Mark is a connoisseur of psychedelia, the host of Dublin’s very own psychedelic club night, MindFuzz, and an incredible DJ with slick dress sense. It was only right to get him on board for one of our blog posts ahead of the MindFuzz Third Anniversary Party on November 18th at the Thomas House…
How did you get into sixties psychedelic music?
Three particular tipping points were, as a kid, when I got a budget Rolling Stones tape that didn’t have the hits but had all the good tracks from Their Satanic Majesties Request. Then a punk kid at school had a tape of sixties punk and garage. Thirdly there was a Dublin fanzine called Green Dream that was all about Pebbles/Nuggets bands. Years later I ran into Monty who used to put it together, and now he’s due to DJ at our Third Anniversary!
Tell us a bit about MindFuzz
I was working in London for a while and I started going to New Untouchables dos in 2005. I really liked the mix of different sixties styles. Back in Dublin there was a lot of Soul dos, so when I was in London I’d end up in the psych & beat room as I wasn’t hearing those sounds in Dublin. The nearest psychedelic do was Dr Crippens Waiting Room in Belfast. I never miss it but it is only on once a year. It is great being able to go to a psychedelic party right here. I wasn’t sure how it’d go but various Dubliners emerged who said it was just the thing they were after. It’s a varied and friendly crowd every time. And so I am delighted to put on our Third Anniversary party on 18th November in the Thomas House.
I described it from the start as a ‘sixties vinyl dance party’ as those are all important elements. We play a range of sounds from sixties mod, freakbeat and garage into some more out there psychedelic and funky seventies hippie gear but it is all aimed squarely at the dancefloor. I was into Acid Jazz so the idea of retro music that works for the dancefloor is second nature to me. I love the dedicated focus of a club like Pow City, where the DJs only play original vinyl, it keeps it fresh and it means DJs have their individual style. I’ve DJ’d at some nights where everyone is playing the same reissues and comps, which is fine if it’s a broad mix of styles, but for something specialist this means everyone plays the same well known tracks – I avoid that.
But, it isn’t about just playing obscure stuff. When I’m out dancing I always like to hear something fresh but you need to have a balance. There are well known tracks on the scene that always get a good response, then I’ll always have one or two things that are under the radar, and also a few 1966-69 era tracks from the Beatles, Floyd, Stones or Dutronc. When an obscure 45 release by a well know band turns up, that’s good: people may know it but aren’t used to hearing it out. I’ve been working on an Anniversary Mix CD to give away on the night which will have a good range of tunes. Including one I just got in a Berlin flea market about a drummer from Munich. I had to include it as HP, who is DJing on November 18th, is a drummer from Munich.
What DJ’s have you had at MindFuzz?
When we started I was mainly thinking about Irish DJs in particular Sarge, Paddy and Steve from Dr Crippens in Belfast, Phil Hope from Cork and various Dublin DJs. But some heads came over from the UK for the first one and then Pete Feely from the Perfumed Garden came and DJ’d. Since then we’ve had some great DJs from Scotland and Germany in particular. In November we have Katja and HP from Berlin who’ve run a night called Liquid Visions. Sadly they can’t bring their amazing vintage slide and light show but they’ll lay down a great funky early seventies groove that will be hard not to dance to!
For 2018 there’ll be four MindFuzz parties (February, May, September and November). There’ll definitely be local DJs like Paddy Dreadful and Pete Toomey and some amazing DJs from Glasgow like Jamo Kidd who mixes some classic mod psych bangers with some groovy indie type Belle & Sebastian type gear- guaranteed floor fillers.
What three records will you defo be packing?
Paul Nicholas – Run Shaker Life
Rupert’s People – Dreams On My Mind
David Bowie – Can’t Help Thinking About Me
Describe your style.
It’s a mid to late sixties look, but put together with care. If you’ve something psychedelic you want to show it off with plain items not detract with clashing patterns. Lee Hazelwood or The Byrds had a great look, a bit post-Beatnik, smart but relaxed. Also the Small Faces when they went beyond the mod look into something more pop art and colourful.
Dressing well for me is about what suits the situation. For day to day, a button down shirt and Crombie is a great look that is perfect for work. For going out of course I take it up a notch and psychedelic patterned shirts and Chelsea boots would be my standard.
As a young kid there was a bit of a mod thing going on in school but it was playground stuff, not clubbing. After a while everyone moved on to something new. For me it was the Velvet Underground, Byrds and early Primal Scream, all polo necks, paisley shirts and black leather or brown suede jackets. I was never a Goth, it was always the sixties thing: Chelsea boots, not Docs. And no leather keks either, nothing says idiot like pretending to be Jim Morrison.
What’s your go to piece in your wardrobe?
Finding sixties or early seventies vintage gear for guys is always harder than for girls. Shirts and trousers especially were worn till they fell apart… I’ve a few really nice checked car coats that I really like and they’re really versatile. But shirts with unusual patterns are my main weakness.
My all time favourite shirt was a gold and green star pattern Liberty print beagle collared shirt of my dad’s which I wore till it fell apart. My current favourite is a Perfumed Garden beagle collar shirt, produced in limited runs of four. Sadly they only operated for a year or two. It is pretty loud so I can’t wear it all the time so plain coloured vintage shirts with a combination of interesting ties and jackets works well.
What other nights do you enjoy going to in Dublin?
I’d be regular at Pow City, For Dancers Only and going back further at Sleepless Nights. While I prefer dance-focussed nights I really enjoy Retro Revival to see good bands and I always like the Garage, though… it always seems to involve a hangover! Sunday Social and Rip It Up are great mix of sounds and people too.
What are your favourite mod/psych festivals in Europe? What ones have you been to so far this year?
The Perfumed Garden of Musical Delights in Derby was a particular inspiration, it’s a great club in a small city. Also the Double Sight Weekender in Glasgow in October is always an amazing party. Those two really made me think we could do something similar in Dublin.
Le Beat Bespoke in London at Easter is always great as there’s so many people from the mod and sixties scene there from all over the world. Liverpool Psych fest is great but very much about the live bands. Berlin Beat Explosion is a good mix of bands and DJs and goes all night, cheap booze too. There are others I’d like to go to but cash and time off only go so far. Some of them are in really nice places and often very cheap once you’re there. Lavarone in Northern Italy is amazing but it’s up the mountains so a bit of a trek to get there. It is an out of season ski village so when a few hundred mods and sixties heads descend on it it’s like The Prisoner. And being Italy the food and drink is amazing. I really hope to get back there next year.
Click here for more info on the MindFuzz Third Anniversary Party on November 18th at the Thomas House, Dublin 8.
Rebirth of Cool 