We take a trip back in time to the 90’s & 00’s to compile a list of 10 legendary mixes recorded live from Irish dancefloors. From the sweat soaked Redbox to the infamous Homelands Festival and more, this list is a deep dive into Irish dance music history.

Dance music culture has been at the forefront of contemporary Irish culture for over 30 years, and our little island has been home to some rather notable club spaces and festivals. Held in high regard by DJs across the globe, Irish crowd’s are known for their no-holds-barred approach to clubbing which has won over some of the worlds leading DJs and electronic acts.

Jump into our dance music time machine and re-live or discover some classic dancefloor moments live from Irish shores.

Dave Clarke – Live At The Redbox [2002]

Kicking off the list with a bonafide classic techno set from Dave Clarke at seminal Dublin venue The Redbox all the way back in 2002. This is the barron of techno at his very best as Clarke runs through an array of vintage techno cuts mixed with a punk infused mayhem. One of the most skilled DJs to ever come out of the UK showcases why he’s so celebrated in this mix that spans just under an hour and half.

Andrew Weatherall – Live at Electric Picnic [2006]

A list of classic DJ mixes is never complete without including at least one from the best to ever do, the late Andrew Weatherall. The British DJ and producer is best known for his work with Primal Scream, Björk, New Order, The Future Sound Of London and more, but his for ravers across the globe Andy Weatherall is known for his bold selections and clinical knowledge of music. This mix live from the Bodytonic arena at Electric Picnic see’s Weatherall slip through house, techno, punk, grunge, disco, rock and so much more.

Laurent Garnier – Live at Homelands [1999]

Homelands Festival has provided some classic set’s recorded live from Mosney Holiday Centre in County Meath. The festival acted as home to 25,000 ravers and hosted some of the best DJs to ever walk the face of the earth, one of these DJs was the illustrious, Laurent Garnier. The French DJ was and is still known for his eclectic DJ set’s that span all sorts of genres, but particularly blur lines between house and techno effortlessly, and this is just what Garnier does as he touches down at Homelands in 1999. Gut wrenching synth hooks, soulful Detroit stabs and head banging drum tracks this is Garnier at his finest.

The Prodigy – Live at Trip to Tip Festival [1997]

Fresh off the release of The Prodigy‘s iconic album The Fat Of The Land, the king’s of rave arrived in Thurles in Tipperary for Trip to Tip Festival. The festival hosted a numerous amount of star studded acts including The Foo Fighters, Manic Street Preachers, Kula Shaker and more, but on this occasion it was all about The Prodigy. This was the band at the height of their stardom, performing numerous tracks off their brand new album including Smack My Bitch Up, Breathe, Firestarter and more. This is a little slice of dance music history in Tipperary.

Carl Cox – Live at The Point Depot [1996]

The fabled three turntable master Carl Cox live from The Point Depot is a legendary mix recorded from Dublin City. What now is known as the The 3 Arena used to be home to some of the iconic raves in Dublin’s history. Carl Cox has performed on Irish soil numerous times, but there’s something seriously special about listening back to the king on three turntables flaunting his skills. From Daft Punk to Thomas Schumacher to Secret Cinema, this is vintage Carl Cox at his very finest.

Underworld – Live at The Point Depot [1996]

Another definitively classic recorded mix from The Point Depot comes just a year earlier from Underworld as Karl Hyde and Rick Smith touched down at the Dublin Docklands for a seminal Dublin show. A year after the release of the bands infamous track Born Slippy and prior to the release of A Hundred Days Off this was a special time in the history of Underworld. The recorded mix spans 40 minutes & only includes four original songs from the group. This rendition of Pearls Girl is spine tingling stuff.

Jeff Mills – Live at The Red Box [2002]

One of Jeff Mills first visits to The Red Box in Dublin came on New Years Eve in 2002 and he showcased just why he’s been coined the wizard in his home of Detroit. This mix show’s Jeff at his most creative as he bounces through various moods and atmospheres showcasing his mixing style that is tenacious, delicate and ultimately brave. Long blends meet swift turnovers as banging German power meets classy Detroit groove. This is Mills at his very best.

Altern 8 – Live at The Clarence Hotel [2009]

A live recording of March Archer DJing as Altern 8 in The Clarence Hotel in Sligo in 2009 was simply too good not to include in this list. The formative rave duo of Altern 8 captured the sounds of 90’s rave in the UK and have been continuously educating crowd across the globe since then. This live recording from Sligo is a two hour journey through definitive rave anthems as Archer spins through tracks from K-Klass, N-Joi, The Prodigy, T99, Altern 8 and many more.

Lisa Lashes – Live at Panama Jacks [2002]

The queen of hard house, trance and rave Lisa Lashes was a favourite on Irish shores for many years, and her in your face style of DJing suited Ireland’s full throttle style of partying. Her mix live from Castlebar in Mayo for RTÉ’s 2FM Session Tour encompasses Lisa’s rave fuelled energy to a tee. The UK based DJ races through a selection of trance laced bangers, rave soaked anthems and so much more. This is high energy mixing done properly.

Mr Spring – Live at Homelands [2000]

Last must definitely not least is Mr Spring at Homelands Festival at the turn of the century as the Bray native supplies a DJ set that defined a generation of Irish ravers. Irish DJ set’s don’t get more iconic than this, not only was Mr Spring one of the most sought after DJs in Ireland at this time, but Homeland’s Festival also showcased the ferocious appetite that Ireland had for dance music. This energy in this hour recording encompasses Irish dance music in a way that can’t be explained, but only felt.

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