The weDJ Report
Meanwhile, weDJ – the show organised and run by London-based Westend DJ, in partnership with On The Rise – made a strong return last November for a packed weekend of turntablism, seminars and tutorials, alongside stands from key suppliers and manufacturers in the heart of London.
The choice of venue for weDJ, Leake Street Arches, was a masterstroke; I absolutely loved the place. Back in the day, I used Waterloo station frequently over a number of years to get to work. But I’d never even heard of this incredible venue, a place that reeks of creativity.
Leake Street Arches is a unique, semi-underground cultural venue located beneath the railway lines running into Waterloo.
It’s obvious that this is the type of event the wider entertainment industry is crying out for. When I became a DJ, I did so knowing that I was aiming at mobile. I knew I wanted to make money, and that my chances of doing so were greatly increased if I bought enough kit to put on a show without needing anything from the venue. I genuinely believe, however, that the number of people who take that approach is vanishingly small. Whether we like it or not, very few people starting out as a DJ want to play in a hotel or village hall. That is, until they realise that it’s a fantastic way of getting paid.
The space is highly atmospheric and raw, an environment which is absolutely perfect as a sort of underground, artist-centred venue. I have read that it’s internationally renowned (not for me, obviously!) for its central tunnel, which is a designated zone where graffiti and street art are entirely legal and, in fact, encouraged. This rule makes the tunnel a constantly evolving, living canvas, attracting artists from all corners of the globe – not unlike the music industry itself.
The individual arches house a collection of independent restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues, and, within those spaces, there is a pretty large event area, which was perfect for the second iteration of the event designed by the London-based retailer Westend DJ in partnership with DJ academy, On The Rise.
I managed to attend the first day of the weekend and am really happy to report that it looked like a very successful show. With a heavy emphasis on content and equipment aimed at up-and-coming DJs, there is no doubting that weDJ looks and feels very different to any of the BPMs we saw in the past. Seminars were held across two learning zones and were clearly aimed at anyone who is taking their first steps in our industry. Indeed, the first two seminars were titled “Get out of the bedroom” and “If you love music, you should learn how to DJ”. Those that I saw were really well attended and featured panels of some of the biggest names in the DJ world.
And that is at the heart of something I truly believe: our industry needs this type of event to breed new mobile DJs.
The people I saw were very obviously into their music, loved the turntables, enjoyed being around the large sound systems, and I’m sure many went away with their passion well and truly ignited. I’m willing to bet that a great many of them are the future of the mobile DJ world, and the suppliers who were in attendance for the weekend will benefit for years to come.
But what was there for the established mobile DJ? Quite a lot, in fact. As well as all the turntables, keyboards, and software aimed more at bedroom studios, we had some very familiar faces and brands. I was glad to catch up with a number of our advertisers and contacts, as well as a lot of industry friends.
There were a number of new products on show which I had plenty of time to explore. Getting my hands on a set of decks was more of a challenge – while there were a fair number there, they were very popular and constantly had people ready to have a go.
All of this makes me wonder what will become of the events which are truly aimed at mobile DJs? Right now, the only one going is the Pro Mobile Conference. In fact, our mission now is to grow that show to include more of an emphasis on equipment, while providing learning and networking opportunities for anyone who wants to up their game, network with like-minded people, learn more or perhaps turn a side-line into a business.
While new shows like weDJ and CRE8 focus brilliantly on the craft, the technology, and the passion of performance, PMC is the one place where the content is built around the business model of being a successful mobile operator and now will feature a whole lot more equipment. Though, that said, I still believe that any DJ gathering is worth attending.
So now we have a rebirth of sorts. What weDJ and On The Rise have done is launch a show which obviously has a massive audience. And that will grow. It will feed a huge demand who will attend in numbers, and I have no doubt that CRE8 in Wakefield will do just as well.
And the great news is, if you missed weDJ and can’t make CRE8, the third edition of weDJ is booked for the weekend of 7-8 November 2026. I hope to see you at one (or more) of these shows. It really isn’t just a saying when we say, “use it or lose it”.
The choice of venue for weDJ, Leake Street Arches, was a masterstroke; I absolutely loved the place. Back in the day, I used Waterloo station frequently over a number of years to get to work. But I’d never even heard of this incredible venue, a place that reeks of creativity.
Leake Street Arches is a unique, semi-underground cultural venue located beneath the railway lines running into Waterloo.
It’s obvious that this is the type of event the wider entertainment industry is crying out for. When I became a DJ, I did so knowing that I was aiming at mobile. I knew I wanted to make money, and that my chances of doing so were greatly increased if I bought enough kit to put on a show without needing anything from the venue. I genuinely believe, however, that the number of people who take that approach is vanishingly small. Whether we like it or not, very few people starting out as a DJ want to play in a hotel or village hall. That is, until they realise that it’s a fantastic way of getting paid.
The space is highly atmospheric and raw, an environment which is absolutely perfect as a sort of underground, artist-centred venue. I have read that it’s internationally renowned (not for me, obviously!) for its central tunnel, which is a designated zone where graffiti and street art are entirely legal and, in fact, encouraged. This rule makes the tunnel a constantly evolving, living canvas, attracting artists from all corners of the globe – not unlike the music industry itself.
The individual arches house a collection of independent restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues, and, within those spaces, there is a pretty large event area, which was perfect for the second iteration of the event designed by the London-based retailer Westend DJ in partnership with DJ academy, On The Rise.
I managed to attend the first day of the weekend and am really happy to report that it looked like a very successful show. With a heavy emphasis on content and equipment aimed at up-and-coming DJs, there is no doubting that weDJ looks and feels very different to any of the BPMs we saw in the past. Seminars were held across two learning zones and were clearly aimed at anyone who is taking their first steps in our industry. Indeed, the first two seminars were titled “Get out of the bedroom” and “If you love music, you should learn how to DJ”. Those that I saw were really well attended and featured panels of some of the biggest names in the DJ world.
And that is at the heart of something I truly believe: our industry needs this type of event to breed new mobile DJs.
The people I saw were very obviously into their music, loved the turntables, enjoyed being around the large sound systems, and I’m sure many went away with their passion well and truly ignited. I’m willing to bet that a great many of them are the future of the mobile DJ world, and the suppliers who were in attendance for the weekend will benefit for years to come.
But what was there for the established mobile DJ? Quite a lot, in fact. As well as all the turntables, keyboards, and software aimed more at bedroom studios, we had some very familiar faces and brands. I was glad to catch up with a number of our advertisers and contacts, as well as a lot of industry friends.
There were a number of new products on show which I had plenty of time to explore. Getting my hands on a set of decks was more of a challenge – while there were a fair number there, they were very popular and constantly had people ready to have a go.
All of this makes me wonder what will become of the events which are truly aimed at mobile DJs? Right now, the only one going is the Pro Mobile Conference. In fact, our mission now is to grow that show to include more of an emphasis on equipment, while providing learning and networking opportunities for anyone who wants to up their game, network with like-minded people, learn more or perhaps turn a side-line into a business.
While new shows like weDJ and CRE8 focus brilliantly on the craft, the technology, and the passion of performance, PMC is the one place where the content is built around the business model of being a successful mobile operator and now will feature a whole lot more equipment. Though, that said, I still believe that any DJ gathering is worth attending.
So now we have a rebirth of sorts. What weDJ and On The Rise have done is launch a show which obviously has a massive audience. And that will grow. It will feed a huge demand who will attend in numbers, and I have no doubt that CRE8 in Wakefield will do just as well.
And the great news is, if you missed weDJ and can’t make CRE8, the third edition of weDJ is booked for the weekend of 7-8 November 2026. I hope to see you at one (or more) of these shows. It really isn’t just a saying when we say, “use it or lose it”.
