DJ Jonathan (aka Jonathan Woodliffe) is a veteran DJ who grew up in Burton Joyce in Notts.

He became well-known across Nottingham in the 1970s and 1980s as the first in-house DJ at Rock City. Believe it or not he even had a flat at Rock City in the early days and has some fun stories as a result. However, this interview focuses on his formative years at the place he first started DJing: The Palais.

This April The Palais celebrates 100 years as a night (and sometimes day) club. In an industry where nightclubs come and go, it’s an amazing achievement that The Palais (aka The Palais De Danse, Ritzy, Oceana and PRYZM) is going to be open to celebrate it’s centenary. At LeftLion we decided to celebrate with a big spread in our April print issue and a long-form chinwag with Jonathan about what the club was like in his days there in the mid-late 1970s.

The interview was conducted by LeftLion Editor in Chief Jared Wilson in March 2025.