REAL NAME NO GIMMICKS: VANCOUVER CANUCKS DJ TOM FLEMING
DJing reloaded. Back to its street roots, in an open format turntable style. Some may think it’s a lost art. A remnant of the early days of Hiphop and urban music culture when acts like DJ Kool Herc and Grand Wizard Theodore dazzled crowds at clubs in New York’s Bronx borough with their pioneering techniques and signature scratch mixing. For DJ Tom Fleming and his contemporaries however, DJing has always been a staple of the music culture and their place within it.
Growing up in Nova Scotia as an ice hockey goalie, Tom Fleming never thought he would be performing at an NHL level. That’s just what happened, but Tom took a different route than usual to the big arena.
TOM’S STORY
At age 18, Tom’s hockey career came to an end after a battle with an autoimmune eye disease that left him with vision loss in both of his eyes. He could no longer play the game he loved, and thus Tom turned back to his childhood passion of music. Having been a fan of Hiphop since the release of 50 Cent’s landmark 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Tom had often tried his hand at writing and exploring the creative expression of the genre throughout his teens. While coping with his visual impairment, Tom began to explore Hip Hop more seriously. Initially writing raps to satisfy his soul’s need for creative release, teenage Tom soon became drawn to the art of DJing after seeing some performing at local concerts. It was perfect for him, as a shy and reserved kid, being a DJ meant he could share his creativity performing, but not be the main focus under the limelights.
Tom was decided, he sold his goalie gear and switched it to DJing equipment. He began studying DJing every chance he got; from online tutorials to YouTube techniques, Tom breathed, ate, and slept the turntables.
Teaching himself the basics of mixing techniques, scratch methods, and beat matching, Tom grinded for two years on his own. Tom would further bolster his DJ identity when he discovered LA disc jockey DJ AM. DJ AM’s loose, experimental, and multi-genre DJing style proved to Tom that he could achieve that same level of creativity he got from rhymes, with records. The way DJ AM transitioned between songs and used wordplay and ingenuity to seamlessly switch beats and lyrics was exactly the inspiration Tom was looking for. He was set. Tom’s public debut came in 2009 when he won a Halifax radio competition hosted by Canadian legend and respected disc jockey DJ Grandtheft.
Making his public debut and name known, DJ Tom Fleming was officially born. He worked local gigs, hung around the established names, and worked in clubs as a bus boy. It was from here that DJ Tom’s career began to skyrocket. In 2013, Tom entered the Red Bull 3 Style DJ competition in Halifax, the Olympics of all DJing, and won the Halifax leg of the tournament. This now brought him to the national stage for the first time, where he was introduced and judged by legends of the industry: A-Trak, Skratch Bastid, and once again DJ Grandtheft, among others. Fleming now had mass respect in his field and attracted the attention of Canadian and global DJs. Tom would compete in the Red Bull #3 Style competition twice more, in 2014 and 2018.
With his newfound cred and awareness of his skills, DJ Tom relocated to musical-hub Toronto in 2017 and stayed until late 2020 until the pandemic sent him home to Halifax. Initially planning to return to the 6ix, DJ Tom soon became disillusioned with both Toronto and Halifax. He was once again looking for a fresh start, this time he had all the tools to take him further.
WEST COAST BOUND
In the fall of 2021, DJ Tom heard that the Vancouver Canucks were on the search for a new DJ. He entered his name in the mix, and was selected as a finalist between two other DJs for the highly-regarded job. As part of the final trial, Fleming flew out to the west coast to audition further by DJing a Canucks preseason game. He more than impressed, and was offered the gig after weeks of auditions and hype. Having only six days to prepare for a cross-country move, Tom jumped up and officially moved to Vancouver, stating
“This was the most spontaneous move I have ever made, but I am confident it was one of the best decisions I ever made.”
In his new environment, DJ Tom Fleming is loving the lifestyle. Now taking it day to day and appreciating the moment and his blessings, DJ Tom has held the reins at Rogers Arena now through the fall campaign of the 2020-21 NHL season for the Canucks and is thrilled to continue in Van City. He hopes to travel more across Canada and the world as a DJ, working hard and always securing more opportunities to further his dream and love every second of it. Nothing ever came to those who didn’t go out and get it, off their own muscle.
DJ TOM FLEMING NOW
Since his true artistic conception in the 2013 Red Bull 3 Style competition, DJ Tom has never looked back. From his earliest inspirations of 50 Cent, Eric Dlux, DJ Konflict, and Skratch Bastid, DJ Tom has met every challenge both personal and professional head-on, unwavering. When asked of his creative process in the booth, DJ Tom believes that the goal of having fun is the best mindset to enter with. If you try to force creativity, it doesn’t always work out. Sometimes, he will gather accapellas and instrumentals and make live remixes, and sometimes it’s just a matter of setting up the turntables and getting down to business.
“When prepping for gigs I might not be in the “zone”, but by putting in the time and lining up my music in my Serato library I can sort the music I want to play most efficiently, and let it come naturally”
Find DJ Tom Fleming on Instagram for numerous highlight videos and IGTV videos of his best cuts at the turntable. He himself believes that these videos best represent him as a DJ and artist, showing his skills and passion for his art. DJ Tom also has countless hours of his mixes on MixCloud, with playlists and mixes perfect for any activity. He is proudest of his collaborations with Las Vegas crew Club Killers, which can also be found on his MixCloud. In the making of the latter, DJ Tom was able to really groove and showcase his technical skills at the turntable and his own creative touch.
“I’m very excited to be the official DJ of the Canucks, I hope to grow with the team and also in my new city of Vancouver”
Vancouver welcomes you DJ Tom! By all accounts, you have been killing it and will continue to do so. Here’s to new possibilities, and following your dreams.
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