Melissa Lane

The former front woman for Deee-Lite is back in the U.S. after a ten-year hiatus in London. As Lady Kier explains, "thanks to a certain one-hit record" she was able to continue writing music without the pressure of producing. And then DJing came along.

Lady Kier: Somebody asked me to play for a benefit, and I was like, I'm not really a DJ, but it's a benefit, okay... And I just had so much fun, I thought, wow, you know what, I can do this, too. It's a good income--and I still can't believe people pay you just to play what you like. So you know, I don't really promote myself as a DJ, but I do get a lot of DJ gigs.

Did you know how to mix?

LK: Most people spend years and years polishing their craft, but I pretty much learned in front of everybody. It was sloppy at the beginning, really sloppy. But it didn't stop me, `cause it's such a fun job, I mean, who would say no to that? I can mix now but I'm really more into the selection. Mix everything flawlessly? I'm not that kinda DJ. I like to play for the dancers--I still have very raw technique [laughs]--I do!

What do you play?

LK: I don't have just one style; it's constantly changing, depending on what my current passion is. Right now, I'm playing a lot of old disco tracks, rare disco tracks. I'm really into the punk-funk scene, like Z records, and I play a lot of eighties stuff, and a little bit of R&B, some house. I'll probably play more house--older house--at the one club [Four] and a little more R&B at the other club [Funky Buddha Lounge] but it'll have a backbone of punky-funk disco--distorted disco, I like to call it.

What does the future hold?

LK: I wanna get my ass back up on that stage. I'm working on songs that are a fusion of the things I love. My whole thing is to defy categories... And to cure people's boredom!

Lady Kier spins with Heather Doble at Flawless at Four, 1551 West Division, (773)235-9100, on October 30, and with DJ Kool Herc at Funky Buddha Lounge, 728 West Grand, (312)666-1695 on October 31.

(2005-10-25)

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