Matt ‘Jam’ Lamont was one of the pioneers of UK dance music and continues to be at the forefront of the scene. Having enjoyed past chart success as part of the production duo Tuff Jam, he is now a solo DJ, producer and remixer. We caught up with him and picked his brains on all things London.
My favourite record shop is… Well, there aren’t many left now and unfortunately I don’t buy vinyl anymore, although I’ve bought a few in my time - 50,000 at the last count! Back in the day I used to love going to Soho to buy my tunes and my favourite shop was Catch-A-Groove in Berwick Street, where Ricky Morrison (M&S) used to work with his mantra of ‘you’ve got to have this tune’! There was also Black Market, Uptown, City Sounds… and they were all selling hot new music. Nowadays most of the tracks I want to play I get sent on promo or if I do buy something it’s online at stores such as Traxsource, Beatport and Juno.
My favourite club is… Fabric because people always go there to rave and enjoy new music. I have to mention Ministry Of Sound for the first 5 years, when it really set the bar with its massive sound system and sprung dance floor. You never knew what to expect when you went as they were always changing things around. One week there would be a massive New York skyline, then label flags like Strictly Rhythm, Nervous etc. It was totally gorgeous.
My favourite club night is… I can’t pin it down to one as I play so many great London club nights and it would be unfair to single out one.
If I could DJ with any celebrity it would be… I’m not really into that whole celebrity thing but if I had to choose one it would be Usher because as Tuff Jam we remixed his first single ‘You Make Me Wanna’, which went to No 1 all over the world. In the USA they played our Tuff Jam Remix as well as the original on daytime radio! Usher is also one of my favourite artists and still going great guns.
The song that reminds me most of London is… ‘London Town’ by Light Of The World as when I was a youngster growing up I always played this song and it just gave off so much excitement. Light Of The World were an incredible UK band and front-runners for a lot of people. I’ve seen them live where they perform as Light Of The World, then go off and come back as Beggar & Co and then Incognito - they were 3 different acts in one!
When I’m in a bar I drink… Beer. All kinds of different beers - I like trying out new brews.
My favourite pub/bar is… Beach Blanket Babylon in Ledbury Road, Notting Hill because of its quirkiness, buzz, great food and cocktails. There’s always a good mixture of people in there and I always bump into a few old faces, and they have the balance of everything you want all sorted. The Flask pub in Highgate is also warm and buzzing for drinks, pub grub and a crowd that are very social too.
My favourite restaurant is… La Porchetta in Muswell Hill, which is an Italian family-run restaurant where there’s always queues even if you’ve made reservations! It’s authentic Italian food and attracts a great mix of people. It’s very cosmopolitan and I’ve never eaten the same thing twice as everything tastes so good.
If I want a little peace and quiet when I’m in London I… Walk round Hampstead Heath enjoying the space or, and I know it sounds a bit crazy, I go to the movies, usually at my local, the Vue in Finchley. It’s great to be able to take time out and relax as, of course, I’m usually working on the weekends ;-)
The best area of London is… North London and you may have guessed that already by some of my answers. I’ve mainly lived around North London - Muswell Hill, Wynchmore Hill and Finsbury Park. It’s got easy access for out of London gigs, which I do lots of and it’s also quite a good run to the airports. It suits me as it’s a buzzy place, with lots of little bars, restaurants, and music bars as well as lots of green spaces.
If I could change one thing about London… The traffic because it’s just too busy and the old roads in London weren’t made to handle the amount of traffic on them these days. In rush hour it’s so gridlocked that it’s quicker to drive to Birmingham than it is to cross London!
One thing everyone should do in London is… Experience London club land because it’s got such a great variety of nights and venues and it’s always changing. The other thing is go to the theatre, which I don’t do very often. But when I do I can’t believe what a brilliant night out it is - time just flies by.
Matt ‘Jam’ Lamont headlines the Back To 95 13th Birthday event alongside live act Gerideau and DJ’s Norris ‘The Boss’ Windross, Ramsey & Fen, Hermit and many more on Saturday March 1st at Club Colosseum
IMAGE: Gavin Mills