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Features
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| Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! |
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Sit down and chill with the Judge
Reported by k8-e
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Submitted 19-11-08 22:29
If you don’t know who Judge Jules is then perhaps check out the last interview I did with him for Harderfaster some two years ago now for a recap. The man's contribution to the scene is well documented and it’s a testament to his popularity he still has his Radio 1 slot when even big Dave and Dance Anthems are no longer on the schedule. Ahead of the upcoming Trance Awards at the Ministry of Sound this Friday, which Jules is hosting and playing at, I got the chance to talk to the Judge about trance, how the Ministry got its cool back, alfalfa sprouts and Barack Obama.
So I don’t do phone interviews very often, in fact the last phone interview I did was Jules two years ago. They are more work than over email and essentially I’m quite lazy, also there is the propensity for more things to go wrong, recording devices to fail, words to get muddled – well you get the drift. I’m a cautious kinda gal so I took both my mp3 players along with me, both have a line in and mic record on them, and I set them both up to record -- over cautious you may think but I’ve lost a recorded mix when one of those tinkers didn’t save properly so you can never be too careful in my opinion. All ready and set to go I dialled away. Engaged. Maybe he is finishing another interview… I dial again. Engaged! Damn, I was all set and raring to go and the man is engaged, I dial again and finally it rings.
Jules: Hello
Me: Hi is that Jules? (quite clearly it's Jules, it’s not like he doesn’t have a really recognisable voice – why did I ask?!)
Jules: (sounds rushed) Hi, hi, hi.
Me: Hi it’s Kate from Harderfaster
Jules: Hello Kate, I’m just in the dry cleaners at the moment, I’m just getting something altered, a really mundane job of the day, do you mind calling me back in 10 minutes when I’ll be at home and not smelling of formaldrahyde or whatever it is they use here?
Me: Sure – I’ll call you back in ten minutes.
It’s not that I mind waiting another ten minutes particularly, the man’s in the dry cleaners of course we can’t start yet! It’s just I’m ready to go. I have one last look through my questions wondering if they will generate a good interview. It wasn’t as hard as I thought to come up with them but it was still fairly challenging given I’d interviewed him before and given that his Q&A on his Web site answers all the usual jazz you would ask in an interview.
I amuse myself by humming, re reading the questions, taking one last look at his web site and then resetting the mp3 players to record again. As an aside Jules has a great mobile number - of course I can’t reveal it on here but its one of those numbers you expect someone probably paid a fair bit for – either that or he was exceptionally lucky when he signed up for his mobile but I’m going with the former. That would have actually made a great question had I thought of it at the time – but sadly I didn’t. Anyway ten minutes were up so I dialled again. He still wasn’t home, only 200 yards away though and I was on speakerphone so we decided to get started.
So welcome to HarderFaster Jules, it’s been a while but we’re always pleased to have you back. How has 2008 been for you, what are your highlights?
It’s difficult because obviously when you’ve been DJing for quite a long time I mean the overview of the year is the same, the only radically different thing I’ve done this year is launching a t-shirt range.
Don’t steal my questions from later on!
I can talk about it in more detail if you want later, but everything’s been really good you know. All the kinds of defining (pause), sorry just opening my gate (gate creaks in the background), all the defining points by which I would judge a year have made it very good you know. I’ve done loads of festivals, probably about thirty - UK, European and further overseas. Ibiza was very, very busy. It’s been a good year for records. Whilst dance records obviously aren’t charting in the way that they did five to ten years ago in the other respect the scene is extremely healthy and with all this talk of credit crunch I haven’t seen very much sign of that in clubland. (pause) I’m just outside my house now... (I feel like I’m in an episode of Treasure Hunt , that show with Anneka Rice from the 80s, Jules is Anneka of course and I’m deciphering clues to get to the perfect interview - anyway I digress.).
I think that’s encouraging to hear actually. I guess most people should know the kind style you play by now but when I think of your style these days I’m reminded of the [i]John Peel Is Not Enough tune by CLSM where the vocal says “the judge plays housey trance” – what were your thoughts on that whole campaign and your name check in it?[/b]
Is that a record?!
(Well that wasn’t the answer I was expecting) Yes it’s by CLSM / Jon Doe and it’s called “John Peel Is Not Enough.”
You know I’ve never heard of that. It’s a decent’ish definition of what I play though, housey trance yeah, obviously not house tempo more in the kind of groove and percussion if that makes sense as opposed to it being slow.
(I go on to explain the whole campaign from Jon Doe and that crew trying to get more hard dance on Radio 1).
Do you feel dance has been marginalised somewhat on Radio 1, there is always some sort of uproar when schedules change and djs leave?
Hmm, well I got put into the middle of the night and I’ve been put to a better show time again now, it’s hard to say really. The bottom line is speaking to management I don’t think in their minds it’s been marginalised. I wouldn’t give you any PR spiel but I really don’t think they would view it that way I mean there’s what, 12 hours of dance on a Friday and four hours on a Thursday/Friday. 16 hours a week is not a bad amount and it’s covering a fairly broad range of genres with that and I don’t think that’s bad!
I guess that’s a good point you make, all over the message boards there’s uproar that dance isn’t in its peak time anymore but when I was listening last week I heard the whole “12 hours of dance” jingle and actually that’s a fair amount.
So you said you were happier with your show time now as it means you can do it live more often, was that not something you were doing before?
In the year where I was on between 1-3am (I must have missed that year, what kind of interviewer am I?!) I only did it live once whereas even now I’m doing it live every other week and once we get into the new year where I’ve more opportunity to work my gig times around the show I’m going to do even more live. I’ve always considered myself 50% a radio presenter and 50% a club DJ whereas some of the dance DJs on Radio 1 are either more from one side or the other but it’s nice to be able to be a proper radio presenter and interact with your listeners which you can only do up to a certain extent when you are pre-recorded.
So let’s talk about the 4th annual Trance Awards at the Ministry Of Sound (on 21st November). I remember when we spoke a few years ago you said “I need to see it to work out if its necessary, I’m in two minds about awards. Sometimes one can slice that great big pie of dance music into smaller and smaller chunks and you wonder where it stops. But I do think a trance awards is justified in the same way the hard dance awards and a house awards are, but you don’t want it to get any more minority interest than that.” So how do you feel the last few years have fared and what do the Trance awards mean to the trance scene in 2008?
Well you’ve answered the question for me almost! I wouldn’t say my opinion has changed too much. I’ve DJed at the Trance Awards for the last few years and presented awards there as well and it has been well attended. I think the thing about trance is that whilst it punches above its weight if you were to read something like the DJ magazine poll where some of the housey DJs that are actually very big perform quite badly. It is the big room club sound. If you go to all the main festivals the main arena is usually trance wherever you go to in the world and for that reason it definitely deserves its props!
Do you think trance has had a bit of a lull after its peak in ‘99, do you think its coming back again, or has it stayed consistent?
I think it just went underground really, I think the groundswell of popularity is there, it is massively popular. Inevitably whenever something is perceived to have gone commercial there will be an element of folk who have turned away from it and I think that was the scenario with trance. But obviously it’s not commercial anymore, there haven’t been a great deal of hits but it’s still got a huge club pull.
Of course it’s being held at by The Gallery at MoS, which seems to be going from strength to strength this year – I think you held the Judgement Sunday Closing party there this year and of course The Gallery is making a new home there post Turnmills. What’s special about the Ministry of Sound to you and do you think it’s a good venue choice this year?
Obviously it’s now what - 18 or 19 years old. When I was quite young I went there a lot in its opening phase and then DJed there early in its life as well. It had five years of glory and then it became a bit of a tourist trap where Londoners didn’t really go. Ironically I was out for dinner yesterday with the managing director of the Ministry of Sound and we were discussing at what point it was it got its London base back. It was probably about two or three years ago and obviously the icing on the cake for them, although not necessarily for clubland as a whole, has been the closure of various other venues like Turnmills, The Cross, The Egg etc which has really helped the Ministry. But about three years ago for an assortment of different reasons from booking the right DJs to really working on their hospitality to DJs and their VIP area it got its London base back and since then its been on fire again because it is a great venue, it’s got a fantastic sound system and they’ve differentiated their nights very well.
So it’s kinda got it’s cool back finally.
Obviously it’s got a huge global brand recognition and kudos but ultimately you need the locals to be going there and that’s what it’s now got again.
You mentioned Turnmills there, it’s a venue you’ve played a lot in over the years, how do you personally feel about it closing, do you think its indicative of the current economic climate or just the evolution of clubland?
I don’t think it had anything to do with the current economic climate, in fact the reverse is true. It closed because the lease owners redeveloped the venue but I expect the lease owners would have left it open has they known then what we know now about the way the property market has gone. I mean the same applies to The Cross and Canvas, and I believe, though I’m not quite so certain, that the same applied to The End as well – it’s all a property thing. Unfortunately you can make more money redeveloping prime central London real estate than you can out of running a club!
So how has Judgement Sundays fared for you, you mentioned in your intro Ibiza had been a great year for you has it just been much of the same or anything new happening this year?
What we try and create at Judgement Sundays is theatre, we’ve got fifty entertainers (there is a pause as Jules is obviously struggling with a mouthful of food). I wanted to try and create something that was more than just a club night, like a full on party and of course you would expect me to say that it’s the best atmosphere of any club in the world but you know (Jules takes a bite of something and the rest of the sentence is a bit mumbled) you could put me on a polygraph test and I would still say the same thing.
What are you chomping on right now?
Alfalfa sprouts!
Alfa what?
Alfalfa sprouts, some sort of organic stuff I’m trying to keep myself alive with.
(At this point I feel kinda bad, disturbing the man in the dry cleaners and now during his lunch! However the food reference moves me nicely into my next question).
Actually I read a rumour on your Forum about some Judge Jules pasta sauces, I’m taking it that really is a rumour but what’s your favourite pasta sauce – any good recipes you can share with us?
That’s total crap! I don’t eat pasta very much.
You don’t have any good pasta sauce recipes you can share with me then?
(Muffled eating type silence followed by a nervous laugh from me).
So speaking of your Web site, I absolutely love it! Very jam packed with lots of info and in fact the Q&A may put any prospective interviewers out of business! You also upload a mix a month and claim to reply to every single email, sometimes up to 500 a week. A lot of DJs don’t really bother and like to maintain that air of mystery so what drives you to have the personal touch?
I’m a social person really. Some DJs, not all, but some DJs are almost socially disabled. Great behind the decks but almost like social cripples. I’m gonna regret this when somebody comes and lamps me so I won’t mention any names obviously. I’m just not though, I enjoy DJing, I enjoy talking to people you know. I love what I do and it’s nice talking about it and being a bit of a gob shite with it!
Well it’s served you well and it’s nice to have that personal touch! You mentioned your t-shirt earlier with a heroes & villains theme, so what was the concept behind all of that and how did it come about?
I’ve always liked loud clothes, particularly t-shirts. I found myself roaming around the long haul destinations where I was DJing, going clothes shopping to kill the time really. I struggled to find lots of things I liked so I thought I’d put something together and it seems to be selling well despite the economic climate.
So you wear them out yourself?
I do yeah, for pretty much all my gigs. I’m a walking billboard!
I’ve seen you quoted as saying “I've been offered most of the reality shows, ie 'I'm a celebrity' etc, and although it's huge for your media profile, it pangs of desperation to go on one of these, and thankfully I'm not that desperate!” But what about taking one for the team to raise the awareness of clubland on something like that?
That is moral blackmail of the worst order! My missus is in the room so I have to watch what I say but I just look at Heat and OK magazine and things like that (Jules has a side conversation with his wife who is now probably wondering what sort of questions I’ve been asking!). Fair enough Jordan has been well marketed and Kerry Katona and all those, but I just think in life you’ve got to do something. I’ve got more respect for the Riesling brothers who created the tetra pack which you buy your orange juice in which is a really boring product but at least they did something.
I was watching something on telly about them the other day.
Well they are amongst the richest people in Britain to be fair. I’ve got more respect for someone who’s done something really dull but actually done something with their lives. I just can’t bear that whole D List celebrity culture so why join it. I’ve got no delusions of grandeur to imagine that I’m anything higher than C List so just don’t play the game I would say!
Do you hate reality shows generally then – are you not watching Strictly or X Factor? (my next question was getting scrubbed sharpish at this point)
I watched the X Factor two weeks ago I must admit and maybe it’s a rung above the rest as it’s actually a talent show but I wouldn’t say I watch it regularly.
Fair enough… ermmm so looking back on 2008 what have your favourite tunes been and who are your favourite artists?
My favourite producer is a really young guy from the island of Orkney, ORKNEY! It sounds like it’s an April fools but its true. There is a fantastic producer from there called Will Atkinson. Basically I did a gig there years and years ago and I came out the fire exit at the back to go back to the hotel and his mum was waiting there with him. He was 13 years old and he wanted my autograph. Over the years he got the software and started making records and they’ve just got better and better and better to the point where they are just the biggest records in my sets everywhere! Every single thing he sends me is outstanding and he’s just at the point where he’s beginning to be signed. He’s quite prolific.
A few years ago you said the “jury was out” on Ableton and the like – have you come to a verdict in the last few years?
As far as Ableton’s concerned, I’ve used it for some bootlegs in the studio and as a studio tool I think it’s useful but I certainly wouldn’t contemplate using it in a club. The thing that puts me off is just being seen playing with a laptop in front of you ‘cos it looks like you’re answering your emails But if a small enough laptop came out, made by Apple (I’m a Mac person and stupid as it sounds I probably wouldn’t even know how to operate a PC), so if a small enough Apple laptop came out then I’d contemplate it so I could kinda’ hide it somewhere!
What are your hopes and plans for 2009?
Peace, love and world unity and Barack Obama sorting out (pause)
Go on.. you can be political if you want!
Well Barack Obama has been elected president which is the best bit of non personal news this year by a mile.
I think a lot of people would agree with that.
Well just that he addresses the many (pause) wrongs is an understatement, I’m trying to think of a better way of phrasing it, of George Bush. Well I guess the complete f*ck up both of individual acts and the complete isolationist attitude that he’s created.
Well that’s quite a big hope and plan! Fingers crossed.
So to wrap things up, on a lighter note you are famed for the sayings on your show, do you have a favourite from over the years?
(Pause)
Like Paddington Bear we’re on the case.
With that I thank Jules and wish him a nice day and close the interview. It’s been interesting, not quite what I expected but then life would be dull if you could predict everything! I’m reminded once again of how normal Jules is (not just the dry cleaning and munching lunch while on the phone) but he’s just very down to earth and happy to speak his mind which is refreshing.
Catch Jules playing and presenting at the Trance Awards this coming Friday at the Ministry of Sound. Glowsticks at the ready!
For more info http://www.judgemusic.net/ // http://www.judgejules.net/
Photos courtesy of the HarderFaster archive and Integrity Artist Management. Not to be reproduced without permission.
The Gallery pres The Trance Awards
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On:
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Friday 21st November 2008
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At:
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Ministry of Sound [map]
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From:
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22.30 - 07.00
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Cost:
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£12 Members / £12 in advance / £12 NUS / £15 on the door
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Website:
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www.thegallery-club.co.uk
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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This Friday 21st November The Gallery welcomes The Trance Awards to its home at Ministry of Sound in London. Now in its fourth year The Trance Awards is a celebration of the biggest and the best in the world of trance from the past 12 months. Featuring 12 categories voted for by the public via online portal www.tranceawards.com, the 4th Annual Trance Awards Powered by Trackitdown.net is set to be the biggest date on the global trance calendar and we are delighted to welcome it to The Gallery for the very first time.
Voting has already started and is open to everyone. The vote will close on Saturday 15th November with the results announced live at the event. The highlight every year is the star-studded ceremony and full-on party which celebrates the diversity of trance music and culture. Previously the awards have been hosted by the likes of Passion, Godskitchen and Slinky, and this year it’s time for long-running trance institution The Gallery at the world-famous Ministry Of Sound to welcome the most up for it trance crowd of the year on Friday 21st November.
The line-up this year includes Trance Awards stalwart and Gallery regular Judge Jules, who will once again help to present the awards, alongside The Thrillseekers, Lange, Sied Van Riel, Claudia Cazacu and Gavyn Mytchel with some very special surprise live guest appearances.
The UK’s leading dance download store, Trackitdown.net has once again revamped the Trance Awards website to create a fresh vibe in another storming year for the scene. Alongside the voting, the team have enlisted leading key figures from the worlds of production, performance and promotion to tell visitors about how the last 12 months has turned out for them and look ahead to the coming year. Well worth checking out if we say so ourselves and don’t forget to vote for your favourite Gallery resident or guest from the past 12 months!
Judge Jules is no stranger to The Gallery and indeed the Trance Awards having helped host and present the show in previous years. Fresh from the huge Judgement Sunday End of Season party at The Gallery in October the Judge is back in the control seat for tonight’s celebration of all things trance. A long champion of all things new, good and exciting in dance music through his radio shows, endless touring and wide held respect Jules remains as excitable about playing records as the day he started and is a true legend fit for such occasions as tonight. Joining him will be the hugely popular and respected Thrillseekers, better known to his mother as Steve Helstrip; The Thrillseekers remain one of the biggest things in trance having been so instrumental in the early days with hits such as ‘Synaesthesia’ and ‘Dreaming of You’. Still very much at the cutting edge of the scene, new Thrillseekers material inevitably creates a huge buzz with recent hits including ‘The Last Time’ and ‘Waiting here for you’. The Nightmusic compilation series has cemented Steve’s position in the scene and has seen him tour every inch of the globe and remains one of the best compilations money can buy in our humble opinion! Fellow production powerhouse Lange joins the all-star cast of tonight’s party and is another worthy addition remaining a hugely influential figure in the scene. An exponent of some of the most seminal tracks in trance music’s history Lange enjoys the ability to constantly broaden and change his sound with his enormous ability as a producer and label boss. A great and well travelled DJ Lange always delivers the goods and we at The Gallery are looking forward to his first outing at the Ministry of Sound for us in that amazing Box room! Having made his debut for our new breed VACCINE room back in February at The Gallery; Sied van Riel has lived up to the hype and so much more going from strength to strength since then with a plethora of massive tracks and remixes and a DJ diary taking him worldwide. One of the next big things however you look at it, we are sure those who have not yet witnessed this producer extraordinaire will not be disappointed. Another name going from strength to strength is Claudia Cazacu who has seen the last 12 months take off big time for her. With appearances at the likes of Judgement Sunday, Inside Out as well as running a hugely successful imprint in the shape of Couture Records she is at the forefront of the new tech-trance talent and alongside Gallery resident Gavyn Mytchel rounds off the Box’s huge line-up with a bang!
Over in the Bar, Koolwaters drops by to host one of its sessions with headline action from Deepgroove and resident Marc Vedo, and Gallery supremo Tall Paul. Having enjoyed another massive summer in Ibiza hosting their parties at the legendary Eden the Koolwaters brand continues its all out assault on dance music and in the Deepgroove guys they have the perfect ammunition to do the business in the superb surroundings of the Bar at Ministry of Sound. Joined by regular Gallery face and production rising star Graeme Lloyd, Stuart Brooker also gets in on the action to warm things up. The Baby Box welcomes Funk Naughty with Adam Laurie, Phil Robinson, Chris Joy, Danny Wakeling, Oke and Ben Hooper whilst the Lounge welcomes Minimal Love with support from Cozzie, Damion Burbank B2B Rob Holmes, Sooney, Pollo and a live set from Nic Baird.
Ministry of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, London, SE16DP
Tube: Elephant & Castle
Contact: 020 7247 4121 // 020 7740 8627 // info@thegallery-club.co.uk
Prices: NUS & Members £12 B4 12am // £12 Advance // £15 on the door
Advanced Tickets:
http://www.ministryofsound.com/tickets
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk
http://www.viewtickets.co.uk
http://www.clubtickets.com
http://www.thegallery-club.co.uk
http://www.ministryofsound.com/club
http://www.myspace.com/thegalleryclubuk
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Other Features By k8-e:
The One and Only Eddie Halliwell
PunchFunk & Geushky Presents "Let's Make Rave" with Ian Void & Chris Vaux
Cream @ Amnesia - Ibiza 2010 - Reviewed
Pure Gold: Interview with Will Gold
Turning the Corner - Interview with IAMX
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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Comments:
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From: Darz on 20th Nov 2008 11:42.09
Cool interview!
From: TheDon on 20th Nov 2008 12:37.08
He's not a real judge.
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