John Maas played as a DJ at almost 1000 parties: from an intimate birthday bash to a big stage at the Amsterdam Milkshake Festival. As ‘Dr John’ he also appeared in clubs in Paris and Bangkok and at the Full Moon Party of Koh Phangan. But he got the most joy from the gay parties he played at. He now wants to focus on that, hence his relaunch as ‘The Queer Of Pop’.
How did you get the name ‘The Queer Of Pop’?
"When I was preparing my set for a Madonna-tribute at the Amsterdam Pride a few years ago, the name suddenly popped-up in my head. I thought it was a funny reference to The Queen Of Pop."
How long have you been DJing?
"As a student I occasionally played at parties. But at that time I considered it more as a hobby. My first paid gig was in the summer of 2004 at a wedding. Two years later I started DJ-ing for the Happy Company: an event agency that rapidly filled up my agenda with fun gigs all across The Netherlands and Belgium."
What's the biggest crowd you've played to?
"Milkshake Festival in Amsterdam was pretty massive, but my biggest crowd must have been Queen's Day in the city center of Den Bosch. With only one stage and an estimated 5000 people in front of it. That was pretty overwhelming."
What's your most memorable experience?
"Can I really only name one? Then I would pick the charity party I organized for the animal shelter on Koh Phangan in Thailand. It was on Valentine's Day, at the beach and the theme was ‘Love Is In The Air’. When I ended my set with that song, the crowd lit their lighters and waved them in the air. The look of all those lights in front of me was so magical and the vibe felt so special, that tears of happiness spontaneously started rolling down my cheeks."
How would you describe your style of music?
"Up-tempo beats, catchy vocals, happy vibes and queer as folk!"