DJ History of Paul Taylor / Paul Leighton / Johnny Rocket / The Party DJ

The DJ History of Paul Taylor / Paul Leighton / Johnny Rocket / The Party DJ and a few other names – now there’s a story!

Southampton DJ Legend Paul Mico featured me recently in a series of FaceBook posts about local DJ’s. Paul even listed a couple of venues that I’d almost forgot about.

Here’s Paul’s original FaceBook post …

Anyway, I’ve decided to try and document my DJ history. Actually, putting dates this stuff which goes back over 40 years is quite challenging. If I don’t do it now, I probably never will.

I don’t expect I’ll get it all right but I can always edit things. So, if you know more accurate information please let me know and I’ll update it.

Here’s the basics, I’ll expand on some of these in future posts.

The Seventies ~ a DJ History of Paul Taylor

I started out at the local youth club and Barton Peveril where I was at school and sixth form. A few of us got together to buy some gear and we were known as Night Sounds and then The 5776 Roadshow. Quite a few different friends were involved during these years including another Paul, Norm, Ken, Richard, Jean – and probably a few I’ve not remembered.

Our first regular booking was around 1978 at The Salisbury Arms, a pub in Shirley. I think it was Friday nights. We squeezed some our gear into the little room at the front each week and played for 3 hours.

In 1979 I got a regular night at Gilbies on Waterloo Terrace in Southampton. It was my first nightclub booking playing through to a 2am finish. Gilbies was a members club, and later became The Rhino.

The Eighties ~ a DJ History of Paul Taylor / Paul Leighton

In 1981 I left Gilbies to go and try my luck in Jersey. I got a full-time residency at Lords. PLEASE CLICK HERE for a post I wrote in 2012 about my time there. I’ll post about this again.

After a season in Jersey I returned to Southampton and after doing a party for Norm’s sister Glenda, at the Shamblehurst Barn in Hedge End, got a regular Tuesday night there.

In 1982 Martines opened in Eastleigh and I joined the team there about two weeks after the opening. Again, there’s quite a lot to share, so I’ll write another post about this soon.

Next for me was New York, New York, in Southampton. I joined there with my friend Alan for the opening. Another venue with lots more great memories (although not many photos), I’ll try and put together a separate post.

This is where it all becomes a bit of a blur. I worked at Martines Portsmouth and back to the Eastleigh Martines again. Also, I did quite a few Thursdays at The Pier.

Next, I went on to work at The Venue at Tower Park when it opened in 1989. More to follow about this too.

The Nineties ~ a DJ History of Paul Taylor / Johnny Rocket

Then after retiring again in the early 1990s, I answered an advert in the Daily Echo in 1996 for The SuperBowl at Millbrook. Initially, I was doing one or two nights a week, but I ended up being the Entertainments Manager looking after booking bands and scheduling the DJ’s. I was there for over 3 years, this was where I became Johnny Rocket! I even stood for Parliament as a stunt for the company! Guess what, more to follow.

The 21st Century ~ a DJ History of Paul Taylor

Finally, club wise, I made a few appearances at the Concorde Club in 2010 and 2011.

As Paul Mico pointed out in his FaceBook post, I was also the resident party DJ for the Vine at Ower for many years. Back in those days, we would often do around twenty Christmas parties each December – good times.

That’s what I can remember of the DJ History of Paul Taylor at the moment. If you have any memories or photos from these venues please get in touch – paul@thepartydj.co.uk. I’d LOVE to hear from you!

If this post about “the good old days” has made you nostalgic for your miss-spent youth in Southampton, you may enjoy this 2014 article by Dan Kerins from the Daily Echo PLEASE CLICK HERE.

As for today … well, after more than two months of lockdown, it’s hard to remember what I do! I’m still loving my life doing weddings and parties, now both here and in Fuerteventura. I’m also about to try my hand at quizzing, something I haven’t really done since my time at The Super Bowl. More on that very soon.

Any questions – just ask! If you have read all of this my mug of tea is raised ~ wishing you all peace, love, music and more good times ~ cheers! x