After a month-long hiatus ‘A Schooner with…’ returns to talk to the great and the good that make 1000 Trades, well… 1000 Trades. In April it’s the turn of decks-under-the-disco-ball regular and all round cool guy DJ Stig.

Q: Alright Steven, or should it be Stig? Thanks for coming in for a chat. The first one’s on us.

A: Steven when I’m not behind the decks. I’ll have a cheeky little Session Pale Ale, the Wild Beer called Bibble. Looks like we’re in for a session, so you’d better have lots of questions.

Q: Don’t worry about that. You keep talking and the drinks are on us. We always like to know this one first: Brummie by birth of by choice?

A: I’m a Birmingham import from the North East but I’ve lived in the city for over 20 years, so definitely now part of the furniture. I came to Birmingham as a student to Aston University and just loved the vibe of the city so decided not to leave. Birmingham has changed a lot in those years but in my eyes has always got better and better.

Q: Speaking of loving a vibe, how did you first get into being behind the decks?

A: I started DJing back in the early 2000s. I had a few friends in Moseley who all loved their music and we all had similar taste in music. We decided to get together and put a night on upstairs in the Patrick Kavanagh pub called Bam Bam Club. After a while we moved from there to the Rainbow in Digbeth and made it monthly. In those days it was very different place to what it turned into later. The holes in the ceiling and the puddles of rain water on the floor always made for a fun night with all the electric gear we had. At the same time I also managed to get a resident DJ slot at Miss Moneypenny’s in their chillout room. That was always a lot of fun when you managed to get the right crowd in the room who were up for something a little more alternative… and as they say the rest is history.

Q: Probably the most important question of this ‘Schooner with…’ – we need to know where the name DJ Stig actually originated!

A: Thought you might ask this one. It is from a childhood nickname I had long before a certain TV car programme. Clive King’s book Stig of the Dump was made into a TV programme and my sister thought it hilarious to call me Stig as he was a caveman – a Stiganopithecus to be precise! – and lived in a dump. For good or bad, it just stuck as a nickname and I’ve learned to embrace it.

Q: Not a while helmet or shell suit in sight, just how we like it. Does that make DJing a full-time pursuit or is there a so-called ‘normal job’ that pays the bills?

A: There is a very normal job and in order to keep the readers awake I won’t go into too much detail as it involves data and regulation. I’m the one amongst my friends where no-one can either remember or explain what I do.

Q: You must have some highlights from over the years. What venues have you been particularly fond of playing?

A: Well, besides 1000 Trades of course!? My highlights are probably from Bam Bam Club, DJing a packed Rainbow alongside the likes of Greg Wilson and Prins Thomas. I once played on the main stage at Artsfest in Centenary Square which was certainly the biggest venue I’ve done to date. I also played at my own wedding alongside Birmingham favourite Sam Redmore, which was great fun and just had to be done.

Q: Tell us more about your sets on Frederick Street. What can the punters expect?

A: You can normally find me every last Sunday of the month tucked in between the live jazz. It’s called ‘I don’t know what it is, but it sure is funky’ and I really should have thought about how long that name was when I started! It’s an eclectic mix of anything with a funky beat or riff covering the genres of Funk, Soul, Reggae, Hip Hop and Disco.

Q: And finally, the question of the ages: Birmingham is a city of a thousand trades. If you could pick one, besides what you do now, what would it be and why?

A: That’s a tricky one. I think it might have to be a landlord as I love a beer or two. I think I might end up drinking all the profits however!

On that note, shall we grab another round? Catch DJ Stig and some funky beats for the perfect filling to your Jazz Roast sandwich on Sunday 28th April.