Lisa Loud is widely recognised as the first lady of dance music, with a career that has taken her from the early days of UK club culture to some of the biggest dancefloors on the planet. Mentored by Paul Oakenfold, she cut her teeth at legendary clubs like Future, Spectrum and Shoom, becoming a key name during the rise of the acid house movement. Her sound, a mix of tribal-infused tech house, groove and energy, has made her one of the most respected female DJs to come out of the UK. Through the 90s and into the 2000s, Lisa became a true global DJ. She has played across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and beyond, with standout shows at Pacha, Space, Manumission, Zouk Singapore, XIII Moscow, La Belle Shanghai and venues throughout Dubai, Hong Kong, Bali and Thailand. She’s shared the stage with icons including Carl Cox, Pete Tong, Sasha, Digweed, Brandon Block, Sister Bliss and many more. Her Russian tour for FortDance saw her headline a campaign across the entire country, finishing in front of over 30,000 people. Away from the clubs, Lisa has built a reputation as a businesswoman and a key figure in fashion, celebrity and high-end events. She has played for Duran Duran, appeared at the BRITs after-party, London Fashion Week, BAFTA events and Company Magazine’s showcase. She’s also released acclaimed productions including “Miles for Sound” on Plastica Red and a remix on Norman Cook’s Southern Fried Records. Known for her personality as much as her music, Lisa is loved for the way she connects with crowds. Her sets are packed with energy, attitude and pure house music passion, which is why she remains one of the most in-demand and recognisable DJs of her generation.Is this conversation helpful so far?
When you think of the name Lisa Loud, you think of her Loud Noise collaboration with fellow ’90s DJ partner Nancy Noise, you think of Ibiza and the Summer of Love, and her countless gigs all over the UK during the rave days. It’s a pure pleasure to go through this chart piece with the queen of the party scene.
No-one messes with Lisa Loud. Under her original name, Lisa McKay, she was an early traveller to Ibiza thanks to cheap flights from a dad who worked for British Airways and an older sister, Joanne, who was friends with Nancy ‘Noise’ Turner. These Walworth Road girls were the magic connectors between Ibiza, Trevor Fung, Ian St Paul and the notorious Ibiza quartet (Oakenfold, Holloway, Walker and Rampling). Not shy at coming forward, within a few years Lisa was internationally known as a DJ and running her enormously successful dance promotions business Loud & Clear. Those early experiences have never left her and you can hear it in her ebullient stories and passion for the rave.
Lisa Mckay, AKA Lisa Loud, is yet another unsung hero / heroine of Balearic Beat and Acid House. Let`s face it, the boys involved have taken the bulk of the credit, but Lisa was in Ibiza, dancing to Alfredo at Amnesia, in 1985. She is one of the original UK “Amnesiacs” and featured in John Godfrey`s classic I-D magazine expose of Future, The Project Club, and Shoom, and Dave Swindells` accompanying iconic photographs – that captured loved-up folks sporting ponchos, beat-up Converse, and mad, diluted pupils. Lisa was a core member of the close-knit crew central to the scene. I’ve written before about just how important, pivotal, that particular piece was to me. It was the moment that the penny dropped, and everything fell into place.
Lisa Loud
