Mick Beatle moved to Manchester as a student in September 1990. Originally an indie kid, he embraced the Madchester sound and bands such as the Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, Carter USM, and, of course, the Wonder Stuff. By 1993, he was gradually becoming turned on to electronic dance music during his time as a writer for Pulp, the Manchester Metropolitan University student rag. Against his better judgement his musical tastes eventually evolved, aided by the influence of the Chemical Brothers and the Herbal Tea Party—and the rest is history.
Not content to remain a mere spectator, Mick soon secured the funds to acquire his own set of decks and began playing hard techno and heavy breakbeat sets at local free parties. His approachable nature within the club scene, combined with his skills behind the decks, quickly caught the eye (and ear) of Medicine Man, who would become his partner in crime for the next thirty years.
Medicine Man was the visionary behind Absolute Havok, a club night that cultivated a welcoming free-party atmosphere featuring techno with a slightly harder edge. Medicine man felt that Mick the ideal choice for resident DJ, and he has participated in every Havok event since its inception.
Soon, the duo embraced the idea of creating their own music instead of merely purchasing and playing others’ tracks—thus, Havok Records was born. Mick blended his passion for dark acid techno, heavy breakbeats, captivating sirens, and eclectic samples to develop his unique style, with the assistance of resident Havok producers Alan Woodburn and Harry Walker. Together, they formed Charlie Don’t Surf, which recorded over twenty-five tracks, including their now-legendary cover of Slayer’s Reign In Blood.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. After nearly 15 years, Mick Beatle hung up his headphones for the final time and officially called it a day, aside from the occasional annual reunion, which continues to this day.
But the story does not end here…
Nearly thirty years ago, Mick and his long-time friend Jonjo Nally were shooting the shit around a fire pit on a wasted Sunday afternoon. After consuming far too many beers, the pair began discussing which concerts they would attend if they had access to a time machine. The idea resonated with Mick and thus, Gigging was born. Unfortunately, Mick Beatle possesses a keen attention to detail, and in the pre-internet era, he found researching a book to be quite challenging. As a result, Mick put the project on hold—until now.
After completing numerous university qualifications, Mick once again picked up the pen with the express intention of finally finishing the book he started nearly thirty years ago. However, the adventures of Oscar and Leon soon expanded beyond Gigging into a full-blown trilogy, with the concluding parts, The Sacred Weetabix List and Ripples due for release very soon. Mick is currently brainstorming ideas for his fourth book, Facegod.
