User:LorcanCampbell/Dj Nocturne

Dj Nocturne Lorcan Campbell, aka Dj Nocturne, first started his interest in music as a young child. Early influences would be the Beatles, Presley, Holly, Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Beach Boys, and the Stones. The music of his mother’s time played on the old 45’s (late 1950’s, she was 19) while he was a toddler. He can remember lying on the bed listening to radio as the Beatles and the mania that came with it arrived in the US.

Classically trained on the cello, playing bass in garage bands, drumming in Native American chant groups, and studying humanities, all helped shape his future in the music industry.

His first big break would come in 1975 while attending Penn State University. He was hired on as a Stage Hand / Assistant Audio Engineer. Joining the Stagehands Union I.A.T.S.E., specializing in audio gave him an enormous exposure to a wide variety of music including Classical, Rock, R&B, Big Band, Swing, and Jazz (all types). He set up the stage, microphones and lights. Working the mixing board for different venues allowed him to work with the likes of Genesis, Kansas, Floyd, Yes, America, Bruce Springsteen, BB King, Grover Washington Jr. and most major acts that toured in the 70’s.

Working as an audio engineer mixing was in his blood, “BPM’s within the blood”. Music was changing and so was technology. By the early 80s, Disco is going into High NRG and New Wave, Big Rock to Hard Core Punk to Gothic, Electronic, and Techno. Bands like Black Flag, X, Minute Men, Buzz Cocks, English Beat, The Clash, Billy Idol in Generation X, Bowie, Eno, Fixx, Red Hot Chili’s, Flock of Seagulls, Talk Talk, and The Talking Heads have taken things to an art form by now.

It is the early 80’s he found himself in South Texas after a brief stay in Long Beach,Calif. The culture was Sublime. Surf life and bands like Black Flag, X, Hard-Core Punk made life sweet.

While working on post graduate work at UT in San Antonio, he once again found out that his stage hand experience and studio work would help him as he went back to college.

On tour at this time where many great bands and he had the pleasure of working with everyone from Johnny Cash to ZZ Top. He worked with some lesser known bands at this time that were on tour like the Psychedelic Furs, Fixx, Echo and the B Men, Clash, NIN, New Order, PIL, and the Cure. Being able to work with so many now well know artists was amazing for him. Large shows were great to work with and gave him some extra cash. It was through his freelance work with the locals that would lead him to Dj in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Houston. It was 1983 and Michael Clegg had South Texas in Ecstasy. The next three years were wild. He mixed an eclectic array of music and sound effects at the clubs. Making dubs on tape with music that came from all over the world was not as it is today, you needed vinyl. Finding Factory or 4AD records from England was not a click away, only Import. Hunting for the next mix, spending hours in record stores, counting the BPM’s, and writing it down on the label all took alot of work. It was a grand time in the Night Clubs. The birth of Rave had begun.

December 31st, 1986 back on the east coast in his hometown of Philadelphia, it didn’t take long before he had networked back into the club scene. Soon he was doing guest spots, working with local bands and generally having a grand time over the next few years. Then in 1989 it was on to Montreal, Canada. What a Great City! It is the city that never sleeps.

In 2002 He moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, what can be said, Beautiful! Then in 2005, he came to work at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. His job has allowed him to live in many interesting places.

Over the years, his love of music has given him many great experiences and the opportunity to meet so many wonderful artists, musicians, actors, and dancers. Many great times and fond memories. He still does guest spots on occasion in local clubs, promotes artists, events and night clubs. He is still living and moving to that Nocturnal Beat. He will never stop being a DJ… “BPM’s are within his blood”.

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