In March 2021, British DJ Dom Whiting was feeling isolated. England, like the rest of the world, was trying to navigate its way out of the Covid pandemic, and many music venues remained shuttered. Whiting missed the beats and bass of a rave, but most of all, he desperately missed the connections that a shared live event brings.
But while clubbing was out, Whiting realised outdoor exercise was still permitted.
“I put two and two together, and went full steam ahead,” he tells InReview.
From those dark times, the bright spark that has become the global phenomenon Dom Whiting’s Drum & Bass On The Bike, was born.
“Arts and live music are so important because we are connected in so many different ways to both of these things.
“During Covid, these were completely restricted, and this definitely impacted many people’s lives as it’s really used for social aspects, mental aspects, and also spiritual aspects,” Whiting says.
Now better known as the DJ on the Bike, Whiting has amassed close to 400,000 social media followers on Instagram and TikTok. Many of these followers first encountered Whiting as he cycled through their hometowns on his specially modified bike, blasting his favourite techno and house tunes as huge crowds rode and walked alongside.
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Whiting had no real goals or ambitions when he first started the side hustle, and certainly never anticipated it achieving such a global reach.
“It was just to create something in all my spare time. And once the traction started building, I put my foot down with all of the additional ideas around it, and the wheels just kept rolling.”
The 28-year-old hails from Wycombe — a market town 50km north-west of London — and his day job was running a car repair business. Those skills have come in handy for transforming his two-wheeler into a “pretty sweet set-up”.
“The set up consists of the bike, a power pack generator, decks, speakers, many cables, an internet source and, of course, me,” he says. “I bought the bike as standard and have heavily modified it to meet my needs of riding and DJing. I’ve put a lot of man hours into the modifications making sure everything is right.”
It only took Whiting a few goes to master mixing on the decks while cycling — but it’s no ordinary ride.
“At first, it was definitely difficult and now, anyone who decides to jump on my bike (to try) can’t actually ride it, let alone DJ at the same time,” Whiting laughs.
“I’ve kind of got used to it after the first two rides, and it’s second nature to me now.”
Once he gets going, Whiting says each set passes by in a blur of people and music.
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“To be honest, I only get to take it all in afterwards when I’m able to actually look back at the videos and all of the crowd footage that I see what’s happened.
“We’ve had [people] on every possible mode of transport that you can imagine. Even cats and dogs are welcome.”
Whiting will bring this infectious energy to the Adelaide Fringe later this month when his Drum & Bass on the Bike Weekender kicks off on Saturday February 22. That afternoon, Whiting will lead one of his signature rides through the streets of Bowden and Brompton — with the exact route kept secret until 24 hours before the event.
He’ll also headline a massive show on the Saturday night at Hindley Street Music Hall, before a final party at the Lion Arts Factory where Whiting will appear in a peloton of DJs.
Whiting’s never visited Adelaide before — and he confesses that until recently he hadn’t even heard of the world’s second biggest arts festival.
“I have a few friends that have actually moved to Adelaide recently and they have said it’s an absolute ball,” he says.
“I’m looking forward to the whole experience and also seeing how the town comes out for the festival as a once-a-year event.”
He’s looking forward to escaping the Northern Hemisphere’s winter and spending time exploring South Australia’s renowned beaches. And he’s prepared for the possibility of a weekend heat wave.
“I think the hottest ride we’ve done is around 33C and 35C – in different countries though so it was different heat, but as long as you’re hydrated everything is good,” he says.
While the era of lockdowns is behind us, Whiting says his rides encourage a sense of “free spiritedness” that remains important.
“It just sort of brings back the free-raving feel, and the power we have as people.”
Dom Whiting’s Drum & Bass on the Bike Weekender, February 22-23
This story is part of a series of articles being produced by InReview with the support of Adelaide Fringe