Twenty or so years ago house music diehards Terry Francis, “Evil” Eddie Richards and Nathan Coles launched Wiggle at a disused garage in Camden. In 2015 they’re still making dance floors move and groove, steadfastly remaining true to their musical integrity by presenting quality parties in London and beyond in the face. What’s more is that they’ve done it in the face of too many fleeting musical fads and trends to remember.
Over the years a legion of likeminded jocks have graced their DJ booth — Layo & Bushwaka, Pure Science, Maetrik, Audiofly, Stacey Pullen and Abe Duque, to name a few — and that open-mindedness has helped earned them a diverse legion of fans.
In November the triumvirate celebrated Wiggle’s 20th anniversary by issuing a killer compilation, Wiggle For 20 Years, featuring exclusive tracks from notables including Just Be, Berkson & What, D’Julz and Jay Tripwire as well as selections from recent Wiggle guests Alex Arnout, Saytek and Dachshund. Incidentally, Wiggle’s long-standing, same-named imprint continues moving along nicely, releasing Bravofox’s Spyderman EP and Lo’s Rotating Planet EP in December.
After presenting a series of parties marking Wiggle’s major milestone, the threesome continue marching to their own beat. We asked Wiggle resident Nathan Cole to briefly look back on the past 20 years and ahead to the future.
What prompted the launch of Wiggle? What was the UK club scene like at the time?
Nathan Coles: Terry Francis and myself wanted to put on a party for our friends and play the music we loved. There were a few things going on at the time, but nothing really dedicated to the housier side of tech-house, even though the name for the genre hadn’t been coined at that point.
Did you ever imagine the night running into its second decade?
We had no idea it would last as long as this, but I never thought about it ending either and just cracked on through the ups and the downs.
How have you been able to collectively stand your artistic ground against so many fleeting musical fads and trends? Terry was tied closely to the tech-house scene for a while but it didn’t seem to be detrimental to his career.
We just kept doing our thing and putting on the parties. I think it really helps when you’ve got somewhere to showcase your sound and a loyal following of people who are right there with you every step of the way.
Wiggle Brighton party, 2004
How do the early parties compare to ones you’ve thrown more recently?
The parties are still really fresh and have a real mixed group of people, from all ages and all backgrounds. Our New Year’s Eve party was amazing! We joined forces with Mr. C’s Superfreq and did a Super Wiggle Freq New Year’s Eve party! Mr. C and I organized a party together 25 years ago called Release so it was great to be working together again and the atmosphere was incredible.
What are you most proud of when it comes to Wiggle?
I’m really proud of what it means to so many people and the passion it still ignites in them through the label and the parties.
Are there any DJs you presented before they broke big?
We had Richie Hawtin play many years ago now before he was well-known, and that was one hell of a party.
How bothered are you by phones at clubs?
I’m too busy having a good time to be bothered by someone using their phone.
Looking ahead to the future, what are your hopes and aspirations for the future of Wiggle?
Just to keep keeping on and enjoying ourselves really!
What is the secret to Wiggle’s success?
Good music and good times with good people.
Archive images courtesy of Wiggle