Ministry of Sound Turns 25 This Weekend, So We Asked a Bunch of DJs to Tell Us About Their 25th Birthdays | US | Translation

This weekend one of London's most iconic venues celebrates a very important milestone. That's right—Elephant and Castle superclub Ministry of Sound is turning 25! Founded by Justin Berkmann and James Palumbo back in the very early 90s, the club's gone on to play host to pretty much every big name DJ of the last two and a half decades. From Larry Levan to DJ Harvey, David Morales to Tony Humphries, superstar after superstar's sauntered into the hallowed halls of the huge main room.

This weekend MoS are celebrating with a weekend's worth of parties featuring the likes of Nervo, Ewan Pearson, Dean Beaumont, Terry Farley, Todd Terje, and a tonne more stepping up to the decks armed with a bunch of balloons and some cocktail sausages on sticks.

Given that, we asked a few Ministry favourites to tell us what went down on their 25th birthdays.

I believe that I celebrated my 25th at Soho's infamous Wag Club—it's where we went for our big nights out. The Wag continued London's club scene's infatuation with black American music, which is something that Ministry carried on. It had a later license than most, closing at about 3.30 or 4am, and there were always amazing DJs and dancers. If you got past Winston on the door that is.

It was 1985 and I'd just started working for an ill-fated record company in Liverpool. I was no longer a DJ and the previous year had been really tough financially—I had no birthday celebration planned. I had a meeting with a young singer called Tracey that day, and during the conversation I must have mentioned that it was my birthday. She thought it was sad that I wasn't marking the occasion, and insisted that I came out for a drink with her and her companion after I finished work. That was the beginning of a friendship/relationship/marriage that continues to this day.

It was 1995 and I was in a thick fog of rave, so trying to remember anything from that year or the years either side, are pretty much a no go. I'd love to help you. I could make something up, or if you could employ a hypnotist to help jog my memory, well that would be amazing!

I never was a big fan of birthdays; I hate them to be honest. All my birthdays are always the same: my best friends and me in a good restaurant having a good time, or just at home, spending the evening and night all together having fun and hanging out. I'm sure Ministry's will be dope though!

I was in New York and my friends woke me up with a ticket to Vegas. I had no idea they had planned it, I was so happy. So we went there and rented some elephants in the desert. We all got really drunk and took some mushrooms. I had the craziest hallucinations of my life and then after that I woke up in my hotel room naked with three hookers. I had no idea of what happened, it was crazy. No, sorry guys, I just created this story because I don't remember at all what I did for my 25th birthday. It was seven years ago; I can't even remember what I did seven hours ago.

My 25th birthday is something of a blur and it's hard to tell if that is down to my age or because it was a spectacular occasion. I was heavily into collecting obscure 70's soul, a time when I would gladly pay over £100 for a collectable single. I believe on that particular weekend I met up with a few like minded friend, each packing our 7" cases. We had a fine curry before playing our rarities at a small function room in west London. That's how I rolled in those magical days.

Find out more about Ministry of Sound's 25th birthday here.