Famed for his boisterous DJ sets and unmistakable Hello Kitty hand tattoo, Davie Street legend Del Stamp is on a self-assigned mission to challenge Vancouver’s “lame and tame” label.

Holding down residencies at the Junction and the Pumpjack, and recently becoming a regular behind the decks at Celebrities, the larger-than-life performer is known for expertly soundtracking parties in the city’s rainbow district.

The DJ’s flexibility places him in high demand: renowned for both his high-quality house and tribal sets and spinning Top 40 cheese, Stamp is uniquely able to drop a Justin Bieber record without dying a little bit inside.

Some might say that the St. John’s native’s greatest achievement is managing to shake off that weird Newfoundland accent. Less xenophobic individuals, however, would highlight Stamp’s first-rate performances in the States, where his regular appearances in San Francisco venues have started building his name south of the 49th parallel.

A veteran of some of the most sexually charged clubs in Vancouver’s LGBT scene, Stamp plays alongside naked men dancing on platforms and male strippers performing live in the Pumpjack’s shower.

And that’s not all. Rumour has it that Stamp once spun a set so exciting that eight men openly celebrated their enjoyment at the back of the DJ booth. Hopefully, someone warned the cleaners.

Best gig ever

That’s an easy one—it’s got to be the Whistler Pride and Ski Festival in 2014. I played with the Freemasons, who are multiplatinum-selling producers from the U.K. It was just fantastic.

They took the early part of the night because they have quite a soft sound, and I’m a little bit more harsh so I took over at 2 a.m. when everything was just exploding. That room was packed.

It was probably one of the most overwhelming feelings to follow the Freemasons, and to have the room at peak as well. It’s going to be hard to top that.

Top track right now

I would say Technasia’s “I Am Somebody”. You need to hear it to understand, but it’s really captivating. I love the vocals, which is what completely sold me on it. It’s sexy.

A song that cleared the dance floor

Obviously, it’s occurred a lot over the years, like it does to all DJs, but luckily I can’t recall it happening too recently. I don’t even know if I could identify a particular track that’s cleared my floor—I would just totally wipe that song out of my life.

I do remember that there’ve been some instances where I’ve taken a request and it hasn’t gone so well, though. Someone once asked for the brand-new Lady Gaga song, for example, and that just emptied the entire room. Which surprised me, because gays kind of live for her.

Favourite Vancouver producer

Nick Bertossi. Nick is actually my best friend, but his stuff is just amazing—you have to check it out on iTunes. It’s been an honour to have had the chance to see him grow from a DJ into a producer.

What’s up with those rambunctious promo pics?

I’m a ridiculous individual, as you can probably tell. I like being out to lunch and pushing people’s buttons in every way possible. I think that one of the best ways to do that is through offensive flyers. I’m assuming you’re thinking of the religious one? It’s definitely one of my favourites.

Oddest request you’ve ever received

I was DJing with a friend of mine once, and literally someone came up and said—and this is a direct quote—“Can you play us the first gay song ever written?” I don’t know if there’s an answer to that question. I played “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, though, which went down pretty well.

Del Stamp plays at the Pumpjack Pub Apocalypse Halloween party on Saturday (October 29).

Follow Kate Wilson on Twitter @KateWilsonSays