Andy Burnham DJed my club night – he knew exactly what he was doing

Dave Masterman is an award-winning audio producer and director of Significant Productions, best known for the podcast Elis James and John Robins. He also runs a club night, All My Friends, across the UK. All My Friends started as a little indie club night I launched in 2016. It’s grown a lot in 10 years – from a small room at The Phoenix just off Oxford Street to selling out Albert Hall in Manchester and Koko in London – but the premise has stayed the same: if you can dance to it and most people in the room will know it, it goes in. No snobbery, no cool‑kid policing, just a lot of fun. The twist has always been the guest DJ slots. I don’t book “proper” DJs; I book people the crowd will be excited to see mucking about behind the decks: comedians, actors, the odd musician. We’ve had Josh Widdicombe, Sophie Willan, James Acaster, Lou Sanders - even Chesney Hawkes turning up to blast out “The One and Only”. Most of them don’t really know how to DJ in a technical sense – and that’s half the charm. But of all the names I’ve booked, the one that’s gone from “good get” to “surreal brag” the fastest is Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Back in 2024, he was still the Mayor of Greater Manchester – not a future Prime Minister, just a music‑obsessed politician with clearly defined Madchester tastes. I knew he’d done a bit of DJing, I knew he loved his bands, so I decided to chance my arm and email his team. There was no prior relationship, no clever intro. I just laid out what All My Friends is, the kind of music we play, the crowd we draw in, and the fact that this night would be at Band on the Wall in Manchester. Crucially, I got in there early, presuming anything involving a mayor would take an age to get signed off. The idea came from a joke on the podcast I produce - the Elis James and John Robins show –about politicians who love to DJ. I’d misspoken and said I’d love to get Keir Starmer when I actually meant Andy. Then I thought I’d actually give it a go. It turned out to be one of the easiest bookings I’ve ever made. Compared to the usual back and forth with agents and managers, this was relatively straightforward. His team asked all the expected, slightly bureaucratic questions – the forms were clearly designed for ceremonial mayoral appearances rather than sticky dance floors – but once I’d explained the vibe, they came back and said he was keen. On the night, he turned up not as “the mayor”, but as a bloke genuinely up for a great night out. He arrived early with a dozen or so close friends and family, cramming them all into the small dressing room. Usually, the guest DJs just appear solo, ask what time they’re on, and what time they can leave. But Andy made an evening of it and requested a couple of continental lagers. He sent me his playlist in advance and you could tell he’d loved curating it: New Order, Blossoms, The Stone Roses, James, Oasis, Hot Chip, The Charlatans, Doves, The Courteeners, Johnny Marr, The Smiths and, crucially, “Things Can Only Get Better” by D:Ream. When I saw that in there, I thought, “He knows exactly what he’s doing.” There were a couple of tracks I gently questioned. Puressence felt on the niche side for an All My Friends crowd, but he just smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Dave, it’ll be absolutely fine.” He was right. It went down a storm. I handed over to Andy around half 10, and by his second track he basically told me he was fine on his own. He got on the mic, hyped the crowd, sang along to some lyrics and threw himself into it. Like a pro! My biggest worry beforehand was that he’d stay in “politician mode”: a bit stiff, a bit cautious. Instead, he was all in. I ended up wandering between backstage and the dance floor, watching the Mayor of Greater Manchester absolutely in his element. After the show he texted to say thanks, told me his family had had a brilliant time, and quietly donated his fee to charity. It was an All My Friends sellout at Band on the Wall that night, and in hindsight it feels like a turning point for my club night. The profile bump from having Andy there helped push the night towards the bigger venues we do now. Fast‑forward to this year, and those same clips of him DJing my night are going viral. I’d reposted a couple when it looked likely he was heading for No 10, but I don’t think I grasped how powerful the image was until people started telling me, “You realise you can now say the Prime Minister DJ’d your club night?” I’m a big fan of Andy’s, and I’ve been impressed by how human, engaging and open he’s been in his first weeks as Prime Minister. There’s clearly a strategy behind it, but it still feels refreshing. If those clips from Band on the Wall help people see that more human side - a bloke who adores music, throws himself into a set, and shows up with his family - then I’m proud to have played even a tiny part in that story. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get Andy back at All My Friends now he’s in No 10, but if there’s ever a world in which the Prime Minister can sneak away to DJ an indie club night again, my inbox is open. Tickets for the next All My Friends in Brighton on 17 October are on sale now As told to Emily Baker