By Vanessa
Roger Goode has become a household name in South Africa as one of the best in the entertainment industry. His name rings familiarity along with the likes of Derek Watts, Gareth Cliff, Alex Jay, Riaan Cruywagen, Trevor Noah and even Helen Naude. Iconic celebrity personalities in their own right. Roger Goode has joined the clan of influential South African names that managed to revolutionise and stir up our comfort zones.
Not new to Nelsparta, Roger will once again ruffle the dormant dancing feathers. No introduction needed here; this long-standing radio personality, with an impressive music career (including the talents of Pete Tong), continues his true passion: to make people happy and united through music and dance.
We can never resist an opportunity to cross-examine, scrutinize (in a good way) or pick this guy apart in the pursuit of getting to know him completely. So, we thought we’d catch up with Mr Goode ahead of his return on the decks in Nelsparta.
STM: It is apparent and beautiful that you acknowledge your fan base in Nelspruit because every time you’re here, you somehow seem to be the one having the most fun! You give off a magical vibe as a DJ and Nelspartans respond favourably and surrender completely to your talents on display. Tell us about the feeling that ignites within you when you see people completely losing themselves to your selection of music and your flawless ability to mix them together.
RG: What can I say, all entertainers probably get a kick out of performing live. It’s kinda like surfing. You have to keep a sharp eye on the waves the whole time, be adventurous and try something new. It really is great fun when you get it right!
(photo supplied)
STM: Where would Roger Goode like to end up? What would be a perfect defining moment in your career to call it a day and put down the headphones for good?
RG: I’d like to imagine myself still doing this when I’m an old man, the industry in this country is still in its infancy so perhaps the young at heart have long careers, I’ll let you know. I would like to release a whole lot more music that I’ve been sitting on. When I have some free time a new album is in the pipeline.
STM: Tell us about the equipment you have at home. Were you one of the proverbial Technics SL1200 masters? What is your preference when it comes to mixers? Do you mix on programs such as Ableton Live? Tell us about your personal preferences.
RG: I have a pair of SL
I also have a sound studio at my offices with a collection of gear that I’ve built up over the years where we do a lot of radio and music production. My DAW of choice varies depending on what we are working on. For radio, I always end up using the Adobe audio suites, for music production we’ve always supported the Steinberg family.
STM: You are hot. You are happening. Any awkward groupie-type scenarios you’d like to share?
RG: I had some peeps try and follow me home from a club after a big party once, and as you can imagine I became a bit paranoid about keeping my movements as inconspicuous as possible since then.
STM: I first became aware of Roger Goode as a DJ when your Saturday Surgery album was gifted to me. I fell in love with one of the tracks by Salif Keita and the mixing on the entire album was smooth and flawless. How do you go about finding tracks to mix?
RG: These days anyone can be a DJ really. Open your smartphone and you’ve got access to an unlimited amount of places where you can get the latest new music. Over the years, I’ve also ended up on mailing lists for promos and samplers from some of the best record labels in the world who always send us something interesting to listen to while we’re hammering out emails in the office, so I find I’m almost always listening to something new.
(photo supplied)
STM: What do you listen to when you’re not listening to electronic music? Reveal to us your go-to-sing-along-and-tell-nobody song?
RG: We live on internet streaming services. I have a whole lot of stations around the world that I enjoy listening to at home. When I’m in the car listen to beats on flash sticks for my DJ sets. In fact, you’ll probably hear one or 2 of them this Friday night!
STM: Lastly, who is your favourite and most inspiring DJ in the world?
RG: I have a few but I would have to say Goode old Pete Tong has always maintained the highest standards with his shows on the BBC, and his events and party brands have always had a cool look and feel so he’s always been a great influence.
STM: Thank you, Roger. You know we love you because you keep coming back to us. You get the blood flowing, the heart racing and the feet tapping. Nelsparta can do with a whole lot more of you!
RG: Thank you, really appreciate the time you have taken to put this together. See you on Friday 🙂
You can catch Roger at Jock Pub & Grill on Friday 01 June, entrance is R60 and will be supported by local resident DJ’s.
Tune in weekdays from 06:00 till 09:00 for The Roger Goode Show on 5FM.
Follow Roger on social media:
