As part of the new ‘Behind The Scenes‘ series, we’ve decided to catch up with the brains behind all these amazing events we all attend.

Noise & Girls owner, Chris Thomas had a little chat with us to tells us what we can expect for 2016 for the events line ups, how the event started, how he picks the DJs for the line ups plus more…

Noise & Girls. Why have you named your brand this?

Ha-ha! I knew this would come up. It’s a bit of a strange one I must admit. I was brainstorming ideas with my housemate and listening to music at the time when a song called “Noise & Girls” played on shuffle. I thought it had a ring to it so rolled with it. People seem to like it.

What events do you have coming up this year?

So our next event is on 18th February at our new home Steinbeck & Shaw in Canterbury with Rob Cockerton headlining. He’s very popular amongst the Kent community, and one of my favourite local selectors. So I can’t wait to have him play for us!

We hold a monthly  residency here and most of our events are held here. We’ve also just secured the after-party for the City Sound Project festival and we’re currently looking at some really exciting artists to play, all will be revealed soon!

How did you decide you were going to start running your own events?

It sort of happened by accident actually. In 2011 I moved from London to university in Canterbury. Immediately I made it one of my priorities to secure some DJ sets in the local clubs. Eventually I made a mix CD and started getting them about the venues in town.

The manager at what was once Chill Nightclub got in contact after listening to it and really wanted to meet and talk about some ideas. I thought they’d ask me to play for one of their club nights but instead they wanted me to front my own night.

We ran a monthly party and immediately it was a success. It worked so well because at the time it was Canterbury’s only dedicated underground music event.

The people who were really in to it came along regularly, and the same people three years down the line still do today, which I’m really grateful for.

Who’s been your favourite performer at one of your parties? (Who and why?)

Such a hard question, we’ve had so many brilliant acts. But I think Clive Henry was the most memorable for me. Song selection above all makes a real DJ, and Clive really proved it. Jamie Trench knows his music too!

House or Techno?

House music

What’s been your biggest achievement to this day?

I suppose as an amateur DJ all you want to do support your favourite artists, and because of Noise & Girls ive been able to do that. It’s an absolute blessing so I’m quite happy about that.

But also that even after three years it still feels fresh. I love doing it and I can’t see myself turning it in for a while.

What are your biggest challenges when running your own party?

In the past year the venue we started in (Chill) has had a bit of a face lift. Where it used to be a nightclub it is now a Shoreditch-style bar/club.

Because of this we’ve had to make some changes as well to our music policy. It works really well now, so I guess the hardest part has been identifying and implementing suitable changes. Change is good!

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting their own event?

Pick a memorable name. Don’t be flash. It’s all about creating a memorable atmosphere so invest in good production.