Krankbrother & Jackathon - behind the scenes

BBC Radio 1's Heidi runs Jackathon - a party, a label, a compilation and essentially an established global dance music brand.  On meeting two of London's most exciting purveyors of cool parties two years ago, Danny and Kieran Clancy aka Krankbrother, a new relationship was born.  Since then, the three have got together and put on events whenever possible and this Friday 20th April sees the next in the series.  We decided to get behind the scenes of what actually goes on before an event, what the three really think of each other and why Tequila is ALWAYS key.

 
Pulse: First of all, let's get down to basics, how did you three meet?  Kieran: We met in Miami at WMC a couple of years ago at the Get Lost party - we'd finally booked Heidi for one of our parties so we went over to chat to her and we've been buddies since.  
Danny: There was a lot of tequila that afternoon!
Heidi:  I was on my way out the door. I kind of reached my limit and lost my voice but they roped me in with tequila and lots of laughs.

Tell us a bit about your first impressions of each other.  Kieran: [Laughs] Well it was the final day of WMC so we were all a bit worse for wear. So I have no idea what our first impressions were. Good probably!
Danny: My first impression of Heidi was seeing her play in Greece. She was all energy and curls. I loved it. That's the kind of dj I like to watch. So when we met in Miami I was glad to find out it wasn't just a stage act, she was every bit as cool as she looked.
Heidi: My first impressions of them were great, They roll with a great crew and I was immediately drawn to them. If I'm laughing within 5 minutes of meeting someone, chances are we're friends for life.

Krankbrother and Jackathon are two of clubland's coolest events.  What would you say they have in common and where do they differ?  Kieran: Thanks. I think the atmosphere and ethos at the two parties have a lot in common - they're unpretentious and fun, with a kicking and not overly chin strokey music policy! 
Danny: I guess they differ in that Heidi takes her party all over the world working with different promoters in every city. With krankbrother, it's just Kieran and I so even though we pride ourselves on never throwing similar parties, there is always a consistency to our venue choice and production levels.
Heidi: I just try and bring a variety of music together to keep the night fresh and invite people that I know aren't pretentious assholes. Family vibe. I think the boys try and do the same. They go for the dj's and producers that they are into at the moment. It ends up being one big party with lots of smiles and hands in the air.



Is there an artist you can all agree on that would be top of your list to book?  Kieran: Yeah I reckon so. David Bowie or Prince. 
Danny: Heidi and I share a mutual love for garage rock but I think it's probably best to keep that away from our parties!
Heidi: I agree with both of them, but I would lean more towards Prince, Purple Rain era.

You've collaborated before at events, tell us a bit about how that went.  Kieran: The first thing we did together was when Heidi headlined our rooftop birthday party last year, and her set has pretty much entered folklore! People went totally nuts - it must have been a combination of the sun setting over London, Heidi's dance moves and obviously her track selection. It was unforgettable. 

And any 'creative differences'?  Danny: Hell no! The nearest we'd come to that would be arguing about where we eat beforehand!

Heidi, you're probably known best as a DJ; Danny and Kieran, more as promoters - does that cause you to approach organising nights any differently?  Kieran: I think we are more focused on the full production of our events, whereas Heidi is focused on the music policy and DJ bookings, and relies on whoever she is working with to get the rest of the vital details right for the party. But basically I think we both approach putting something on in the right way - just trying to put yourselves in the shoes of the reveller and stand out from other parties. 
Heidi:  I'm not a promoter and to be honest I could never be. It's insane what goes on behind the scenes. I'm more on the creative side. Just making sure the music is represented properly and the artists get looked after. Creating an energy that resonates throughout the night, I want people to leave and feel that they really had an experience that they remember.

Your next event takes place in London on April 20th, what do you have in store for your fans?  Danny: First up, as usual we have a great venue. I can say this as it's actually my venue and I've been really looking forward to doing a krankbrother event in there ever since I got my hands on it. Its a proper old Victorian warehouse and when it's full I guess it's the closest I'll ever get to the feeling of the old school rave days! On top of that, we've got the usual huge sound, a brand new visual show, and then of course the music! First up we have Benoit & Sergio bringing their hugely anticipated live show to London, followed by what will no doubt be a jacking closing set from Heidi.
Heidi: One thing is for sure. We will sweat alot. We will dance our arses off and we will have one hell of a time. No doubt about that, I have had visuals made for my jackathon parties and the boys are doing something different with them so I'm looking forward to seeing what they have done. I also can't wait for the crowd to see what Benoit & Sergio have instore for them.  I was with them at the new Warehouse Project on Easter Sunday and they tore the roof off the place!

What one thing is vital to all three of you about putting on a night?  Kieran: The right crowd.
Danny: Music.
Heidi: Patron Tequila!

What are your plans for collaboration for the rest of the year?  Danny: We've got a few things up our sleeves. Heidi is playing for us at Sankeys, Ibiza on May 30th alongside Dj T, Anja Schneider, Sebo K, Matt Tolfrey and W!LDKATS. We're also set to play a back 2 back set on the Pagoda Stage at Secret Garden Party. Further on in the year, we're still plotting!

And finally where in the world would you ideally like to take Jackathon and Krankbrother?  Heidi. I have started the Heidi presents the Jackathon label. Its a sub label of Get Physical. I have a remix EP coming out in May and five fresh releases line-up from Eats Everything, Maya Jane Coles, Darius Syrossian, Lauhaus, Jesse Perez. These tracks are going to blow your mind. I'm also throwing the parties more and more all over the place as well as starting my new radio show on radio 1 called Radio 1 Residency. First one is April 19th midnight -2 pm on rotation every three weeks and about a million gigs inbetween. Lots going on. The boys have their fingers in many pies. There isn't anything they can't do. Hopefully we'll be doing more together. Nothing beats working alongside likeminded individuals who don't have drug problems [laughs].
Danny: Record label, festival, Ibiza residency, tour - who knows! We change our minds all the time. Kieran and I are opening a restaurant and bar in the next few months. We're going to focus on getting that going and then who knows.

Krankbrother - The Jackathon with Heidi, Benoit & Sergio happens this Friday, 20th April at TBC, East London
For tickets and details, head here

Listen to Krankbrother on Pulse Radio