Shark Attack: San Diego's Lethal DJ Duo

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From North Park to Little Italy to the Gaslamp, on any given night in San Diego the bars and clubs are ablaze with battling DJs spinning dynamic electro, hip hop, and ambient beats. With the thriving ascent of nightlife in San Diego, it seems DJs come a dime a dozen. Bartenders and bouncers are last year's hype, the San Diego industry spotlight is all-eyes-on the DJ.

But, though a few DJs rule the fleeting limelight, hundreds of striving stars miss the mark and struggle to headline MySpace pages, let alone downtown super-club Stingaree alongside DJ AM.

The professional duties of a disc jockey no longer linger in the simplicity of transition and song selection; to become a successful DJ in San Diego, one must mutilate the mold and devise a new genre.

To discover what X factor makes or breaks a San Diego DJ, we dared to go behind the scenes with the consistently unpredictable and fashionably inappropriate DJ Duo, Shark Attack, aka Patrick Heaney and Mike Delgado. From impromptu attic concerts in Coronado to center stage at the top venues in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, Shark Attack has conquered the competitive DJ battle in San Diego--all by chance, with a little help from strong drinks, restless imaginations, and loud mouths.

Familiar Roots

Patrick and Mike grew up side-by-side in Coronado. At the tender age of 5 years-old, Patrick began mastering the drums, violin, cello, harmonium, guitar, and bass. Switching swiftly from one instrument to the next, Patrick established his passion for music at an early age, but did not identify his specific calling until years later. Across the block, Mike paid loyalty to the guitar, and eventually switched over to the bass.

Although the duo has been music-based since the beginning, it was always less work, more play. Patrick and Mike balanced a life full of music, experimentation, urban influence, and a seasonal splash of modest mayhem.

Says Mike, "We drank more than anything, we weren't focused on becoming big in the industry; we never had big goals. Looking back, it feels like we must have cheated somehow to be where we are today."

Although Patrick and Mike have strong instrumental backgrounds, their newfound success lies in compiling old songs to create a new, unified sound.

Raw Footage

While on tour with friend band, The Album Leaf, in early 2005, Patrick and Mike let their loud mouths get the best of them. From town to town, the duo continued to notice the apparent lack of originality and passion in the DJ lineup. When asked by lead Leaf singer if they thought they could do better, the duo didn't hesitate to confirm. Without a single spin session, Patrick and Mike self-slated a new DJ crew in town.

Back in San Diego in November, 2005, Patrick and Mike were asked to fill in a Fuck it Fridays DJ set for the same Leaf singer at the San Diego Sports Club. The duo took the challenge, packed up their favorite tracks and went for it. Their now-signature dirty electro mix of Cyndi Lauper, INXS, Mike Jones, Justice, Toxic Avenger, and MSTRCRFT, among others, shocked the Friday crowd into an all-out dancing fit.

The unknown DJ duo took over Fuck it Fridays and transformed the unscene dive into a popular club scene. From the San Diego Sports Club, Patrick and Mike began a Tuesday night residency at Beauty Bar, San Diego. Searching through song titles for a Tuesday night event label, they stopped on Shark Attack. From Beauty Bar Shark Attack Tuesdays, the name stuck--and soon followed the duo throughout San Diego and up the California coast.

Shark Attack has unleashed their fatal mix on San Diego fans at Airport Lounge and House of Blues in San Diego, Club Element, Club Moscow, and Beauty Bar in Los Angeles, The Factory in Santa Barbara, and The Mirage in Las Vegas. From city to city, Shark Attack lives and breathes the originality and passion before not seen on stage.

After only two short years, Patrick Heaney and Mike Delgado evolved from volatile fans to the top DJ duo in San Diego. So, what is Shark Attack's X factor?

Says Patrick, "It's the high energy in our interactive performance. We have no rules and no limits--we don't just stand there, we act out and get crazy."

Says Mike, "We're fun, we get nasty. We're really good looking, and we definitely are not fat. It's the most fun you'll ever have."

Shark Attack truly is an unpredictable performance. From swinging on curtains across stage to dragging fans out of the audience and stripping down to bare minimums, Shark Attack always keeps the crowd entertained and security busy.

Future Route

Although Shark Attack scored their big break mixing external tracks, they've been busy in the studio producing their own beats since summer 2007. Shark Attack's first album, to be released early 2008, will reflect a dirty, electro sound with an emphasis on climactic buildup and release. The unique sound is inspired by the current music scene in Paris, led by Justice, Toxic Avenger, and MSTRKRFT.

Says Patrick, "There are a lot of DJs in San Diego, but not many producers. We're making our own sound and stepping out of the DJ label; that is going to make us really stand out."

So, what X factor makes or breaks a San Diego DJ? To become a successful DJ in San Diego, one must mutilate the mold and devise a new genre.

Says Mike, "This album's gonna make chicks take their shirts off; or gonna make me take my shirt off!"

In Shark Attack terms: Don't just stand there and don't just play the same mix. Invent your own sound, create your own rules, up the energy, and perform with passion.

Out of the seemingly chaotic DJ battle in San Diego steps Shark Attack, the 22 year-old fatally-unpredictable, yet lethally-irresistible, DJ duo from Coronado.

For information about Shark Attack and Shark Attack's upcoming San Diego stops, click here.