WE'VE COME SO FAR.. BUT THERE'S A LOT TO DO

ADAM MAIDMENT MEETS THE PIONEERING CITY DJ WHO HELPED MAKE QUEER MANCHESTER PART OF COOL MANCHESTER

- ADAM MAIDMENT

ON one hazy night at Manchester's historic gay venue Number 1 Club, sometime back in 1992, Paulette with 'no equipment and no decks' - was given complete charge of the playlist for five hours.

Known for her vast record collection and love for music, she was given one date as a resident DJ - despite no experience - and paid just £30 for the night. She remained at the club for four-and-a-half years.

Now, more than 30 years on, DJ Paulette is a name that most people, especially those up North, will certainly recognise. She's toured the world with the likes of Janelle Monae and David Guetta and won countless awards - including a lifetime achievement from DJ Magazine, and the DJ of the Year prize at the Northern Music Awards in this year alone.

"When I started DJing there wasn't anyone like me, certainly not in Manchester," DJ Paulette tells CityLife.

"I don't really know how I managed to figure out how to do this job and who I was going to be in this world because there wasn't really anybody to base it on. So, to get to this point, in 2024, where I'm getting these awards is very humbling. It matters, doesn't it?" Originally set on becoming a gynaecologist, Paulette's career trajectory changed course following that night at Number 1 Club in 1992.

Having also spent time appearing on Granada TV and hosting shows on Piccadilly Radio with the one and only Chris Evans, she was also asked that same year to take part in a night at The Haçienda: one that would go on to pave the way for Manchester's gay scene today.

Launched in 1991 by promoters Paul Cons and Lucy Scher, Flesh was a midweek escape into the world of flamboyance and excess through fashion, music, partying, and acceptance.