Provocateurs

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 l...

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...

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 o...

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 E...

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 supercl...

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 fou...

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 owners...

In this deeply moving, courageous, and brutally honest episode of Provocateurs, reality TV star, author, and activist Keye steps into the studio to unpack the raw reality behind his public persona. Moving far beyond his time on Married at First Sight, Keye shares an intimate look at his upcoming novel I Wanted You to See Me and his poetry collection Heartbreak and Renewal, exploring how he channel...

In this engaging, wide-ranging episode of Provocateurs, veteran DJ, hospitality insider, and high-risk insurance broker Steve Taylor gives an exclusive look into the fight to protect the UK's night-time economy. Celebrating 30 years in the music industry, Steve details how his dual career as an insurance broker positioned him at the center of the movement to defend grassroots music culture. Steve...

In this vibrant, brutally honest, and unfiltered episode of Provocateurs, Sarah hosts Mitchell Jones and DJ Ben Aldridge! We sit down to discuss the vital importance of queer nightlife, extreme visual self-expression, and navigating small-town LGBTQ+ visibility. Mitchell opens up about his signature visual identity, explaining why he wears full-face drag makeup every single day and listing his ext...

In this deeply moving, raw, and politically charged episode of Provocateurs, we sit down with veteran content creator, activist, and former politician John. Navigating the digital space for over 15 years, John has transitioned from the early days of YouTube to becoming a leading voice for the UK's LGBTQ+ community. In this conversation, John pulls back the curtain on the alarming cultural regressi...

In this deeply human and brutally honest episode of Provocateurs, we sit down with an extraordinary guest Glodi Wabelua who survived the absolute sharpest edges of the UK youth justice system. Born in Congo-Kinshasa and raised in Southeast London, he went from playing in dirt rivers as an "earth child" to being homeless at age 14 and labeled a major county lines "gang boss" by the courts at just 1...

In this raw and eye-opening episode of Provocateurs, we sit down with Chris, the Head of Business Development for an international security operations firm . Having climbed the ranks from a 23-year-old venue manager to overseeing elite door teams across London's top competitive socializing hubs, Chris pulls back the curtain on the invisible, high-stakes world of modern crowd control. Chris exposes...

In this episode of Provocateurs, we sit down with Sheena, a qualified city solicitor who walked away from a stable, lucrative legal career to pioneer the sip and paint phenomenon in the UK. Long before the post-COVID activity boom took hold, Sheena launched Party and Paint in 2018, blending her love for 90s R&B music with an interactive, high-energy standing art concept that completely reimagined...

He arrived in London with no English, no money, and a motorcycle he'd already sold to buy the plane ticket. What Bruno Cabral built from there is genuinely remarkable — and this conversation tells the whole story. Sarah sits down with Bruno to trace his journey from handing out flyers on Queensway to running Half Baked, Number 90, Stunning, and a new sound-frequency wellbeing project launching thi...

Moving to London can feel like the loneliest venture in the world, especially when you are stuck on a suffocating hamster wheel that offers no clear exit. After facing shattering personal losses—losing her sister right at a swimming gala and her mum just a few years later—breathing became a luxury for rising DJ star Kate. When the pandemic hit with just £50 left to her name, a tiny box room transf...

From a dusty East London scrapyard with zero electricity to hosting massive 15,000-person festival crowds, Matt’s journey with London East is as raw and authentic as the rave culture he promotes. Running a major music venue and festival site isn't just about booking huge DJs; it's a relentless game of managing soaring overheads, dealing with unpredictable UK weather, and constantly adapting to a s...

In this episode of Provocateurs, we sit down with Joe Quinn, an industry veteran who transitioned from a resident DJ at Gatecrasher to the founder of Forbidden Forest and his latest venture, Ultra Warehouse . Joe shares the raw, "blind risk" origins of starting a festival with strangers and growing it by 2,000 people per show until it reached a massive scale . We go behind the scenes of the festiv...

In this episode of Provocateurs, we sit down with Josh Karpf, the Managing Director of JukeboxPR. With a background at the "corporate beast" that is Ministry of Sound, Josh shares his journey of joining Jukebox when it was still the "Wild West" and transforming it into the professional powerhouse it is today . We dive deep into the changing landscape of PR, where Josh argues that traditional press...

In this debut podcast appearance, we sit down with the man known in the industry as "The Fixer.". With a career spanning three decades, he has transitioned from the underground Grime scene to the UK’s largest mainstream attractions . We explore his accidental entry into Winter Wonderland, where a single phone call about printing cups led to him becoming the Event Director for a 3.5-million-person...

In this episode of Provocateurs, we are joined by Marc and Tony, the driving forces behind the legendary house music brand Love To Be. Spanning over three decades, the brand has evolved from a mid-90s weekly residency in Sheffield to a global touring powerhouse and festival organiser. Tony shares the "back of a fag packet" origins of the brand's iconic logo and how a blagged DJ gig led to a life w...

In this deep-dive episode of Provocateurs, we sit down with Kieran Lindsay, a 17-year Dubai veteran and founder of the Be More Than Group. Moving to the Middle East at just 23 years old—long before it was the global "influencer" hub it is today—Kieran witnessed the evolution of Dubai from a "Wild West" startup town into a global powerhouse . Kieran shares the unfiltered reality of his early days i...

In this high-octane episode of Provocateurs, we are joined by the "multifaceted icon" DJ Nikki Beatnik. With over 30 years in the industry, Nicki has toured six continents, played in 70 countries, and acted as the music director for global stars like Kelis. Nikki pulls back the curtain on the "hot mess" of the modern music industry, from the death of UK club culture with 80% of clubs now closed to...

In this unfiltered and high-stakes episode of Provocateurs, we are joined by Cherelle Jay, the force behind the global dance empire Heels & Feels. From the West End stage to the boardroom, Cherelle reveals the "savage" reality of building a multi-business brand while navigating the isolation of being a high-visibility founder. Cherelle opens up about the trauma that nearly broke her—from an ex-par...

In this unfiltered episode of Provocateurs, we sit down with David Vincent, the legendary founder of Sankeys, to uncover the 30-year history of one of dance music’s most iconic brands. From its humble beginnings in a derelict Manchester soap factory to being voted the #1 Club in the World, Sankeys became a global powerhouse with locations in Ibiza, New York, and Tokyo. David opens up about the pro...