Neil Hamburger is not your typical comic, and DJ Horsepussy is not your typical DJ. Hamburger's "anti-comedy" style has certainly inspired an entire crop of alt-comedians, and while Phoenix has a few DJs with "fucking" offensive names, none go as far to remain anonymous as the lucha libre-masked rocker.
Both Hamburger and Horsepussy are dedicated to their craft in a way that shakes loose anyone less than "hardcore" about getting down. Though Hamburger often expresses a disdain for rock music, but Horsepussy will proceed with a garage rock/'70s punk set regardless. "[I'm going to play] rock 'n' roll. I'm going to get under his skin," he laughs over the phone.
Up on the Sun: What kind of stuff do you plan on spinning? Neil Hamburger isn't a big fan of the rock music, so much.
DJ HP: Yeah. Yeah. I think deep inside, there may be a different story.
I know he's recorded some country stuff. Are you going to spin any classic country for Neil?
Rock 'n' roll. I'm going to get under his skin.
And then you can just take your mask off afterward, and he can't yell at you. He doesn't know who you are.
Yes. That's one of the advantages of being masked, definitely.
You don't have regular nights, you just seem to pop up where ever. You're doing the upcoming Sundown Showdown shows.
Yeah, I'll be doing a few of those. I just do it for fun. I have a separate life. I try to keep the two separate. Which is why I wear a mask when I play records. Because I've had associates come to some of my gigs, but I don't want them to recognize me. It works. I don't have a car, I don't have a website or anything. I just go by word of mouth. It's mostly for friends.
Do you normally do '45s?
Yeah, I try to. Usually. I've done a few nights where it's only '45s, but I always bring a box of LPs, because there's something I don't have or it's not available.
What should people expect to hear in your typical set?
I play a lot of different stuff. It depends on what's going on. I think for Neil I'm going to play a bunch of garage stuff, some '70s stuff. Depending on the gig I'll play more punk or hardcore stuff, but I also do a lot of soul sets. I think I'm going to start doing that under a different name.
I imagine the Horsepussy moniker scares off a lot of people.
Yeah, I chose that name to make people uncomfortable, and also because a lot of DJs choose really corny names; I think it's funny. It's my way of saying "fuck that, I don't really give a shit."
Well, I'm sure it works.
It's led me top not getting a few gigs, or gigs where people are like, "Can you just do it under a different name?"
DJ Horsepussy is scheduled to perform Thursday, December 8 at Crescent Ballroom with Neil Hamburger, at December 9, at Tempe Tavern with Hot Noise and North Dakota.
