Almost 40 years DJ experience and now based in Cairns, JC has played at Kuranda Roots in 2023, as well as sevreal local veunes including The Salt Hose, Brother Jenkins, Kuranda Twilight Markets and more, & before moving here lived on the Sunshine Coast for 2 years & did some DJ gigs there and in Brisbane. Before moving to Queensland JC was based in Sydney and for over 20 years, played at every major venue, & held down several residencies, he has also played at several major festivals including Sydney Festival, Soulfest, Vibes on a Summers Day, Playground Weekender, Surry Hills Festival and more. JC has had DJ support slots for artists including Soul II Soul, De La Soul, Roy Ayers, George Clinton & Parlaiment / Funkadelic, Kashmere Stage Band, Syl Johnson, Robert Glasper, Norman Jay, Mr Thing, Crazy P and many more. Aside from all the tours and special events, JC lends himself to DJing at corporate functions and private parties, as well as running the Promotion and Events Company Funkdafied that was formed in 2006. JC has played at events all over Australia.
JC grew up in London exposed to the sound of mainstream popular music. It wasn’t until 1982 when a friend introduced JC to ‘Planet Rock’ by Afrika Bambaataa that his love affair with Electro Funk, Hip Hop and vinyl began. “I started doing odd jobs and saving money so I could purchase vinyl and started collecting as much Hip Hop records as I could. At the age of 16 I got my first set of turntables, they were a very old set of decks and mixer combined in one large 'coffin' style case - we are talking old school!”
By the time JC hit 18, he was running a mobile disco that lasted three years, playing in local bars, birthday parties and weddings alongside his best friend at the time. After many years playing odd events, and Djing at parties, John moved to Sydney in 1995, learning about the Australian music scene landing himself various DJ parties, eventually playing at the after party for the ‘Take It to The Bridge’ boat party in Sydney 2001. Later in 2001 went to live in Dublin, Ireland for two years, JC hosted a radio show in Dublin for 14 months called the “All Funked Up Show” on Jazz FM 89.8, in addition to DJing at events. His show not only attracted an enormous following, but also sparked his love for radio broadcasting.
JC returned to Australia in 2003 playing out at various venues, scoring a weekly radio show on Bondi FM called ‘The Funkdafied Show’ which he hosted for 7.5 years. In that time, JC secured interviews with elite musicians/DJs including Norman Jay, Micheal Franti, Ohmega Watts and many more. JC also had radio shows on Eastside Rado for two years and Radio 2RDJ in Sydney.
With an exhaustive music collection that now spans Jazz, Blues, Soul, Funk, Afrobeat, Reggae, Hip Hop, Latin, Disco, House, D&B; JC is a DJ who can play many genres but always with the emphasis heavily on Funk, and keeping the dance floor rocking!
