Getting To Know... Waifs & Strays

Photo: Waifs & Strays

Following on from our recent chat with Ed Banger boss man Busy P, we posed our set of revealing questions to Bristolian house star Waifs & Strays. 

Formerly a bass house double team, health issues have sadly forced Rich Beanland to leave the project, leaving Amos Nelson as the sole proprietor of the moniker. 

Keeping the momentum going, Amos' more traditional house roots have seen the Waifs & Strays project continue to prosper, forming exciting new alliances with Kerri Chandler's Madtech empire (listen to 'Running Dat' above), as well as Steve Lawler's VIVa, Luke Solomon's Classic Records and Skream's new imprint Of Unsound Mind.

Ahead of an eagerly awaited headline slot at Vertical's Day Party at the Cre8 Lifestyle Centre in London on May 16th, we wanted to get to know the man behind the pseudonym. 

The most important thing on my rider is…

Sounds obvious but a good pair of CDJs and turntables, a decent mixer that works and good monitors! Nothing else is important really... I'm easy about the other stuff, all that matters is that the equipment is right to be able to play the set I want to play.

The best place in the world is…

Bristol obviously! It actually really is the best place to live, not sure I know of anyone who doesn't love it here. It’s really come into its own and brought back the Bristol identity that it lost for a while, with so many events and great things happening to make the city such a great place to live.

But I guess everyone says that their hometown is the best so if not Bristol, it would definitely be somewhere in the mountains. Nothing better that a day skiing or snowboarding followed by drinks with your mates and a big dinner to round the day off...

My first obsession was…

Lego... had loads of it. My bedroom as a kid was a giant Lego space city!

The last record I listened to was…

The Revenge's album 'Love That Will Not Die' (listen to 'Another Light' below). It's really a fantastic album, everyone should go and check it out - packed full of jams.

The perfect meal is…

Chicken kiev, chips and peas, on the sofa, with a good movie. My wife knows that if I need cheering up then she just has to serve that - proper kids food! I'm a real foodie and love cooking but sometimes it’s the really simple things that are the best!

The best movie ever made is…

Goodfellas (watch the infamous Copacabana shot below). The way Scorsese changes the pace and feel of the movie as it progresses is just amazing - I'll never get bored of it. I've probably seen it about 30 times.

My most treasured possession is…

My laptop. I've had the same one for about seven years and it’s made a lot of the Waifs & Strays tracks over the past four years. It’s been around the world with me and it’s saved me from boredom on long trips countless times! Unfortunately it’s getting old and slow now so a new one is needed.

The best DJ in the world is...

Such a tough question! For me the best DJs are the ones that have it all - great presence, technical ability, that bit of showmanship and of course the ability to rock a crowd. One of the best I have ever seen is Jazzy Jeff (below). The man is ridiculous. Such skill, but without going over the top with tricks and just smashing it every time you see him.

In the house scene, I have said for a long time that I think my good friend Eats Everything is really one of the best. He's such a technical DJ but makes it look so easy, and rocks it every time.

Catch Waifs & Strays in action at Vertical's Day Party on May 16th.

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