Dexter Jones

How did a monthly Wednesday night attract 2,000 clubbers to The Haçienda?

Guy Williams experienced Manchester’s acid-house explosion before becoming a regular DJ at Flesh, one of The Haçienda’s most groundbreaking club nights. From there, his journey took him through Trade, DTPM, Queer Nation, Defected Records and the golden years of Ibiza.

In this episode, Guy takes us inside the clubs, record labels and dance floors that helped shape British club culture. He explains how Manchester changed during the early 1990s, why Flesh became such an important night and how he progressed from learning to DJ in public to playing around the world.

Guy also discusses working for Pete Waterman, becoming club promotions manager at Defected, witnessing Ibiza’s extraordinary 24-hour era and eventually creating Flash at Pikes—a party built around brilliant music, inclusivity and clubbing without prejudice.

A fascinating journey through Manchester, London and Ibiza with someone who experienced it from inside the DJ booth.

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WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• Growing up surrounded by records and musicians
• Being 18 in Manchester during the Second Summer of Love
• Discovering The Haçienda and Manchester’s underground clubs
• Learning to DJ while already playing in public
• Performing as part of DJ duo Planet Janet
• Becoming a regular DJ at Flesh
• How Flesh attracted 2,000 clubbers on a Wednesday
• Manchester’s changing club culture during the early 1990s
• The connection between Strawberry Sundae and Trade
• Working for Pete Waterman and Jive Records
• Becoming a resident at Trade, DTPM and Queer Nation
• Working behind the scenes at Defected Records
• Why Guy never embraced hard house
• Ibiza’s legendary 24-hour clubbing era
• Creating Flash at Pikes Ibiza
• Flash’s relationship with Homoelectric
• Why the best dance floors welcome everybody
• The final record ever played at The Haçienda

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 2,000 clubbers on a Wednesday
00:42 Guy Williams: Manchester to Ibiza
03:36 Growing up inside the music industry
06:29 Discovering Manchester clubs and The Haçienda
09:40 How Guy Williams became a DJ
12:32 Planet Janet and the first residencies
13:15 What happened to Guy’s record collection?
18:50 How Flesh transformed The Haçienda
23:39 Strawberry Sundae and its connection to Trade
26:43 Working for Pete Waterman
30:50 Moving to London
31:04 Becoming a Trade and DTPM resident
33:29 Working at Defected Records
35:51 The music Guy played at Trade
37:32 When British club culture began changing
38:42 Ibiza’s extraordinary golden years
44:30 Creating Flash at Pikes Ibiza
48:25 Flash, Homoelectric and inclusive dance floors
51:41 Guy’s life in Ibiza today
54:14 The final record played at The Haçienda

Graeme Park never planned to become a DJ. A reluctant "yes" behind the counter of a Manchester record shop led to one of the most influential careers in dance music history.

From discovering I Feel Love and the explosion of Chicago House to becoming one of the defining resident DJs at The Haçienda, Graeme shares the moments that shaped both his life and an entire generation of club culture.

We also dive into the rise of Acid House, why The Haçienda became legendary, how Haçienda Classical was born from a drunken conversation, and why, after more than 40 years behind the decks, Graeme still believes great music has no boundaries.

This is the story of a man who never intended to become a DJ... and ended up helping shape dance music forever.

🎙️ Guest: Graeme Park

In this episode:

• Growing up in Manchester
• Working in record shops before Spotify
• The record that changed everything – I Feel Love
• Becoming a DJ by accident
• The birth of House music in Britain
• Life inside The Haçienda
• Why The Haçienda became legendary
• The rise of Haçienda Classical
• DJing then vs now
• Why great DJs should never stop discovering music

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Chapters 📖
00:00 I Never Wanted to Be a DJ
01:17 How a Record Shop Changed My Life
06:52 The Record That Changed Everything
09:19 Becoming a DJ By Accident
13:12 Discovering Chicago House Music
15:06 How The Haçienda Really Began
21:22 Why The Haçienda Changed Clubbing Forever
30:54 The Birth of Haçienda Classical
34:11 "The First Show Was a Disaster"
38:28 Why Every DJ Has an Orchestra Now
48:01 Has Dance Music Become Too Formulaic?
53:53 The Records That Defined The Haçienda
56:43 Why I Stopped Drinking
59:33 Cycling, Fitness & Still DJing After 40 Years
01:00:32 Final Thoughts

🎙️ The Dexter Jones Podcast – Conversations with the people who shaped dance music.

👍 If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe and leave a comment. It really helps us continue documenting the history of dance music through the people who lived it.

He thought he was absolutely smashing it...

For 45 minutes, George Kafetzis believed he was hosting one of his best Facebook Live sessions ever. The comments were flying in, people were reacting, and everything seemed perfect...

There was just one problem.

There was no sound.

In one of the funniest stories ever told on The Dexter Jones Podcast, George shares the unforgettable moment his wife walked downstairs and broke the news that thousands of people had been watching... in complete silence.

But beyond the laughter is the story of one of the UK's most respected DJs, promoters and likeable industry characters. George has spent decades helping shape club culture, promoting events, supporting artists and building a reputation as one of the genuine good guys of the dance music scene.

In this episode, we talk about:

🔴 The hilarious 45-minute silent Facebook Live
🎧 George's journey through the UK dance music scene
🎤 DJing, promoting and life behind the scenes
😂 The funniest moments from a lifetime in clubland
❤️ Why passion for music never disappears

Chapters 📖 

00:00 The Silent Facebook Live Disaster
02:31 Social Media, Comedy & Not Taking Yourself Too Seriously
02:54 Forbidden Forest, Godskitchen & Still Playing Big Gigs
03:20 Growing Up In Birmingham
04:16 Wanting To Be An Actor
05:24 Entertaining Crowds & Nearly Breaking The Decks
06:44 How George Got Into DJing
07:42 Birmingham Clubbing, Slag, Crunch & The Early Scene
09:19 Working At TGI Fridays In Its Glory Days
11:40 Playing Clubs, Promoting Nights & Building A Name
12:21 Bringing Cream Classics Back To The Q Club
13:57 Why The Q Club Was So Special
26:33 Acting, DJing & Hearing Damage
35:12 Godskitchen Birmingham & Luna Springs
40:16 DJs George Rates Today
46:45 Embracing The Viral No Sound Clip
47:13 Why Birmingham Is Such A Special Dance Music City
50:06 The Final Tune: Orbital - Belfast
50:42 Closing Thoughts

If you love dance music, Ibiza, club culture and the stories behind the people who built it, you're in the right place.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider subscribing. Every like, comment, and share genuinely helps us preserve these incredible stories from dance music history.

Subscribe for a brand new episode every Sunday.

When COVID shut down the music industry overnight, DJs across the world were left wondering what came next.

For Dale Castell, what started as a simple Facebook livestream from his son's bedroom unexpectedly became one of the biggest moments of his career. Within weeks, thousands of people were tuning in live, his audience was growing every week, and one stream would go on to reach over half a million views.

In this episode of The Dexter Jones Podcast, Dale shares the incredible story behind those lockdown livestreams, growing up in Halifax, his journey from drummer to DJ, the evolution of Kevin & Perry Ibiza, HomeRave, the challenges of Facebook livestreaming, and why community has become more important than ever in dance music.

If you've ever wondered how one of the toughest periods in clubbing history created unexpected opportunities, this is a story you won't want to miss.

In this episode:

• How COVID changed Dale Castell's career forever
• Every gig cancelled overnight
• Building a viral Facebook livestream audience
• 5,500 people watching live
• Over half a million views from one show
• HomeRave and surviving Facebook takedowns
• Kevin & Perry Ibiza behind the scenes
• Why dance music communities matter more than ever
• The future of clubbing and festivals
• Dale Castell's One More Tune

Chapters

00:00 COVID Changed Everything
01:00 Meet DJ Dale Castell
02:15 Why One More Time Ibiza Is So Special
05:20 How Dale Castell Got Into Dance Music
08:30 My First Nightclub Experience
12:00 Why I Quit My Band To Become A DJ
16:00 Every DJ Lost Their Gigs Overnight
19:00 Too Scared To Press LIVE
23:30 How My Livestream Went Viral
27:00 5,500 People Watching Live
30:30 Half A Million Views In One Night
34:00 Facebook Kept Taking My Streams Down
39:00 How HomeRave Changed Everything
44:30 Behind The Kevin & Perry Ibiza Terrace
49:30 How We Fixed The Kevin & Perry Terrace
54:00 Why Dance Music Festivals Have Changed
57:00 Dale Castell's One More Tune

Utah Saints join Dexter Jones for a candid, funny and insightful conversation about building one of the most recognisable names in dance music with absolutely no backup plan.

From pressing their first white labels and navigating the unpredictable world of music promotion, to surviving industry changes, technological revolutions and three decades of dance music culture, this episode explores how Utah Saints turned passion, persistence and a healthy disregard for conventional career advice into a remarkable success story.

Along the way, we discuss the realities of running events, why most people completely misunderstand what makes a great DJ, and the lessons they've learned from spending 35 years at the heart of club culture.

If you love rave history, dance music, DJ culture, festival stories and honest conversations about what it really takes to survive in the music industry, this episode is packed with wisdom, humour and nostalgia.

In this episode:

▪️ Why Utah Saints never had a Plan B
▪️ The business model that would make a bank manager laugh
▪️ How they built a career that wasn't supposed to work
▪️ Surviving 35 years in the music industry
▪️ The risks and realities of running festivals and events
▪️ Why track selection is more important than technology
▪️ The art of reading a crowd and taking people on a journey
▪️ How dance music culture has evolved over three decades
▪️ The challenges facing DJs, promoters and artists today
▪️ The stories behind the Utah Saints name
▪️ Lessons learned from a lifetime in club culture
▪️ Why they're still passionate about music after all these years

Chapters 📖

00:00:00 Why Utah Saints Had NO PLAN B
00:02:15 The Brutal Reality of Running Dance Music Events
00:08:35 Why Promoters Are Taking Huge Financial Risks Today
00:16:05 From White Labels to Worldwide Success
00:18:40 How Utah Saints Accidentally Became a Global Dance Act
00:22:20 The Surprising Story Behind the Utah Saints Name
00:27:10 Leeds, Rave Culture & The Birth of UK Dance Music
00:33:05 Why Utah Saints Walked Away from the Rave Circuit
00:37:45 The Biggest Risks That Changed Their Career Forever
00:44:50 Has Technology Made DJing Easier or Better?
00:47:15 The Most Important DJ Skill Nobody Talks About
00:49:50 Sampling Kate Bush, Metallica & Dance Music Innovation
00:55:00 The Worst Technical Disasters of Their Career
01:00:00 Are Festivals Killing Nightclubs?
01:03:40 What Utah Saints Would Do Differently Starting Today
01:04:40 The Legacy of Utah Saints & 35 Years in Dance Music