Happy birthday Mixmag

Mixmag magazine is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month. I'm pleased to say I've been writing for them since 1995 (apart from when the magazine went all 'tits and bums' during the dark years of 2002-2006).

When I was a wayward teenager - having left school at fifteen with no qualifications or ambitions - writing about going clubbing and listening to dance music seemed like the ideal job. I'd stand in WHSmith flicking through to Dan Prince's Club Country column, or Pembo's Five Star Clubbing and read in total awe of their amazing adventures. Clubs editor of Mixmag in those days (1992) seemed like the best job in the world... luckily I got to find out that it was all that and more, when I was finally made clubs editor in 1998.

For five years I visited practically every club in the UK - from hard as nails techno clubs, (including one which took place under an Indian restaurant in Paisley, the waiters behind the bar) to girlie glam clubs, I did them all, and lived my dream. I even got to write my own version of Dan Prince's column... mission accomplished.

These days Mixmag has moved on. But their 25th birthday issue pays homage to the artists that have been highly influential over the years. They made a little video at the photoshoot: Goldie seems to be enjoying himself, (and not at all the same person who threatened an old editor with violence when he was unhappy with an interview). Norman Cook is still wearing his Hawaiian shirt, Claire Manumission looks like someone's mum, not someone who once pulled a Union Jack out of her fanny on stage in Ibiza. Ah, we're all getting old. But most of us are still at it!