We Experienced Life on the Road with Steve Lawler

Take your pick: storied nightclub or illustrious music festival, THUMP has conducted its share of interviews in the darkest corners and hidden crevices of them all. But here we are now, perched up in a penthouse suite at one of Toronto's swankiest hotels with the inimitable Steve Lawler.

"Not that I use them, because I can't, but I had some earplugs made at the beginning of this year in London. And the lady that made them did a test and she was quite surprised that my ears were hardly damaged and I've never worn protection. And when she was making this mould, she took it out and said, 'Ah okay, now I know why.' The canal in my ear is like something worn by Captain Hook."

He spiritedly curves his finger back at an angle, as if ready to catch hold or hang something on it.

"She said, 'That's why your ears are protected. You were born to be a DJ! You were born to be around loud music!' I kind of think that sometimes and she confirmed it for me. This is who I am, it's what I do and it keeps me young."

The VIVa kingpin has just arrived in Toronto after a long overseas trek. It's been a rather unusual journey, as he has traveled all the way from the UK for just this one gig, scheduled later in the evening at the city's popular Coda. This doesn't usually happen. But a large outdoor VIVa Warriors party in NYC had been canceled at the eleventh hour due to licensing issues and Steve wasn't about to bail on T.O.—the city means a great deal to him.

He's purposely done boat parties here, beach ones, festivals, small clubs, big clubs, warehouses, rooftops…  a little bit of everything. But Steve is out to accomplish more. To give his fans every aspect of himself, whether it's a really intimate performance or something on a grander platform.

Steve Lawler has had this thing for Toronto for a long time and his compatriots have heard it too.

"There was a point when I was playing Toronto all the time and a lot of the other underground acts like Dubfire, Luciano and Loco Dice, they weren't really coming here that much. And I told those guys a long time ago, 'Toronto!'"

Steve knows the city's vibe. "I've been understood here for a long time musically. And that makes me feel very welcome. I guess when you're an artist of any kind, when people understand you and your art, that's the biggest accolade you can have from someone. That's the greatest reward for me. I'm not going to lie, of course I enjoy the success of the level that I'm at. I'd be a liar if I said I didn't! But it's not the pinnacle thing."

To truly put this in perspective, what it boils down to is that he has made a 12-hour journey across the globe to play here for two hours, four max. I can only imagine what about a gig like this really motivates him.

"For me it's not about the size and it's not about the production of the event, it's about the people. It's about the atmosphere that you can have in a room. I mean, me amongst the audience."

We're interrupted by the doorbell. It's hotel staff. The room we're in smells of smoke and has a cot rolled out in the center. It won't do. Keen to poke fun at himself, he signals me with a wink and smile, "Ah, my prima donna room change!"

Lawler has a sharp awareness of where he's at professionally. It's something of an aura he carries in the way he walks, talks, but he has never let that get above his profession or his craft. It is apparent in his tempered ego about the impending Coda appearance. Lots of DJs turn their nose up at the concept of a short club set. They feel their talent is vindicated only by marathon sessions that pound into the early next afternoon. En route to his fresh accommodations on a lower floor, Steve waxes humorously on the subject.

"The parties might go on for longer at other engagements, but there is no joy for me in playing a 14-hour set and six of them you've only got 50 people left in a room, so ketted out of their minds they don't even know if you are playing a kick drum or a comedy skit. All that effort that we put into touring is about one thing: the show. And no matter the length, I want to give it my best because I don't just want it to be good for everyone else, I want it to be good for me."

That isn't to say Steve can't appreciate how people choose to get their jollies. He's the first to admit that he is a sucker for a good time. But touring so hard for so many years, he's had to level it out. One must remember these aren't health clubs he is playing in.

"You have to choose your moments. I've done the other half. I've 'cained it and it's been crazy, I've done the rock star thing. As a lot of my fans will know already, to be honest. I've done that and I've done it non-stop for a couple years at a time. You learn that you're human and even though your mind is always excited and has a lot of energy, your body starts to feel it."

We settle into his new chambers—this one will do—and Steve clarifies that nowadays it's a case of trying to balance his life. Being two men at once: Steve Lawler the superstar and Steven Lawler the family man. "I've capped off a few vices that I've had in previous years. The reality of it is, you just have to pick your spots. But Toronto always ends up being one of them!"

Life on the road can be a lot for one DJ to handle. And just as much for someone else to attempt to, which is why Steve wouldn't tackle the schedule he takes on without his tour manager, Pedro Vila.

"I did it alone for years at the beginning of my career long ago. I was fine with it then but it's a very lonely life. Even with him, it's lonely. We spend a lot of hours in hotel rooms, I spend a lot of hours in the airport and airplanes. But there are moments when you need each other. Sometimes when you get anxiety that can happen with this kind of lifestyle, when you get a bit down. You need each other, you need that person there. You become very close."

Pedro's been working with Steve for a year now. But Steve was with a guy for almost a decade previously. And there were moments where he felt closer to him than his own wife. "I simply spent more time with him! And we'd been through more, we'd been through a lot of crazy situations and ups and downs."

Steve and his tour manager share the highs and lows. But one thing that makes up for the bumpiest paths is the show.

"When I'm in the booth and I'm playing, the way that I feel, I give all my energy. I really give everything I've got. It's like I'm part of what's happening. And that's why it means so much for a good gig, I mean, I leave it all at the show."

When you hear words like this and consider how many of his contemporaries are winding down while he continues to accelerate, it bears all the mark of a man who can't let it go.

"You know what, you're absolutely right. People have said this to me that as you go through your career, you sort of do less work either out of choice or because you are not so much in demand. And for me, it's the complete opposite. I don't know what it is. I'm still as hungry today."

And he shows no signs of slowing his roll either. As long as his ears can still do it, right?

"As long as the Captain Hooks are still there."

So don't count on Steve Lawler letting up anytime soon. After all, he was born to do this.

You can follow Chris on Twitter: @TheCMprogram