From Seaside Club to Sandpaper Blues

Dan left the Factory in 95, to work at the Zap Club, Brighton. He did return to The Factory, in 1997, when he was commissioned to redesign the Factory, and he incorporated elements of the original artwork by Bond and Dillon.

While at The Zap Club, Dan and his Lightshow, by now incorporating slides, strobes, 8mm and 16mm film and liquid projection, were involved in nights like Vive La Shaft and Big Beat Boutique precursor Busting Loose. It was also at The Zap that he worked with The People Show and artist Bruce Gilchrist, and first became interested in performance art.

Dan also became involved with The University of Brighton’s Basement club around this time. Here, he met and went on to manage legendary garage rockers Spitfire, described as “liked, adored but never fully understood” by the NME’s John Harris. During his time as their manager, the band recorded Electric Colour Climax at Toerag Studios, Shoreditch.

At The Basement, Dan promoted Sticky Youth Club, an underground night which fused art school agendas with a love of pop music. The club, featured in The Face and Melody Maker, led to work with Plastic Fantastic (including on stage design, visuals and lightshow) and an appearance at Sandpaper Blues at the Turnhalle Arts Depot, Kings Cross in November 1995.