Loud&Unfiltered

In this episode of Loud & Unfiltered, Josh sits down with Johnno Burgess, co-founder of Bugged Out and one of the most influential tastemakers in British club culture. From producing the legendary Jockey Slut fanzine in early-90s Manchester to launching Bugged Out at Sankeys, booking Daft Punk unmasked, supporting The Chemical Brothers from their earliest DJ sets, and building one of the most enduring club and festival brands in the world — this is electronic music history told by someone who was there.

Johnno shares unheard stories from the golden era of clubbing: Daft Punk DJing for expenses, Thomas Bangalter playing live before global fame, hearing Roger Sanchez’s Another Chance for the first time in the booth, and how Bugged Out became a gathering point for techno heads, students, LGBTQ+ ravers and future industry leaders alike.

The conversation traces Bugged Out’s evolution from underground Manchester nights to Liverpool superclubs, Fabric residencies, electroclash moments, and the rebirth of the Bugged Out Weekender, now celebrating over 30 years as a cultural institution. Along the way, Johnno reflects on community, musical cycles, the power of instinct over hype, and why underground culture continues to matter more than ever.

Subscribe to Loud&Unfiltered for more unfiltered conversations with music industry leaders, innovators, and cultural entrepreneurs and connect with us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jukeboxpr/

Key Moments:
0:00 – Iconic DJ Booth Memories & Roger Sanchez’s “Another Chance”
0:33 – Origins: Johnno Burgess, Jockey Slut, and the Manchester Scene
04:36 – How “Jockey Slut” Shaped Club Culture
07:00 – Daft Punk’s First Interviews, Early Connections, and Club Evolution
10:08 – Fanzines, Magazines, and Launching Bugged Out
13:58 – Growing a Dance Community and Sound Evolution (Techno, House)
18:03 – Liverpool: Moving to larger venues, booking legendary DJs like Daft Punk and Fatboy Slim, and achieving mainstream recognition.
24:14 – Electroclash, New Sounds, and Shaping Music Trends
27:28 – Bugged Out at Fabric and London’s Club Scene
30:36 – Launching the Weekender: Festival Culture & New Generations
38:54 – Adaptation and Longevity: The Secret to 30 Years of Bugged Out
41:44 – Legendary Moments: Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter, and Clubland Stories
44:34 – Influence and Inspiration: Bugged Out’s Place in UK Club History
45:44 – The Future of Bugged Out: Weekender 2026 & New Horizons
47:13 – Print, Publishing, and Preserving Club Memories
49:44 – Legacy Reflections and Continuing the Journey

2025 was a turning point for dance music. So what happens next?

In this special Loud & Unfiltered round-table episode, Alex, Josh and Grego sit down to unpack the biggest moments from last year - and make their bold predictions for dance music, club culture and festivals in 2026.

From the resurgence of clubs post-COVID, to the explosion of UK garage and tech house in the US, to the rise of harder and faster sounds via TikTok culture, the conversation cuts through hype and looks at what’s actually shaping the scene. Drawing on their experience as bookers, promoters and industry insiders, the trio debate fees, lineups, market saturation, underground culture, Ibiza rumours, festival economics and where audiences are really heading next.

They dive into why clubs are finally coming back, why boutique festivals are thriving, what the absence of Glastonbury means for the wider festival market, and how new global destinations like Brazil, Albania, Saudi Arabia and Eastern Europe are redefining party culture. There’s also plenty of classic Loud & Unfiltered storytelling — from Glastonbury madness and Ibiza celebrity encounters, to illegal raves, DIY culture and the moments that remind everyone why this scene exists in the first place.

Subscribe to Loud&Unfiltered for more unfiltered conversations with music industry leaders, innovators, and cultural entrepreneurs and connect with us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jukeboxpr/

Key Moments:

0:00 – Introduction & Recap of 2025

05:13 – Dance Music Trends and Artist Highlights for 2026

10:34 – Event Booking, Diversity, and Festival Lineup Trends

14:28 – Impact of Glastonbury’s Absence in 2026

20:19 – Party Destinations and Global Scene Predictions

29:24 – Personal Festival Anecdotes & Standout Moments

47:41 – Ibiza 2026: Club Rumors, Amnesia’s 50th Anniversary, and Scene Evolution

0:55:28 – DJ/Artist Predictions for 2026 and Upcoming World Cup Podcast Plans

In this episode of Loud & Unfiltered, Inside the Industry, we sit down with Jodie Layton, Talent Booker at The Night League, the powerhouse organisation behind Hï Ibiza, Ushuaïa, UNVRS, and some of the most influential venues and residencies in global nightlife.

Jodie’s journey is a proper industry story. From flyering at Turnmills, learning the ropes at Ministry of Sound, building pop-up venues like Brixton Beach, booking at Pacha Ibiza, and now playing a central role in programming Ibiza’s most dominant clubbing brands - she’s lived every layer of the business.

This conversation goes deep into how modern booking really works: juggling multiple venues without cannibalising lineups, managing artist value across territories, maintaining creative integrity at scale, and why Ibiza is one of the hardest places in the world to book successfully. Jodie also opens up about working within an all-female booking team, the mental and physical toll of seven-night-a-week seasons, and how nightlife culture is changing with younger, healthier audiences.

Subscribe to Loud&Unfiltered for more unfiltered conversations with music industry leaders, innovators, and cultural entrepreneurs and connect with us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jukeboxpr/

Key Moments:

0:00 – Introduction and Meeting Music Industry Heroes

0:32 – Meet Jodie Layton of The Night League

01:06 – Night League’s Clubs Win Top 100 Club Awards: A Historic Achievement

01:44 – Building an All-Female Booking Team at The Night League

02:19 – Ministry of Sound: The “University” of the Music Industry

04:36 – Transition from Fine Art to Music: Jodie’s Early Career and Promotions

06:03 – Brixton Beach and Entrepreneurial Ventures in London

07:53 – Moving to Ibiza and Joining The Night League

09:19 – Comparing Booking at Ministry, Pacha, and The Night League

10:11 – Female Empowerment in Festival and Club Bookings

11:21 – Venue Booking Dynamics and Glastonbury Festival Experiences

13:18 – The Challenge of Planning Lineups and Season Openings

15:01 – Pursuing a Career in Dance Music: University to Professional Journey

16:32 – The Power of Live Events: Early Influences and Memorable Nights

18:56 – Coping with Intense Schedules: Working Nights in Ibiza

20:02 – Influential People and Mentors Shaping a Music Industry Career

21:55 – The Most Challenging Aspects of Being a Club Booker

23:19 – How Living in Ibiza Shaped Personal and Professional Growth

25:00 – Understanding Regional Differences in Artist Value

27:31 – What Would You Change in the Club Industry?

28:34 – Staying Motivated: The Buzz of Teamwork and Great Music

29:56 – Meeting Music Legends: Starstruck Moments and Making VIPs Comfortable

31:48 – Advice for Aspiring Music Industry Professionals

33:54 – Nightlife Generational Differences and Future Challenges

35:56 – Day Raves vs Night Clubs: Changing Club Event Trends

37:34 – Work-Life Balance for Long-Term Music Industry Success

39:17 – Looking Ahead: The Launch of Universe and Upcoming Projects

In this Inside the Industry edition of Loud & Unfiltered, we sits down with one of the most respected forces behind global club culture and festival programming: Jenni Cochrane. From selling tickets at Café Mambo, to programming the world’s biggest stages, to navigating political crises with EXIT Festival, Jenni’s 30-year journey in music is wild, unpredictable and packed with lessons for anyone building a career in nightlife, events or artist bookings.

Jenni shares how she fell into the industry by accident, rose through the ranks in Ibiza during the late-90s hedonistic era, learned the craft at Renaissance and Ministry of Sound, booked global superstars long before they were household names, and eventually became the programmer for EXIT Festival’s mainstage - a bucket-list festival for artists around the world.

This conversation goes deep into what the booking world really looks like: navigating agents, fee inflation, TikTok-driven breakout acts, political instability affecting festivals, and the pressure to build gender-balanced line-ups without compromising artistic or commercial integrity. Jenni also opens up about her wellbeing work through GetAhead, her experience working in Saudi Arabia with Middle Beast, and the evolving role of women in the global music industry.

Subscribe to Loud&Unfiltered for more unfiltered conversations with music industry leaders, innovators, and cultural entrepreneurs and connect with us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jukeboxpr/

Key Moments:

0:00 – Introduction and Industry Background: From Clubbing in Glasgow to Ibiza

02:17 – From Fashion to Music: How Jenny Cochrane Entered the Industry

05:00 – Climbing the Ranks: Early Roles in Promotions and Renaissance

06:50 – Ibiza’s Golden Era: Legendary Clubs and Networking

09:10 – Breaking into London: Ministry of Sound, PR, and Booking

11:38 – Building Global Brands: Ministry of Sound’s Expansion and Team Growth

13:32 – Booking Superstar DJs: From Steve Angello to Calvin Harris

15:30 – Career Milestones: Major Gigs, The O2 Arena, and Festival Takeovers

20:39 – Going International: Booking in London, The Middle East, and the Balkans

21:25 – EXIT Festival: Booking Main Stage Acts, Genre Diversity, and Programming

25:00 – Saudi Arabia & Middle Beast: Market Evolution and Social Impact

41:31 – Gender Equality in the Music Industry: Mentorship and Representation

45:00 – Booking Headliners and Diversity: Challenges and Strategies

50:54 – Personal Stories: Fun with Artists Like Wu-Tang Clan and Skrillex

55:00 – The Reality of Booking: Processes, Crisis Management, and Hard Work

1:03:29 – Get Ahead and Mental Health: Wellbeing Initiatives in the Music Industry

1:09:10 – Work-Life Balance: Parenting, Career, and Advice for Women in Music

1:12:37 – Quickfire Questions: Dream Bookings and Career Highlights

In this new series of Loud&Unfiltered, Inside The Industry, we have Jacob, better known online as Jakkob, who has lived one of the wildest, most unlikely journeys in UK club culture. From burning CDs on Numarks in his teens, to blagging his way into his first warm-up gig, to accidentally becoming the UK’s biggest “SeshTok” personality, to now selling out shows, releasing on major labels and having the biggest DJs in the world play his tracks… the story is outrageous, relatable, and full of proper rave folklore.

In this unfiltered conversation, Alex and Josh dive deep into how Jacob built an audience of over one million followers, the moment he became “the Smash Guy”, why some venues refused to book him because of his comedy style, how he balances humour with credibility, and how he’s now carving out a serious path as a DJ and producer.

Across the episode, Jacob speaks candidly about building community, getting taken seriously in the scene, content strategies, viral format creation, behind-the-scenes festival stories, insane afterparty invitations, playing Ibiza Rocks all summer, releasing on respected labels, getting support from huge names like Baker, Siragusa, Rossi, and why seeing your own tune go off in a club is still the biggest buzz on earth.

Subscribe to Loud&Unfiltered for more unfiltered conversations with music industry leaders, innovators, and cultural entrepreneurs and connect with us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jukeboxpr/

Key Moments:

0:00 – Guest introduction, discussion about origin of the DJ name “Jakkob,” branding, and anecdotes about alternative nicknames.

02:00 – Early DJ Beginnings & First Gigs

6:00 – Touring with Regression Sessions & Unique Nightlife Stories

08:30 – Social Media & Viral TikTok Content Creation, “Smash Guy” persona, and strategies for viral music content.

10:15 – Navigating Comedy, Branding Risks & Club Bookings

13:00 – Best man experience at an Indian wedding, family reactions to career milestones, and the role of parents in supporting a creative journey.

16:20 – From DJ to Label Owner: Kitchen Club Records

18:50 – High-Profile Remixes & Streaming Success

20:50 – Changing Perceptions & Building a Community

22:20 – The Importance of Community & Sold Out Shows

23:40 – Afterparty Culture & Wild Tour Stories

26:45 – Gigs Abroad & Family Moments

29:00 – Industry Friends & Festival Highlights

31:40 – The DJ Rider, Promoter Tales & Funny Interactions

34:00 – Ibiza Adventures & International Gig Life

41:20 – Label Releases & Track Sampling Process

45:20 – Reflections, Fan Support & What’s Next