Sister Savage [she/her]

I discovered first-wave ska music when I was just eight years old, living overseas, and from that moment on, music’s been my compass. Ska and reggae are my first loves, and soul came in not far behind. Over the years I’ve built an extensive soul collection, and I’m always chasing the thrill of a deep cut or a dusty gem. I love the musical links between Soul and Rocksteady music.

I’ve DJ’d at a wide array of pubs and clubs across Sydney over the years, but my all-time favourite gig was the closing night of the Palladium. I pulled together a hand-selected crew (a bunch of boys—tee hee) and we took over the upstairs room to a packed-out crowd. The place was wild. Since it was the last night, the venue was already a bit worse for wear, and I’ll never forget the four-metre drop lurking just behind the DJ decks. You definitely had to keep your wits about you that night.

I spent the best part of a decade on community radio, starting at Radio Skid Row and later hosting Fire on the Wire, a six-hour Friday night show on Eastside Radio 89.7. I’ve had stints on various other community stations too, always with one hand on the fader and the other flipping through crates.

In 2000, I was part of the Sydney Soul Sisters crew, who helped produce one of Australia’s first national soul events right here in Sydney. I DJed alongside legends like Alex White, Miss Goldie, and Maria Boomerang—and even scored a mention in the Northern Soul Encyclopedia along the way.

After a bit of a hiatus doing life and raising kids, I returned to the decks in 2023 as Sister Savage. You’ll still hear ska, reggae, and soul in my sets, but I’ve also got big time love for funk, and for Latin house, garage, pop, some rock, hip-hop, and jazz—especially jazz.