Clubbing: The pressure on DJs to make their first post Covid sets ‘count’

Since 'freedom day' in England on 19 July, lots of clubs have been telling Radio 1 Newsbeat they've been packed with people desperate to party again.

So, fears that the idea of being surrounded in small spaces by lots of other un-masked humans might put a lot of people off returning to the dance floor seem unfounded.

The anecdotes are flying around - tales of mates who got Covid after just one night out, clubs already cancelling future events as infections are linked to their gigs, other venues choosing to ask for vaccine passports from the off.

But few want to officially talk about much of this.

Have we lost dancing?

For now, clubs have been left to decide if they want customers to prove they've been vaccinated or had a negative test, but from late September evidence of double jabs is due to become compulsory if you want to get past the door staff.

• Two jabs needed to enter nightclubs from September

• What clubbers think about Covid passport plan

• Club nights start asking for NHS Covid pass

Latest figures show 35% of 18 to 30-year-olds have not had their first jab.

Newsbeat charted the return of clubbing as promoters and owners struggled to stay afloat for 16 months of closure and often through confusion and false starts. You can see Clubbing… We've Lost Dancing on BBC Iplayer.

In the meantime, it's the DJs navigating how to return with a bang - crowds ready to throw those hands in the air, desperate for it go off.

Arielle Free

Arielle Free was delighted to be back among the sweaty bodies and hedonists

Radio 1 DJ, Arielle Free used to play up and down the country before Covid hit and has started off with a smaller gig.

"My first gig back was on the Monday night for DJ Fat Tony," she says referring to the dance music legend.

"It was in a small basement club and was full of wonderful sweaty bodies, hedonistic dancers and a woman who screamed it was the most fun she'd had in 18 months in my face."

When we spoke before restrictions lifted she was unsure about what to play first.

"My last name is Free and it's become the anthem hasn't it," she says - talking about Ultra Nate's Free.

"The pressure to make that first tune count is huge.

"Or maybe it's actually the last tune of the night that matters as that's the one people will go home singing… hopefully."

So what did she go for?

"I made a Free 30 second montage edit but it wasn't my first tune but I did play Ultra Nates Free the Mele drum edit."

Insert Insta - https://www.instagram.com/p/CRiaNPpqaU6/

Yousef

Two of the DJs we followed in the iPlayer documentary have already had a chance to play in a club setting before so-called "Freedom Day", at the government backed test event in Liverpool.

It was run by Yousef and he had a special track to mix into a classic ready to go.

'It's all about playing the right tune at the right time, that's the art of DJing," he tells us from the stage.

"I'm a technical guy and I don't think mixing will be hard but it's all about playing the right music."

He played his own new song Welcome to the World and then a remix of the Ultra Nate track that Arielle mentioned.

It got a huge reaction from the crowd.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COUsCuDrCdv/

He also played the Egg in London on July 19 and used the same material which has now become iconic.

Hot Since 82

Someone else who played the early test event was Hot Since 82.

He started with a mash up of a house tune and the Prime Minister's speech when he locked clubs down.

It really seemed to capture a mood of absolute delight that the freedom to dance was back!

He also tried out some new tunes he made during lockdown and one called Heater was signed by Yousef's Circus label.

He invited us to his studio to see how it was put together and told us how important clubs were to dance music.

"That's the highlight of being a DJ - being in that small underground club.

"I can't actually envision that at the minute."

He's now planning to make his non-test event return in Leeds soon.

Jax Jones

"My life in the space of 24 hours just ground to a halt," Jax Jones tells us from his recording studio as he describes the impact of the pandemic shut-down.

"You're going to hear so much new music... I just can't wait to share that."

And the first city in the UK to be one to hear this new material?

Leicester.

Find the documentary Clubbing... We've Lost Dancing on the Radio 1 Channel on BBC Iplayer

Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.