After eight years helping build Dubai’s nightclub scene, countless nights bringing funk, soul, disco and house to the dancefloor, and thousands of hours broadcasting to listeners of Radio 2, local legend DJ Schooly is getting ready to say adios — for now.
“This is not a goodbye. It’s bon voyage, farewell,” he told tabloid!.
His farewell party — mostly an excuse to get all his nightclub friends together at the same time — will take place on April 23 at The Dek on 8 (free entry, if you’re keen). Before that, Schooly tells us why he’s going back to school, and gives us expert insight into the UAE’s music scene.
Firstly, what’s taking you away?
I’m looking now to getting to teaching our new generation — spreading the gospel, really. I’m going back to [the UK] to do my teacher training. That’s the next step. I can’t be a grown [expletive] man in the night clubs.
Can I ask how old you are?
You never ask a lady how old she is — you know the etiquette. I’m 21 again. It’s got to a point where I’m tired of counting, let’s just put it that way.
What’s stood out most during your time working in Dubai?
Just the DJs putting in the work here. It’s been very inspirational watching some of the DJs that were new when I got here now being established, and some of the established guys still continuing the passion for it. The DJing side is where pretty much the heartbeat of the UAE music scene is. Because most of the DJs aren’t just DJs — they’re promoters and they’re pioneers.
How has the scene changed over the years?
Things have just gotten bigger and better. The scene as a whole has grown, and people now are attracted to actually coming here. A lot of the top 20, 25, 30 DJs in the world, Dubai is now on their top five places to want to come and play.
What have been the less pleasant changes?
We’ve got more and more venues, but the opportunities to be more specialist in your music has shrunk considerably. Once one venue becomes successful, then another venue wants to, instead of creating their own model, look at other models that are already successful and expect that to be the same [for them], whereas it was never like that before.
What was it like before?
When I came here, there was iBo, which was next to the airport — don’t even know if you can remember that. A little shack. 300 music lovers, maybe less, would turn out in a week. It was an underground club. And then you had Trilogy, which had just opened. So you had two clubs with two different perspectives, but they were very open to promoters coming in and doing specific nights, whereas now, you can pretty much go from one venue to another venue to another venue, and the music is pretty much the same. As much as Dubai’s grown, the overall music availability has shrunk — or the option to be able to do that, has shrunk. Now, if there’s no instant results, then it’s not viable.
You’ve crossed paths with many artists in Dubai. What’s been the coolest experience, in that regard?
Just reconnecting with people that I helped break in the UK has been great. Seeing Alicia Keys, and her remembering me from London, and Chris Martin — just seeing people who have grown over the journey, and I’ve been a part of their journey, and then re-connecting here.
What happens to your show Late Drive with Schooly now?
That’s down to my bosses. It’s like with any other company, it’s their decision.
So no passing the torch?
No, I don’t believe in all that. You know, it was never my torch. I came off the back of a great offer, and I was blessed enough to do what I did, but that whole passing the torch thing — no, no.
When’s your last show?
We’re not saying! I’m just slipping off into the night.
Will it be sometime this month?
Maybe. I’m not a goodbye person — this is home for me. I’m leaving to pursue other options, but I will be back. Not to live, but I will be back.
Sounds ominous. Will there be a hologram of you?
You’ll probably see me at Sandance, you know, like Michael Jackson at Coachella. You’ll see me just pop up at the Mall of the Emirates or something like that.
