Provocateurs

In this episode of Provocateurs, Sarah sits down with veteran DJ and producer Rue Jay. With a career spanning over 25 years in the UK electronic music scene, Rue shares his story—from buying cassette mixes and DJing to 2,000 people at 19 years old in Birmingham to earning three Beatport Number 1 records and having dance music legend Carl Cox use his track to close down UNVRS in Ibiza.

Rue breaks down the realities of modern music production and why he views his current career phase as a pure "passion project" funded by his entrepreneurial ventures, including his renowned Birmingham tattoo studio. The discussion tackles the controversy surrounding ghost production versus genuine sound engineering collaboration, the shift toward content creation for modern producers, and the economic hurdles facing UK venues and promoters today.

Key Takeaways

Timestamps

In this episode of Provocateurs, Sarah sits down with Lloyd Nwagboso , Head of Talent & Bookings at world-renowned electronic music label Defected Records (and Glitterbox). Lloyd breaks down his extraordinary decade-plus trajectory through the music and events industry—from mechanical engineering student in Leeds to modeling, running iconic club nights, living in Ibiza, and curating massive global festival lineups.

Lloyd reflects on the golden era of nightlife, performing with the Dynamite Hosts alongside Manumission founders Mike and Claire in Ibiza, and co-founding Candy Pants, which became one of Manchester's most lucrative monthly parties. He opens up about the career-altering moment at Burning Man 2011 that sparked his obsession with house music, surviving a severe career breakdown during the pandemic, and relentlessly knocking down the door at Defected Records. Plus, Lloyd shares insights on booking talent across America, Europe, and Asia, selling out 15,000-capacity shows at Drumsheds, and why stepping away from alcohol gave him the clarity to thrive at the top of the music industry.

Key Takeaways

Lloyd Nwagboso

https://www.instagram.com/lloydnwagboso/?hl=en-gb

https://www.instagram.com/defectedrecords/?hl=en-gb

https://defected.com/

Social Links

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In this episode of Provocateurs, Sarah sits down with artist, performer, educator, and entrepreneur Mac (formerly known as adult film star Mickey Taylor). Mac shares how they transitioned out of a seven-year career in the global adult entertainment industry to build thriving creative communities, arts initiatives, and cabaret brands in Manchester.

Mac details the creation of Quac Collective, a affordable co-working art space in Manchester Central built to combat extortionate studio rents, providing 30+ artists daily access to workspace, equipment, and workshops for just £30–£40 a month. Mac also breaks down running unconventional entertainment brands, including naked life drawing classes and fire-breathing, high-energy cabarets. The conversation touches on Mac's experiences working in special educational needs teaching, overcoming workplace revenge porn, managing high-pressure work ethics, and an unfiltered critique of the commercialization of Pride events and modern LGBTQ+ spaces.

Key Takeaways

Timestamps

01:34 – Introducing Quac Collective: Solving Manchester's Art Space Crisis

03:00 – Building Collaborative Co-Working Spaces from Scratch

05:00 – Workshops, Screen Printing & Public Classes

05:46 – Running Naked Life Drawing Classes & Immersive Cabarets

07:03 – Relocating to Manchester & Community Inclusivity

08:23 – Seven Years in Adult Entertainment: Starting at 21

09:27 – Traveling the World & Camera Confidence

11:36 – Closing the Adult Industry Chapter During COVID

16:31 – Working in Special Educational Needs Teaching

18:50 – Overcoming Workplace Revenge Porn & Student Success

21:08 – Moving Beyond Past Labels & Proving Business Authority

22:44 – "F*** Around & Find Out": Drive, Vision & Work Ethic

25:31 – Demanding Professionalism & Supporting Creatives

32:19 – The Corporate Takeover of Pride & Venue Strains

36:16 – The History & Importance of the Pride Vigil

46:29 – Advocating for Trans Rights, Immigration & Education

53:03 – The Necessity of Safe Queer Spaces & Creative Outlets

https://www.instagram.com/quac_collective/

https://www.quacifucan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsmickeytaylor/

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In this episode of Provocateurs, host sits down with Ben Mason, marketing manager for AMAAD and the team behind major electronic events like Junction 2, Boston Manor, and The Bridge Series. Managing an impressive national portfolio of large-scale spaces—including Ironworks in London, Testbed in Leeds, Prospect Building in Bristol, and Die Kasteel in Brighton—Ben offers an insider look at scaling live events during a challenging economic climate for UK nightlife.

Ben pulls back the curtain on the launch of Ironworks, a limited 7,000-capacity event series situated on the banks of the River Thames in London featuring electronic heavyweights like Jamie Jones, Charlotte de Witte, and Eric Prydz. He explains the strategic decision to run a focused 6-event series to support rather than saturate the local nightlife ecosystem. The conversation dives deep into modern event operations, from their all-female operations team and crisis management protocols to the rise of daytime raves, no-phone policies, and the destructive impact of 6-month regional exclusivity clauses on grassroots music venues.

Key Takeaways

In this episode of Provocateurs, Sarah sits down with 30-year-old fighter, gym owner, and event creator Jordan David. From stepping into his first MMA cage fight at age 13 after watching Jackie Chan movies to taking over a martial arts gym by 22, Jordan has forged an extraordinary path in combat sports and entertainment.

Jordan breaks down how he transformed a simple beach grappling demonstration into Coastal Combat—a multi-stage festival fusing live MMA cage fights, DJs, and raves. He reveals what it was like hiring an entire abandoned prison (Dorchester Prison) to run cage fights in the main hall alongside underground tunnel raves, as well as the intense bureaucratic battles required to secure the first-ever permanent beach license on Weymouth Beach. Plus, Jordan speaks candidly about his late ADHD diagnosis, why he chose to ditch medication, and how he channels hyperfixation into building a thriving business empire.

Key Takeaway

Timestamps

Jordan Links

https://www.instagram.com/jordan.tcl/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://www.instagram.com/coastalcombatfest/

https://coastalcombatfestival.com/

In this episode of Provocateurs, Sarah sits down with DJ, promoter, and venue owner Dan (DJ Dan). From launching the legendary indie club night Propaganda as a Bristol Uni student with just £400 of his student loan, Dan grew the brand into the UK’s largest weekly club event—attracting over 25,000 ravers across 25+ cities every week.

Dan shares stories from his DJ career, including touring as the official afterparty DJ for Oasis, playing to an empty dancefloor with only Liam Gallagher, and getting scolded by Noel Gallagher over song choices. He also addresses the harsh realities of venue ownership, breaking down what it took to acquire five historic venues (including Camden’s Barfly and XOYO) that were losing £1.5 million annually. From £234k rent bills on 200-capacity rooms to campaigning for a £1 ticket levy, Dan gives an essential breakdown of the UK nightlife ecosystem.

Key Takeaways

In this unfiltered, deep-dive episode of Provocateurs, Sarah sits down with legendary producer, DJ, and event director Jon Fitz. Spanning a three-decade career that began with picking up an abandoned guitar at age six, Jon breaks down his journey through the high-stakes music industry, playing iconic Ibiza venues like Space and Amnesia, and creating decade-defining anthems like "I Just Can't Get Enough" and "I Like the Way You Move".

Jon pulls back the curtain on the producer's mindset, explaining how studio discipline and creative purpose trump chasing fast money. He delivers a provocative insider breakdown of how drug cultures—from 90s ecstasy to 2000s electro-cocaine and DC-10 ketamine trends—literally sculpted the history of electronic dance music. He also details the decline of traditional late-night superclubs and how he pivoted to build the highly lucrative

Timestamps

In this candid, high-energy episode of Provocateurs, Sarah sits down with legendary UK DJ Brandon Block to explore his 40-year journey through the birth and evolution of global dance music culture.

Brandon shares his humble beginnings—starting with a £10 pub residency in Harrow, buying gear from Tandy on hire purchase, and touring in an Escort van—before becoming a staple at world-renowned superclubs like Space Ibiza. He opens up about the toll of constant touring, his pivot into NHS outreach work with complex addiction and mental health cases, and how severe burnout led to his headline-making exit from the Celebrity Big Brother house after just 19 days.

Brandon also breaks down the mental health tools that saved him, from Smart Recovery and Eckhart Tolle's teachings to Wim Hof breathwork and cold-water sea dips on Bournemouth beach. This episode is an unfiltered masterclass in resilience, music history, and overcoming life's hardest triggers.

Key Takeaways

Brandon Block

https://www.instagram.com/brandonblock/?hl=en

In this unfiltered, inspiring, and high-energy episode of Provocateurs, host sits down with former primary school teacher turned nightclub General Manager, creative director, and marketing strategist Rowan. Rowan opens up about his fearless trajectory through the UK hospitality sector—from taking over a corporate venue on Deansgate and introducing drag extravaganzas to running door security in four-inch heels.

Rowan shares the pivotal moment he told his CEO "you f***ed up" over venue accessibility, leading to award-nominated design overhauls. He tackles tough industry realities, including challenging biased door-team narratives, adapting to post-COVID nightlife trends, and fighting the growing epidemic of city loneliness. Now freelancing through Rowan Barr Creative, he breaks down how he helped spearhead Manchester Village Pride, restructuring it into an inclusive, community-first movement that slashed headliner costs by £20,000 to invest directly back into local artists. From reclaiming labels and surviving online hate to shedding societal pressures and living authentically, Rowan delivers a powerful masterclass in leadership, inclusion, and creative freedom.

Key Takeaways

From Primary Teaching to Late-Night GM: Balancing full-time university placements with high-volume venue management, and making the bold decision to stay in hospitality.

Calling Out Corporate Execs: Why Rowan challenged his CEO on disabled accessibility, leading to a top-three nomination at the National Diversity & Inclusion Awards.

Re-educating Door Security: Breaking down double standards around male vs. female bag searches and training door teams to maintain safe, inclusive entry policies.

The New Landscape of UK Nightlife: How post-COVID shifts, daytime drinking preferences, and pre-drinking habits are forcing venues to adapt or close.

Spearheading Manchester Village Pride: Transforming Pride back into a community-led movement with lower ticket prices, local stage takeovers, and family-friendly programming.

Living Beyond Societal Pressures: Overcoming online trolls, reclaiming words, writing letters to your younger self, and burning down false timelines.

In this episode of Provocateurs, host sits down with Bournemouth venue owner and former automotive engineer James Gordon. James caused waves across the UK hospitality scene by taking over three massive nightlife sites—Bournemouth House, Harry’s Lounge, and Bar Coast—in the span of just 30 days.

James breaks down his journey from designing air vents for Jaguar and Ford to stepping into hotel ownership at 26 years old with zero experience and managing nearly 90 staff. He shares how engineering problem-solving helped him survive day-one meltdowns, details his lucrative £6,000-a-room hotel pivot for Jewish Passover, and explains why applying financial day-trading strategies led him to "buy at the bottom" during an industry slump. Plus, James addresses negative media perceptions of coastal town nightlife, female safety initiatives, and how venue collaboration is breathing new life into Christchurch Road.

The 30-Day Multi-Site Takeover: How James acquired three distinct Bournemouth venues in a single month and turned them into a connected nightlife hub.

From Engineering to Hospitality: Applying automotive design problem-solving to broken hotel systems, dead lifts, and day-one operational crises.

The £6,000 Passover Hack: How transforming a hotel to fully kosher standards created a premium ten-day event season.

Buying at the Bottom: Why financial day-trading principles convinced James that UK hospitality's low point offered the highest investment upside.

Community & Safety First: Implementing door-to-car escorts, collaboration with neighboring restaurants, and local business networking to rebuild footfall.

00:00:00 – Intro

00:00:38 – Taking Over 3 Bournemouth Sites in 30 Days

00:03:31 – Working as a Jaguar & Ford Automotive Engineer

00:05:22 – Why Bournemouth? 7 Miles of Sandy Beaches & London Connections

00:06:22 – Day One Hotel Chaos: Broken Tills, Dead Lifts & Phone Crashes 00:09:15 – Managing 90 Staff at 26 Years Old With Zero Experience 00:11:47 – The £2.68/Hour Youth Apprenticeship Program

00:14:09 – Kosher Hospitality: The £6,000-a-Room Passover Hack 00:15:35 – Sliding Scrolls of the Law Out the Back of a 4x4

00:22:06 – Zero Food Cost Business Models: Running Fasting Bootcamps

00:24:44 – The "Eric" Note Trick: How to Remember Every Customer's Name

00:28:16 – Leaving Day Trading Gold to Buy Hospitality "At the Bottom"

00:31:29 – Addressing Bad Press & Perception of Bournemouth Nightlife

00:35:02 – Sitting Down With Balaclava-Wearing Delivery Drivers

00:38:18 – Female Safety: Walking Drunk Clubgoers Home Safely

00:44:07 – Local Restaurant Collaborations on Christchurch Road 00:49:11 – Where to Find James Corden Online & AI Business Tech

James Gordon Links

Social Links

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