Omagh DJ meets musical hero

AN Omagh DJ had a ‘dream come true’ moment at the weekend, when he met, and got photographs taken with, the disc jockey who inspired him to pursue his musical career on the decks.

Michael McCrory, who is well known in the town by his alias, ‘Slick Mick’, has been an avid fan of Northern Irish DJ star, Micky Modelle, for many years.

Inspired by Micky, Michael set up his own Facebook page (titled ‘Slick Mick’), where he shares local nightlife events, hosts live streams and records himself performing as a DJ, playing club classics with his own light system in the background.

Since Modelle’s performance in Climax Omagh in 2019, Michael had been determined to see the famous DJ return to his hometown once again.

So, when Tiger Lillys nightclub in Mainstreet announced the headline act for Easter Sunday – which included a certain someone – Michael was beyond overjoyed.

Speaking to the Ulster Herald, Michael beamed when he said that ‘his year had been made’.

“I met Micky Modelle a while ago in Climax where I got pictures with him,” he recalled. “My favourite song is ‘Dancing in the Dark’, which came out 17 years ago.

“He has been my favourite clubland DJ for years, and his recent performance in Omagh was unreal,” Michael added. “He played amazing tunes and provided an amazing performance, and he’s a nice man to chat to, too.

“It was just amazing to see him in Tiger Lillys. It has made my whole year.”

Micky Modelle, who was named DJ of the year in 2000, came into the spotlight after his 2006 hit, ‘Dancing in the Dark’, with Belgian singer, Jessy.

This famous dance track landed him at 10 on the UK singles chart, and five in the Republic of Ireland.

Micky would go on to continue DJing across the country, and was a judge for the Belfast CityBeat contest, ‘Young Star Search’.

And Micky Modelle was full of nothing but praise for Michael, and the vibrant Tiger Lillys venue.

“It’s always nice to meet people who look up to DJs like me, and provide an influence on their works,” Micky reflected. “It means a lot to me that fans like Michael looks up to me, and it’s great to get talking to him about DJing, being back in Omagh and getting photos with him.

“Tiger Lilly’s is a great venue to play in,” he added. “The people were really nice, and it was a great night.

“Hopefully I’ll be back in the near future to perform again,” he said.