Hercules & Love Affair + DJ Robbie August 1 2025
Hey, I’m Josh and I run Rhythm You Should Hear.
In 2023 I’m sitting on the green couch in the now defunct Club Loading FKA Tomleys grocery store.
No heating.
Bundled with jackets.
Throwing the tennis ball against the wall.
Procrastinating something.
Doom scrolling instagram 100%.
Hercules and Love Affair comes across my screen.
“Thank you Panorama Bar for another great time.”
The classic picture outside Berghain and sentence after playing there.
“It’d be crazy if he ever played in Vic,” I thought.
Wait a second…I’m literally the person who can do that!
Realizations that I can make things like this happen, rock my world.
“I do what I love and love what I do” I think.
Having others love it too makes the world go ‘round.
Music is bonding.
The bridge of our community.
A reason to see and show, to signal, an identity marker, a mutual exchange, a lustful night.
Locals to Dreamers - life is good.
Fast forward to the present day, I see that he’s playing in Vancouver.
I do what I’m good at.
Find the email.
Personal.
Booking agent.
Doesn’t really matter.
I shoot my shot and ask if he’s interested in routing from YVR to YYJ.
To add a show in Victoria the day before.
This is a huge “hack” I’ve discovered when wanting an international artist to play in Victoria.
The promoter who announced the show has usually already taken care of travel expenses and a DJ might be interested in adding a night before or after.
Their booking agent definitely is.
Cha-ching.
His team says he’s game.
A MASSIVE “yes” escapes my lips!
I am bringing one of my favorite all time artists to Victoria for their debut.
I was so excited and couldn't believe it.
I was also a little intimidated.
I don’t believe in fame nor do I use the word.
I think fame is a disease and shouldn't be idolized.
I do however believe in noteworthy people.
People that, through achieved accolades, have done great, notable things and have gained respect.
Even so, I totally felt the pressures and anxieties of “not being a perfect club”
I didn't want to disappoint him and wanted to ensure building a friendship so that he might come back again.
Anxiety is an okay thing.
Sometimes it's helpful while other times, as every person on earth is aware of, it is not.
I think I held an appropriate level of anxiety.
Everyone is just a person.
He definitely was.
Hercules and Love Affair is the DJ name of Andy Butler.
Him, plus me and Nick (Dual Citizen of Quilt) had dinner at Bhan Thai, my go to, romantic DJ dinner spot.
Nick was running the lighting that night and DJ Robbie, who was opening, couldn’t swing dinner.
Being able to use RUSH as a platform to connect up and coming DJ’s to established ones is a huge motivator for me.
His set was perfect.
I was so surprised how hard and driving he went in the middle of the night.
He also played an Abba edit.
Some probably would say this is cheesy while others appreciate the little treat.
Andy of course even played some of his own tracks.
Then chaos struck at 1:30 AM.
The sound that I hate above all other sounds.
Legitimately a PTSD trigger for me.
I hear the cursed fire alarm ringing.
We were running the haze machines hard.
I wanted the perfect hazy room!
So it’s clear for everyone, there was NO fire.
These are also the moments that I excel in.
A moment to problem solve something.
I dash into action, trying to find the source.
It's every alarm in the club.
I connect with security and Blaire, our bar manager and we march to the electrical room.
Yep, it's the fire alarm but we already knew that.
Incredibly, Andy is playing his seminal track, Blind and for 15 seconds the fire alarm beat syncs to the rhythm.
That blew my mind and my friend Matt got a video of it.
Insane.
The club is less than 1 Km to the firehall so the fire boys got there very quickly.
The alarm was turned off.
The space was checked out.
It was safe.
The party went on.
The real funny bit, Andy had no idea.
Or at least I don’t think he did as he didn’t mention it.
From decades of elevated music volume, his hearing is a little muddled.
I don’t think he heard it at all.
And now I’m telling the world.
Sorry about that Andy, if you’re reading this.
It makes for a great memory though.
The real dinger, the club is in the basement of a hotel.
The fire alarm is connected throughout the building.
60 weary strangers in slippers and sleeping shorts evacuated Swans Hotel at 1:30 AM.
Thank you for your service in the pursuit of nightlife excellence.
We see you.
We appreciate you.
One last tidbit.
I own a 1978 orange Ford F150.
Andy thought it was the cutest thing ever, he said.
I’ll take it.
“Does it have a name?” he asks.
“Not really one to name vehicles but my buddy called it the long carrot once.”
We both chuckle as the old beast gets us to the ferry as Andy heads to South America.
Andy will be back someday soon to play again.
He said that he loved Victoria and wanted to spend extended time here.
Our little haven draws a lot of people here.
There’s always space for excellence.
C U on the DF soon,
Josh Franklin
Rhythm You Should Hear
Victoria, BC Canada. Queer. House. Techno. Dancers only.
RUSH loves House and Techno as both sound and culture, offering a home for dancers and the queer community. Based in a once-abandoned nightclub, it trades its past pop-up mobility for mastery, shaping its identity through refined sound, dance, and dark ambiance.
