‘DJ Graham Gold’ Ex-KISS FM Radio legend plays Pattaya.

When I hear DJ Graham Golds name it reminds me of a time (my early to mid-twenties) when DJ dance music legends Brandon Block and Alex P, Jeremy Healy, Judges Jules and Sasha were all that anyone spoke about (we still talk about Sasha, all hail). It was a time when dance music really took a hold of the world and going out at the weekend was all that anyone really cared about.

DJ Graham Gold – International DJ and ex-KISS FM Radio show host.

A friend of mine who knows and has worked with Graham told me that he too is an expat and lives in Thailand on the Island of Koh Phangan. I then got in contact with Graham and he told me he was up for meeting and that he would be starting a new residency at the brand new Bling Nightclub in Pattaya.

With the flights and hotels booked my American friend (from Oregon) Reggie and I headed off early to the airport and made our way to meet our guest. The venue for the interview was the very convenient and pleasant Holiday Inn Express on Soi Buakow. The management and staff there were happy to help and accommodate us all and I thank them for that.

Graham arrived at hotel for the interview at 19:00 as agreed and following a quick cigarette he sat down and we got started. I would like to advise readers that we are of course not going to transcribe all of Grahams answers, however, will cover the highlights briefly. Please do watch the full recorded episode using the viewer at the end of this article or go to the Farangbowls YouTube Channel.

“Those days were absolutely insane, beyond insane!!!”.
DJ Graham Gold – International DJ and ex-KISS FM Radio host.

I asked Graham what it was that made him want to be a DJ and he took us way back to his early days as a mobile DJ listening to and playing everything and anything at the time. It’s fair to say his taste is eclectic. This love of music saw him evolving into hospital radio for 3 years and from what I gather this is where he learnt to talk to guests genuinely and not, I quote “shout at guests” as it currently done on radio.

I read out Graham’s impressive rise to fame strting with inheriting a peak time slot from Judge Jules and Danny Rampling at KISS FM in the 1990’s. From here he became the resident DJ for KISS FM’s club night called PEACH and it is said tht this is where his career took off internationally. He went on to be voted in DJ Magazines Top 100 DJ’s 8 times where he came in 22^nd for the first two years, and sold over 700,000 dance music compilations. I ask if he got much sleep? Graham laughed and I could see him wondering down memory lane again as he regaled moments and stories from his past. He spoke of how he was running the radio show then heading off on a plane Monday to Friday to play gigs to masses somewhere. He said “Those days were absolutely insane, beyond insane” and added, “I hate the age I am now and wish I was 20 years younger”. I felt for him and believed he’d do it all over again if given the chance.

Left to right: James and Graham in interview.

I went on to read out the list of venues he’s played from Glastonbury Festival to Homelands, to Gatecrasher and Godskitchen to Passion and Privilege. I asked how the dance music scene had changed in his opinion, and in particular the crowds he plays to. He said that in his day you used to either have been a mixing genius or have you own radio show, now you’ve absolutely got to be producing and releasing your own music. He advised that rather than spending too much time practising mixing, get yourself onto a music production course and even learn to play the piano. As far as the crowds are concerned he said that in his day you could play all kinds of house music genres, now punters expect to just play one give or take.

Graham is an ex-pat himself and resides on the island of Koh Phangan in the south of Thailand. He plays several gigs a month to include the famous Full Moon Parties and does the odd international gig and when he gets booked. Koh Phangan has been his home now since 2007.

The future for Mr Gold involves producing more music in his home studio of which he has a couple of releases – due out this year – and playing out where and whenever he can. He does enjoy making music, however, he confesses he is not musically trained and finds it tricky to navigate a keyboard. His heart is in playing live.

We met Graham again at 01:00 Saturday morning to film his gig.