Much like what Richard X was doing with his mash-ups at the time, the ethos of Nag Nag Nag was to mix up some of my favourite electronic and post-punk music from the 70s and 80s – think Cabaret Voltaire, Bauhaus, Human League and so on – with the new, edgier electronic stuff around at the time. Was there a specific focus or theme to what you were presenting sonically? Let’s start by discussing the musical direction of Nag Nag Nag. Tune in below and scroll down for the interview. We also present a special mix that digs deeper into the music that defined Nag Nag Nag. Here, 20 years on from the launch of Nag Nag Nag, we catch up with Melton and reflect on the party’s enduring legacy.
NAG NAG NAG PLUS
The likes of Björk, Alexander McQueen and Kate Moss – plus DJs such as Ellen Allien, Kittin, Fil OK – were regulars at the mid-week affair, which was hailed for bringing a sense of excitement and grit back to an overblown scene. Throughout its lifespan, Nag Nag Nag enticed everyone from curious students through to celebrity punters and fashionable club kids. This inauspicious but apt setting would become home to Soho’s alternative queer population until 2008, when it closed its doors to make way for the Elizabeth line’s eastern ticket hall. Nag Nag Nag was hosted at Ghetto, a cult basement venue situated on a seedy alley around the back of The Astoria, on Falconberg Court. ( Melton had previously played in the British goth band Specimen, who themselves had launched another influential weekly night two decades prior, in 1982. Helmed by Jonny Slut (or Jonny Melton to his family), the weekly party – which took its name from the Cabaret Voltaire track – emerged from the burgeoning electroclash movement and swiftly evolved into one of London’s most revered hotspots for alternative dance music. Nag Nag Nag is one such club night that sprung up in response to changing tides.
Wide-eyed clubbers are shying away from superclubs and pouring into intimate venues and more DIY spaces soundtracked by their favourite DJs – of course – but also rising artists with fresh takes on electronic music and its surrounding culture. The year is 2002 and things are shifting within UK dance music.
From the iconic parties of bygone eras through to the emerging events breaking through in 2022, we’ll be highlighting the sounds of these parties and the artists that shape them.
NAG NAG NAG SERIES
Crack Magazine is marking Pride season with a series of specialist mixes and playlists dedicated to LGBTQ+ club nights and promoters.
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