Pre Grietfest 2014 Interview || Not Bad DJs

Jean Michel From Not Bd DJs Shares His Past Grietfest Expereiences With Us 

How are you doing today and how has winter been treating you?

Winter this year hasn’t been too bad. Henk has been in sunny Puerto Rico and I have been missioning in brisk Jozi so it’s been a blast

1.      Can you tell us a little more about  who are you both on a non-musical front?

JM: I’m Jean-Michel aka Half n Half and one part of Not Bad. I work with bands by day and DJ by night. So Basically I’m trying to be a super hero.

2.      Henk makes up one half of David and Goliath and Jean Michel is of Half ‘n Half , how was  Not Bad DJs was formed?

JM: Not Bad was formed on a Sunday afternoon in Linden over a lovely lunch. The idea was for Henk to keep doing what he does best, I do what I do best, and when we do projects together (which is a lot), we would do it under the brand of Not Bad.

3.      Tell us more about the name it’s rather interesting are you really not bad DJs or is that a lie …

JM: I think we’re awesome, but that’s for the public to decide.

4.      This year you’re playing Grietfest which is something of a unique event, catering to genres that don’t often get to be paired with production, stages and lighting of the scale we’ve come to expect from the Grietfest brand. How would you describe Grietfest to someone coming through for his or her first time in 2014?

JM: One of my all time favourite shows ever was playing Grietfest 2012. I played in a Caravan and the hail came down and about 20 people took shelter in the caravan, where we continued to party, regardless of the rain/ hail/ end of the world happening outside. It was a special moment. As for a Grietfest virgin, I would say take it all in. visit various stages and enjoy the vibe. 

5.      What is the one thing about Grietfest that stands out for you?

JM: The production and the brand imaging.  It’s a strong brand that looks cool and when they promise something, they deliver. It’s a really special team.

6.      Do you have a crazy Grietfest story to share?

JM: Mine is listed above, but I’m sure Henk has one.

7.      Which local DJs do you look up to and why?

JM: Das Kapital. Because he is setting trends and doing it for himself and killing it at the same time. Christian Tiger School and Hawkword are probably my favourite DJs on the scene at the moment.

8.      Which international artists are you most looking forward to sharing the stage with at this year’s event?

JM: KOAN Sound for me.

9.      If you had to the opportunity of playing to a genre-neutral crowd without fear of judgment or being booed off the decks, what are some of the songs you’d jump at playing that you’ve always been afraid of trying out?

JM: I have some killer Katy Perry Remixes. I really love a well crafted pop song that isnt cheesy or cookie cutter and Katy Perry really does it for me. So I would drop that with a bunch of songs I havent really played in a while.

10.  What are some of the tracks in you record box that never fail to get the crowd going?

JM: I’ve been told the Kooks remix I have is always a favourite, but lately it’s these epic funk remixes that I’ve been digging.

11.  If you weren’t in music what would you be doing?

JM: Music. Anything music business related. Helping other band, DJs, artists sift through the bullshit politics of the music business and offer a platform for these acts to shine. Kind of like the DFA label did for LCD Soundssystem. Other than that probably own an art gallery.

Thank you so much for doing this interview .We hope to catch up with you soon at Grietfest