GREG WILSON (DJ)

A pioneer of the birth of dance music in the UK, Hacienda regular and ‘electro-funk’ innovator, New Brighton’s own Greg Wilson takes over the Future Yard Garden during Spring Bank Holiday weekend, headlining an extended outdoor party in Birkenhead on Sunday 25th May.

Special guests Derek Kaye + Jill Thompson join Greg on the day.

Tickets on sale now.

Greg began DJing in 1975 and is regarded as one of the most important figures on the UK dance scene. He enjoyed hugely popular residencies in the early eighties at Wigan Pier and Manchester’s majorly influential Legend, having originally started out in his hometown of New Brighton. He was a pioneer of mixing in the UK and in 1983 he became the first ‘dance music’ specialist hired for a regular weekly session at Manchester’s now legendary Haçienda club. Greg was instrumental in breaking the new electronic, post-disco records coming out of New York, a sound he has dubbed ‘Electro-Funk’.

Derek Kaye has a deep history with Birkenhead, where, in the ‘80s, he was resident in some of town’s best-loved nightspots – Ruperts, just across the road from Future Yard, and, later, The Pleasuredrome (just behind). He’d subsequently be known for his nights at The Buzz in Liverpool and Mr Smiths in Warrington, whilst regularly guesting at one of the big rave events of the era, Bowlers in Manchester. In more recent times, following a number of re-edit and remix releases, he experienced a DJ renaissance, appearing throughout the UK and fulfilling an ambition to DJ in Ibiza. A schoolfriend of Greg’s, Derek built his own mobile disco way back in 1973, when he was 13, and later, on upgrading his console, Greg and another schoolmate bought the old one, setting up their own mobile – both Derek and Greg began DJing at clubs in New Brighton 50 years ago in 1975 – the original disco era.

Jill Thompson spent the ‘80s, initially behind the counter of Liverpool’s famous Probe record shop, before heading A&R for Inevitable Records and eventually moving into management with Eternal. Embracing the acid house underground, she launched the Damn Fine nights at Bonkers in Birkenhead, listed by DJ Mag amongst the UKs top 10 nights of the time, before she teamed up with Sonia Martelli to form the celebrated DJ partnership Girls On Top, heading over to Liverpool where they also unleashed Froot, the first mixed gay night in the city. Still busy behind the scenes, she’s looked after various DJs and artists down the years, including Goldie, Jocelyn Brown, Kevin Saunderson & Inner City and Annie Nightingale. The Guardian recently ran an article about the club scene in Liverpool during the ‘90s, paying props to Girls On Top.

Future Yard presents
Greg Wilson (DJ)
+ Derek Kaye + Jill Thompson
Sunday 25th May 2025
Outdoor Garden Party
5pm doors
75 Argyle Street
Tickets £18 advance (+ booking fee)

Tickets available online in advance or in person at the Future Yard Box Office.
Future Yard is a cashless venue – all payments are taken by contactless or chip and pin. Live curfew 11pm.
If you have any specific access requests, please read all of the details about accessibility at Future Yard here.