The System Is Broken: Why Dance Music Is Harder Than Ever | Jason FUBAR

In this episode of The Dexter Jones Podcast, I sit down with Jason FUBAR, a long-time DJ, promoter, and rave scene grafter who has lived every era of dance music culture first-hand.

Jason has been part of the scene for over 35 years. From the early rave days in Blackpool to superclubs, festivals, bars, the Royal Navy, Ibiza, Mallorca, and booking future superstars before they were even known, he’s seen the industry evolve from the inside.

This conversation is a reality check on why dance music feels broken right now.

We talk honestly about rising costs and shrinking margins, exclusivity deals, micro-venues versus mega clubs, and why promoters are being squeezed harder than ever. Jason also shares stories from running bars and festivals, touring internationally, and witnessing UK rave culture being built from the ground up.

This is not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake.
It’s about the current reality, what has changed, and what still makes dance music special after 30+ years.

🎧 Take your time with this one.

We talk about:

■ Why it now costs more to make less money in dance music
■ Rising overheads, ticket pricing, and the real pressure promoters face
■ How exclusivity deals are damaging local scenes
■ Why small 200–300 capacity parties are making a comeback
■ Social media, trolling, and the abuse aimed at DJs and promoters
■ DJ culture then vs now, and why the scene feels different
■ Ibiza, BCM Mallorca, and the Balearic circuit
■ The Syndicate Blackpool and the superclub era
■ Why originality in music is disappearing
■ What still makes dance music worth fighting for

Chapters:

00:00 The System Is Broken: Why Dance Music Is Harder Than Ever
08:23 You Used to Spend a Quid to Make a Tenner
13:25 Starting Out DJing in the Early Rave Era (1991)
24:14 Joining the Royal Navy While DJing
33:29 English Drinking Culture and Festival Spending Power
38:25 Back to the Old Pool Festival: Risks, Costs and Crowd Control
51:24 Trolling on Social Media: Abuse, Misogyny and Promoter Hate
01:03:09 The Syndicate Superclub, Blackpool (5,000 Capacity Era)
01:18:37 BCM Mallorca and Breaking Into the Balearic Scene
01:29:46 How Early Facebook Changed Ibiza Forever
01:32:19 Music Production Today: Remixes, Samples and Industry Laziness
01:40:36 One More Tune: Final Track Choices and Podcast Wrap-Up

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For guest invitations, sponsorship proposals, and collaboration enquiries, please contact Dexter:

[email protected]