Dexter Jones

🎧 Nick Rafferty: The Night Clubbing Changed Forever | Godskitchen, 90s Clubbing & The Golden Era

Nick Rafferty joins Dexter Jones for a deep dive into the madness, energy and reality of 90s clubbing culture.

From Godskitchen, Sundissential, Cream tours and Space Ibiza to Tony De Vit, vinyl culture, hard house, trance and the golden era of UK nightlife, Nick shares what life was really like during one of the most iconic periods in dance music history.

We discuss:

⚡ The night clubbing changed forever
⚡ Why Millennium changed nightlife
⚡ Godskitchen, Sundissential & Birmingham club culture
⚡ Tony De Vit and the harder sound revolution
⚡ Playing 3 gigs in one night across the UK
⚡ Life as a DJ before phones & social media
⚡ Vinyl culture and exclusive records
⚡ The reality behind the DJ lifestyle
⚡ Severe anxiety, burnout & beta blockers
⚡ How clubbing culture changed forever

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
01:00 What Changed Clubbing Forever?
02:15 The Smoking Ban & The End Of An Era
04:20 Why Millennium Changed Clubbing
07:10 “Promoters & DJs Took The Piss”
09:20 Playing 3 Gigs In One Night
11:40 The Dawn Of Digital Music
14:10 Pete Tong, Essential Tunes & Vinyl Culture
17:00 “Nobody Else Had This Record”
19:30 DJs Were Clubbers Back Then
22:00 Godskitchen, Cream & Touring The UK
25:00 Severe Anxiety, Beta Blockers & Burnout
29:00 The Dark Side Of DJ Life
32:30 Hard House, Trance & The Scene Today
35:00 Tony De Vit, Passion & Legendary Last Tracks
37:20 Final Thoughts

Whether you were raving at Godskitchen, Gatecrasher, Cream, Passion, Sundissential, Bowlers, Ministry of Sound or Space Ibiza, this episode will bring back memories.

👇 Do you agree with Nick? When did clubbing change forever in your opinion?

Nick Rafferty joins Dexter Jones for a deep dive into the madness, energy and reality of 90s club culture.

From Sundissential, Godskitchen and Cream… to three gigs a night, vinyl culture, Tony De Vit, severe anxiety, beta blockers and the rise and fall of the golden era of clubbing.

Nick opens up about what life was really like behind the packed dancefloors and iconic nights that shaped a generation.

Topics include:

• Sundays Central & Birmingham club culture
• Godskitchen at The Sanctuary
• Tony De Vit & the harder sound revolution
• Space Ibiza & Cream tours
• Playing multiple gigs a night across the UK
• The reality of “the chemical generation”
• Severe anxiety & burnout behind the scenes
• Vinyl culture & exclusive record

“You’d turn up at the club like a Cheshire cat with a bag full of records thinking… nobody else has got this little beauty.”

A raw, funny, nostalgic and honest conversation with one of the true figures from the golden era of UK clubbing.

Chapters:

 

00:00 Introduction to Nick Rafferty
01:07 Podcast Introduction & How Nick Rafferty Got Into Dance Music
04:52 Early Clubbing Days, DJ Culture & Rare Vinyl Records
09:57 Collecting Music, Digging For Tracks & DJ Identity
14:58 Learning To DJ, Vinyl Mixing & Early Influences
19:36 Clubland Culture, Hard House & Packed Dancefloors
23:39 The Explosion Of UK Clubbing In The 90s
28:17 Sundissential, Promoting & Building A Club Brand
32:45 Birmingham Club Scene, Energy & Crowd Atmosphere
37:49 The Evolution Of DJs, Fame & Modern Club Culture
42:25 Legendary Nights, Residencies & Touring Stories

This week I sit down with Utah Saints, true pioneers of UK electronic music, to break down one of the most important topics in dance music history… sampling.

From making tracks in their bedrooms on Atari computers and Akai samplers, to landing on Top of the Pops six times, Utah Saints share the real story behind how sampling changed music forever.

We go deep into the early 90s rave scene, white labels, Leeds club culture, and the moment electronic music broke into the mainstream. They also open up about the pressure from the industry, the controversy around sampling, and why today’s music landscape feels completely different.

If you’re into dance music, DJ culture, music production, or the history of rave, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.ž

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
01:45 Utah Saints on Top of the Pops (6 Times)
04:30 How Utah Saints Met (1991)
08:00 Early DJ Days & Winning the DMC
12:00 Leeds Club Scene Before the Rave Explosion
16:30 First Tracks & Breakthrough Moment
21:30 From Bedroom Music to Chart Success
26:30 The Truth About Sampling
32:30 Utah Saints Classical Event (Leeds)
34:00 How the Orchestra Works
39:00 Leeds Millennium Square Event
42:30 Authenticity in Modern Dance Music
48:00 Breaking Through in Today’s Music Industry
56:20 Let’s Do a Part 2

🎯 THINGS WE TALK ABOUT

How Utah Saints got started in 1991
Winning the DMC and early DJ culture
Making music on Atari and Akai samplers
The rise of sampling in dance music
The truth about Top of the Pops
Pressure to “fake” performances on TV
White labels and underground club culture
Leeds rave scene and early electronic music
How tracks were made in bedrooms
Why sampling was misunderstood
The difference between music then vs now
Why modern artists struggle to break through
Authenticity in today’s music industry
The return of smaller club nights and real crowds

🚀 ABOUT UTAH SAINTS

Utah Saints are one of the UK’s most influential electronic acts, known for blending sampling, house, and rave culture into mainstream success. With multiple Top of the Pops appearances and iconic releases, they helped shape the sound of 90s dance music.

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Danny Whittle joins The Dexter Jones Podcast,  the man behind the evolution of Ibiza club culture.

From serving in the Royal Navy during the Falklands War, to becoming a firefighter, to ultimately shaping the global dance music industry… Danny’s journey is unlike anything you’ve heard before.

In this episode, we go deep into the real story behind Ibiza’s transformation. From Renaissance to Pacha, the rise of superstar DJs, building one of the most iconic nightclub brands in the world, and launching IMS Ibiza — the event that changed the business of electronic music forever.

Danny breaks down how Ibiza went from a party island to a global music powerhouse, the realities of running clubs at the highest level, and why the industry today is more complex,  and more competitive, than ever.

This is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the decisions, risks, and moments that helped shape modern club culture.

If you’re into Ibiza, dance music, DJ culture, or the business behind it all — this is a must-watch.

Chapters:

0:00 The Danny Whittle Story 
1:30 Growing Up in Stoke – Early Life & Music Influence
5:00 Why He Joined the Royal Navy at 17
8:30 Falklands War – Life on the Front Line
13:00 From War to Firefighter – A New Chapter
17:30 Leaving the Fire Service – Forced Career Change
20:30 How He Accidentally Entered the Music Industry
25:00 Renaissance Era – Learning the Ibiza Scene
30:30 The Stress of Events – “Crisis Management” Explained
34:30 Moving to Ibiza – First Major Breakthrough
39:00 Taking Over Pacha – The Big Opportunity
44:30 Building Pacha Into a Global Brand
50:00 Booking Superstars – Guetta, Swedish House Mafia & More
55:00 How Ibiza Became the Global Dance Capital
60:00 Launching IMS Ibiza – Changing the Industry
64:30 Why the Ibiza Season Got Longer
69:00 The Reality of the Modern Music Industry
73:00 Why Booking DJs Is Harder Than Ever
76:30 Building Chinois Ibiza – Starting Again
80:00 Finding New Talent & Future DJs
83:30 Passion vs Business – The Real Balance
86:30 His Biggest Achievement in Life
89:00 The One Track That Defines Ibiza
92:00 Final Thoughts – Ibiza Then vs Now

🔥 Things we talk about:
• Growing up in Stoke and early music influences
• Joining the Royal Navy and serving in the Falklands War
• Life after the military and becoming a firefighter
• How Danny accidentally entered the music industry
• Working with Renaissance and the early Ibiza scene
• Transforming Pacha into a global brand
• Booking the world’s biggest DJs and building iconic residencies
• The rise of David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, and superstar DJs
• Why Ibiza became the centre of electronic music
• Launching IMS Ibiza and extending the season
• The business behind clubs, DJs, and global events
• Why booking artists is harder than ever today
• Building Chinois Ibiza and creating a modern club brand
• Finding and developing new DJ talent
• The reality of stress and pressure in the events industry
• Passion vs business in nightlife
• The evolution of Ibiza from underground to global

DJ CASH ONLY joins the Dexter Jones Podcast to break down the real story behind the name, and why it has absolutely nothing to do with money.

From starting out in the underground putting on small community parties, to building a multi-million pound social enterprise that empowered young people, stepping away from music completely, and then returning to play 60+ shows worldwide,  all without a manager or agent, this is a very different kind of DJ journey.

We start with the meaning behind “CASH ONLY”, inspired by art and identity rather than money, and how that idea reflects a deeper mindset around music, culture, and not chasing the obvious.

From there, we get into the early days,  raving at 16, discovering the scene, putting on local events in community centres, and building something from the ground up before things ever scaled.

#DexterJones  #clubculture  #djpodcast 

Chapters 
00:00 Is "DJ CASH MONEY" really about the money?
04:30 Starting Out: UK Rave Culture & First Steps
08:45 How to build a community-led party from scratch
14:20 Mixing music with mission: Why I built a social enterprise
20:10 The Truth: Why I walked away from the music industry
24:30 The Sam Divine meeting that changed everything
28:00 Finding my purpose: The "Cash Only" comeback
32:40 60 global shows with no manager: How I did it
38:15 The Reality of the DJ Industry (What they don't tell you)
44:00 Independence & Identity: Staying true to the brand
51:10 Networking vs. Talent: How to get noticed today
57:45 Burnout, mental health, and the touring lifestyle
1:04:30 Developing your signature sound in a crowded market
1:10:15 The future of "DJ CASH ONLY" and the next chapter
1:18:50 Advice for upcoming DJs: How to play the long game
1:24:45 Why it was always about the people (Final thoughts)

We also get into:

• the reality behind the name “CASH ONLY” and why it’s misunderstood
• putting on grassroots parties and building a local following
• creating a social enterprise and working with young people
• turning community projects into something sustainable
• stepping away from music and focusing on something completely different
• the role Sam Divine played in pushing him back into DJing
• returning to music with a new mindset and approach
• building a career without a manager or agent
• playing 60+ shows worldwide and performing at major festivals
• the reality of the DJ industry behind the scenes
• why independence matters more than ever in dance music

This is a proper behind-the-scenes conversation with someone who’s taken a completely different path through dance music — from grassroots community work to global DJing.

If you’re into DJ culture, underground music, house music, independent artists, or real stories behind the industry, this one will land.

The Dexter Jones Podcast explores the stories, people and realities behind dance music, Ibiza culture, production, DJing and the electronic music industry.

If you enjoy the episode, drop a comment with your take:
Is it better to build independently in today’s music industry, or do artists still need managers and agents to succeed?