Becoming a DJ
Annie Mac
How do you get to be as cool as Annie Mac? That won’t really be answered here, but you can know how she came to be a DJ — that’s definitely part of her cool, at least (and curls help).
Annie Mac is actually Annie MacManus. She didn’t stray far for her nickname, nor did she need to. She was born in Dublin, Ireland and remembers being influenced early on by her family members’ eclectic musical tastes — everything from Elton John to the Pogues, to techno. She vividly remembers worshipping Moloko’s, “Fun For Me.”
Inspiration
In high school, Annie dreamed of majoring in drama at Trinity University in the UK. She failed to get in. So she went with the backup and studied English Literature at Queens University in Belfast.
Education
Being an English Literature major, she has a love for books and poetry. One of her favorites (and a great choice for anyone longing to engage in a lifetime in grimy clubs ) is Bukowski.
Inspiration
Annie worked at the Student Union at Queen’s and there saw up close what it was like to DJ. She decided to take the plunge and spent a summer holed up in her room learning how to mix. She mostly spun old funk and soul records she could find at charity stores. Annie decided that her two favorite passions were music and socializing — so being a DJ was a natural enough professional aspiration. Her older brother was a rock and roller and she followed him to Camden, England. There she got her first gig as a DJ — at the Underworld Club.
Early Career
