Please introduce yourself...
My name is Rob Gonzalez aka Machete from Los Angeles, California, USA. I am a resident DJ, promoter, and talent booker for LA's longest running Drum and Bass weekly, RESPECT. Our club celebrated its tenth anniversary in March 2009 and we are still going strong.

Where & when do your events take place?
We are currently located at The Dragonfly every Thursday night in Hollywood.

What are the names of the residents?
Machete, Scooba, Clutch, NoFace, Oscar Da Grouch, Drone, Sense, and resident MC XYZ.

What's the night all about?
We began our night with the intent of giving more exposure to drum and bass music and the artists supporting it in Los Angeles, in addition to having a place our crew could play on a regular basis. RESPECT Thursdays have steadily grown into such a movement over the years that many supporters have taken to calling it "church". We are proud having been host to some of the best international and domestic drum and bass artists available and we will continue to do so as long as there is still a need.
 
How would you describe your crowd?
Our current 21+ crowd is very diverse. You will find casual hoody-wearing junglists just as easily as you may see Hollywood hipsters, emo kids, or well-dressed fashionistas of all nationalities. RESPECT also welcomes the dance community, including b-boys and poppers, in addition to celebrity guests being shot by our resident paparazzi. We have also catered to the 18+ demographic during periods which I believe helped re-ignite our personal fires and inspired a new generation of jungle devotees. Overall, general acceptance is what we strive for and attitudes should be left at the door.

Best memories from a night?
Ten years worth of memories is a big hat to pull from but if I had to choose a few...

• Pretty much any night Bailey played for us.
• Roni Size coming through to play an unexpected DJ set while in town for a television appearance.
• Our very last night of mayhem at the now infamous Martini Lounge aka Larchmont aka The Bee, where our club spent most of its 10+ years.
• Celebrating our tenth birthday in a packed-out new venue and watching everyone having the best time.
• We recently had a surprise visit by Pendulum's very own El Hornet, who ended up throwing down a wicked back2back set with Infiltrata to everyone's delight.

Tell us more about your next events...
November 2009 is stacked with talent as we welcome A-Sides on Nov 5th, Gridlok / Sinistarr on Nov 12th, Optical / Trace on Nov 19th, and Adam F / MCMC on Nov 26th.

What are your plans for the future?
There was a point this year when we thought that it might be time to call it quits, but I was approached by so many people saying that we should keep our night going and how important it is. As long as there is still a strong drum and bass community in Los Angeles who continue to support and inspire us, we will be here laying the foundations for more quality events and giving new artists a place to shine.

Anything else you’d like to tell us about?
Be sure to check out RESPECT DnB Radio 8-10PM PST every Wednesday night on www.kunninmindz.com (*Thursday mornings in the UK)
 
http://respectdrumandbass.com
http://twitter.com/respectclub
http://myspace.com/respectclub
http://groups.to/facebook.respectclub

 

Photography: Regal D

 

• Respect

Related Links:

• Review: Respect, Los Angeles
• Promoter Profile: Essence Of Chi
• Old Skool Legend: MC Lenni
• Give Em Props: DJ Joy-C
• Fizzy @ Camden Rock Preview

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