I always had a suspicion that the outrage over plague rave DJs was going to be short lived. This was because I noticed a number of people within the scene who are perceived as influential – and some who actually are – said nothing when it happened.
On the rare occasions they do say anything, they skirt the issue and say “his booking was just rolled over from one cancelled by Covid”. Nonsense. Unless you have a terrible solicitor drawing up your contracts, there is always a way to get out of a booking. Industry figureheads must think the average clubber is an idiot.
So let’s have a look at who Defected have booked for their London event at the end of September…
Oh dear. It starts pretty badly. Eats Everything, Jess Bays and Low Steppa attended the Save Our Scene UK temper tantrum last weekend. And it gets worse. I see at least one plague rave DJ on the list – the Martinez Brothers. Dear oh dear.
Defected has been pretty careful not to associate themselves with plague rave DJs – and when it emerged the Martinez Brothers did one last October, it left the label in an awkward position. At the time, they were heavily promoting a new release called “Let It Go” with Louie Vega on which the duo featured.
I was prepared to give Simon Dunmore and Defected a pass at the time. Not now. The fact they’ve booked the Martinez Brothers for this event shows they don’t care in the least about integrity. Defected only cares about making money.
They know it. I know it. And everyone else on that lineup knows it. But because most of them haven’t worked in nearly 16 months, they’re broke. They’re not going to speak out against it – and Defected knows that, too…