DJ SAFARI PHIL STORY *
DJ SAFARI PHIL STORY *
FOUNDATION ERA | 1999-2003
In 1998, while at university in Rochester, Kent, I began collecting records and practising DJing with a friend at our student union.
Our first gig came during Freshers’ Week 2001 when we were unexpectedly asked to cover for a last-minute cancellation.
“Phil, we’ve got a gig at the Student Union right now. Garage Nation were booked but have cancelled, and we’ve been asked to cover. I’ve got your record bag. Get here as soon as you can. We’re on in less than twenty minutes.”
It was a baptism of fire and we barely survived the gig. I was terrified and as I placed the needle on the first record, my hand was shaking uncontrollably.
We managed only a handful of mixes, but the experience was invaluable and confirmed that this was the life for me.
Those early experiences set the stage for what followed: house parties, DIY club nights put on by friends, and countless evenings spent practising with vinyl. When we returned for another garage night at the union, it went far better.
At the end of the night, someone told us we were way better than ‘Garage Nation', who played during Freshers Week. We thanked them and quietly left it at that.
EAST LONDON ERA | 2004-2011
In 2004, I moved to East London and began playing parties that blended modern and classic tracks.
It was also during this time that I shifted to digital music and began using a DJ controller. I became the person friends and family (and their friends) turned to, and word naturally spread.
In 2007, my uncle asked me to DJ my aunt’s 50th birthday, and before long I was playing weddings, birthdays, kids' parties, corporate events, exhibition openings, wrap parties, and special occasions like Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
While living in East London, I worked closely with two critically acclaimed production teams: Mike Gabel and Jennifer Earle of Hot Breath Karaoke, and Morgan Lloyd and Kate Bond of You Me Bum Bum Train.
With Hot Breath Karaoke, I supported live productions through performance and DJ work, contributing both onstage and behind the scenes.
With You Me Bum Bum Train, I performed within scenes, DJed funding events, and played numerous wrap and after-parties.
During one production run (The Sorting Office, Holborn, 2011), I was involved in a notorious club scene, DJing almost every night for two months.
These experiences were hugely valuable and something I am extremely proud to have been a part of. Both Hot Breath Karaoke and You Me Bum Bum Train are pioneering institutions that demanded originality, adaptability and fearless creativity.
Their audiences were varied and unpredictable, requiring responsiveness rather than reliance on familiar formulas or clichés.
In both environments, working to a clear brief demanded research, preparation and restraint. This sharpened my focus and reinforced the professionalism required to confidently deliver someone else’s vision within defined creative parameters.
Being part of these events and seeing audience reactions was deeply rewarding. I felt proud to be of service, helping create stand-out moments.
When people choose to attend events, they deserve time to let go of their daily troubles and experience something away from their own lives. Giving people the night of their life is an amazing feeling.
CLUBS & PRIVATE PARTY ERA | 2012-2024
Through Hot Breath Karaoke and You Me Bum Bum Train, I met Warren Dent and Charlotte West-Williams, the directors of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club.
Since 2012, I’ve DJed there regularly, soundtracking a wide range of curated, genre-led nights and playing to thousands of people.
Each event was guided by a clear theme or brief. I prepared playlists tailored to the vision and responded to the room as the night unfolded.
Over the years, that has included throwback pop nights, disco and early electro, dinosaur power ballad evenings, Alan Partridge dad rock nights, 80s anthems, club classics, 00s hip-hop and R&B, summer dance parties, and Eurovision celebrations.
Warren and Charlotte have created something genuinely special at BGWMC, and being part of a programme built around thoughtful, distinctive events has been a real privilege.
Around this time, I began DJing at other pubs and bars across East London, as well as the private event work like weddings and parties which was continuing to gather pace.
At this stage, it was all word of mouth bookings. I didn’t have business cards or a website, and I didn’t actively promote myself. I gained a reputation for responding to the room and shaping the atmosphere around what couples, or event organisers, wanted the night to feel like.
I tended to play edgier, more unconventional music, away from the typical wedding and party tracks. Not that I didn't like the classic choices, but because I wanted to offer a different kind of experience, one that felt more unexpected and daring.
Early on, I recognised how important it was for people to see themselves reflected in the event they were hosting. Music choices became a statement and a way for their individuality to come through. I took pride in curating playlists that felt true to the people at their centre.
MOBILE DJ ERA | 2025 & BEYOND
At the beginning of 2025, a few friends reached out after being asked to recommend a wedding DJ. It reminded me how daunting that search can feel, especially if you’ve never hired a DJ before.
It’s not just about finding someone who plays your kind of music. You’re looking for someone who understands the atmosphere you want to create, who listens, and who you feel comfortable with as plans progress.
Chemistry matters, and whoever you choose needs to understand your vision beyond a list of favourite tracks. You need someone whom you can talk to and trust.
After DJing for over 20 years, I decided it was time to go professional with mobile DJing. Although I was still playing regularly at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club and other venues, it had been a couple of years since I’d DJed a wedding.
These upcoming bookings reminded me of what I’d always enjoyed about private events, creating an atmosphere where people feel seen, celebrated and completely at home among their favourite people.
Giving couples the opportunity to own the moment in a meaningful way is deeply important to me. Professionally, a lot was changing in my life, and it felt right to return to this kind of personally rewarding work and approach it with greater ambition.
Events not only recognise and celebrate people, marking occasions and important achievements, but they are also moments that can themselves be the beginning of something amazing. We’re looking back at the good times whilst welcoming the future.
Since then, I’ve put significant work into bringing everything together. That includes investing in sound and lighting equipment, DJ booths, mixers, and cabling, as well as insurance and safety compliance.
I‘ve previously DJed hundreds of private events, hiring sound and lighting on each occasion, but this is the first time I’ve delivered everything myself as a complete service.
‘Going pro’ has also meant researching wedding shows and directories, marketing myself, building this website, and beginning to share my work more openly.
Alongside this, I’ve immersed myself in both the mobile DJ world and the wider private events scene. Meeting other DJs and performers, and recognising the depth of talent in the industry, is another bonus.
Having friends who advise and support one another means you’re never truly alone behind the scenes or behind the decks.
For a long time, DJing existed alongside other work, so finding a renewed passion for events and a new direction has been invigorating. Even after all this time, it still feels like the beginning.
Each event brings something new to discover and the chance for something memorable to happen.
q&a
First record you ever bought?
My first cassette tape was “Do The Bartman”. My first vinyl record was “Double 99 – Ripgroove”.
Favourite genre to DJ?
Dance music, without question. For a specialist crowd, Jungle and 90/00s Drum & Bass.
If it was a more commercial event, I would play 90s dance classics, from euro-dance, trance, and house, through to UK garage. Also, a little old-skool rave and The Prodigy as the icing on the cake.
Either mix would have surprises thrown in along the way.
A song that never fails on the dance floor?
It would be too difficult to choose just one, so I will pick 4.
Two classic tracks from the 80s’:
“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics”.
“Pump Up The Jam - Technotronic”.
Something from this century:
“Dancing On My Own - Robyn”.
“Paper Planes - M.I.A”.
How would you describe your DJ style in one word?
Wild.
👉 SERVING LONDON & BEYOND
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👉 SERVING LONDON & BEYOND *
YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE
Let’s make your celebration everything it should be, an adventure beyond imagination and without compromise.
This is your night.
Available for weddings and private events across London and beyond.
Get in touch and let me be your guide as we create an event you’ll never forget and welcome the WILD TIMES that bring people together.
Prefer to email? You can reach me at phil@djsafariphil.co.uk
I aim to reply to all enquiries within 24 to 48 hours.