GOOD VIBRATIONS PODCAST, VOL. 66: JOHN GIBBONS, ROUND 2


Irish DJ, producer, and host of the Alchemy Radio podcast series, John Gibbons, joins us for his second Good Vibrations appearance. John last guested in May 2013, when he reported that there were subtle indicators of manipulation in the upper levels of the electronic dance music scene. Two years on, he says, the calling cards are blatant for those with the eyes to see. The same occult symbols that have been permeating the hip-hop and pop music worlds are now cropping up in this genre, suggesting that it is now firmly in the sights of those that wish to hijack its household names for mass mind controlling purposes.

We discuss the apparent ‘recruitment’ of certain big names in dance music who, after years of organic growth, seem to be suddenly and miraculously elevated to colossal levels of success, as well as the new young names, who appear from seemingly nowhere. We also get into the bizarre trend of big-name DJs now starting to receive extremely dubious ‘honours’ like knighthoods and MBEs. 

John shares some of his insights as a music producer into how sound itself can be used to affect human mood and emotion and to shape perceptions – particularly that of a digital/ electronic nature, which can interact with the energy field of the human body on an unseen level. We also cover symbols as a method of marketing, particularly with relevance to the big dance music festivals, and the power that DJs hold over massive numbers of people at such gatherings. The chat finishes by reflecting on the so-called second Summer Of Love of 1988 – the Acid House/ rave movement and the arrival of massive quantities of Ecstacy which gave rise to the global dance music scene we see today. We examine the parallels between this and the LSD-laden Summer of 1967, and question whether both could have been Establishment-sponsored movements.
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OBITUARY: TONY DIXON

Veteran Irish radio and club DJ Tony Dixon has sadly passed away after a short illness at the age of 52. Tony was a true ambassador for R&B and soul in his home city of Dublin for more than 30 years, and known latterly for his highly popular weekend shows on the radio station FM104. He was also a long-standing contributor to the Clubhoppin’ section of Blues & Soul magazine, working alongside many of the current staff of Black Sheep Mag.

Originally from Pinewood on the North side of Dublin, and known simply as ‘Tony D’, he began his radio career working with the ‘Big D’ pirate station in the 1970s. Within the music industry Tony was known affectionately as a member of the ‘Northside mafia’, a group of high-profile presenters which included Ian Dempsey, Tony Fenton and Gerry Ryan. All grew up together and went on to forge high-profile careers on both national and local radio.

In the 1980s Tony moved to another pirate station, Sunshine Radio, before managing the popular Hollywood Nights nightclub at the Stillorgan Park Hotel.

In February 2000, Tony joined Dublin station FM104, presenting his R&B and hip-hop show every Saturday night. His catchphrase quickly became ‘If it’s Hip Hop and R&B, don’t miss me, Tony D’. He frequently interviewed the very biggest artists of the genre on his show, and worked as a sales consultant for the station.

In 1999, Tony hosted the first MTV Lick Party event in Ireland, at Lillie’s Bordello in Dublin, alongside British DJ Trevor Nelson. The two went on to host many more such events, with Tony enjoying a long-standing affiliation with the MTV brand. During the 2000s, Tony maintained a prolific club gig schedule in Dublin, most notably with a long Saturday night residency at The Vaults, which also hosted many of the big-name R&B DJs from the UK.

For many years, Tony was the Ireland correspondent for the revered magazine Blues & Soul, (not to be confused with the current operation running at www.bluesandsoul.com, which is entirely unconnected,) where he reported on all music-related matters from the Emerald Isle. Among others, he tipped Dublin songstress Laura Izibor for stardom long before she broke through.

Tony is survived by his son Josh, his son’s mother Dee and his three sisters and two brothers.

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