16/09/2026
I’ve seen the recent posts around Niche, and some of what has been said has made me reflect on my own history with the brand and the scene.
I was there at the beginning. I was one of the original Niche DJs, from the Sidney Street days, and when Niche closed and moved elsewhere, myself, Jamie Duggan and Chris Bailey put our own events on for a short time before returning to Niche.
Over the years I’ve watched the scene change, grow, fragment and come back around again. And one thing I’ve always tried to do is remain my own man.
I’ve never wanted to be exclusive to one promoter, or feel that working with one person meant I couldn’t work with somebody else. That has always been a matter of principle for me. It hasn’t necessarily always been the easiest approach, but I’ve always believed that a DJ should be able to make their own choices about where they work and who they work with.
And I’ve never believed that any individual DJ, promoter or group of people owns this culture.
That’s probably the biggest thing I’d say about Niche and its legacy.
The DJs were hugely important. The club was hugely important. The Baxendale family were hugely important. And the brand remains hugely important.
But ultimately, the people that made Niche what it was were the people on the dancefloor.
All of you. The ravers.
You bought the mixtapes. You travelled to Sheffield. You stood in queues. You packed the club. You created the atmosphere. You took the music home with you and carried it into the next generation.
Without you, there is no Niche. There is no Bassline scene. There is no legacy.
That’s why I think the legacy of Niche is bigger than any one person, and bigger than any particular group of DJs.
There will always be different opinions about what Niche was, what it should be and who represents it. That’s nothing new. There have always been politics around music, clubs, DJs and promoters.
But the best thing we can do now is let the people who loved it decide for themselves.
If a new Niche can recreate even some of that feeling, give people another place to hear the music they love and bring a new generation into the culture, then let it have the opportunity to succeed on its own merits.
And if it doesn’t feel like Niche to people, they’ll decide that too.
Ultimately, the ravers don’t need anyone to tell them what Niche is. They’ll decide for themselves.
I’ve spent nearly three decades around this music and I’m proud of my part in its history. I’ll continue to work with people I respect, play the music I love and support good events wherever they come from.
I’ve never needed to own the scene.
I’ve just wanted to be part of it. 💙
