Bret Turner

Bret started on his journey as a professional DJ in 2008 back home in West Sussex, England.  “I was at an age where a lot of friends and family were getting married and the one thing that always stuck out to me was how rubbish the DJ’s often were!” he laughs.  “It might sound arrogant, but I always thought - ‘I could do a way better job, I’d be great at that.’ I’d never have said that out loud, but it turned out I was right.  It’s always a big positive in life to know what you’re good at and to then make the most out of it.  I started late but I’m so glad I did.”

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So, buying a full set of speakers, dj decks and lights and with the help of his first attempt at designing a website, he was off.  “I had this Fiat hatchback and you’d be amazed how much gear you can fit in to one of those!”.  Driving around the West Sussex countryside to weddings and events he was hired for turned out to be the perfect grounding for his career.  “It really taught me a lot.  How to read a crowd, how important it is to give them what they want and when it’s the right time to inject energy and when you want to slow things down. 

You have so much influence over a crowd as a DJ - some people now think just putting on a Spotify mix is good enough but then you’re just throwing mud at a wall to see what sticks.  An event goes through phases, if people are drinking or starting out a bit shy or awkward their mood changes over time.  Maybe the weather or the lighting changes.  All of these are factors you have to consider and believe me, as a DJ at a wedding in the UK you soon learned to give the crowd what they want and make sure they went home smiling, or they’d let you know pretty quick that’s what you needed to do.”

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Bret built up his business over four years but in 2012, he made the decision to move to Koh Samui, Thailand.  “That’s where it all took off.  Unlike the UK where I found the DJ scene to be quite enclosed and a clique, in Thailand if a bar needed a DJ they’d point you to their decks, give you an hour and tell you there and then if you were in.  ‘Yep, great you start tomorrow.’  It was fantastic.”

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Pretty soon Bret built up a variety of ‘residencies’ or permanent gigs on the island.  “One night I’d be playing in a dedicated hip-hop club amongst heaving, banging nightclubs 'till 5am.  Then the next day on a beach playing chillout to a frazzled crowd getting over their hangovers.  Maybe that night I’d be playing to a big event at a Nikki Beach or a high-end club.  It was just a fantastic time. Not much sleep!”.

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Bret stayed on Koh Samui for four years before a quick stop-off in Spain - “I went to Puerto Banus on holiday and ended up playing 6 nights a week in Linekers for the summer” - which eventually led to his arrival in 2016 on the shores of Dubai, where he lives to this day.  “I had friends in Thailand that convinced me that Dubai was the place to be so I gave it a go and I’m still here”.  

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Getting full-time residencies in Dubai though is more complicated than it was in easy-going Thailand.  “The licensing for musical performers here is really strict, you can’t just rock up and play for a few bucks.  You have to be on the books permanently which means it’s pretty rigid and that only gets renewed annually.  Also the season doesn’t last all year round because the summer’s are pretty harsh, so it’s not the same as some countries where you can establish yourself - it’s almost like you start again every September when the season restarts.”

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So is that why he got back into private DJ hire? “Yeah exactly.  It was like I was back in the UK in the beginning, not that I wouldn’t get a gig here and I do keep one or two a week going, but again it’s quite a closed shop with a lot of agencies and I like to do my own thing. “

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So it’s back to the wedding circuit then?  “Well yes, haha, where it all began!  I still love it, and also I absolutely rock a boat party - a lot of people here hire yachts and will bring me on board to play.  They are probably my favourite gigs.  Then there’s the corporate events  - I found myself in a suit playing at a ball on the QE 2 yacht for the coronation of King Charles, quite a change from the usual pace. You never know what’s next.”

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