Smiling DJs. Not as common as they once were. Maybe it’s down to selectors hoping that the music they play should speak for itself, or maybe the over-scholarly ventures into crate digging have left them somewhat socially inept. Either way, there isn’t as much personality on show anymore, with set-lists ticking either the overly familiar or compulsively obscure boxes, but leaving the good-times option unmarked. However, Galway has always been fortunate enough to rely on the sound ears of Graham Dolan to whack the funometer right up into the reds. For the last 10 years, the city of Tribes have danced to the patchwork of unpretentious tunery stitched together by Dolan, AKA DJ Stroller, in every pub, club and squat with a working PA. Everywhere from the Roisin Dubh, the Bierhaus, The Bluenote and the GPO have had to mop up punters’ sweat late in the night after the ever-beaming Graham has finished dousing them in everything from children’s TV themes, Motown stompers, cheeky bootlegs and bonafide indie gems. If a man’s taste in music is an insight into what goes on inside his brain, Graham’s mind is awash with bright cartoon colours in a land where Fat Albert and the gang get drunk with the Ninja Turtles while Kermit the Frog gets dating-tips from Kool Keith.
His annual head to head funk excursions with Jeremy Murphy have become some of the most anticipated sets on the west coast, with the two beat merchants in charge of pushing the momentum to exploding proportions on the Saturday night of Galway’s Community Scratch Games. But Graham is used to the high-pressure spots, having amassed one of the most ridiculous collections of support slots that would make any head woozy. Lets see, big breath now – he’s played before Cut Chemist, The Pharcyde, Marlena Shaw, RJD2, Giles Peterson, DJ Cash Money, The Nextmen, Erol Alkan, DJ Dexter and the Audio Bullys. Oh, and he’s played after Atmosphere, Ugly Duckling, Kidz In The Hall, Final Fantasy, Dan Deacon, The Mad Professor, Bloc Party and Asian Dub Foundation. I even left a few out, to be honest. The kid has the credentials.
The under-lying issue that always makes a Stroller set such a refreshingly fun event is his dedication to playing GOOD music, rather than NEW music. New does not automatically equal GOOD. There’s no slow set with Graham, its go hard or go home. Some DJs pace themselves perfectly over the course of a night, gently elevating the mood, the ambiance and the BPMs. Not Graham. Its wall-to-wall bangers for the night. Relentless fun. Anyone who catches him this Saturday in the Wicked Chicken with his heavy hits artillery in check should keep an ear peeled for his ability to blend 2 seemingly divergent tracks together to push things in some bizarre directions. Here’s his current top 3 personal mixes that push things over the edge of madness.
Tipper – “Ton Of Bricks” VS Ini Kamoze – Here comes the hot-stepper”
Shawn Lee’s PingPong Orchestra – “Psychedelic Sambai” VS Wu Tang “Mystery of the Chess-boxin”
Mischief Brew – “Kraftywerk” VS Audio 2 “Top Billin”
Johnny DoobsGraham Dolan (DJ Stroller) plays the Wicked Chicken, Saturday 20th of June from 10pm onwards.
Recent Comments