Bananas is back (Alright!)

Shanghaiist: Bananas has been away a long time, why the break?

El Nomo: Well, basically we all defected. DJ Kamikaze split town for big money and hi-profile gigs in Macau. He's rubbing elbows with Mariah Carey and the U.S. Basketball Dream team, DJing for Avril Lavigne's birthday party and the Miss Universe competition... stuff like that

Adam (Mr. Stokes) gave up the ghost on DJing as a lifestyle choice and moved back to the States where he's now becoming a "Master of Geography" (ha, like there's any future in a field like that!... I'd like to see where that leads him when he's 50, what a sucker).

I was in Europe all summer, stringing together my El Nomo euro-fabulous DJ tour with gigs in Spain, Denmark and Germany. When I got back here in September I started kicking the idea around with Kami, and we finally set a date with the Shelter.

There’s also a new Banana Gang member on board- DJ Kid Fresh , a ridiculously talented DJ and turntablist who won the ITF world DJ Championship 3 times and basically put German turntabalism on the map.

The music at Bananas is all over the place (in a good way). Can you give us a taste of what we might hear on Friday Saturday?

El Nomo: I always like to claim Technotronic's "Pump up the Jam" as one of the pillars of a Bananas party. So silly, but undeniably butt moving after a few drinks and it's a total nostalgic jam for the ages.

Umm... for this one we're gonna play a lot of silly biker rock, like ZZ Top "Cheap Sunglasses”, Foghat "Slow Ride," Aerosmith "Sweet Emotion" etc...

A few other staples:
2 Live Crew "Hoochie Mama"
Michael Jackson "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" (actually, just about any Michael Jackson disco song)
Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders "Game of Love"

and so much other stuff ranging from hip hop to funk, pop, 80's disco, electro, techno, etc and yes, we will probably play Chinese Democracy... (though I haven't even heard it yet!)

Bananas always has a theme for people to dress up- what are some of the more memorable outfits?

Kamikaze: The best thing I remember were the girls at BANANER [an Ikea / Scandanavian theme party] printing their own tshirts, making skirts out of the blue plastic (Ikea) bags and drinking Absolut all night! Also when ”Ask Matsume” came in a full monkey costume complete with sexy animal tamer and whip…

El Nomo: When we had a night called “Holy Bananas”, the then-editor of SH magazine (Dan Bignold) showed up as a Nun, that was ludicrous.

For the "Just Bananas" sports theme the whole room looked like they were ready to go jogging, we made Gatorade cocktails sealed in milk tea cups with those huge straws... they were kind of awful tasting, but hey, they got the job done.

This time the theme is "Hells Bananas Gang Biker Bar Blowout". Explain please:

Kamikaze: Rockers, Rebels, Bad Boys…

Elnomo: Leather everything (underwear, socks, hair, teeth), boots, bandanas. Wear sunglasses and show off your tattoos (and if you don't have any, we'll be giving away temporary Bananas tattoos at the door) grow out a three day beard, stop showering and strut your tough biker dude stuff.

A free preview mix is available to download here.

Bananas @ The Shelter (5 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Xi Lu), Friday 28th November.
Entrance 30RMB, 10pm- late.

“No Huggermuckers, Gremlins, Insta-Bikers or Cagers allowed.”