If you close your eyes and listen to a Tony De Vit remix—specifically when it’s being championed by someone like Chad Lewis—you aren’t just hearing a track. You’re hearing the sound of a concrete basement in Birmingham where the air was 90% humidity and the energy was 100% pure, unadulterated defiance.
The Tony De Vit Blueprint
Tony De Vit didn’t just play records; he engineered a movement. Before he was a global superstar and the “Godfather of Hard House,” he was the heartbeat of Birmingham’s gay scene. At Tin Tins, Tony took the uplifting house coming out of the US and the tougher techno from Belgium, stripped away the fluff, and created something driving, relentless, and euphoric.
He was the “DJ’s DJ”—the man who proved that a gay DJ from the Midlands could conquer the world while staying loud, proud, and rooted in the scene.
Chad Lewis: Carrying the Torch
Chad Lewis is a cornerstone of this history. He was there when Tin Tins was a sanctuary—a place that existed “before the internet,” where you had to be in the room to feel the magic. Chad’s sets have always been a bridge between the classic house era and the “Hard NRG” sound Tony codified.
When you hear Chad drop a Tony De Vit remix today, it’s a tribute from someone who saw the revolution happen in real-time. Chad’s ability to blend that ’90s underground grit with a modern “groove” is exactly why his mixes still gain traction decades later.
Tin Tins: The Neon Heart of Birmingham
Tin Tins was the “Trade of the North,” but with a uniquely Birmingham edge. It was the place where that famous “Queer As Fuck” sign stood as a neon middle finger to the boring, grey world outside.
This wasn’t a place for the quiet; it was a stage for the outrageous. It was where the most fabulous, fashion-forward, and fierce “Audio Groovers” came to live their best lives at 140 BPM. It was a home for the trailblazers and the ravers who worked all week just to lose themselves for six hours on a Sunday morning.
“It wasn’t just a night out; it was a celebration of being exactly who you were. No VIP booths, no pretension—just the strobe, the smoke, and a bassline that made the floorboards move under the weight of a thousand people living out loud.”
The Soundtrack: DJ Chad Lewis – Tony De Vit Remix
To truly understand the legacy, you have to hear it. This mix perfectly captures that “Tin Tins” transition—the moment the music stops being just “house” and starts becoming an experience.
