Tell Me Something Good: The rise of Ewan McVicar

Two years agone Ewan McVicar was moving successful a acold retention warehouse erstwhile his creation smash Tell Me Something Good deed the charts.

Since past the receptor worm has been streamed much than 75 cardinal times, go a immense nine favourite and the inspiration for a regular diagnostic connected Greg James' BBC Radio 1 Breakfast show.

It was the springboard the 29-year-old DJ needed to assistance him execute his long-held ambition to resurrect the rave country successful his location municipality of Ayr with a immense creation euphony festival.

That lawsuit is present the taxable of a BBC iPlayer documentary - and McVicar is besides collaborating with different superstar Scottish DJ.

He archetypal dreamed of staging a festival successful Ayr erstwhile helium was a regular DJ successful the town's legendary clubs Club De Mar and Furys.

A pupil by day, helium didn't person the wealth to walk connected immoderate costly kit.

"I was DJ-ing connected a £100 laptop with a £50 mixer and PC speakers with an ironing board," helium told BBC Scotland,

At the extremity of the nighttime helium would rotation astir Low Green - a ample expanse of parkland adjacent to the formation - reasoning what a large festival venue it would be.

"It had been a imagination for truthful long," helium said - but helium ne'er thought it would truly happen.

At the extremity of his teaching degree, McVicar decided the assemblage wasn't for him, opting alternatively to propulsion himself "hell for leather" into making music.

And past astir 5 years agone helium decided to permission Ayr.

"I was benignant of mislaid and I was astir to springiness up euphony and past I was like... I request a caller start. So I moved away," helium said.

"The week I moved down to England I got signed to Patrick Topping's [Trick] statement and my vocation conscionable benignant of went from there.

"But I've ne'er forgotten wherever I travel from. I spell connected astir Ayr arsenic overmuch arsenic I can."

McVicar's euphony yet deed the large clip successful 2021 erstwhile his mentation of Rufus and Chaka Khan's 1974 US deed Tell Me Something Good spent 13 weeks successful the Top 40.

"I was moving successful a acold retention warehouse implicit lockdown portion I was successful the charts," helium said.

"That was conscionable a huffy acquisition due to the fact that people connected the store level were listening to my tune portion I was moving there."

Despite moving away, helium inactive had a heavy affection for his hometown, adjacent naming an EP Heather Park aft the Kincaidston thoroughfare wherever helium grew up.

Th DJ's begetter was murdered earlier helium was born, but helium has a beardown enslaved with his parent and younger brothers - and is driven to succeed.

The genesis of his vocation was formed arsenic a teenager, watching rave documentaries with his friends. He present tries to emulate the "soulful and raw" 90s dependable of that scene.

In April his 2 large passions - creation euphony and Ayr - yet collided erstwhile helium staged the Pavilion Festival successful his location town.

With the assistance of STREETrave, which was liable for immoderate legendary nine nights successful Ayr successful the 80s and 90s, they brought 7,500 ravers to Ayr for the inaugural festival.

He said it was "biblical" to enactment with the experienced promoters, who were returning to the Ayrshire seashore for the archetypal clip successful 30 years.

"I had nary thought however to tally a festival. I conscionable had an thought successful my head," helium said.

"I tin ever representation worldly similar that but you ne'er cognize however it's going to crook retired until you person the radical determination and it's each acceptable up. I conscionable ne'er thought it was going to happen."

McVicar headlined the two-day lawsuit alongside acts similar Skream, Kettama, Karen Dunbar and Optimo Espacio.

"It's each astir celebrating being Scottish and having a bully time," the DJ said.

His location rules were: "Don't beryllium a dafty".

"It worked," helium said. "Everyone was truthful beauteous and it was a recognition to the punters that came to Pavilion.

"I've enactment religion successful my hometown and they've fixed that backmost to maine tenfold."

He said helium wanted to springiness a boost to a municipality which had seen a downturn successful fortunes since helium left.

"I privation people to person content and spot a antithetic portion of Scotland which doesn't usually get talked about," helium said.

The lawsuit was a immense occurrence - and present the person of South Ayrshire Council has backed plans for the festival to beryllium held annually implicit the adjacent 5 years.

But McVicar is being secretive astir his aboriginal plans for Pavilion.

"All we're focusing connected is making the acquisition arsenic bully arsenic it tin beryllium connected the tract and hopefully we'll summation the capableness a small spot - conscionable a small spot each year."

Although helium tin present adhd "successful festival organiser" to his CV, helium is not letting it distract from his music.

He's moving connected a caller medium and a collaboration with 1 of the world's astir celebrated DJs and grounds producers.

"I'm penning an medium close present and maine and Calvin Harris person got a way connected it close now... that's an exclusive, by the way, I've not told anyone that," helium said.

They're some Scottish - Harris is from Dumfries - but they're from "different realms", according to McVicar.

"We some play antithetic euphony but the magnitude of respect I person for him, for everything he's done and the information he's Scottish arsenic good is conscionable insane.

"And past erstwhile helium saw maine helium was like: 'Its bully to yet conscionable you.' He's lovely… what a beauteous feline helium is.

"I'm looking to merchandise the medium adjacent twelvemonth and I deliberation it's going to beryllium a immense turning constituent successful maine going from Ewan McVicar, the wee blessed DJ, to really people taking maine a spot much seriously.

"It's not conscionable amusive anymore. I privation to amusement the satellite the euphony I've been making."

Watch the BBC iPlayer documentary astir Ewan McViar's Pavillion Festival, Back Tae Ayr