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Wales Online
Wales Online
Entertainment
Rhodri Harrison

Why Swansea was taken over by cyclists thanks to a DJ called Dom Whiting

Chances are if you were out in Swansea City Centre on Sunday, January 16, you would have come across hundreds of cyclists enjoying some musical beats.

Led by London-based DJ Dom Whiting, fans of drum and bass followed the artist on his custom-made three-wheeled bike which features his turntables attached to it's handlebars.

Having started his tour last year, as lockdowns shut down indoor music venues and nightlife, the 'DJ on a bike' decided he wanted to "take music to the streets".

Read more: Highway Code 2022 changes and the good news for cyclists

Armed with loyal fans of the music genre alongside speakers attached to some cyclists, the DJ cycles various routes across UK cities he visits in an attempt to "unite people".

Having set off from Swansea Train Station, hundreds of cyclists enjoyed the latest and oldest drum and bass tunes as they departed, making their way to the Brangwyn Hall and Swansea Bay.

"I wanted to go down a different avenue to get music out to the people who enjoy it. The pandemic hit music and nightlife hard and I just wanted to do something different. It's all for the people, music unites people and it's the same everywhere I go, we see such a diverse group of people coming together to enjoy one thing and it's not just people - it's kids, animals and all ages," said the 26-year-old.

Dom Whiting with the cyclists who joined him for a show on Swansea Bay (@domwhitingg)

Racking hundreds of thousands of views across his videos and tours, Dom and hundreds of cyclists took over the streets of Swansea navigating through traffic.

"We do get minor problems where people don't appreciate what we do but I've only ever seen that as a small number, most people toot their horns and enjoy the scene and we even get random cyclists that join in"

"It never fails to surprise me the amount of people that come out in support and it's all about having a good time so I would just like to thank Swansea, the welcome was great" he said.

Opinion on the event has been mixed on social media with some criticising the danger posed by the "overwhelming" amount of cyclists.

But one resident who wished to remain unnamed said: "I was driving along Mumbles Road when I noticed them, they didn't really stop me for longer then a few minutes and it was quite a spectacle to see".

Others were left "gutted" to have missed the show, arguing the DJ was a "genius" for bringing music to the streets.

However, not everyone was left welcoming the DJ set, with one user on social media suggesting "they caused chaos", whilst others questioned the safety around the event for both the cyclists and the vehicles within Swansea.

"I've never really found people are too upset by it, we really consider it like a flashmob thing, it grabs your attention for maybe 5-10 minutes max then you're left unaffected by it," added Dom.

With announcements being made over restrictions being eased in Wales within the next three weeks, nightclubs and indoor music venues could soon be allowed to re-open, as long as Wales moves to alert level zero by January 28.

Despite this, the 'DJ on a bike' will continue to bring music to the streets of cities across the UK with an expected tour also reaching Cardiff in the summer this year.

If you would like to follow Dom Whiting and his future tours, you can do so by clicking here.

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