Red Bull Revolutions In Sound (The EDF London Eye) Q&A with…….. ‘BUGGEDOut!’

Promoters take note, always been searching for that unique spin to give your budding club night that unique twist, well Red Bull Revolutions in Sound have taken it to a whole new level by hiring the iconic ‘London Eye’ and hosting 30 simultaneous club nights, each with their own pod. This event is celebrating those innovators who have stepped out against the flow and forcible changed the course of electronic music and clubbing . Over the next few weeks we will be delving a little deeper into the philosophy, passions and motivations of clubbings game changers. So far we’ve had ‘London Warehouse Events‘ // ‘Jah Shaka Sound‘ // ‘Metalheadz‘ // ‘Cream‘ // ‘Sub Soul‘ // ‘Lost‘ // ’Corsica Studios‘ // ’FAC51 The Hacienda‘ and ‘The Eagle‘, next up ‘BUGGEDOut!‘ talk music journalism, VIP culture crap and loving electro-clash……

In 1994, the creators of club culture magazine Jockey Slut teamed up with Sankeys Soap to run a weekly Friday with a party mission to champion the best left field dance music. Their first event in Manchester was a Warp Records party featuring LFO and Autechre. But it’s London’s The End that became the night’s regular home, as it welcomed the likes of Daft Punk and Squarepusher, while also giving Erol Alkan the top billing he deserved. An acid house mentality and the spirit of rave still fires up Bugged Out! nineteen years later….

BBB: What was it that inspired you to enter the unpredictable world of putting on parties, and why do you think ‘BUGGEDOut!’ became such an iconic clubbing brand?

We were running a techno magazine called Jockey Slut in Manchester at the time and so had good direct links to the DJs. We were also inspired by clubs like The Hacienda and Back to Basics in Leeds who combined cutting edge music with humour and hedonism. I think our night has endured because we still have that magazine mentality and have evolved over the years and hopefully stayed relevant.

BBB: Many nights fail as quickly as they start; what do you believe are the biggest challenges for a night to become and remain successful (changing trends, competitors, an ageing audience etc.)?

In London there’s a lot of competition so it’s harder to stand out and compete for the DJs. Unless a night evolves musically it can end up with an ageing audience who will eventually abandon ship.

BBB: If your party hadn’t been successful what do you think you would have done instead? Personally party organizing got me away from a career in insurance underwriting…

I was a journalist at the same time as running Bugged Out for 15 years or so. I imagine I would have continued as a writer.

BBB: Clubbing & electronic music in general is very much in transition, with MP3’s, streaming, the global credit crunch and EDM all impacting the way we consume music both in a live and personal context. Traditionally clubbing and club music was an underground movement, a liberating escape for many, however it is fast becoming an exploitable global commodity. What would you like to see change in club culture (if anything), and how would you like to see it evolve over the next few decades?

Less of the VIP culture crap that is really affecting Ibiza. Less gimmicky DJs after that quick rush. It’s all very shallow and vapid. Last time the scene got like this people turned back to guitar music!

BBB: If you could raise from the dead one piece of clubbing nostalgia, what would it be? For us it would be a late 80’s/early 90’s rave, as it was before our time

It was only 12 years ago but I loved the electro-clash scene from back then. It was a real shot in the arm for London clubbers.

Words by Johnno (BUGGEDOut!)

Thanks for your time,

Jon E Cassell (Blah Blah Blah)