FOCUS: Snafu

Image: Snafu by Melanie Lehmann

Durham-based Snafu run underground dance culture events which are proving insanely popular with those in the know. Owner Brettan Garrett is fuelled by a desire to offer clubbers something different from the norm, encouraged by a relative lack of decent nightlife in Durham City their events at The Loft are exciting and cutting edge, with secret sets, NFTs and big name artists part of the action. Their next show on Friday 2^nd June features Mancunian maverick Salute.

Here, Brettan tells us about Snafu and what people can expect from their shows…

Who are you and where are you from?

I am Brettan, originally from Sheffield but now living my life in Durham.

What is it you do?

I front a collective called SNAFU that pushes the underground music and culture scene in Durham.

How long have you been doing it?

The idea has been brewing for some time now, but lockdown gave me an excuse to finally do it. So our first show was November of 2021.

What inspires you?

The idea was born out of frustration, there’s a dearth of music in Durham and a lot of people would label the city as ‘Dullham’. Which to be honest can be fair, our aim is to change that. Durham is easily one of the most beautiful cities in the UK, with some of the best people. 20,000 students call it their home for three years and none of them stay. Bright, young locals with a real passion for music, culture and art have to go elsewhere to achieve their potential. Providing them with a space and a voice, where they can flourish as creatives or simply meet like minded people is our inspiration. The music is the centre of what we do, but its also an excuse to get all of these people together under one roof.

Tell us about your work

Our work is centred around the music and we kinda refuse to be pigeonholed into one sound. The next generation of clubbers really don’t care for a night dedicated to one sound, they just wanna go on a journey with good music. So we’ve tried to make that for them. All of our line-ups have been varied and appeal to a lot of people. Durham is also small and diverse, so our music aims to appeal to the ‘heads’. Our main work is about adding value to a show. So many shows you just pay your money and listen to the music. We wanted to create an experience that does more for our community. We started launching secret sets, whereby people would sign up to a lottery and then around 100-150 winners would be sent some coordinates, a time and the line-up and we’d have a small intimate dance before a big show. 

What have you got coming up in the future?

We have such a crazy summer lined up. Including some huge names like Salute, Prospa and some more that we can’t release just yet. For the summer we’ll be doing boat parties, secret sets and open air events alongside the club shows. 

Where can people find out more about you?

Our website is easily the best option, and on our YouTube you can watch some of our live recordings. Or our Soundcloud has all our shows and their audio recordings too.