Chris Armstrong

School Years

For all my life I’ve always had a love of music. I remember as a kid aged 7/8, my Nana having a twin tape deck Music Centre’ and I’d queue up tapes, pretending I was on the radio.

I grew up on a farm and my friend across the fields had a CB radio in his banger of a fiend car and aged 9/10 (It’s ok he was older) we’d find an empty channel, hold the button in the mic and play music pretending we were DJ’s broadcasting to the masses. In secondary school, at the end of the year, I’d bring in my Sony Walkman and a set of battery powered speakers and play music from my carrier bag selection of cassette tapes to my class…I was just getting started.

Teenage Years

When I turned 17 I moved onto Agricultural College and once I had passed my driving test, it was time to start renting out a decent bit of PA. I started out running games nights and Ceilidh dances with my mates under the guise of ‘Eternity socials’, then DJ’ing to my peers as student party nights at college.

Things really got going and the games and ceilidh nights came into their own with me being out most Friday and Saturday nights from 2006 right through until Covid hit n early 2020. They were mainly for various youth groups, Young Farmer Organisations and Churches with Weddings taking off in 2008/09.

DJNI

I set up my Wedding and Corporate DJ business; DJNI, in 2016 with the aim of securing more secular and corporate work, all still whilst having a full time 9-5 job. I’ve came out on top with it being one of the busiest wedding DJ companies in the country. I now employ three other DJ’s as part of this and have came in as a finalist now as Wedding DJ of the year for three years running.

‘But where does the Country Music com in’ I hear you ask?

In 2013 I heard Brad Paisley’s ‘Outstanding in our own Field’ song on a local radio station. In turn I wanted to hear more of this guy and spent the summer that year listening to his ‘Wheelhouse’ album. The following March he was headlining C2C and I went, just to hear Brad do his thing. That night I was introduced to The Band Perry, Rascal Flats and Chris Young…and as they say, the rest is history.

This ignited my passion for country music. In 2015 Downtown Country (local to N. Ireland) launched of which I got involved with, writing articles for their website, doing an stint on air here an there and taking photos at concerts for them. In the meantime some of my DJ sets started to feature a bit more country and in late 2019 I was selected to DJ between acts at an event in Co. Tyrone called the Jamboree which would of had around 2500 in attendance

I got a great buzz from this and in turn contacted the guys at the Farmers Bash. At this time it was Ireland’s premier Irish Country event which ran annually in the SSE Arena in Belfast. I hit them up with the idea of providing DJ support between acts to keep the buzz going, they were all on for this…then 2020 happened.

I was gutted and I thought I might loose this opportunity but the guys at the bash were a resourceful bunch and came up with a three day drive in event during restrictions. The event which I ended up Hosting and DJ’ing at was a complete success and cemented a great professional relationship between the Farmers Bash guys and I.

Next up in spring 2022 when restrictions were fully lifted we were back in the SSE Arena in Belfast for the first Farmers Bash in a venue since before covid and again I was back on stage with them, this time taking part in the biggest event I’d participated in to date. I’ll admit I was nervous but soon this feeling subsided and I had a blast playing the music I love to an equally respectful crowd toward the genre.

Next stop for me was in May 2022 when I flew across last minute to help out the Buck n Bull Saloon in London. I made my way to their venue at Islington and had an absolute blast with the guys and received second to none hospitality from them. I was hoping they’d invite me back, and that they did. I’ve been across many times since, DJ’ing party nights, brunches, and even the Sony Music Launch Party for Beyonce’s latest album; ‘Cowboy Carter’.

In 2023 things moved up a gear. I was contacted about DJ’ing at American Speedfest at Brands Hatch who were celebrating their 10th year by putting on a music stage. The festival ran over two days and I was able to study at close hand my other great love of motorsport. I was also proud to be able to DJ 2/3 afterparties at The Long Road festival in Leicestershire, the UK’s biggest American Country and Americana festival, again with Buck n Bull which has given me a great platform of which I’m ever so grateful for.

2023 also saw the opening of ‘Rodeos’ country bar in Wolverhampton and in November of the same year they ran a one day festival of which I took part in, again hosting and DJ’ing and I finished off the year DJ’ing for Buck n Bull at a Country New Year’s Eve party in London.

And now 2024 is upon us. Each year gets a little bit more and a little bit more. The Farmers Bash was back, with an outdoor setting moving it up from it’s 10,000 person arena capacity to a few over 21,000 in attendance. Again I found myself on stage but not nervous this time, just simply ecstatic that I was able to DJ the music I love, to almost 22,000 people in pretty much my home city. I’d put so much effort in over the years and I could really see it paying off.

Still in the pipeline this year, I’ve numerous Buck n Bull gigs, Rockin’ The Country Festival in Cambridge, Country Roads in Southampton and lots of other stuff I’m working on behind the scenes. Keep an eye on my socials for more up to date info of what, when and where! Keep ‘er country!