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Better Days DJ's Better Days Parties

Mark Luvdup Plays Cry Freedom by Mombassa at We Are Family 2024

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Better Days DJ's Better Days Parties Classic Photos From Back In The Day

The Land of Milk and Honey

No doubt this party The Land of Milk and Honey is the favourite party of a lot of our punters and who can argue with their choice given the DJ line-up and the way the party went off.

Who played the party?

Well the stars of the show were definitely Laurent Garnier and Sasha and John Digweed. Laurent played the Guvernment on 3 turntables and seriously ripped it up blowing the crowd away with an experience like no other heard before it in Toronto at that time and the Better Days crowd went off.  Other guest DJ’s Jimmy Van M and Dave Cannalte from Orlando completed the out of town DJ’s.

Laurent Garnier at The Land of Milk and Honey

In the warehouse, Sasha and John Digweed were set up high in a DJ Booth playing to the biggest crowd we had ever had in one room at a Better Days party with upwards of 3,000 being in the warehouse complex side of the venue packing the space from wall to wall with partygoers.

Sasha at The Land of Milk and Honey

The Land of Milk and Honey was the biggest party we put on to that point and arguably the biggest and best of the lot. Despite the warehouse/Guvernment complex being jammed with more people than should have been in there due to the lax security provided on the night.

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Better Days DJ's Better Days Parties Classic Photos From Back In The Day

Americana – Toronto Island Airport

Americana was a concept party featuring a stunning an all-American DJ line-up as the party name suggests. Our American friends did not disappoint us either.

Where was the party held?

Held at Toronto Island Airport, we had the use of the main hangar and an additional smaller hangar – an unbelievable venue for a 3500+ party where all the guests had to take a ferry over from the mainland.

It was a pretty stunning venue for a party to say the very least in a venue that had never been used and was rarely used again unsurprisingly.

Who played at Americana?

We had a killer DJ line-up with New York’s DJ Keoki, Boston’s MGEE and 333, Detroit’s Buzz Goree, Jimmy Van M from Orlando, Osheen from Rhode Island plus Christopher Lawrence and DJ Lee from Los Angeles along with a full complement of Toronto DJ’s.

Superstar DJ Keoki @ Americana

Who else appeared at Americana?

As usual, the unbelievable Ninette supplied percussion on the bongos adding additional atmosphere to what was an amazing party in the venue of a lifetime which needed a massive amount of work to get over the line.

Ninette on the bongos @ Americana

The light show and soundsystem were top notch and was so banging that we had numerous noise complaints from people living in condos on the mainland but the party went off regardless.

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Better Days DJ's Better Days Parties Classic Photos From Back In The Day

ONE – The ultimate DJ lineup

Our collaboration with Gatecrasher from the UK along with doing a simulcast with Energy 108 we put together a stunning star-studded DJ Line-Up. You could really argue it was overkill but it was a line-up of the highest quality.

Mike E-Bloc Live at ONE – Ridiculous Set

Mike E-Bloc was one of the favourite DJ’s Better Days ever brought to our parties and on this occasion without his long-time partner Danny Hybrid still delivered a mind-blowing set – listen below…

We really were spoilt for choice at ONE with a star-studded line up of DJ’s featuring the likes of Jeremy Healy, Todd Terry, the Lisa Marie Experience, Scott Bond, Luc Raymond plus a full compliment of 10 Toronto DJ’s along with MC Dr No and Ninette on percussion.

Jeremy Healy – the lost recording but what a set

Unfortunately we lost the recording of  Jeremy’s killer set or it was never made but either way it remains one of the many sets that was lost on the chaotic night of ONE. His set was killer as Jeremy is a serious pro (you don’t get voted the number 1 DJ by Mixmag without being a serious operator) and he did not let the insane heat in the warehouse get to him as his set was a blinder.

Crowd shot at ONE

Hanging out with him was a blast and we had a brilliant time as he is true gentleman and a hilarious raconteur. He hung out in Toronto with us for a few days and he was just a blast up for anything. A proper athlete and he looked after himself.

Did we record any other sets?

We only managed to get a one additional recording, but it was that of Todd Terry. Unfortunately as we had so many logistical problems on the night with different things and versions supposed to be recorded and we had a crazy night hence not everything was taped as planned. But you can listen to Todd’s set here:

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Better Days DJ's Better Days Parties Classic Photos From Back In The Day

ONE – Featuring House Legend DJ Todd Terry

It was a major coup to have secured Todd Terry to play at ONE and he did not disappoint. The Chicago Housing authority showed his class and blew the crowd away with his sublime house cuts.

Todd Terry almost missed the gig due to a work permit cock-up

Fortunately, at the 11th hour on the Friday at 4:30pm – way too close to comfort – we managed to talk Canadian immigration out of turning Todd away and allowing him to enter and perform at ONE – definitely drama we did not need but it worked out.

House Legend Graces Better Days Decks

We have had many top DJ’s play for Better Days making their Toronto debuts like Laurent Garnier, Deep Dish, Sasha, Derrick Carter, Farley and Heller etc to name a few but it was a real honour to have such house royalty play for us and Todd delivered the goods and then some.

Listen to his set here: