About Me
Matt The Hat, age 29, and is the brainchild behind the Welsh Secret Garden Soundsystem who have been throwing parties all over Wales since 1997.SE exams. He attended Art College for 3 years and went on to train as a Director/Producer at The International Film School of Wales. Which has turned out such Directors as Justin Kerrigan "Human Traffic"
Still promoting free parties and underground club events alongside making video art in his hometown, Matt the Hat soon grew frustrated by Newport’s limitations. In the Summer of 2001 he and cohort Shai set up a Sunday afternoon outdoor dance event for all his mates in the back of John Henrys Cafe bar in Newport. The place was a called “The Suntrap†and had a true Balearic feel in Wales. During those long summer afternoons the venue began to fill up with party revellers from Cardiff, Swansea and Bristol and the night was firmly set on the Map. The sessions closed for good with the closure of the Cafe at the end of that summer.
The Secret Garden Soundsystem was born the next summer with the tradition of the Sunday Afternoon carry on. These lasted for the Summer Season over the space of two years.
Flash Forward to 2005 and Matt The Hat is in the Welsh Capital of Cardiff, using his Film & Video art skills to VJ alongside Deep Dish, Erick Morrillo, Justin Robertson, Joey Negro at the Cities most respected club nights. Producing freelance DVD's, Visuals and Music Video's under the guise of Maverick Visuals.
The Secret Garden Sound System began to put on parties across the Welsh Capital with an anything goes Music Policy maintaining that the people and the party being the most important thing about their events. Taking influences from his Universe days and free parties, the events exploded into Cardiff. Secret Garden Breakfast Clubs were held 4am-10am, boat parties, parties in unusual locations, outdoors secret garden parties and the love of Fancy dress at the events was born. The Secret Garden Soundsystem had become more than just an event it became about the Artists, Dancers, Circus and Costume designers who made up the party collective and at the helm was Matt the Hat steering the ship into unknown waters.
Hosting a Radio Show alongside DJ partner Kaptain on Beats FM in 2005 expanded the already eclectic mix of the Hat and he took to sharing his record collection in public in many a disguise.
2005 also saw the launch of "BIGLOVE" August Bank Holiday weekend an Annual free festival for the music community of Cardiff and a direct backlash against the corporate bar culture that seemed to be sweeping over the City. The event was held in support of the Make Poverty History Campaign.
Not content with creating something fresh in Cardiff the Hat set off to the Bestival with the world’s first 45ft inflatable church to spread love all over the Isle of Wight. The Inflatable Church starred in the Bestival C4 Documentary and his friends, the Super Furries, popped in for a DJ set at Bestival.
2006 has seen Matt the Hat launch a performers and artist agency WILDLIFE managing artists such as Patrick & Eugene (Tummy Touch records) as well as circus and theatrical acts. The completion of a Safari stage show (see video below) and tour management of The Big Love Inflatable Church and DJ sets across this Greenland at the end of 2006 Matt the Hat had his first Radio1 Maida vale session as part of the Helium Choir and rocked the Spitafields market Christmas bash.
2007 had been the beginning of a new journey for Mr Hat and a new vision, the invention of a musical TIME MACHINE. Matt the Hat plans to bring back bands and artists from different eras to perform on his newly programmed festival stage. Already tested in Bristol, this invention is ready to take the festival circuit by storm. You can also catch him selling his customized boom boxes on Cardiff’s Northcotelane Market and programming events for the Cardiff bar Milgi, helping to bring a slice of festival life to Cardiff.
2008 has already seen the TIME MACHINE DISCO touching down on Sundaybest soil with MR Bandstand AKA Matt the Hat in toe, and there are plans for the a full scale tent at the Electric Picnic in Ireland. He is also has a new comedy DJ stage show with "Stefan & Jurgen" the 1980's Ski Instructors, and with the re-launch of WILDLIFE, 2008 is set to be a great year. You can get Matt the Hat’s Podcast at www.wearewildlife.com
// DJ DATES AND GIGS 2009 //
29TH MAY / MATTER / 02 / LONDON
12TH APRIL / SECRET GARDEN SOUNDSYSTEM / THE GLOBE / CARDIFF
28TH FEB / SECRET GARDEN SOUNDSYSTEM / THE GLOBE / CARDIFF
14TH FEB / TONIC / GLO BAR / CARDIFF
DJ DATES AND GIGS 2008
20TH DEC / SGS XMAS PARTY / THE GLOBE / CARDIFF
19TH DEC / SGS XMAS PARTY / START THE BUS / BRISTOL
13th DEC / RICKSHAW RALLEY@CLOCKWORK/BRISTOL
16TH NOV / SWN CLOSING PARTY/SECRET GARDEN SOUNDSYSTEM
31ST OCT / SECRET GARDEN SOUNDSYSTEM
26TH OCT / PEACE, LOVE & DUB @ MILGI
5TH OCT / NORTHCOTE LANE MARKET @ MILGI
23RD SEPT / LOST & FOUND PARTY @ LONDON/PRIMOROSE HILL>
4th SEPT / BESTIVAL @ IOW
30th AUG / ELECTRIC PICNIC @ Ireland
24TH AUG / SECRET GARDEN SOUNDSYSTEM @ Start the Bus, Bristol
5TH AUG / STAFAN & YURGUN / SPO8 / PRIVATE
9TH AUG / BLOOM FESTIVAL @ West Country
19th JULY / GLADE FESTIVAL @ SECRET LOCATION
6th JULY / NORTHCOTELANE MARKET @ Milgi, Cardiff
28th JUNE / HIDE & SEEK FESTIVAL PARTY @ Cosmo Bar, London
15th JUNE / PEACE, LOVE & DUB with DJ DEREK @ Milgi, Cardiff
7th JUNE / ROCKNESS FESTIVAL @ Inverness, Scotland
31st MAY / CLOCKWORK CLOSING PARTY @ Clockwork, Bristol
3rd MAY / BANDSTAND SUNDAYBEST @ Old Billington, London
21st APRIL / NOT SO SUPER MARKET @ Start the Bus, Bristol
20th APRIL / WE LIKE TO PARTY @ Timbuk2, Bristol
6th APRIL / NORTHCOTELANE MARKET @ Milgi, Cardiff
30th MARCH / CABARET CLUB @ Milgi, Cardiff
24th MARCH / PEACE LOVE AND DUB @ Milgi, Cardiff
24th FEB / CABARET CLUB @ Milgi, Cardiff
17th FEB / PEACE LOVE AND DUB @ Milgi, Cardiff
16th FEB / WE LIKE TO PARTY @ Timbuk2, Bristol
3rd FEB / NORTHCOTELANE MARKET @ Milgi, Cardiff
OUR BIG SUMMER SAFARI SHOW 2006
