Jockey Slut editors Paul Benney and Johnno Burgess threw six small parties across the summer of 1994 called Disco Pogo, the first outing for the name. The owners of Manchester’s Sankeys Soap club - Andrew Spiro and Rupert Campbell - were impressed enough by the events that they offered up their Friday nights to them from 25 November 1994. Declining the offer of terming the nights Okey Dokey, Paul and Johnno settled on Bugged Out! (the superfluous exclamation point coming from the initial design by Barney Doodlebug) and they wondered whether the night would make it to that Christmas…
30 years later it’s one of the UK’s most enduring club nights with early appearance from The Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk and a who’s who of Detroit and Chicago DJs passing through it’s doors.
Promoter Johnno says: "There have been many eras of Bugged Out, the early years at Sankeys centred around Detroit techno and Chicago house and we brought over Green Velvet and Derrick Carter for early shows which were incredible. The Chemical Brothers played live for us on their first proper tour in 1995 at the Hacienda which was a place that informed our salad days. In the late 90s we held a monthly night in Liverpool, 5000 capacity events which were much more eclectic; Daft Punk and Thomas Bangalter played live at one memorable party . We held a closing night at The End in London in 2009 with Justice headlining at their peak which had an insane atmosphere.
Our weekenders at Butlin’s in Bognor Regis between 2012 and 2016 are amongst the most favourite events we’ve ever thrown, there’s something special about being able to see huge acts like Four Tet in a place usually used for cabaret.
In 2024 we did a massive Bugged Out on Brighton beach with Underworld closing with tracks like ‘Rez’ as the sun set so the stand-out moments still happen to this day. We held our epic 30th anniversary party at London's Drumsheds which attracted 12,000 to the old Tottenham IKEA! We had the Chemical Brothers at the top of the pile again for this landmark event."