a conceptual ‘opening set’ from the lord of the northern rivers

This month we welcome a most stunning cunnie to the Lazydaze decks, Darren Sutton, aka Lord Sut from the Cunning Stunts crew. One of the four legends behind Nudge Nudge Wink Wink - arguably the best party in the NSW Northern Rivers - Darren weaves a magical journey that will coax you out of your chair and onto the living room dance floor.

Could you tell us about your journey into music and DJing? I have always had a major passion for music as an avid and eclectic collector from a young age, making compilation tapes for car journeys and friends. I was guided by NME, John Peel and The Face. Travelling to Sydney in the early 90s, I saw the possibility of translating my love of music into properly presenting it and met lots of great and inspiring people in the early Sydney scene. The most pivotal moment was my first DJ lesson with Ali Omar. He was my guide, from borrowing decks from the Bentley Bar, to walking down Oxford St practicing time signatures, and his constant banter about head room. Living and playing in London and San Francisco were also both important in my musical education and development.

How has the Northern Rivers scene changed and progressed since you moved there and what makes it special? Its openness and outdoor beauty is still very magical and the diversity of the people living and visiting this region makes it quite special. It’s developed overt the years with more crews and DJs than when I first left Sydney to live here in 2006. From commercial to underground, most bases are covered. I’d say the scene has matured, with many variants of genres like tech house seeming to lead the style charge currently. With so many festivals in the region, there are also lots of opportunities for local DJs to get spots. Same goes with bar gigs. There are far more opportunities now, and with more crews doing regular smaller nights, it gives the scene longevity.

Could you share with us a couple of standout moments from Nudge Nudge Wink Wink? There are so many! Every single event has some magic and such a diverse range of Nudgers of all ages. We also push a variety of established and up-and-coming DJs and a few internationals. The first time Stephen Allkins played was so magical - I had to pinch myself a few times. He then became the quarterly resident and has played more Nudges than any other guest. 

Stand out in terms of whacky would be the time we had a body dragging fence jumper thrown out multiple times. We also had some macho Adonis doing one hand pull ups from one of the highest beams in the shed, completely naked at peak party time. It took ages to get him down too.  Proper mad night that one.

Nudge was started with an intention of raising awareness and fundraising for local charities, winning a Byron Shire Council award a few years back for Community Event of the Year. It was an honour and so rewarding for our team to be acknowledged for our contribution towards improving the lives of the residents of Northern NSW. In April 2023, $380,711 has now been donated to 34 local grass roots charities, creating some real and lasting impact in the community. So I am very proud of what we have achieved and we continue to raise and donate more funds to local charities. In the current economic climate, we know people are doing it tough and so partying with a conscience is the least we can do to help. The loyal NUDGERS and the wide range of people that continue to support or discover it for the first time is always amazing to watch. Many have become good friends. It’s such a beautiful collection of welcoming people and they are totally open to all musical diversions. For me personally, it’s the best gig of my life, every month.

How did you decide to approach your Lazydaze mix? Was there a concept behind it? I wanted it to be current with no nods to nostalgic classics, which was so tempting to do! So I picked a bunch of music I am feeling from the last few years and a few fresh gems. I imagined it was an opening set where the name of the game is lulling more people from the social to the dance situation. Doing so slowly, ebbing with energy and style changes to keep it interesting and flow like a mellow journey. It could be for chilling-out too, so it’s not too heavy anywhere.

Are there any particularly special tracks or moments in there for you? For sure. Fürsattl’s ‘Für Paul’ I feel is a highlight musically and vibe wise. Totally loving the new one from Jim Baron, ‘Still River’, a massive contender for track of the year for me. And the last one of the mix, The Oddness feat. Ellika - ‘Let It Move’ has been getting rave reactions in recent sets.  Also ‘Sail On’ by Al Mackenzie of D:ream - his dedication to Andrew Weatherall. I first met Al in Croatia at the Love International festival, which was the last time I saw Andrew play a few months before he left us, so it felt fitting to include it. I’ve been wanting to get his great track into a recorded set for a while as it so beautiful. So this mix felt like the right time. Andrew Weatherall was an inspiring DJ and producer and had a massive influence on me.

It’s a relaxed Sunday afternoon at home. Which album are you reaching for? I always like some dub on Sundays, so most likely Max Romeo and the Upsetters’ War Ina Babylon - one of my most loved reggae albums. Either that or it’s my tinkle in the studio time trying to finish a track from my forthcoming, sometime soon first EP. It’s very mellow and balearic in style and features live keys from Bowie’s first pianist, Jed Stone. You can hear these tracks when they drop and a ton more DJ mixes and radio shows at my Soundcloud page.

You’re hosting a dinner party and can invite any three people, alive or dead. Who are you choosing and why? Jim Morrison, Matt Johnson and Robin Williams. Imagine the banter!

You can check out the full tracklist for Lord Sut’s mix over at SoundCloud.

Connect / Listen
Nudge Nudge Wink Wink: https://cunningstunts.com.au
Listen: https://soundcloud.com/sut
FB: https://www.facebook.com/cunningstuntevents
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/cunningstuntsevents/