Whirl-Y-Gig is one of the longest running world dance clubs in London. It was set-up by Ros Madden in 1981 and she left it in the capable hands of DJ Monkey Pilot four years later. Monkey Pilot plays a wide range of music in the club, primarily world/dance fusions, but also many other genres. Whirl-y-Gig is hailed as one of the central venues for people from London's alternative community. As the official site says:
- "From heavy dub and funky tribal beats to tropical house and uplifting global trance, from African and European to Arabic and Asian, from blues and jazz to folk and classical, and from rock and pop to roots and radical, the Whirl-y-Gig soundtrack has influences from around the world yet is rooted firmly in the here and now of today's London."
Whirl-Y-Gig also appears at festivals, showing both live bands, who are mixed on the spot by DJ Monkey Pilot, or DJ sessions. They appear at such festivals as the Whitby Musicport Festival and the Sunrise Celebration. They have also appeared at the short-lived Canterbury Fayre and also at Womad Reading. The Whirl-Y-Gig is known for promoting artists such as Kamel Nitrate, Banco De Gaia, and Baka Beyond. Every so often, they compile CDs, featuring various artists who have performed at 'Whirl-Y-Gig', or just artists who Monkey Pilot likes, these CDs are released on their own record label 'Whirl-Y-Music'. The motto of the club is a Japanese sybol meaning 'wind on water'. Whirl-Y-gig is also legendary for the parachute that comes down at the end of the night, wafting the exhausted dancers with cool breeze. Beautiful lights shine down, accompanied by mood music to bring the night to a beautiful conclusion. In the words of DJ Monkey Pilot himself, "Whirl-Y-Gig is an event difficult to describe, a moment difficult to miss."
Discography
- Whirl-Y-Waves
- Whirl-Y-Waves Vol. 2 Global Grooves
- Whirl-Y-Waves Vol. 3 Sounds Imported
