DJ Nipper

Why do we love to love bands that come from our home towns? Coming from Salford (says so on my Passport) Ive always had a strong interest in Manchester music as people generally say theyre from Manc rather than Salford (except maybe John Cooper Clarke). So when I heard the Ting Tings came from Salford I had to investigate. The album “We started nothing” is our kitchen and car favourite now. Their wonderful Glastonbury performance cemented them in my affections and we now have tickets for their Sheffield gig in Sept. These guys will go far. Im actually from Little Hulton, which spawned part of Joy Division and the Happy Mondays as well as the now forgotten First Offence (or F-Off for short). They were on our mate Eric Powells label Blip whose tag line was forward in all directions. F-Off were the first white rap band that I knew of who mixed bits of the Sex Pistols, Beatles and Doors tunes and even an odd bit from Trumpton, into their backing track. They were on the verge of signing to a major label and being BIG when an NME journalist interviewed them. Eric maintained that the journo in question had no sense of humour but after he wrote about them being homophobic sexist thugs (theyd joked about AIDS apparently) the interest from the majors evaporated and they died on the vine. The 12″ I have has a mix by Eric and DJ Nipper.

Nipper (so called because he was a short arse) and I were alter boys way back when I was into punk and he was into soul nothing in common and that was that.

Then I did him a tape of some Hip Hop stuff Id heard Grandmaster Flash on the wheels of steel – and we had something we both liked. Years later I saw a poster for DJ Nipper at the Hacienda and wrote to ask if it was him, and it was. How long have you been doing this? Since you made me a tape when we were kids and he sent me a 12 single hed done Dope on wax. I sent it to Peel, who played it I was dead chuft! (Wish I had a few copies of this one!) Ive lost contact with him again but keep looking out for posters with his name on I found some of his stuff on myspace and this about him whilst trawling the net.you out there Nipper?

POSTSCRIPT

I left a message on Nippers myspace page and got this reply from Hong Kong where he’s been hanging out for the last 6 years…

Wow !!!

Hi Bob !!!

I read your article and it made me smile coz what u said about the tape and its influence on my whole life of DJin is so true and i tell that story to anybody who asks me how i started DJin> I can remember that tape and i also remember a mix of 2 ACR tracks being mixed together making a flanging effect and i used to listen to it over and over again. And an ACR track with the sound of a tape cassette being chewed up and it fooled me the first time. Wonderful memories brother… 🙂