Photo Credit: Press

Daytime disco event DAY FEVER burst on to the scene back in December 2023, with founders Vicky McClure (Actress – This Is England, Line of Duty), filmmaker Jonny Owen, Reverend & The Makers’ Jon McClure and brother Chris McClure creating an event that is all about community, letting your hair down and having a right old knees up. We sat down with Chris McClure to learn more about what DAY FEVER is about, some of his favourite tracks to play and the possible expansion of the event.

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What exactly is Day Fever?

Chris: Day Fever is a nightclub essentially, in the day time, a day club. It started back in December 2023, and the idea came about because the directors of the company are of a certain age where we still wanted to go out and have a drink and a laugh, but not be out in city centres late at night, Sunday’s ruined because we have commitments. It is a day time party, with all the greatest hits from 3pm to 8pm, where people can have a drink, a dance and back home at a reasonable time.

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How did you cross paths with Vicky and Jonny?

Chris: I do a comedy character online called Steve Bracknall. Vicky and Jonny liked the concept and they have a production company, and have been helping me develop the character. Whilst we were doing that, there were discussions in a WhatsApp group about going out in the day time. So we tried one in Sheffield, Vicky attended that and it had her full backing. What we found is that, it is very female led, maybe that it is to do with Vicky’s involvement. When we have had feedback from girls, they feel safe, they can let their hair down away from work and family life, they don’t want to be waiting for taxi’s late at night, so it suits their lifestyle. If you are over a certain age, you put on some nice clothes, you go to a bar or a pub first and then go to a club afterwards. There is something nostalgic about Day Fever that people appreciate it seems.

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Is it similar to the Northern Soul community, or something totally different and unique?

Chris: We do play a bit of Northern Soul early in the afternoon, I suppose it dates back to the 1950’s where they had these coffee events, where people would go for a dance. You forget what time it is when you are there, the dancefloor is absolutely packed, everyone’s having a good time and then when it finishes, it isn’t too late. People can then go for food or get home with still some relaxing time left.

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Being a very female led event, has Vicky’s input sparked that in a way?

Chris: I think Vicky in general, what she stands for, who she is and how she conducts herself in the public eye, people automatically feel connect to her. It is a super skill. The roles she has played are very familiar to people. I can’t speak for women, but seeing it with my own eyes, people identify with her. She is an A list actress, but I think women look at her like she is just the girl next door; she’s my pal or my sisters friend. A big part of Day Fever is making it feel relatable, and getting people on stage for a dance. If you’re a Susan who works in accountants and has had a stressful week, and then getting the opportunity to get up and dance on stage at somewhere like Rock City or Asylum and have a dance in front of 1000 people, it is quite powerful really.

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What is your involvement with Day Fever on a day to day basis?

Chris: I was working for the council when we started this, but I basically try to manage the DJ teams and attend a lot of the events, basically overseeing the operations. By April we will be in 28 cities a month. The best part about it is being at the events. Our crowd are good people, they don’t seem complicated, the feedback we get is amazing. We are doing this at a time where hospitality is going downhill. Venues, pubs, bars, they are all closing at such a rapid rate, so being able to put on an event, put some money behind the bar and get these places filled is very powerful. There is a real sense of community about Day Fever.

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Day Fever takes place at many major cities, but also some locations which aren’t part of the major touring circuit whether that is for concerts or comedy shows, what was the reason to branch out further?

Chris: We are all working class people, from working class routes. Of course we want to go and hit them big cities, you need to as a business but the conversation quickly turned to taking it to places like Hull and Exeter. I like to think I understand these people. We are like a little travelling road show; we come, put on this day party, and go on to the next place.

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Does each location bring a different type of crowd, or is it the same no matter where you go?

Chris: Not on Day Fever is ever the same. Glasgow is very high tempo, in your face; they want lots of different types of music. London is quite in to the disco element. It is hard that you have such a wide demographic. Each city and venue brings their own characters. You will have a guy dancing in a Specials t-shirt next to someone with a Whitney t-shirt. It has taught me a lot about the music over the year, songs or artists I would never sit in my house and listen to, but certainly appreciate a lot more now.

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 What songs go down the best across the board?

Chris: It depends on the time of day. I love playing the opening slot where you can get that Motown or Northern Soul stuff in, but by 6pm, they are begging for 90’s dance tunes, that is when the roof comes off. It is funny you will see people rotate around the room, if it isn’t there cup of tea they will go to the bar for a drink but then a song they like comes on so they soon come back in. Your last half an hour, the big anthems like ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ and ‘The Whole of the Moon’ are engrained in our culture, so everyone knows them.

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What does the future hold for Day Fever? Will there be opportunities at festivals or even abroad?

Chris: We have grown very quick in a short space of time. There are still parts of the UK we are yet to travel to. Festivals have been discussed, it would be great at a rainy Glastonbury to have a tent full of Day Fevering, finish at half 7 and watch the headliner. Going abroad has been discussed. We want to make it affordable for people, if that means taking people on a plane to Benidorm or Majorca and showing them how we do it in the UK. Let’s do it all.

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Do you have any final words?

Chris: The people who come to Day Fever are the stars of this really, it is their party. Our crowd is the friendliest crowd you can imagine, not one spot of bother has happened at one of our events. It is very inclusive; it is a very simple concept. Come and try it, there is no pressure. You will soon be on the dance floor.

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Day Fever is back on the road throughout January and February 2025. See dates below.

18-Jan-25 Newcastle Boiler Shop
25-Jan-25 Glasgow BaAd
25-Jan-25 Manchester New Century Hall
1-Feb-25 Birmingham O2 Institute
1-Feb-25 Cardiff Tramshed
1-Feb-25 London Outernet
1-Feb-25 Nottingham Rock City
1-Feb-25 Sheffield City Hall
8-Feb-25 Bristol O2 Academy
8-Feb-25 Dublin The Academy
8-Feb-25 Hull Asylum
8-Feb-25 Liverpool Camp & Furnace
8-Feb-25 Southampton Guild Hall
15-Feb-25 Exeter Lemon Grove
15-Feb-25 Newcastle Boiler Shop
15-Feb-25 Norwich LCR UEA
15-Feb-25 Oxford O2 Academy
22-Feb-25 Glasgow BaAd
1-Mar-25 Edinburgh O2 Academy
1-Mar-25 London Outernet
1-Mar-25 Sheffield City Hall
15-Mar-25 Coventry Kasbah
15-Mar-25 Nottingham Rock City
15-Mar-25 Oxford O2 Academy
22-Mar-25 Leeds Project House
22-Mar-25 Manchester New Century Hall
22-Mar-25 Margate Dreamland
29-Mar-25 Glasgow BaAd
29-Mar-25 Hull Asylum
29-Mar-25 Newcastle Boiler Shop
29-Mar-25 Norwich LCR UEA
5-Apr-25 London Outernet
5-Apr-25 Sheffield City Hall
5-Apr-25 Southampton O2 Guildhall
12-Apr-25 Cardiff Tramsheds
12-Apr-25 Edinburgh O2 Academy
12-Apr-25 Leicester Athena
19-Apr-25 Birmingham O2 Institute
19-Apr-25 Liverpool Camp & Furnace
19-Apr-25 Middlesborough Town Hall
19-Apr-25 Nottingham Rock City
26-Apr-25 Bristol O2 Academy
26-Apr-25 Glasgow BaAd
26-Apr-25 Manchester New Century Hall
26-Apr-25 Newcastle Boiler Shop