Brad Knutson

When DJs are booked to play Smart Bar, most are generally content to spin for an hour or two. This isn't nearly enough time for England's Mr. Scruff, however. The Mancunian mixer famous for his cheeky scribble cartoons is scheduled to perform a full seven-hour set this weekend, essentially playing the club from open until close. Newcity recently caught up with Scruff, known to his friends and family as Andrew Carthy, to find out the motives behind his deck-hogging madness.

"I always try and play the whole night wherever I go. That is the way I spin at my UK residencies, and I think it is best if I give everyone the `real deal,' so to speak." So how does one navigate spinning records for almost as long as a complete workday and still keep things interesting? As expected, Carthy has the formula down pat. "I get to warm up and create a mood for the first hour or two, and then get busy for the next five hours! I play a lot of styles of music, so that your feet don't get bored." Fans of Carthy's DJ work and recorded material can certainly attest to the depths of his vinyl crates, which are always stocked with a heavy dose of old-school jazz, soul and hip-hop breaks. Regulars at the Smart Bar will also attest to this as well, as Carthy has rocked the basement floor numerous times over the years. "I really like the Smart Bar. It has a good, homey, underground family atmosphere and a great sound system." Carthy also enjoys coming to Chicago to soak up the musical heritage and local cuisine, but most of all, he loves the crowds he gets at his Smart Bar gigs. "They're great dancers!" Carthy exclaims.

On the recorded side of things, be on the lookout later in the year for a Mr. Scruff collaboration with Quantic, a Jazzanova remix, a Big Chill compilation, a second installment of his Solid Steel mix series and possibly even a new full-length album. However, Carthy warns, "Don't hold your breath for the last two."

Mr. Scruff spins at Smart Bar, 3730 North Clark, (773)549-0203 on March 25 at 10pm. $10 cover.

(2006-03-21)

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