This weekend (Sunday, Aug. 26), Eskimo Dance returns to Watford, the home of their first ever rave. Eskimo Dance has come a long way since its birth in 2002, and the scene itself has gone through several different eras. 10 years after its birth, and a brief hiatus, Eskimo Dance returned in 2012 with Wiley's good friend and collaborator DJ Cheeky, aka Steven Cee, at the helm. It was as if it had never left and in 2016, after filling out venues up and down the UK, Wiley and Cheeky brought Eskimo Dance to Red Bull Culture Clash.
The earliest shows weren't just grime. R&B, bashment, hip-hop and all sorts could be heard pumping out the speakers, it wasn't until the final hour that every MC in the room would pile on stage for a rowdy clash. Through it all, Eskimo Dance has been there, mixing the new talent with the old and bringing it to bigger and bigger stages, most notably the Wembley SSE Arena last year—there are even plans to take it to New Zealand and Australia by the end of the year.
With the homecoming show fast approaching, we thought it was a good time to look back on Eskimo Dance’s history and legacy by chatting to one of its architects, DJ Cheeky. From meeting Wiley in a record shop where he worked called Release The Groove to filling out Wembley Arena via regular excursions to DJ house sets in Ibiza, Steven Cee has done and seen a lot. We sat down with him to break it all down and discuss where it’s all headed.
What got you into promoting live music events? Take us back.
Before live music events, I was distributing all the grime vinyl and CD releases via my shops—Avalanche Music Hut and Rhythm Division—all whilst being a DJ, so it was really one thing I hadn't tried. I went to a rave in Ibiza in the early 2000s, had a lightbulb moment, and the rest went from there really.
When and how did you link up with Wiley to put on Eskimo Dance—what's the history between the two of you?
I met Wiley when I worked at [the record shop] Release The Groove. I remember being on him for the latest instrumentals [laughs]; we became friends after that, and I started disturbing all his white labels and acting as his DJ. I learned a lot from being around him in the early days. I called him one morning after yet another lightbulb moment. I had just got Audiowhore successfully off the ground and was looking to expand, so I said to him: "Let's bring Eskimo back." Him being just like me with ideas, we had no idea how we were gonna make it work. But the next thing you know, I hire out Proud2 a few weeks later and we have a sold-out comeback show.
What are some of the craziest and best moments you've had running Eskimo Dance?
The best moment, for me, has to be the first one back in 2012 when nobody thought it was gonna happen; the industry thought the police were gonna lock it off, but I forced it through—even with me being an inexperienced promoter—and it was a huge success. The proudest one was SSE Wembley Arena because it showed that an independent promoter can put on events at the highest level without the big, corporate promoters getting involved. I've had some crazy moments as well, but I can't really chat about them [laughs].
Sidewinder has always been your closest competitor when it comes to grime raves, but do you respect what they've done for the culture?
Yes! 100%! I fully respect Mark Lambert—he took it to another level. He did the CD packs which, in essence, carried the music in the early days.
Could we see an Eskimo Dance vs Sidewinder event in the near or distant future?
I'm ringing the guys now! If it happens, I'll buy you lot a drink [laughs].
What do you think of new grime nights like Grime Originals?
It's good. I'm glad it happened because there needs to be more than one event going on, plus it gives an opportunity to a lot of the MCs who don't often get booked to get a slot.
Some have said that Eskimo Dance has become too mainstream, both in terms of the line-ups and the attending crowd. What do you have to say about this?
Those people are ignorant. To attract huge crowds, it really is the only way. As the brand has grown, so have the MCs—most of them are way bigger than us nowadays. As a promoter, I just give the people what they want.
On Sunday 26th August, you're taking Eskimo Dance back to its birthplace of Area (now Hydeout) in Watford. Why did you decide to go back to that venue after all these years?
I felt we lost a bit of the culture, with us going so big, so I wanted to do something special once a year to keep to the roots.
What's next for grime, in your opinion? What needs to happen for it to go to the next level?
Tour the world. Let everyone take in the sound. We've made the mistake in the past of focusing too much on the UK market. Grime is so unique, it has its own entity, and can work in so many different countries. I'm taking Eskimo to New Zealand and Australia in October this year.
You also run house events like Siesta and Audiowhore, but what do you prefer personally: grime or house music?
House to DJ and listen to, but grime is built into my DNA so I'll never stop listening to it or liking it. I've just decided to retire and move upstairs to the boardroom, where I'm actually more useful.
DJ Cheeky's Top 10 reload tracks of all time (in no particular order):
Wiley - Eskimo
RBX - Rebound X
Musical Mob - Pulse X
Ruff Sqwad - Pied Piper
Wiley - Igloo
Preditah - Circle
Jon E Cash - Hoods Up
Alias - Gladiator
Wonder - What
Danny Weed - Creeper
