Normski - Lexicon

For most of us Normski will be remembered for the raucous and wildly energetic Monday night institution that was BBC 2's Dance Energy shown throughout the early nineties. The original Ali-G style - "Let 'arf!" and "The Livin'!" - catchphrases started right here. The show was also a base for some hugely successful stars of today including on-screen room-mate Vas Blackwood (who later went on to play the loony herb dealer in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and not to mention first ever TV appearances for Geri Halliwell and Lisa I'Anson.

But the real star of the show was Normski surrounded by the uncontrollable youthful and vibrant crowd and the cool moves of the bustling 'Dance Squad Posse'. Normski's exuberance and energy shined through and immediately took away those Monday blues, not least the part of the show where he took to the streets ridiculing people's fashion sense in the side-splitting 'Style Police'.

The auspicious start to his media career landed more and more high profile work such as hosting the documentary on the history of rap for Rapido TV and the Michael Jackson feature 'Dangerous' as well as numerous radio shows on Radio One, Kiss and Radio 5. His return to TV in the late nineties was by means of Britain's first snowboarding show entitled Board Stupid. This new show achieved massive acclaim worldwide for the excellent production and Normski's charismatic presenting skills.

He too has been intrinsically involved in the music industry for the entire time. D&B heads may remember Normski acting as master of ceremony to A Guy Called Gerald's DJ sets in the late 90's, seen him spinning soulful house sets at select events, hosting Ministry's US house nights or even the Movement Live nights down at Cargo in Shoreditch.

Normski's humble beginnings in music began when he learnt to play Ken Booth's "I Would Do Anything For You" on his junior keyboard, a Christmas present when he was 7. The traditional playing of the recorder whilst at school developed into taking up the violin, then playing the trombone in a brass band and also discovering the drums at the age of 13.

Between the ages of 15 and 16 Normski was employed as tea boy at The London Rock Shop, one of the first shops to introduce MIDI to the city. When a company called Fostex brought out the first compacted portable recording studio they asked a young boy known then as Norman Anderson to model for their promotional brochure. Sitting on the top of Primrose Hill Park in Kilburn with trumpet in one hand and the 'Porta 1' in the other this would prove another stepping stone to his media career. Before long he was the proud owner of one which provided endless experimentation for Normski and was his first introduction to making music.

Growing up in the '70s Normski remembers that pretty much every TV programme was music led, citing the 'Super Wombles' album having a big effect on his life in these early years. With Normski's family being of Jamaican origin he was always surrounded by a huge extended family and was exposed to a lot of music not least the likes of Bob Marley, Al Green, James Brown, Uptown and Studio One.

"I grew up in Camden during the '70s in a multi-cultural environment and I was definitely into lots of different music like rock & roll, punk, I was into all of it… the attitude, everything. If there is one person that can say they have written an original track in the last ten years I will personally give you one of my collector's item records! My first proper job was working on a stall in Dingwall's market. People like Sting and Stuart Copeland from the Police, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart would walk through the market and it would be no big thing, they were just musicians and were to become huge later."

The transition between having an interest in the music and making it as a career started to become apparent when one of Normski's other hobbies, photography, was taken to concerts and live gigs. One of the first occasions arose at the now London Apollo, where Miles Davis was performing. One of the few black people in the British music industry at that time, Ray Edwards, was organising the event and approached Normski to take pictures at other events he promoted, gave him a lot of support along the way and encouraged him to sell his pictures to the press.

"Before I knew it I was one of the leading live photographers for Record Mirror, then I started to expand by doing work for Number One, Smash Hits, Music Technology and then later I.D. I did the first photo shoot for Soul II Soul, a year later they became the biggest thing in the world. I didn't make the transition, the transition took me aboard!"

Normski's first entrance on to our screen's was by pure chance when driving through Camden with his step-dad he noticed HB from Soul II Soul walking by. He jumped out to greet him and was then informed that the rest of the band were being interviewed on the Clothes Show just down the road. Sporting his well trendy Louis Viton tracksuit fresh from New York he caught up with Jazzy B and the rest of the family who were giving their thoughts on the tracksuit culture of the time. Jazzy B introduced him as a 'top photographer' and the rest as they say is history.

"People kept saying I recognise your voice and that was because everyone was watching the Clothes Show in those days. Later on as I developed through the industry it was just a matter of time before someone would suggest 'you should go for this interview because a new programme has been developed'. I was on every video shoot as a stills photographer, name a tune that was a landmark and I was there, except for 'Voodoo Ray'. But that didn't matter because all them years later I ended up on tour with 'A Guy Called Gerald' anyway!"

From the presenting beginning in TV Normski has his sights set further at the moment. "A lot of people have TV ideas and I seem to be right in between them and the channels but now I'm working and talking with people who develop channels and they want me on board to help. I've been asking for jobs since 'Board Stupid', the last one was in 1994/95. I can't understand what is wrong with these TV people, what are you scared of? Why won't you give me a job? I am still out here and your TV shows look crap without me and people keep telling me that so just give me a job!"

In the past couple of years Normski has taken to a different kind of presenting, acting as host to Ministry of Sound's house nights and the Movement Live jams. Although his involvement with the first club has now ended, he did a fine job in changing the face of the 'super club' and injecting some personality into it.

"I love funky house music and always have, I was born in the generation of disco music and that was all about the disc turning on the turntable and all the people in the same room sharing the vibe. I was out in Detroit in '87 and I met people like Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Eddie Flashing Folkes, I met them all." Normski states in no uncertain terms that he is into every type of music and to illustrate his point spends some time reeling off a list of every genre and sub-genre imaginable.

"Listen to the funky house stuff now which is dropping, it sounds like some old music but what's good about it is that it's played on a brand new system and you can really push it. What I love is when someone makes a record and they actually put a scratch sound into it… it's amazing when people pay that attention to detail to do stuff like that now. I think that's brilliant, I think that's definitely someone who is thinking about what they're doing."

When asked about what he perceives to be the highlight of his colourful career Normski deflects from the question. Instead he praises his family for the support they have given him throughout and also states that he feels blessed to have had a great life . This leads on to a particular incident on TV where Normski decided to entertain the viewers of wacky TV programme Banzai by giving everyone an unprovoked shot of his manhood. He excitedly tells me how he sat down and watched the video afterwards in the front room of his house with his mum and step-dad. "Most people are like 'how could you do that?' and I was like 'I don't know, but at least it's real and not made of plastic. At least I've got skills! If anyone should be embarrassed it should be me, not my mum, because she saw it when I came out!"

Book writing will figure a lot in the future for Normski, a start has been made on an auto-biography, then expect to see an illustration of his photographic work amongst other things in the pipeline. As mentioned a little earlier he is in talks currently about moving into an executive producing and creative directing role for a television production company, the programmes in question will take on an urban, art, literature and music theme base.

Again turning back to the music aspects of his life just the day before the interview took place Normski was in a meeting with Kila Kella. After talks he is set to feature on the UK beat-boxer's new EP, as well as this Normski has just finished a electro-funk track for possible use in the new Smart Car advert and will be looking to compile a compilation of his own work and tracks he likes in the not too distant future. Normski is also the newest guest writer for Lexicon covering all things deep and soulful on the house tip.

Normski would like to thank all the people who have believed in him over the years and the following companies: "Sony because they were there at the beginning to help my creative and visual side, Apple Macintosh, Pioneer, Stanton, BMW for helping me get around, I would like to thank Red Bull for keeping the energy real as well as letting me present some of their incredible events, Stussy tribe, Technics because after 30 years of DJ culture you brought me in to be the project consultant, Smart Cars, Blackmarket Records, City Sounds, Sarah (Ammunition), Souljah, Zinc, ELB, big up all the crew representing a new era of beats and breaks, 4hero, Dego, Alex down at Velvet and Area in Watford.