MNKY & Ryki get the Frenzy interview treatment

22nd of March 2007 - interview copyright of Frenzy

MNKY and Ryki, two of Frenzy's favourite gueststars, are helping us out on April the 13th for our charity fundraiser when they're bringing Firesky down to the Empire Club. If you've seen them before playing for Frenzy at Slinky or the Empire then you'll know that they're two DJs who like to have a laugh... which is why we always invite them back! MNKY was unavailable for interview so we've had to make do with just one of them... step forward Mr Ricky Jordan.

1. What's the story behind the two of you first meeting and up and eventually start to DJ as a back to back act?

Mitch and I met at his 17th Birthday at Slinky! I wasn't good mates with him at the time but I knew of him as we both worked at the same bar.

MNKY (right) and Ryki (left) at Frenzy vs Slinky Hard

Our mutual friends arranged to go up to Bournemouth to celebrate his (nearly) coming of age! It was Mitch's first ever clubbing experience and he loved it! After that, we became virtually inseparable, clubbing up and down the country to every major rave we could get to!

The DJ'ing followed on from all this clubbing as we wanted to be the ones behind the decks making clubbers go mental and so this is how MNKY and Ryki were born!

2. Tell us a little more about your Firesky clubnight and what it's all about?

Firesky came about when Jon The Baptist and Corbzy, from the 'High Fish' camp, approached me and asked if I wanted to host a joint event with them. They had seen the work and effort I was putting into Hard Trancelation and wanted a piece of the action! Lucky for them I was happy to oblige as I had been a huge admirerer of the High Fish Label and the artists involved ever since the old Country Club days.

Our very very first night is on Bank Holiday Sunday 8th April (that's Easter Sunday to you religious folk) at Harry's Nightclub in Weymouth and we have Cally & Juice headlining room one and newly appointed Fusion resident (and Bournemouth boy if Im not mistaken?!) Stormtrooper heading up room two.

Ryki makes his Frenzy debut in 2006 at the Empire Club

3. You've played for Frenzy on a couple of occasions now at the Empire Club and you also both represented us at Slinky. Why on Earth do you keep wanting to come back!!?

My first Frenzy experience was November last year where you guys let me do the opening set! I did it on my tod as Mitch was unable to make it and loved every minute of it! You guys were very nice to me and the Frenzy followers made me feel very welcome too.

My second experience was in February this year for Slinky vs Frenzy. I've been a Slinky go'er for ages and to be asked to play at one of their nights was one of my ambitions as a DJ (although it wasn't Slinky at the Opera House but I'm happy with what I got!).

I was nervous as fuck for the whole of that evening trying to focus on making a good impression! Miss Ayres decided to be so DJ and blow the fuse box before us so we couldn't even play any tunes for the first 10 minutes! When the music did finally come on, I forgot about all my nerves and had a bloody wicked time. We continued to have trouble with the set-up (a bad DJ always blames his tools!) but we didn't let that get in the way of us having a laugh! The Frenzy ravers danced until the bitter end as well which was nice!

The boys struggle with the sound system at Frenzy vs Slinky Hard!

The thing I love the most about what you guys do is the whole vibe (sounds cliched) that Frenzy has going on. It's very happy and friend-orientated. It shows your all about putting on great nights for like-minded people and if I could shape my own events similar to Frenzy then I'll be a happy chappy!

4. The forthcoming Frenzy event you're playing is for charity with a doctors and nurses fancy dress theme. Have you ever been in need of urgent medical attention yourself?

I may come as a patient on the Friday the 13th as I am very accident-prone! I have injured myself a riculous amount of times... here's just one though: I was babysitting my brother and he wound me up so I chased after him through the corrider of our house and he slammed the door behind him in an attempt to get away! I didn't see him do it and I went through the glass pane in the middle of the door! Next thing I remember is glass being everywhere and everything going purple! A piece of glass had sliced open the top of my arm! There's a massive scar to show for it now and whenever people ask me how it happened I tell them was bit by a shark!

Ryki playing out down in Weymouth

5. Who is the most famous person you've ever met, and/or would like to meet?

I haven't really met anyone mega-famous. I shook the hand of Chester Bennington (lead singer of Linkin Park) at a gig I went to but that's about it!

The only person I've ever really wanted to meet is Lisa Lashes as she was the DJ I looked up to when I was learning the tricks of the trade. That desire has since fizzled out though!

6. What are your top 5 tracks of all time (and they don't have to be dance music)?

I change my mind loads when it comes to picking my favourite tunes so I'll just select my current faves across all the genres I listen to! (variety is the spice of life and all that!)

• K90 - Red Snapper (hard house)
• Walt - Let The Music Play (hard trance)
• Rise Against - Rumours of My Demise (punk)
• Atreyu - We Stand Up (metal)
• The Kooks - Matchbox (indie?)

7. What have been your most memorable gigs to date and why?

Most memorable would be 'Bassnova @ Club Ice' on Boxing Day last year. I organised a coach to take us up. My grandad drove it up, stayed in the car park all night and then drove all my wreckhead mates home again!! Twenty minutes before our set, I threw up in the toilets as I was proper nervous (as I always am!). The head doorman caught me doing it and kicked me out!

Worst gig we've played for all the technical implications would have to be the Frenzy vs Slinky event! I dunno what was going on but we had no sound from the monitors and the bass was a bit too mega that it was making records jump and cdjs where vibrating off the booth! What with Kym blowing the fuse as well it was just well sketchy! Quality times ensued once it was all fixed up though!

The future's bright, the future's orange

8. You're known for being a stylish dude, what with your funky hair and threads so could you describe to the ladies (and men) out there what you're wearing right at this moment and the collective cost of your outfit.

I like to think I'm a 'cool' type guy but when it comes to how much my outfits cost, your looking at 'BHS' clobber rather than 'wosshisname and gabbana'. A mate recently said to me that im a mish mash of different trends into one!

Anyways, Heidi does my hair for me using a kit that costs £2.50 from Wilko (shes not even a hairdresser!), I have 4 pairs of swanky jeans which go on rotation for nights out (all with rips in for extra trendiness) and I have about 30 different T-shirts from my favourite brand, Atticus. Im a bit of an Emo kid at heart! I also have a huge collection of sweatbands and I always wear the same black one to all my gigs as its my lucky one!

This afternoon I am currently supporting the 'squaddie' look with my camo shorts, dog tags and soldiers cap. If you'd have asked me this question 10 minutes ago I would have said a dressing gown.

The Firesky boys on tour in 2007

9. Who's this Heidi? In Bournemouth we assumed that you and MNKY were, you know, more than just b2b? Anyhows... on the subject of clothes, how about cross-dressing? Have you ever tried this either by yourself or in a group... and how did it make you feel?

Haha! Well i'm sorry to let all those people down who thought that we were the perfect couple but Minky and Rinky aren't in love! Rinky is in love with Heidi, the wife to be!

As for cross-dressing, I'm cool with that! I have this pact with a mate that every year we buy each other something stupid as a present for Christmas. For the last five years I've had a pink bra, a pink thong, a PVC red skirt, a pink dress and make-up! I wore the pink dress for a house party I had that year but didnt go as far as to wearing it outside in public! I've tried wearing the other stuff he bought but to be fair he's not very good at picking my size so none of it fits!

I hear Big Al and Cheeky Scott may be donning some slutty outfits in the next coming months at the Anne Savage Firestation gig....!

MNKY's mouth... it's very big

10. Finally, how the fuck do we pronounce your names as we have trouble enough spelling them half the time!

Just for the record, and to finally lay this to rest we are called...

Note from Frenzy: Unfortunately Rik's credit ran out on his phone before he had a chance to answer so we're still none the wiser!

MNKY and Ryki will next be playing for Frenzy on the 13th of April 2007 at the Empire Club in Bournemouth where we'll be raising money for the Poole Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit with help from Jon the Baptist, Kym Ayres, and Jody Osman. Check our forthcoming events for more information.