I say "DJ" you say "Rimmer"
The British 800m runner Michael Rimmer (AKA DJ Rimmer) talks to spikesmag.com about droppin’ it like it’s hot from behind the decks.
How did you get involved in DJing?
MR: I was only 17 at the time and I probably wasn’t old enough to be in there but I played the clubs in Southport and Liverpool – just me and my mate. We used to mess about on the decks at house parties and one time a club owner was at a party and was looking for a new RnB DJ. We auditioned and did it for a couple of years. It was good to do something away from the track but the late nights (as an elite athlete) were killing me. We played every Wednesday and Saturday but I had to knock it on the head when I was 19 – I moved to Manchester to train with Norman Poole.
What makes a good DJ?
MR: You need to know your music, it’s as simple as that. Play the right music at the right time. Don’t play the good tracks early on, wait until the club is full. I wasn’t really a massive talker – I just let my music do the talking. After a while the club owner wanted to set up a separate RnB night on Thursdays, it was really good. I think we did it really well.
What was your DJ name?
MR: My mate was called Andrew Bromley and obviously my second name is Rimmer so it was Rimmer and Bromley…RnB. We used to play in a place called Club Arena in Liverpool and Club Code in Southport.
Are you still interested in music now?
MR: Yeah, the music channels are always on all the time at home. I always like to know the good songs that come out. It’s still a big passion of mine, even though I probably don’t realise it as much.
What is your perfect track to listen to before a competition?
MR: I tend to listen to a lot of
Michael Jackson. It goes back to when I was a youngster. I used to play Michael Jackson so much on the record player at home. I used to love to dance to
Off The Wall. My iPod is choc-a-block with Michael Jackson. There are so many different sounds he’s done. To psyche myself up I listen to
Beat It and
Bad. I find I quite often repeat those tunes.
What is your ideal song to listen to on your way to the track?
MR: On the way down to the track I always listen to
Coldplay. Yellow or Trouble.
What about your ideal track for after you’ve competed?
MR: It’s probably a good idea that I do listen to a track, it might help calm me down with all the adrenaline pumping after racing – I often struggle to sleep.
What do you chill out to at home?
MR: I listen to
Kings of Leon a lot. I like
Use Something. The whole album is amazing. It’s not long enough, though. It ends too soon.
Do you miss DJing and would you go back to it?
MR: I do miss it, yeah. It’s just a weird buzz.
Is it a similar buzz to the one you get from athletics?
MR: A little bit. You can directly see the influence you’re having. People tell you how good it is and it is just a really, really great feeling. It’s something I would go back to.
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