It's not every DJ/producer that can claim they lost a Juno to legendary singer Joni Mitchell and got cursed out by Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor in the same night, but Halifax native Paul Murphy - aka Skratch Bastid - can add that to his bio.

In Calgary, after being nominated for his production work on Buck 65's Situation at the 2008 Juno Awards, the turntablist found himself at the receiving end of an expletive-laced rant from Keelor before the celebrated Canadian band took the stage at a Juno after-party. Apparently, Keelor thought the DJ should have stopped as soon as he got onstage and didn't like that Murphy kept playing.

"I was scheduled to DJ at the Warner party and I guess they won a Juno that night and hadn't played all weekend," explains Murphy over the phone from his home in Montreal. "There was a backline set-up on stage and I didn't actually know who Greg Keelor was. I know who Blue Rodeo is. I know Jim Cuddy, as he is the face of Blue Rodeo. I didn't know who was stepping on the stage and tuning up a guitar. I treat everyone else with respect and expect to be treated with respect. I think it was just one of those cases of miscommunication that spread quicker with the aid of alcohol."

Although the incident was probably exacerbated by way too many free drinks, and Keelor would later send the turntablist a bouquet of flowers, it goes to show that even though you may be one of Canada's elite DJs and a talented producer who was just recognized by the Canadian music industry, not everyone will be able to disinguish you from some guy playing background music for a party.

Still, European promoters have recently taken notice of Skratch Bastid and booked Murphy for his first solo tour of Europe.

"It was the first time I travelled over to Europe by myself. Basically I got booked on the strength of some of my YouTube routines," Murphy says. "The response was really strong, especially since they had seen some of my stuff and for them to see it live was a big highlight for them. It was a big surprise for me, but it's telling me I've got to get on top of my YouTube game and keep posting these videos of what I am doing. It's definitely a commentary on how strong that media can be."

Web Extras

Blog: www.skratchbastid.com

Skratch Bastid feat. John Smith and Pip Skid: I Ain't Lazy: tinyurl.com/3oh9gn

YouTube videos: tinyurl.com/3wypxv