Adventures on the Wheels of Steel: the Rise of the Superstar DJs

DJs like Fatboy Slim, Sasha and Paul Oakenfold are the new pop stars: high priests in the rapidly expanding world of dance music. Drawing on many nights out, this is DJ Dave Haslam's fascinating collection of portraits of the major players.

Dave Haslam travels Britain to meet clubbers and promoters: hangs out with Sasha in Glasgow, Fatboy Slim in Nottingham, Paul van Dyk in Cardiff, Norman Jay at the Southport Soul Weekender, and Lottie in Newcastle. He meets influential DJs like Pete Tong, pioneers including Jimmy Savile, younger DJs, and unknowns. He interviews mod DJs from the 1960s, Northern Soul DJs from the 1970s and rare groove DJs from the 1980s. He follows aspiring turntablists in the DMC mixing championship, from the heats in Birmingham to the world final.

Among the exclusive stories and tall tales, we hear about the millionaire DJ who went to a friend's wedding dressed as a bee, the Radio One DJ who emptied a dancefloor in Ibiza, and the DJ who set a girl's hair on fire. This is a unique, entertaining and revealing book, where the tables are turned and the world of dance music is seen through the eyes of DJs, their fans and their managers. It's a book that will be enjoyed by dedicated clubbers and anyone curious to know more about a vital but under-documented part of modern music: the history of dance music and the rise of the superstar DJs.

Dave Haslam has written for the ‘NME’, ‘The Face’, the ‘Observer’ and the ‘London Review of Books’. He DJ-ed over four hundred times at the Hacienda through the ‘madchester’ years. As well as various successful Manchester residencies, he has since played regularly worldwide; from Cream in Liverpool and Home in London, to Detroit, Paris, Ibiza and Berlin.