Putting on a good party is a subtle art, one that requires dedication, inspiration and good luck. One man that mastered this art whilst staying true to his roots is Belfast born and Liverpool based Richard McGinnis.

Thrown in at the deep end with a tough apprenticeship in Ibiza for Cream he hasn’t looked back since. The Co-Founder of two of the UKs strongest nightclub brands, Chibuku Shake Shake and Circus (with Yousef), he has built a loyal following on Mersey Side with a booking policy based around talented artists as opposed to obvious bankers. The nights DIY approach has appealed to liverpudlians to such an extent that his Chibuku night has progressed from the Lemon Lounge to the 3,000 Capacity Nation. Ironic in the fact that this was the former home of his former employers and one of the worlds most famous Superclubs; Cream. Considered amongst the best in his field, he has organised events for the likes of MTV, Reiss, Grey Goose vodka and Hugo Boss.

With Chibuku Shake Shake’s sixth birthday celebrations looming, and Circus one of the strongest house nights in the North, Richard McGinnis sat down with RA to give us an understanding of what is required to be a top promoter, an insight into his innovative booking approach and he spills the beans on outrageous rider requests.

More independent nights than every before are springing up around the UK. Having promoted small and large parties for over a decade what are the 5 key things that integral to a successful formula?
Planning is key, knowledge of your environment, depth in as many musical styles as you can manage, a good venue and an understanding bank manager!

Having flirted with the nine to five regime, do you miss the conformity of the Monday to Friday working structure?
I miss not having weekends off but its so long ago I’ve forgotten what its like. When January comes around I go a bit wobbly as I don't know what to do with myself. Having time off is not part of the program. We still keep some sort of office hours, they just start and end later than everyone else and then we work all weekend too!

"When January comes around I go a bit wobbly as I don't know what to do with myself. Having time off is not part of the program.”

Having learnt the ropes running Cream in Ibiza, do you think been thrown into the lions den helped shape you into the promoter you are now, or would have you developed the same skills in Liverpool over a longer period of time?
I learnt more there in the first 6 weeks than I had in 4 yrs of putting my own parties on. Ibiza is one of the most competitive environments on the planet and probably the hardest to keep your focus. The speed Cream were operating at in those days was ferocious. I met some amazing people and forged friendships in those years which stand by me now there is still very much a Balearic network. Liverpool’s a different kettle of fish. What we do is different to Cream, Garlands, 051 etc and the music selects our crowd. I probably wouldn't have had the drive to do what we did had I not been to Ibiza and leant how to promote on a bigger scale.

You started Chibuku Shake Shake with three fellow music lovers in 2000. Can you give us a time-line of the growth of the event and outline the key parties where you felt this could go on to become one of the UKs leading clubbing event brands?
I knew the first night I walked into the lemon lounge that there was something special about it that superseded the usual... "my mates having a party" lark. Something just sparked.

After that the first Gilles Peterson night was off the hook. We absolutely smashed it. And on a Thursday too! After that was the moment we confirmed Jacques Lu Cont for the second birthday. It went off the Richter Scale after that. Proper roadblock material. The night we went up against Jeff Mills and Derrick Carter on Bugged Out’s birthday, after we had been told we had Daft Punk playing and then they cancelled, but we got Dexter from the Avalanches instead and we had the most hilariously long curling line of clubbers outside the club. Till half past one, literally hundreds of clubbers round the block and up the street on both sides of the venue while Nation lay half full.

We were in shock and from that point forward we were rolling. Putting Kenny Dope and Dj Shadow in the main room playing funk 45s all night was a touch, not to mention John Peel playing weirdcore in the bar. Bringing Darren Hughes back to Liverpool for the We love Liverpool party was also a great moment.

Your booking policy is open minded and allows you to impact the punters with new and fresh sounds from a wide variety of artists. Which artist has impressed you consistently more than any other over the years. And who are you most excited to be showcasing at the sixth birthday?
Laurent Garnier for me is the one. Gilles Peterson probably second. At the birthday i’m buzzing about Maseo as he a massive talent, and also Swamp, as the guy is a FREAKSHOW!

Chibuku Shake Shake's, struck a cord with Merseyside clubbers with its DIY approach and well documented dislike of the Superclub attitude. When was the last time you enjoyed a night in a Superclub?
Define a superclub...Pacha? Fabric could be a modern superclub? It would probably be Pacha in Ibiza and the last time I actually enjoyed myself in there would have to have been the entire summer I spent in El Ceilo with Nic Matar laying it down every Friday night at the old MOS night there. Other than that I don't tend to go to big clubs.

" It's not about global domination and dilution. It's about longevity and quality music.”

Circuis Liverpool

Once Cream faltered, ceasing its regular nights in Liverpool, you teamed up with local boy Yousef to launch Circus. The success of the event has all the hallmarks of Chibuku's rise to fame. Were you ever concerned that there wouldn't be room for both in the city?
Different music , different crowds. We both knew that at the time. Sure there have been small internal disputes over djs but the bottom line is that Circus couldn't have happened if Chibuku had not created the platform before it and Chibuku could never have risen as quick as Yousef opened the door to a range of agents and DJs that had previously been out of our reach. He introduced us to agents at a level where a lot of the hard work had been done. The relationship between the two clubs is healthy and we both help each other out when we need it. As well as that Circus was never meant to be more than once a month so it was never going to start pushing for space with Chibuku. Together they create balance.

What is the most outrageous rider request you have had and who was it from?
Radiosoulwax aren't shy. Jeff Mills was heavy as the mixer had to be brought from Scotland and he needed new needles fresh from the box at £100 per pop but I suppose that's fair enough at his level. There is someone else out there who will remain nameless - when i went to pick him up from the airport his flunky instructed me that as a driver I was not allowed to speak to the artist in transit. Knob.

Looking forward 5 years what is taking up most of your time?
Right now its listening to new music, liasing with other club promoters, haggling with agents, looking after my beautiful daughter Lizzy, thinking up new wacky lineups , swapping insults with Alan Simms from Shine, planning to climb Mt. Kilamonjiro in Sept with Steve from Fabric, laughing at my flat mate Phil Coopers various one man band impressions and swapping with dark stories with Yousef.

Having crafted your trade in Ibiza, what are the future plans for both nights on the Spanish party isle?
None. We learnt very quickly out there that Chibuku isn't a brand like Cream that can be lifted and dropped else where. Our music doesn’t work out there that well as its such a house driven market. we prefer working with people that understand our ideologies and are prepared to let us do our thing. We are about Liverpool these days, some parties with FABRIC, the Stiff Kitten in Belfast and things like the Train Party we did this year. It's not about global domination and dilution. It's about longevity and quality music.

What do you want for Chibuku's 6th Birthday?
I want it to be a celebration of the club and the music it represents…but most of all I want someone to still be standing to make it to my birthday party on the Sunday!