Meet the Bear chested DJ George Roussos that will make you sweat!

19th June 2025 Luka Musicki

George is renowned for setting dancefloors ablaze in Australia and Internationally with his own unique style that sets him apart from the mainstream. He delivers his audience with a harder, edgier, darker and dirtier style. This bear has the balls to push musical boundaries beyond the norm and deliver a memorable experience on dancefloors and in saunas and sex clubs around the world.

His music style is not just for dancing if you know what I mean. Music is his identity, language, his passion and his life which he has shared for decades in the Bear, Leather LGBTQIA+ scene.

Throw your headphones on, pick your favourite tracks and let me introduce you to DJ George Roussos. Australian and International leather bear DJ joins us for an exclusive interview!

Luka Musicki (LM): When did you start performing behind the decks as a DJing and why?

George Roussos (GR): From a young age I was infatuated and passionate with music and vinyl records, I would spend hours in record stores and spend my pocket money on buying 12-inch singles. I ended up with a large library of records which I played constantly and wanted to be able to take my hobby further and learn to mix and become a DJ. I started DJing in the 80’s, bought cheap 2nd hand turntables and a mixer and patched it into the family Marantz Hi-fi home system for the amp and speakers. I practised every day for hours on end, I became addicted to it. My parents at the time were not impressed.

I was just a teenager when I started, I teamed up with my bestie and I developed my skills and made mixtapes for friends. My first live gigs I was 15 years of age, I was DJing at a high school dance and friend’s birthday parties on the weekends. This advanced my career into performing underaged in clubs and underground rave parties, I was finally recognised and my dream career came true. With more and more exposure and live experience, my career became my profession. I have been DJing for 38 years.

LM: Who are some of your DJ influences?

GR: Carl Cox hands down, the godfather of Techno!

LM: You are known for performing regularly in Melbourne and Sydney, which city are you from? Have you met and befriended other DJ’s?

GR: I get asked this question all the time and proudly say I’m from both. I feel honoured that my audience from the two cities have embraced and identified me as their own local DJ. I perform quite often in Melbourne and Sydney and in other states and have the pleasure of meeting so many other DJ’s locally and internationally that have become good friends.

Working with and meeting DJ Anthony Pappa was an amazing experience. He is so talented, friendly, and he respected me as a fellow DJ and friend. Meeting DJ Roger Sanchez and DJing with Pee Wee Ferris were also other DJ’s I had the pleasure of meeting and working with. Deadmaus I met by accident in a vinyl DJ record store in Melbourne, we were both going through vinyl together and comparing tracks, I had no idea it was him until the record store owner introduced us both. I was blown away and starstruck.

I am currently based in Sydney but also call Melbourne my home. I was also based in Greece and Perth for a couple of years and on the P&O cruise ships in the South Pacific islands.
From all of the DJ images, it seems like you are working up a sweat being shirtless while DJing, it must feel like Boiler Room (famous for DJ being an intermittent space for DJs with a crowd). Have you ever performed naked?

I’m always shirtless or half naked! I have no shame. I’m proud to be a Bear and I’m all for being body positive and having a sense of freedom to be myself and not worry about my self-image. What I love about the Bear community is we encourage acceptance and appreciation of all body types. We have that empowerment to be ourselves amongst our Bear brothers, we all fit in, it’s all about celebrating our self-love together! Plus, we are damn sexy!

I’d like to take the opportunity to also talk about something I have not disclosed that is personal to me but would like to share with others in the LGBTQIA+ community that suffer from health conditions and disability. I am a person with an invisible disability. It gets too hot for me in the summer, crowds, clubs and venues. I sweat excessively and am unable to regulate my heart rate, blood pressure, balance, body temperature, digestion and other essential processes that occur automatically without conscious control. I am diagnosed with Pure Autonomic Failure/Dysautonomia and Neurological disorders. Pure Autonomic Failure is a neuro degenerative condition that primarily affects your Autonomic nervous system. There is no cure, but it is managed with medications, lifestyle and avoiding situations that can trigger symptoms.

DJing and music has always been my priority and passion in life, no matter how challenging it is with my health, I always push myself harder and take pride in my work, as it makes me really happy…. ain’t nothing going to stop me! I’ll rip my shirt off, carry a towel, ask for a fan to be placed in the DJ booth, stay hydrated and focussed on what I love most. The DJ booth is my bubble, and I feel safe within my space. Sometimes it’s funny as guys will run up to me and fan me down while I’m DJing, it’s really nice to see that. If anything, my condition makes me stronger and I’m proud that I can come out and share my story with you and feel passionate about raising awareness about our health and conditions, changing perceptions and promoting equality within our beautiful and diverse bear and leather LGBTQIA+ community. Be strong and own it, be your true authentic self and don’t let anything become an obstacle even though it can be hard at times. Keep pushing on.

Yes, I have DJed naked in Palm Springs California, I swear …it was an accident!

LM: What is your favourite DJ gear?

GR: Technics for Vinyl, Pioneer for Digital and Sennheiser for Headphones.

LM: You have DJed for many bear party and leather events locally and internationally, could you name a few?

GR: To name a few, Woof Club – Sydney/Melbourne/Perth/Adelaide/Los Angeles/Guerneville USA, Lazy Bear (Guerneville USA), Sweat (Palm Springs USA), CCBC Resort (Palm Springs USA) Bearracuda (USA/AUS), Seven Deadly Sins (Seattle USA), Sunday Furry Sunday (San Francisco USA), Lone Star Saloon (San Francisco), Castro 440 (San Francisco), Inquisition/Dog Haus/Chaps/Meat Rack (House of Savvy), Sydney Eagle Bar, Harbour City Bear’s Bear Pit/UnderBear/Chunky/Furry Friday/Furball, BearNation (Melbourne), BeefBox (UK Radio) SBS Radio (AU)Thick & Juicy, Chunk, Northern Exposure QLD, Urge events for New Zealand Bear week.

LM: Is there a gig that you have not played in that is your future goal, like a Mardi Gras big stage for the Mardi Gras Parade After-Party?

GR: Yes there are a couple of gigs that I have yet to play at locally. I would love to play for Sydney Mardi Gras After Party, in the Hordern Pavillion of course and Tropical Fruits for NYE. I hope someday I get invited to play. I would also love to DJ at other Bear events overseas.

LM: What is your favourite type of genre of music?

GR: My favourite music genres are Electronica, Deep House, Techno, Melodic Techno and Progressive house.

LM: You have performed in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, New Zealand, USA and the Greek Islands, are the audiences who listen to your music different?

GR: Most definitely different musically especially in the USA. The audience varies to the music I play in different states and countries. I must read the crowd on the dance floor, feel the vibe and energy from the audience, it’s reciprocal. For me personally with my music genre and style I like to give my audience a more unique experience rather than play safe and predictable pop music. My music style is on the harder, dirtier and darker side.

I take risks with my harder music style and have the balls to be myself and be truer to my style. It’s so good to see how many Bears like the variety. We are not locked within one genre of music and music is definitely a personal taste for us all. The leather and fetish scene prefer it darker and dirtier which is what I love the most. It is so great to see Bears attend these events also. I’m so honoured that I have been identified as a Leather Bear DJ for decades, the crossover of the two communities has been such a big career milestone for me which I’m so proud of.

LM: You seem to have a lot of interesting tattoos. Any favourites? I do not have a tattoo, what should I get?

GR: I love tribal and warrior tattoos, they are a work of art, plus they represent strength. I would like to get more soon, one is never enough, once you start you want more. Tattoos are like music, it’s a personal taste, go with what you love most, it’s your body and your choice. Wear it with pride!

LM: Would you say being a bear has helped or hindered your career? Is your audience primarily bears?

GR: It sure has helped push my career in many ways and has also given me the opportunity to meet some amazing people on my journey. I am truly blessed to be part of the Bear community for decades and the memorable experiences it has given me. In 2010 I won the title of Best Bear performer internationally for The Complete Bear competition.

My audience is primarily Bears and the Leather and Fetish community. I have also performed for Heterosexual and LGBTQIA+ parties and events. I am truly blessed to have played to different audiences, music is universal love.

LM: Is there any advice that you would give someone (like a bear) would be interested in starting in the DJ career, and what is involved?

GR: I’m more than happy to share any advice to anyone that would be interested in becoming a DJ. First and foremost, you got to have a strong passion for music and spend as much time as possible to be practising nonstop, spending many hours listening and shopping for music, programming, learning the structure of each track, perfecting transitions and developing a strong sense of music memory to be at the top of your game. It takes a lot of time and pride to prepare for your sets and live performances. You also need to be prepared to make sacrifices in your life to support and make your DJ career your priority as much as possible.

LM: Do you have any upcoming gigs that we should invest in?

GR: WoofClub Melbourne and Sydney, LeatherNation, Eagle Bar, Chunk Sydney’s launch party and a special major milestone event for the Sydney Harbour City Bears that I am really excited about.

LM: What are your career goals for the future?

GR: My career goals will always be to keep performing and not give up. I would like to be playing at larger events. I get off on performing to a huge crowd in larger well produced events. The larger parties have this intense vibe that I love. My ultimate career goal is to do more international gigs, both for the Bear and Leather communities and be able to venture into the larger outdoor local and international dance parties and festivals.

LM: Thank you George for answering those in-depth questions.

Here are some quickfire questions:
Location: Sydney/Melbourne
Relationship Status: In a Relationship
Pronouns: Hey Mr DJ
Favorite Drink: Jim Beam and Coke
What type of guy are you into? I like big beefy hairy men and muscle bears and cubs
Favorite Cities/Vacation Spots: San Francisco/Palm Springs/Greek Islands/Germany/Italy/South Pacific Islands/Japan
Favorite Hobby or Pastime: Fast cars and motorbikes, travelling, beach and gaming
Idea of a good date? A guy that enjoys spinning on the dance floor with the best dance songs.
What do you look for in a guy? I look for a guy that is confident, passionate, tactile, honest, respectful, loyal and kind.