The reason we're loving Mullingar

Are you one of those people who sit behind a mound of paperwork from 9am to 5pm every weekday, daydreaming about a career that involves foisting your musical taste upon a throng of revellers? If so, you may be interested in a scheme being run in John Mac’s Café Bar in Mullingar, Co Westmeath on Saturday nights.

For the past six months, Ronan Casey and Paul Gilbride have been operating “Project DJ” in the venue. It’s a club that allows people with aspirations of becoming the next John Peel or Annie Mac to play their favourite tunes to a packed Saturday night crowd.

According to Gilbride, no experience is necessary to participate in the open mic for DJs. “Generally speaking, our guests are people who love music, but who have never had the chance to express that love outside of their own iPod playlists or mix tapes,” he said.

Today FM’s Alison Curtis, whose show was recently moved to the 5am-7am slot on the station, will kick off a month of female-only guests at Project DJ tomorrow night.

“I seldom DJ live, so when I do, I have to really want to do it,” Curtis told The Ticket. “It’s exciting and encouraging that more and more women want to DJ, and are eager and confident about getting into ‘the trade’. Go girls!”