Archie Hamilton on Performing on the Star Wars Set of Planet Tatooine

London-based DJ Archie Hamilton travels internationally to deliver astounding sets to fans worldwide. He spoke to Gray Area about some of the most memorable gigs of his career, and how one in particular took him to a Star Wars set.

In 2019 Hamilton trekked to Tunisia for an exhilarating and unforgettable performance. When he first arrived at the location, it was too dark to see anything. Once the sun came up, though, Hamilton realized he was playing on the set of the fictional Star Wars planet, Tatooine.

“Crazy venue in the middle of the desert,” he said. “When we got there, it was totally pitch black, so you couldn’t really tell, but then as the sun came up, all of a sudden these objects started becoming more clear.”

Hamilton knew the set for the fictional Star Wars land of Tunisia was located near the venue, but he did not quite know how proximal. “As the sun comes up, you’re like my god,” he continued. “I’m in the middle of Star Wars.”

Hamilton explained that the buildings surrounding the venue had marks just like in the Star Wars movies and made him feel like a character in the franchise.

In addition to DJing on Tatooine, Hamilton mentioned two other standout aspects of touring in Tunisia. He remembered the vivid image of the Tunisian citizens racing their SUVs, mostly Toyota Land Cruisers, up almost vertical sandbanks.

The second image he recalled was a cuter one. Sandy desert foxes prowled the land behind his set with perked, prodigious ears. Perhaps they wanted to attend the festival, too.

Telling this story prompted Hamilton to reminisce on other memorable shows in recent memory. “I think it’s nice to give support to the promoters out there and maybe give a shout out about what’s going on in that part of the world, because there are some seriously good parts over there,” he said.

On Saturday, August 13, Hamilton took to the middle of Egypt for a gig. He felt discouraged after a six-hour drive from Cairo, but admitted once he arrived at the venue, “I’m not joking, probably one of the top five gigs I’ve ever played in my life. The crowd was so good, and the venue was so cool.”

Hamilton continues to explore the world, discovering new favorite venues. As his tour pushes on, he will soon have new music to share with fans. His two-track effort, the Motion Lotion EP, comes out on September 2.