MC LiveLee Interview 1997

‘Long haired Lee’ is probably best known in the scene as 1 half of the Vibes & LiveLee show. They have graced just about every club within all corners of the UK ‘usually in 1 night!’ and have even ventured into foreign lands. Lee has MC’d as far away as Ireland, Germany and America.

About 5 years ago Lee was going out to a whole host of clubs as you average raver before channelling his energy into ‘Partners in Crime’ – you must remember this mad group of dancers who were performing PA’s up and down the country for at least 2 years. (They were the ones in the funky outfits!). It was while Lee was doing this that he met Shane (DJ Vibes). “It was a Roller Express night, I was on stage and Shane had just finished on the decks and I just went up to him and said “Oi, blondie, come here, we want to do your PA next week at Reincarnation at Crystal Palace”, basically we beat him up until he agreed! Then I went out with him a few nights when he was playing out and I used to bug him talking into his ear. Shane would say to me “don’t talk in my ear talk into the mic”. Basically, I started off just grabbing the mic to say “DJ Vibes – boys from London – here to say oi oi? Then I thought with a DJ of this quality I’d better pump up my standard so I made sure I got better. Over the last 2 years it’s built up, I mean when I first started I’ve got to admit I was a one word wonder – who would have thought 2 years down the track you’d have the Vibes & LifeLee show”.

Since then Lee has become a respected MC in his own right. Himself having MC’d on his own every weekend for 2 months in Ireland. “Unfortunately the club got shut down due to the police. Shane would play out there occasionally. From there I’ve MC’d for just about every rave organisation in the country –including Helter Skelter, Hardcore Heaven, Circus Circus (Ireland), Club Kinetic, Pandemonium, Pleasuredome/Skegness – basically all the major events and most of the smaller ones. Wherever I MC I’m going to put the same amount of effort in whether it’s Labrynth or Helter Skelter – it’s still going to be the same. People are up there to see you. If you don’t put 110% into it the word gets round. You’ve got to be true to everyone”.

Lee is a Happy Hardcore MC although he has MC’d to a whole range of style. “When I was in Ireland I sometimes MC’d to a bit of House and Garage, occasionally I’ll do Techno although I try and stay away from that. I don’t really do much Jungle. I listen to everything really. A lot of people ask me why I listen to rave stuff but because I DJ as well it helps me to improve. Footballers are going to watch themselves play the same as MC’s need to listen to the music – it gives you new ideas”.

Lee’s life is looking pretty busy at the moment. An average weekend giving him between 5-9 bookings. “The life of an MC is just an added plus of a raver really except I’m putting my ideas into their heads. It’s just a question of keeping them going and trying to make them have as much fun as I’m having. I understand the rave and I understand them which helps and comes out in my MCing”.

“In a lot of ways MC'ing is no different to DJing”. Lee also DJ’s all over the country having played at Shrewsbury, Kinetic (a lot) and various regulars in Wales – “To be honest DJing is a challenge for me – it’s an added bonus”.

“There are many similarities between MCing and DJing. You’ve got to be totally professional about it. If you’re going to go out and be an MC who gets pissed or drugged up – you’re in front of everyone and people remember – if you mess up you’re on tape. It’s the same for a DJ although an MC is more in the line of fire than what the DJ is. My rhymes have got to fit into the beats, so you’ve got to listen to the music and be aware of what’s going on. I’d say you’ve both got to be as aware as each other. It helps for the DJ to know what the MC is doing and vice versa which is why I think me and Shane work really well”.

The famous duo are performing their show ‘90% of weekends’. “Shane’s always pushed me to go on my own if I want to but we both think we work better together. Our average weekend will be up on Friday in the afternoon is possible. Then we’ll get ready to go, usually about ¾ o’clock, we’ll do about 3 events on Friday, usually ranging from about 400-600 miles. Saturday we’ll sleep as much as we can, getting up at about 4/5 then it’s the same sort of thing really. It’s really tiring – you need a whole week to recover. You don’t realise how much you can mess up your body clock. We’re always falling asleep at petrol stations!”

When Lee is not MCing he is recovering from the weekend which he does by playing snooker (although he is always beaten by Shane!). “I’ve just got engaged and I’m getting married next year which keeps me busy during the week! Sometimes there are bookings during the week – especially during the 6 week holiday for the kids with the teen ‘do’s’ but on the whole we’re getting ready for the weekend so we can put all our efforts into that”.

The scene over here at the moment consists mainly of the big events which is killing out smaller events. You’ll find you’ve got Helter Skelter one week then Dreamscape and where they’re trying to use the same sort of venues it’s harder for ravers to be able to afford to go to a club in between. Clubs that are well known like Diehard and Labrynth are really suffering for it.

So Lee has been around circulating the Hardcore market with his lyrical ability for a while now and is finally getting the recognition he has longed for. But who were this bubbly lad from Grays personal inspirations? “MC wise the person I looked up to most was MC MC. That’s who I was listening to when I was raving – we all used to sing along at parties. Sharkey’s done well in what he’s doing. Marley and Connie do their own thing and I rate them as well. On the Jungle side Stevie Hyper D is top man. DJing I’d definitely say Shane, not for just being a friend but I used to listen to him before – I didn’t know that he lived around my area – I think that he’s the best DJ in the country and he’ll always listen to what the ravers want. Then you’ve got people like Slipmatt and Sy. They’re all good if they’ve got the front to go up there – it’s the same for MC’s – within reason!”

So this MC’ing lark is proving to be a full time occupation – Lee will spend time during the week preparing lyrics for the following weekend. “Some of my lyrics are prepared. People who always do freestyle and don’t know what they’re going to say are going to end up getting tongue twisted. A lot of MC’s go in there thinking they can just walk in there saying ‘let me have a go’ – then they’ll get half way through it and a vocal will come in on the tune and they’re still babbling on. So if you know what you’re going to do – say it stops dead in time. My rhymes are made up but sometimes you get an adrenalin rush which is when you put in something extra – you need a variation”.

Lee is soon to put his lyrical ability to the test when he first goes into the studio. “At first I’ll make tunes on my own and then after I’ve had a few out for myself I’ll do some with Shane. But I’d so some on my own first so people don’t think it’s Shane’s work and I’ve just put my name to it. There’s also a Club Kinetic album coming out soon where I’ll be doing the introduction. It’s going to be sold worldwide – there will be a big write up on the actual album cover of me and Shane. Plus there are big plans on the PA side of things for the Vibes & LifeLee show”.

“I hope to be on a lot more flyers from now on which I’ve told the promoters and they’ve 100% agreed with. They’ve always said to me why don’t you on the flyer but it’s basically because I don’t want to push myself – I’ve MC’d everywhere but I was never too bothered about getting on the flyers but now I want to be recognised all over the country! At the moment we’re doing a lot of stuff in the North West and the Midlands – a bit of the North East and some South West but the South East – the area I’m from is still quite hard to break into. I’ve been on near enough all the tapes that are being sold through. We get a lot of feedback from the all the people round the country. It’s nice when you come out of a rave and you hear a car system with you on the tape. As long as I’m still enjoying it, as long as the scene’s where it is – that’s all that matters”.

Lee’s advice to up and comings is a simple one “It helps if you get to know people. You’ve got to be a personality to be an MC. You can’t be quiet – you have to go up to people and get to know them – maybe find an area and work on it but just make sure you have fun. You’ve got to be a raver yourself to know what it’s all about – you can’t just think ‘I want to be an MC’ – you have to be on their wavelength”.

And this is probably where MC LiveLee’s strength is manifested, for in a short space of time he has broken into a very competitive market – bringing with him new ideas and enthusiasm – a recipe surely, destined for big things.