Cwmbran DJ, 52, wins Technics DMC UK after 36 years trying
- Published
"It's so surreal, I'm still buzzing about it," says Miaer Lloyd, who DJs as Huw Wackman
When he started DJ-ing Margaret Thatcher was prime minister, the Berlin Wall was still standing and Mel and Kim were topping the charts.
But now, after 36 years on the decks, Miaer Lloyd has finally won a prestigious UK turntable trophy.
Next up are the world championships in San Francisco in November.
Not bad for a 52-year-old - DJ name Huw Wackman - from Cwmbran, Torfaen, with a broken finger who had to borrow the equipment he needed to take part.
"I've entered the Technics DMC UK championships lots of times, the first being at Martha's Vineyard in Swansea back in 1987," said Miaer, whose day job is teaching hip-hop music and culture to schoolchildren across south Wales.
"This was my sixth attempt - I'd come runner-up three times already and had all but given up."
However, after his mother Shirley recently died with dementia he decided to give it one more go.
So, in front of a 75,000-strong crowd at last Friday's Boomtown Festival in Hampshire, he took on the brightest and the best from around the country to do just that.
Miaer Lloyd (right) has been working the turntables since the 1980s, and used to be known as DJ Excel
"Me and Mum would always spend Fridays together when she was ill - it was our special day.
"I'd like to think she was up there watching over me on stage in some way ."
He said he was blown away to finally win the competition, the same event which helped launched the likes of Fatboy Slim.
"It's so surreal, I'm still buzzing about it," he said, recalling his early days under the name DJ Excel.
"Those were incredible times and so much has changed in the world of DJ-ing since then.
"My dad was a miner and bought me my first decks with his redundancy money back in the 80s.
"I'd go round the clubs learning my craft, practising as hard and as often as I could."
"It goes to show what you can achieve if you just persevere and believe in yourself," says Miaer
Until recently he had thought his competing days were behind him.
"After I decided to enter again I only had three weeks to come up with a strong set, during which time I came down with the flu and broke my finger," said Lloyd.
"I wish I could say I broke it doing something cool, like DJ-ing really hard."
"But, in reality, I was cycling over the bridge in Newport with some shopping when the wind nearly blew me over my handlebars."
He even recognised one of the judges at the UK final as someone he had faced off against in the same competition in the 1990s.
"It goes to show what you can achieve if you just persevere and believe in yourself," he said.
"Now I just can't wait to get over to the US and show everyone over there how we do things here in Wales."
- Published4 October 2022
- Published15 October 2022
