Report Jodie Nesling
Legendary DJ Norman Jay returns to Dreamland for Margate Meltdown this month.
The 61-year-old pioneered the self-coined Rare Groove scene of the late 1980s and spawned a new generation of house DJs in the process.
Together with his brother Joey the famous Good Times Sound System – housed on a London bus – has got the party thumping all over the world including,most famously, at Notting Hill carnival where he played the festival from the 1970s to 2014.
Jay, who started collecting music from the age of 10, still performs at major events and festivals across the globe with a career spanning four decades.
Born to West Indian parents in Notting Hill his affinity and passion for black music has seen him celebrate a rage of genres including funk, soul, blues and R&B.
A pioneer of the rave scene he played underground warehouse parties and was a founding member of pirate radio station Kiss, which was legalised in the 1990s.
Other major gigs in the area include Soul Weekend where he wowed the crowds from the behind the decks on The Parade.
Jay was an awarded an MBE in for his services to music in 2002. He will be taking to the turntables from 6pm to late along with Don Letts and Jazzie B OBE on Saturday, May 25.
Tickets are £10 + booking fee in advance, and include entry and access to rides, with special discounts for members.
This is an all ages event, but under 16 year olds must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+.
Margate Sixties Festival and Mod Weekender
It’s Margate-a-go-go as the mod and sixties festival rides into town this month.
Headlining the weekend are the Spitfires, Graham Day and the Forefathers, and Big Boss Man and The Baron Four.
Daytime events include live music, DJs and market across the weekend with the scooter run taking place midday on Sunday.
Daytime events are held in Market Place (including Scooter run) in the heart of the old town.
All evening events take place at Olby’s Soul Café on King’s Street.
The venue hosts three spaces including the soul café and The Dug Out basement club room.
Friday- Spitfires £13.50
Saturday- Big Boss Man and The Baron Four £15
Sunday- Graham Day & The Forefathers £15
May 24 – 26.
Margate Meltdown
The legendary meltdown is back with a bang as bikers roar into town from London’s iconic Ace Cafe on Bank Holiday Monday (May 27).
The 12th annual Margate Meltdown will see riders hit the road down to the harbour where trade stands and a stage with live entertainment including a set from rockin’ DJ Bill Guntrip.
Working closely with the cafe’s chosen charity for this event, The Royal British Legion Riders Branch (RBLRB), the town and Thanet District Council, Margate not only has everything that a great ride out requires, but also a great beach and plenty of heritage to include a legacy from the 1960s that is of world renown relating to motorbikes, scooters and the Mods and Rockers that rode them!