DJ SIMON WILLSON has been spinning discs in Hong Kong since the early 1980s. His first paid gig was at Club 97 in 1983.
'Lan Kwai Fong had a fresh young buzz then. It was all champagne in those days and there were drinks three to four deep on the bar,' he said.
From there he went on to play in a number of clubs, including Tsim Sha Tsui's late-night spot the Cavern. He joined RTHK in 1989, but a near-fatal motorcycle accident, which left him with his jaw wired shut for a while, meant DJ-ing was out of the question.
He tried his hand at a couple of other jobs, like currency trading, and watched the rise of the 1990s dance scene from the sidelines until 1998 when he got back in the DJ booth.
Today he has his own show on RTHK Radio Three on Saturdays from 8pm-10pm called 'The Rhythm with Simon Willson', and he is a regular at the Lamma Island beach parties.
'I've done the six nights a week as a resident club DJ, I know what it's like. I find clubs really expensive now and they are not as carefree as they were in the early 1990s when everyone was there to dance and enjoy themselves - which is exactly why I like the Lamma beach parties: they are free for everyone, just bring attitude.'