A close-knit group of friends from Bury are celebrating the success of their musical venture after securing a venue and their first headlining act.
Nathan Brown, 23, turned his passion into a reality in 2021 by creating a platform for smaller Bury and Manchester-based DJs to showcase their talent in a live setting.
He initially started LOCKED OFF as a student to create a safe and inclusive environment for friends to party and local DJs to be heard, and after several successes, will be moving his latest event to a new venue.
He said: “I am so excited, this will be our sixth event, we have been doing really well and we have built up such a supportive community.
“On our fourth event, we sold out a 200-capacity venue which is surreal.
“To think 200 people booked tickets to see five random lads from Bury, on a Friday night, out of absolutely everything they could’ve possibly done, is an incredible feeling.”
The sixth event will be moving from the usual venue, XLR, in Manchester, to Stage and Radio, to give acts and ravers a new location in the city centre to party.
He said: “Stage and Radio is an iconic venue and being able to host our first headline event there is absolutely astonishing and it will be refreshing to use a new space.”
With the new venue, the group of friends and resident DJs will welcome headlining act, Acidus, a hard techno producer/DJ from Liverpool.
Nathan said: “My friend and resident DJ for LOCKED OFF, Ben Ratcliffe, was the one who initially discovered Acidus and became a huge fan.
“As a result, he reached out to see if he would play for us at one of our upcoming shows.
“He has an amazing sound, and we feel he has great potential to become a huge name in techno, he has already gained support from artists in the industry, with his tracks being played by the likes of 999999999 and Charlie Sparks.
“We’re hoping that we can support his growth by helping him reach new audiences and introduce his sound to the people of Greater Manchester.
“Our usual residents from Bury, who have been playing since the start, will still be playing, we’re a close-knit group of friends and this brand wouldn’t be anything without them, so they won’t be left out anytime soon.”
Nathan said he wants LOCKED OFF to be an affordable night but that ticket prices have had to be raised as a result of the move into the city centre.
'It's about the people and the community': Bury man showcasing DJs at organised raves
He added that they have kept prices “as low as they can possibly go before making a loss so that people can enjoy the music without having to break the bank”.
The event will take place on Friday, July 7 at Stage and Radio and there are 150 tickets available priced at £13 per person.
Speaking about LOCKED OFF, Nathan said he cant believe how something created out of pure passion has done so well.
He added: “I went to my first rave in 2018, and since then I fell in love with the music and the scene so it’s a pleasure to be the one organising the events and turning my hobby into a business whilst working a separate full-time job.
“It’s a cool project to have, being able to provide a platform for upcoming artists to grow and the big dream is to one day host LOCKED OFF parties in Ibiza, but until then we’re just continuing to focus on putting mega nights on for the people of Manchester.”
For more information and tickets see here.
If you have a story please email me at Harriet.Heywood@newsquest.co.uk
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