Home > Biography > Short Biography May 2006

Dave Pearce is one the UK’s most in demand DJs – known for his euphoric style of uplifting trance and hard dance – with the odd trademark anthem thrown in.  He currently hosts BBC Radio 1’s Dance Anthems on Sunday nights at 7pm and has had a prolific career in the media and music industry.  He has been a pioneer and innovator in both music and broadcasting, presented radio shows on both sides of the Atlantic, hosted TV shows, written for national newspapers, compiled an award winning movie soundtrack, achieved sales of over 1m compilation albums in the UK, created one of the UK’s most successful dance labels (NuLife), and hosted one of Ibiza’s most popular club nights for the last 6 years.  Dave is currently working extensively across the UK at top dance events and festivals (see DJ dates listings for details).

We are rewriting a full biography which will detail Dave’s journey from hip-hop and pirate radio to trance and his career at Radio 1.  For journalists requiring more detailed background history please contact Dan Slipper. In the meantime, here is a potted history of Dave’s career:

Dave currently presents Dance Anthems on BBC Radio 1 with one of the highest audience listening shares on the station.  He is constantly in demand DJing around the UK and internationally.  This summer Dave will be playing at the England base camp at the World Cup in Germany, hosting his weekly residency with Gatecrasher in Ibiza and making regular appearances in Tenerife, Zante, Mallorca, and Corfu.  He will also be appearing on the Radio 1 stages at Coloursfest in Glasgow, Escape Into The Park in Swansea, and Planet Love in Belfast.  A new album is planned for September.

So, how did he start out?

Dave started DJing on a popular south London pirate radio station while still at school.  By 16 he was running his own station.  By 17 he was DJing in Bombay, India, to an international jetset Bollywood crowd.

Dave joined BBC Radio London and created and presented the BBC’s first hip hop show and a weekly dance show.  His pioneering work in hip hop led him to, amongst other things, be featured on Public Enemy’s critically acclaimed album ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’.

Dave then hosted a nightly dance show on GLR, hooked up with pirate radio station KISS FM, and joined the campaign for a dance station in London.  KISS FM then became the first legal dance station in the UK and Dave hosted a daily drivetime show.  He went on to host the Breakfast Show (The Dangerous Breakfast) and gained the attention of BBC Radio 1.

He then joined BBC Radio 1, initially hosting the Early Breakfast Show, and landing all Chris Evan’s Breakfast Show stand-ins.  He went on to host a series of different shows on BBC Radio 1 including the Recovery Session (The Breakfast Show for Ravers), The Weekend Breakfast Show, Drivetime, Late Drive, and Dance Anthems.

In between all of this:

• Dave worked on BBC TV’s first ever dance show Behind the Beat on BBC Two’s Def2 strand, interviewing artists in America.
• He hosted the music section on Mariella Frostrup’s Video View on ITV1.
• He presented the Dance Years, a 13 week series on ITV1.
• He compiled the award winning soundtrack for the movie SW9
• He was a dance music columnist for the Sun and the Daily Star newspapers.
• He has sold over 1m mix compilation albums.
• He was A&R Director for Polydor’s Urban Records.
• He created the independent dance label Reachin’ Records.
• He was the founder and director of NuLife Records – previously part of BMG.

• View and download press photos - click here
• Download this biography in PDF or Microsoft Word format - click here
• For journalists requiring more detailed background history please contact Dan Slipper - click here
• View and buy Dave's albums in the Discography section - click here