By Scott McCabe
Steve O’ Reilly better known as ‘Steve O’ has established himself in the dance industry as a prolific character and has certainly pathed the way for the Irish Dj industry, but how did it all start for this influential figure?
All legacy’s and experiences must start somewhere and for Steve O his journey and introduction to DJing would come during the festive season. “It began with an Argos All-in-One dj unit as a Christmas present, I think I was about 14 maybe 15. Then the following year it was a set of Staunton belt driving turntables and I started spending every penny I had on vinyl from then on”. Djing wasn’t just a thought for Steve O , after he received his Argos all in one dj unit, it was something he had dreamt of, but it was only now he had the tools and the passion to pursue his dream “To be honest from that early age, it was always what I wanted to do and I consider myself very lucky to be still doing it to this day.“
Steve O came from your average musical family, where emphasis on music would’ve perhaps been viewed as more of a past time than a career to pursue, but his families relaxed approach to music allowed Steve O to explore his opportunities with Djing without his parents hounding him to be an over achiever. “I didn’t come from a musical family although there would of been music playing a lot of the time growing up”. Luckily for us, Steve’s families relaxed approach to music allowed him to follow up on a career in the industry without pressure, and when that decision was made his family were welcoming of it along with his peers; “My family were nothing but supportive as were some friends, but there was obviously a lot of slagging as lads tend to do. But overall it was mostly positive.“
With every great musician there’s usually an inspiration or someone to look up to, for Steve O that wasn’t any one figure, but a collective mash up of DJ’s that had an impact on his style, “There’s so many DJ’s I’ve looked up to and still do and even had the privilege of playing alongside a lot of them, but the few that stick out to me are the ones that broke barriers, formed their own sound and created trends, such as Laidback Luke, Axwell (and SHM in general) Avicii, Erick Morillo to name a few.”
Being a talented musician/ performer is all well and good unless you’ve got the opportunity to showcase your talents to the world and for Steve O, his first gig is a memory he will never forget. “I remember it clear as day. Warming up for Frank Jez in Spirit. There was a lad on before me so the place was already busy. First song I played was Mary J Blige – ‘Family Affair’ and I was shaking, but I do remember it being a feeling like no other, and that moment really instilled in my mind how much that this was what I wanted to do”. It’s fair to say this was the turning point in Steve O’s career, Djing was no longer a past time or a hobby on the side, it was his passion.
As much as Steve O enjoyed performing in iconic venues and with some of the biggest names in the world. That wasn’t the only thing that mattered, Steve O enjoys performing regardless of how big or small the crowd is; “As much as playing with big name DJ’s and iconic venues is amazing, I’ve always found pleasure playing to any audience no matter big or small, creating a vibe from the start of the night to the very finish has to be the most satisfying for me“. Steve O’s relaxed and patient approach has allowed him to perform in clubs that the majority of DJs can only dream of.
Steve O has since turned his attentions away from performing solo and is now in the three piece group known as Riff Shop, but how did this transition come about? “So, when I was DJing in various venues I got teamed up with Conor and AJ [members of riff shop] separately on many occasions and we just clicked. Then one night in Grafton Lounge, purely by accident the two lads were double booked in with me and that technically was our first gig. After that it just grew so naturally. From us doing residency in Xico and many other venues before we decided we had to give it a brand“. It was a mishap that would later rock the electronic dance scene.
It didn’t take long before Riff shop‘s raw talent as individuals and as a group would gather recognition of Dublin’s electronic dance scene. In 2019 Riff Shop provided festival goers with an energetic performance at ‘Electric Picnic’ that would only expand the support for this experimental group. 2020 looked like it would be Riff Shop’s biggest year to date, but with the coronavirus dominating the world at the moment Riff Shop cannot fully capitalise on their fame as Steve O describes; “Well this year was looking even bigger than last, with 7 confirmed festivals, a headline gig in Button Factory with MCD, gigs in Liverpool, Italy, Spain and many more abroad, but all that is on hold at the moment with the current pandemic and we can only hope it doesn’t last too much longer. The last gig we actually performed was for the Royal Family in Oman which is where we were when all the news initially broke. Very surreal to say the least.“
Steve O’s story is nothing short of amazing, from his all in one dj set experimenting with new sounds in his bedroom, to performing on some of the biggest stages in the world with some of the biggest acts. Steve O has managed to shape the Irish dance industry forever, and should be viewed as an inspiration to up and coming DJ’s,his philosophy of just making people happy regardless of the crowd capacity is something that all DJ’s should look to do. But in a world DJ’s dominating the music scene Steve O has some positive words for those looking to break into the industry;
“Do what you love and only if you love it. Never try fit in because you’ll just end up doing what someone else has already done. Think outside the box and if you truly have a passion for something, work hard at it and don’t let anything get in your way.“
ScottMcCabe2020 