Parklife Founder: The Truth About Gangs, Nightlife & The Hacienda

In this episode, we sit down with Sasha Lord, the founder of Warehouse Project and Parklife Festival, who went from running illegal raves to building the biggest metropolitan festival in the UK and becoming Greater Manchester's first Night Time Economy Advisor.

Sasha breaks down what it really takes to survive in the hospitality industry, from handling petrol bombs and gang intimidation in the early days to navigating police raids, environmental health shutdowns, and complaints from Strangeways Prison. He explains why the nighttime economy is on its knees, how the national insurance increase is destroying venues, and why we're losing one pub every single day in the UK.

We discuss the relationship between music, drugs, and nightlife, why Instagram and TikTok are killing dance floors, and how the energy in clubs has completely changed. Sasha shares stories from the Hacienda, the explosion of house music and ecstasy, and why the best promoters today are the ones who know every staff member's name and stay sober whilst everyone else is partying.

He opens up about selling Warehouse Project and Parklife, why he walked away at 50, and how taking a year off to be a full time dad gave him clarity on what actually matters. We also dive into his legal battle with Matt Hancock during the pandemic, why the 10pm curfew and scotch egg rule were absolute nonsense, and how he forced the government to reverse both decisions in the High Court.

If you're trying to build something from nothing, navigating a tough industry, or wondering whether success is worth the sacrifice, this episode will give you the unfiltered truth from someone who's lived it all.

More from Sasha:
Book: Dance Floor by Sasha Lord, available on Amazon; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-Dancefloor-bestselling-nightclub-Manchester/dp/0008656355/ref=asc_df_0008656355?mcid=44d5ec39cea03c0cabe7aa392389e106&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=718870440885&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2663692099079957983&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006634&hvtargid=pla-2393997496693&psc=1&hvocijid=2663692099079957983-0008656355-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

Hear more from the Hosts:
Jack https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b/?originalSubdomain=uk
Zac https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b/

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