“Im a British Asian social worker and mum of 2 teenagers – so I guess i dont look much like your average dj/collector. Born in Coventry I’ve been steadily evolving in Manchester for the last 30 years. Outside of music im a charity sector leader and a fundraiser.

Growing up as a minority who didn’t feel like I fitted in anywhere, music gave me an escape, a channel to express myself and connected me to a community. 

Promoting my own not for profit nights – @thesocialservicemanchester and @suffragettecitymcr – has given me a way of not only sharing the music I love, but of bringing it together with my love of fundraising and social action.

As well as djing as Ladybeige I’m co-curator of annual event Suffragette City – a riotous celebration of female and non-binary djs which raises funds for local charities. I’m also the Boss of The Social Service – where along with 4 mates and a host of incredible guests we’ve played vinyl in a Manchester hotel basement to a community of marvellous wrong uns for the last 10 years.”

Show some love, follow 👉 @ladybeige1

Each week we will be taking a dip into the crates and minds of some of the digging scenes most prolific collectors.

🤔 Who should be on the next RPM feature?

Who were some of your earliest musical influences?

Memories of growing up as a British Indian in Coventry with the driving energy of Two Tone on the radio and Bollywood ballads crackling on my dad’s record player at home.

Name on institution that changed your life musically… and why?

Homoelectric. The Manchester club night for “homos, heteros and don’t knows” opened my eyes to inclusive, diverse clubbing back in the late 90s. Philippa Jarman and Kath Mcdermott were 2 of the residents back then and would always drop impeccable pop tunes in amongst the house, disco and electro. It’s a style thats inspired me a lot and seeing two women djing so confidently was the perfect encouragement for me in my own endeavours.

Name one person who knows your collection as well as you do…

Dave O, my Social Service dj partner in crime knows bloody everything! He knows my collection BETTER than i do. Very useful when I can’t remember what something is called or nearly buy something that I’ve already got hidden in my collection.

What are your earliest memories of collecting records?

I not so much collected as acquired Club Classics Vol 1 – Soul 2 Soul along with a load of great albums and 12″s when a lodger moved out of my parents house when I was 15. Keep on Moving was the first track I ever danced to in a club – me and a mate pretended we were going to an alcohol free teenager disco and snuck into The Silver Sword for a snakebite and black instead!
I can still remember the intense joy of listening to that album.