Thursday, May 14, 2026
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Meet the Australian DJ Bears spining hits and bangers in the clubs – Part Two

Luka Musicki

Note: The information below (before the Djs) is the same as Part One listing of Australian bear DJs, just a FYI.

When a bear steps behind the decks, something powerful happens on the dance floor. DJs who are part of the bear community bring an authenticity and cultural understanding that transforms a regular night out into a genuine celebration of belonging. For attendees at bear pit events across Australia — from Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane to Canberra — seeing someone who looks like them commanding the room sends a clear message: you are welcome here, and this space was made for you. That visibility alone carries enormous weight for mental health and community connection, offering a sense of affirmation that goes far beyond the music itself.

Music has long been recognised as one of the most accessible tools for emotional wellbeing, and bear DJs are leveraging that power in deeply intentional ways. Curating sets that move a crowd through euphoria, nostalgia, and raw energy creates a shared emotional journey that reduces isolation and fosters genuine human connection. For many bears — particularly those who may have experienced exclusion from mainstream gay venues or broader society — these dance floors become healing spaces. The DJ at the centre of that experience isn’t just playing tracks; they’re holding space for their community’s joy, and that’s a quietly profound act of care.

There’s also something undeniably bold and body-positive about a bear DJ performing in their underwear or jocks at a bear pit event. It challenges conventional beauty standards and the narrow ideals that often dominate nightlife aesthetics, celebrating a fuller range of bodies in a position of power and performance. When the person commanding the room is visibly comfortable in their own skin, it gives everyone on that dance floor permission to feel the same. This kind of representation encourages physical confidence and self-acceptance, which are cornerstones of both individual well-being and a healthy, inclusive community culture.

Beyond the cultural and emotional dimensions, bear DJs are making a tangible economic contribution to Australia’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene. Bear pit events draw dedicated, loyal crowds who travel interstate and invest in tickets, merchandise, accommodation, and hospitality — and a skilled bear DJ is often a key drawcard for that attendance. Venues that programme bear-specific nights benefit from a community known for its strong social bonds and word-of-mouth advocacy, turning one great night into a recurring and growing event series. As the bear community continues to expand its footprint across Australian cities, the DJs who soundtrack those nights are quietly becoming some of the most valuable creative assets in the country’s queer entertainment economy.

Please note: for the order of the DJs, it is based on when I got a response from them, and there is no hierarchy of DJs; they are all talented in their own style and genre. There are 18 DJs listed in total for the two parts of this listical initiative, so there are 9 DJs for Part One, and 9 DJs for Part Two. This is Part Two.

Les Smith:

Les Smith is a long-standing Brisbane gay club DJ who has been active behind the decks for more than four decades. Public listings describe him as a familiar name in the Brisbane bear and LGBTIQ+ scene, with a previous major 16-year residency at the Wickham Hotel and many appearances at events such as Sydney Mardi Gras, Toybox, Brisbane’s Big Gay Day, Tropical Fruits, Brisbears and Bootco. He has also played at Brisbane Pride, Thick ‘N’ Juicy, Rough Trade, and many others. He is also one of the two bear DJ’s behind Brisbane’s legendary Hombre parties. Les is the current Vice President of Brisbears.

If you want to get in contact, listen to his mixes, or connect with Les Smith:

Jimmy Hatzakos a.k. DJ Jimmy Dee:

Jimmy Dee appears to be a Sydney-based DJ with a long-running presence in the local scene. Public listings describe him as a veteran with around two decades of experience, playing funky house, disco, dance pop, nu disco, and club house, including sets for bear events such as Harbour City Bears.

If you want to get in contact, listen to his mixes, or connect with Jimmy Dee:

Charles Mandavy a.k.a DJ CMAN:

Charles Mandavy, a.k.a DJ CMAN, is based in Sydney, New South Wales. He has been djing for more than 15 years in the bear circuit scene. He is a groove-focused selector rather than a narrow genre DJ, and his sets are described as story-driven, eclectic, and designed to move between classic and contemporary sounds.

If you want to get in contact, listen to his mixes, or connect with DJ Charles:

Jonny Seymour a.k.a Seymour Butz:

Jonny Seymour is a Sydney queer-scene fixture, also known as DJ Seymour Butz and as one half of Stereogamous with Paul Mac. Public descriptions say he has been shaping Sydney’s queer club scene for more than 25 years, including co-founding Club Kooky and hosting Queerbourhood at The Bearded Tit.

If you want to get in contact, listen to his mixes, or connect with Jonny Seymour:

Damien Mack: a.k.a DJ Damien Mack:

Damien Mack is a Melbourne DJ who has played across a wide range of LGBTIQ+ and bear events, including Vancouver work, Mardi Gras-related events, and repeated bookings at Vic Bears’ Southern Hibernation. Public bios describe him as versatile, with house and trance being central to his style.

If you want to get in contact, listen to his mixes, or connect with Damien Mack:

Sinan Bayram a.k.a Dark Sin and Juicy Fruits + producer of Chunk Australia events:

Sinan Bayram performs as Dark Sin, he is a Melbourne-based trance and hard-trance DJ, promoter, and event host rather than just a club selector. He is the founder and owner of Chuck Australia. He has premium long sets, vinyl-heavy performances, and recurring involvement with scenes like Sinergy, Alchemy Trance Family Melbourne, and other trance-community events.

Dark Sin is part of the Australian underground dance scene with a strong focus on energetic, extended-format sets and community building around trance culture.

If you want to get in contact, listen to his mixes, or connect with Sinan Bayram:

Steve Tonky Tonkin:

Steve Tonkin aka Tonky has been behind the decks and producing records since 2007. 

Primarily based in Melbourne but rocking sweaty dancefloors all around Australia at events such as BEEFCAKE, VICBEARS, BRISBEARS, POOF DOOF, CHUNK, A3 FESTIVAL, GROOVIN THE MOO, VICTORIA’S PRIDE’S STREET PARTY and SYDNEY GAY & LESBIAN MARDI GRAS.

Combine this with being a regular name in Australia’s official ARIA club charts, one of Australia’s most technically skilled DJ’s and having a hoard of original records & official remixes under his belt for producers such as Roger Sanchez, Wh0 & Jolyon Petch.

If you want to get in contact, listen to his mixes, or connect with Tonky:

Brandon Johnson a.k.a. DJ BeeJay)

Brandon Johnson a.k.a BeeJay, is a long-running Australian party DJ with strong ties to queer nightlife, bear events, and retro/dance party programming. He has played at events such as Mars Bar–style nights, UV parties, and coastal community functions, suggesting he works in the upbeat, inclusive club and event circuit rather than in a single fixed-venue residency. He is a community-facing DJ and event personality who leans into high-energy nostalgia, body-positive dancefloor culture, and social-event settings. His posts are tied to his clear emphasis on familiarity and community, with references to familiar faces, retro hits, and event nights framed around fun, confidence, and inclusivity.

If you want to get in contact, listen to his mixes, or connect with Brandon Johnson/BeeJay:

Peter McNamara:

Peter McNamara is a long-running Melbourne DJ with a reputation as one of the city’s true dancefloor veterans. He has been working the decks since 1991, with residencies and guest spots at venues and community events, including The Laird, The Social, Warehouse 3000, Subway Sauna, and Leather Nation parties. He is a Melbourne-based selector known for house, disco, deep house, and dancefloor-driven sets, with a strong presence in queer, leather, and bear nightlife.

If you want to get in contact, listen to his mixes, or connect with Peter McNamara:

Nate Reed and Cameron Crampton, a.k.a Wruff DJs

We’ve been DJing together for about 5 years now. Nate was DJing solo for about 10 years before that and we’ve been going to gigs since the late 90s so we have a lot of musical history that feeds into what we like to play as DJs.

In Perth you would regularly find us setting the mood at Steamworks sauna (https://www.perthsteamworks.com.au/) which is one of our favourite places to play as we get to dig deeper into our collection playing sets that go for up to 6 hours on a Saturday night. At Steamworks we’re focussed on percussion and rhythm, there’s lots of deep house and dub techno without buildups or breakdowns, it’s a constant throb to match the energy of the venue. We get to play things that aren’t necessarily dancefloor fillers because it’s all about creating an atmosphere and setting the mood for a steamy night. 

At Steamworks we play a lot of tracks by Nick Curly, Sascha Dive, Sebo K, Gorge and Danny Howells.
On the east coast we play Barba party (https://www.barbapresents.com/) in Sydney and Melbourne most often and have to shout out team Barba (Jono and Carlos) for giving us our first ever club gig. They’re the creative force behind Barba and it’s always been a party that brings together community, sex and quality techno, three things that align well with brand Wruff. We were partying at Barba for years before we DJ’d there. Our sets at Barba are always a balance between finding the newest tracks that are going to get the dancefloor moving in an interesting way with the occasional classic house callback because at the end of the day we’re big old queer bears so we always like to give a wink and a nod to our history.

At Barba we never really know what we’ll play as it’s about the vibe on the night but there’s high chance of some Ame, Infusion and Super Flu, plus whatever has been recently released on Ostgut Ton, Kompakt or Kattermukke (obviously we have a bit of a thing for all things German!).
While we predominantly play on the deeper and techno side of the spectrum we both love a bit of disco and nothing pairs better with disco than a summer pool party so you’ll hear us playing more upbeat, commercial sets filled with disco edits and house classics at Perth Bear’s summer pool party and also super fun queer gigs like Snack Shack (https://www.instagram.com/snackshackparty/).

For these sets, it’s all about the king of disco edits: Melbourne’s Sgt Slick, plus lots by Todd Terje, Dimitri from Paris, Prins Thomas, and Discodromo.

If you want to get in contact, listen to his mixes, or connect with Wruff DJs:

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Luka Musicki

Luka is the Deputy Editor for Australian content for Bear World Magazine, part of Gray Jones Media. Luka is producing interviews with Australian and international bears, producing Australian city guides and interesting fun articles. His vision is to create a vibrant and supportive platform that celebrates the diverse spectrum of human bodies and experiences. His mission is to foster a community where individuals feel empowered to embrace their authentic selves, share their stories, and recognise the bear beauty in vulnerability and feeling great pride in themselves. Luka is also a resident writer for Konnect with Data (an Australian Data company).

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