Irish DJ Fergie: Playing the Arches when the police raided it was a sight to behold

The Irishman recalled the incident ahead of his gig at SWG3 on New Year’s Eve.

“One of the weirdest things that happened to me was when I was playing for Trade,” he laughed.

“I don’t know if you know what Trade was but it was a gay party from London

“The police came in to raid the Arches and all the gay guys they did not know what was going on.

“They thought it was all these strippers coming in.”

He continued: “You just seen all these gay guys in their hot pants just man handling the police – it was a sight to behold.

“I swear to God I have never seen nothing like that in my life.

“It never went smoothly when I was playing. That is what is good about Glasgow and Scotland, people get absolutely crazy with it.”

It is easy to get crazy for a DJ that Scottish ravers have always embraced as one of their own.

Although he now lives in Las Vegas, the star lived the Glaswegian life when he stayed in the city for five years.

And he is one of the only DJs to have achieved the amazing feat of playing all three major dance nights - Inside Out, Pressure and Colours.

He said: “I think I am one of the only DJs to have played Inside Out, Pressure and Colours.

“I think actually that has only been done once because there is such a big rivalry.

“I am so fortunate to play the Arches and I can’t believe it is closed now.”

He added: “One of the most nerve-wracking gigs I ever done in my whole life was playing my first Pressure party.

“I actually threw up before I played because there was so much talk of me doing for a good few years

“90 per cent of the people going to Pressure didn’t want me doing it

“It could have went either way. I didn’t know whether people were going to be shouting here we f**king go or throwing bottles of Buckfast at me while I was playing

“It worked out all right.”

His stay in the city might have never happened if it wasn’t for the lead singer of The Time Frequency Mary Kiani.

She was the first person to bring an unknown Robert Ferguson over from his native Northern Ireland.

He said: “I have to give a shout out to Mary Kiani. She was the first person to bring me to Glasgow she brought me in 97 to play at the Tunnel.

“I grew up listen to TTF.”

For the many, however, who grew up listening to Fergie, they can expect a nostalgic set of what he says is his best years.

He said: “They will be expecting all the bangers I used to play at the Arches in the heyday probably from the era that everybody liked me most.

“My career has been up and down because I have changed the music so much.”

He explained: “When I was at the peak of my hard house I changed. I went into DJ mag then I just changed. I took all the records out of my record box.

“Then I started playing more trancy stuff. I got on Radio One then I changed that to techno.

“Then I moved to America and started playing commercial.

“It is funny but it has also been an important part of why I have been able to do it for 25 years. I don’t see it slowing up anytime soon.

“When I head back to Glasgow though it will most definitely be what most people cite as the golden years.”

The charming Irishman has for sure had a successful career but even he admits he is finding it tough to make a new record.

He said: “I have been working on music for a year. I have made nothing good as yet.

“I am trying to make something along the more commercial lines but it always sounds like something that should be played in the Sub Club at 4 in the morning.

“I have even got the cheek to get vocalists in to try and sing over it.

“I am not making music for a specific reason I am just trying to make it for myself again.”

His fans, however, will just want to see him at his best when he takes to the decks on New Years Eve on Saturday.

He joked: “If you can only have one Christmas present make sure its tickets for colours on the 31st because it is going to be crazy.”

Catch Fergie at SWG3 on Saturday. Tickets on sale now.

STACEY MULLEN