons in Bradford.

Lots of love, till the next update...rhi

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Club Night ..: Kahuna

Venue ..: Club Paradise

Date ..: Saturday 19th April 2003

other dj's ..: Allister Whitehead, Steve Luigi, Steve Mason, Carl Whitehead, Christan Appleby, Mark Dennis, Lee Holdsworth.

What Happened ..: It was the launch night of Kahuna, which consisted of entertainers, a live percussion and a very crowded club.

Detail ..: The main room was already hyped and by the time I arrived at 11 the atmosphere was electric. I started my set in the back room at 12pm, people were soon up on the podiums and tables, the place was definitely going off. With Allister Whitehead playing at the same time as me, I was surprised at just how packed the back room was and the massive crowd response that I received.

The first night was a major success, lets hope the old skool dance revival spans further still.

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