Mr Scruff

Andy Carthy has been DJing in Manchester since the early 90s and at some point became Mr Scruff – a DJ, producer, illustrator, and tea evangelist who occupies a completely unique space in the city’s music scene. Nobody else does what he does. Nobody else would try.

The DJ sets are the thing. Not two hours, not three – Mr Scruff plays for five, six, sometimes seven hours at a stretch. The music wanders through hip-hop, funk, soul, reggae, house, jazz, drum and bass, and whatever else catches his ear. The mixing is impeccable. The selection is deep. He doesn’t play to a peak-time crowd looking for bangers; he builds an evening, and the audience comes along for the whole ride.

Band on the Wall on Swan Street was his long-running residency – Keep It Unreal, which ran for years and became one of Manchester’s most reliable nights out. The venue suited him perfectly: small enough to feel intimate, musically open-minded, proper sound system. He’s played bigger venues too – Gorilla, the Albert Hall, festival stages – but the Band on the Wall nights are what people remember.

Ninja Tuna, the album, came out in 2008. Trouser Jazz in 2002 had Get a Move On, his biggest track – built around a Moondog sample, it crossed over to radio and advertising. His own illustrations appear on every release and at every show: wobbly cartoons of fish and potatoes and abstract creatures. The tea stall at his gigs is not a gimmick – it’s genuine, it’s good tea, and it’s part of the experience.

Mr Scruff is Manchester’s reminder that dance music doesn’t have to be serious, hard-edged, or fashionable to be brilliant. He’s been doing his thing for over 30 years and the city is warmer for it.