The Krays Are Coming Tonight... Hide Under Your DJ Equipment
Almost all the readers of Pro Mobile will have already enjoyed the excitement and challenges of starting a new business (remember the early days in your first DJ business?). And, yes, launching a mobile disco is very much a business enterprise, as you are never guaranteed success. Well, just like you, I also found my first few years in this fantastic business to be the most challenging - but they were also the most exciting years of my life.
When I launched my original mobile disco business, my main focus was definitely the private functions market. However, to keep our growing team of DJs busy we also sought out club residencies to boost up our booking rate - especially between Monday and Thursday when private bookings were scarce.
My First Club Contract
One such venue, where we had a long-term entertainment contract, was the Aztec Club in Hornchurch, Essex. We had held the contract there for DJ entertainment since the club was first launched in 1967. It was run by a charming, yet shrewd and forthright, lady called Zaz Taylor. Her two pretty daughters supported her behind the bars. Soul Music and Tamla Motown were then the big draw for club audiences in that era.
No EDM or 'hands in the air' moments in those days, but - with the right music formula, slick mixing (yes even then) and a little DJ personality thrown in - audiences always had a great time. My DJ entertainment service quickly managed to generate long queues and capacity audiences on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus either full - or near full - houses on the other weekday nights. I served as the DJ host every Thursday. It wasn't long before the club was making 'loads of money' and this news inevitably started to spread through the grapevine.
Unfortunately, the news soon reached the ears of a notorious pair of gangsters called Ronnie and Reggie Kray - known as 'The Firm'. They were famous in the sixties for their protection rackets and enforcement techniques. They were also wanted for the murders of Jack ‘The Hat’ McVitie and George Cornell. The Krays were thought to be untouchable due to the fact that no one was ever prepared to give evidence against them.
They were also regarded as celebrities in the sixties, as they had been photographed by David Bailey and had mixed with stars such as Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra. The Aztec Club was located just a few miles further east from the Krays home patch in London's East End. This was, geographically, most unfortunate.
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 73, Pages 44-45.