Last week I had the pleasure of being invited to Skiddle's 25th birthday celebrations at Blackpool Tower. And what a night it was.
A proper mix of surprises all the way through: Hacker T. Dog, Katie Thistleton, multi-platinum Lancastrian house producer D.O.D, Peter Dickson (that voice!), Lenny Henry, Gok Wan. The list just kept going.
And for me, that bit hit differently. House music and DJing is still a massive part of my life. It's where a lot of this started for me, and it's still very much part of who I am. So seeing someone with D.O.D's locally rooted story smashing things commercially right now, sitting at the table next to me, was brilliant.
But what really landed was the journey behind it
Our worlds first crossed back when I was DJing at the University of Central Lancashire, right at the turn of the millennium and the internet revolution. When "what's on" meant flyers, posters, word of mouth, and a bit of luck.
They were building something new. A digital "what's on" guide.
They saw the shift before most people did. Saw the opportunity. And backed themselves to go all in.
What they created wasn't just a listings site. It became infrastructure for the events and nightlife industry. And that's the bit I respect the most.
Because it's easy to grow when times are good. It's something else entirely to keep evolving when the world changes, or even stops, like it did with Covid.
They've adapted. Pivoted. Stayed true to what they believe in. And kept showing up for the industry, not just in the UK, but across Europe and beyond.
A connection that's gone beyond one night
Over the years I've been lucky enough to work alongside them in different ways: advising, supporting, and plugging in where I can.
From telecoms and connectivity, to multi-network SIMs powering their RapidScan devices so they just work wherever they are, to cyber awareness, event WiFi, and making sure the tech behind the scenes is as solid as what people see on the front end.
Because when you're running live events, there's no room for "it should work." It just has to.
Big love to the good ship Skiddle
I'm proud to know these guys. Proud of what they've built. And proud that, in some small way, I've been part of that journey over the years.
You do the county and the country proud. Long may it continue.
Chris
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