As a leader, his bands have included Human Chain, Delightful Precipice, Quiet Nights, Powder Room Collapse Orchestra and Belovèd, and he was also a leading figure in Loose Tubes and Bill Bruford's Earthworks.

[1][2] Bates founded Human Chain in 1979 and, in the 1980s, he rose to prominence in a jazz orchestra called Loose Tubes.

He has performed with Michael Brecker, Tim Berne, Christian Jarvi, Vince Mendoza, David Sanborn, Kate Rusby, and Don Alias.

Django also commissioned sixty composers including Laurie Anderson, Gavin Bryars, Patrick Moore, and John Zorn, to write one bar each.

In 2002, he was a tutor at the Banff Centre jazz program alongside Jim Black and Dave Douglas.

With Loose Tubes With Billy Jenkins With First House With Bill Bruford's Earthworks With Iain Ballamy With Tim Berne's Caos Totale With Anouar Brahem With Sidsel Endresen With Julian Argüelles With others