Mr. Scruff
Manchester-based Andy Carthy, aka Mr. Scruff, began as a 12-year-old bedroom DJ and producer in 1984, inspired by two-tone, reggae, electro, hip-hop, boogie, early house, and ’80s megamixes. Over the years, his obsessive and curious ear has latched onto many more styles, driven by a desire to bring more wonderful sounds into the mix, both in the club and in the studio.
After 10 years of using cassette decks, cheap hi-fi gear, and DIY electronics to create his own mixes and productions, he started DJing regularly and released his first 12” in 1994. Several 12”s, remixes, and an LP later, he released his second album Keep It Unreal on Ninja Tune in 1999 and began his Manchester DJ residency of the same name - a night that still runs to this day.
Mr. Scruff weaves together many forms of music in a playful way: soul, funk, gospel, disco, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, ska, two-tone, reggae, Latin, jazz, afrobeat, tropical, house, techno, garage, electro, new wave, hip-hop, breakbeat, bhangra, ambient - and whatever else makes sense in the moment. Curiosity and connection drive his passion, along with a love of sharing all this music on his joyous dancefloors. He is obsessive about sound quality and likes to arrive early at venues with his mixer and effects units to set up and sound-check. His logic: once the technical side is taken care of and he feels connected to the space and staff, creativity and fun can flow freely.
He loves long DJ sets and daytime or early-start gigs. He travels with a sound engineer and often performs with his sidekick MC Kwasi. When budgets and tech allow, he brings his visuals operator for a fully immersive dancefloor experience. He also enjoys long back-to-back sets with similarly wide-eared, excitable DJs. Scruff particularly loves working with passionate lighting engineers - especially when they can join him in the booth.
He is also a patron of the Music Venue Trust and a strong advocate for small, independent venues. Where possible, he asks promoters to include a £1 LiveLine fund levy on all UK headline venue shows, a hugely popular initiative during his 2025 “Miniature Arena Tour” of grassroots venues.
