Infamous grassroots live music hot spot The Ferret on Fylde Road will be celebrating almost two decades of making a racket this month after what has been a pivotal few years.

The popular venue had navigated the pandemic with resilience, however it then faced closure after the landlord of the building put it up for sale, sparking the high-profile ‘Save The Ferret’ campaign which turned into a winning effort and paid off thanks to help from The Music Venues Trust; a charity which represents grassroots live music venues.

The trust came to the rescue, initiating the ‘Own Your Venues Scheme’ which was launched as a community share offer in 2022, resulting in the local live music haven being placed into permanent protected status.

Now the Ferret proudly celebrates its 19th year with a monumental birthday bash taking place from 7pm until late on Friday, September 19, which will be a night to remember with an incredible line-up of acts and artists including 90s non-stop, hip-hop party band The Hiphopalippz, who will be storming to the stage with a high-octane, energy filled performance, revisiting the classics in a nostalgic, retro revival, waking up old memories with their throwback vibe.

Launching into the mix on the night will be one of Lancashire’s most prolific, veteran turntablists DJ Woody, who began his career in 1992 and went onto be the first European DJ to win the International Turntablist Federation World championship title in 2001; a year later he went to win the Vestax World title.

DJ Woody is known for his innovative and musical approach to turntablism, expect elements of trip-hop, hip-hop and intricate breakbeat rhythms with added energy and soundscapes.

It’s back to the good old days as glowsticks meet guitar distortion, 90s throwback band Rave Against The Machine will be thrashing out punked-up versions of dancefloor anthems such as the classic 1993 release from 2 Unlimited ‘No Limit’ and the iconic number one hit from Baby D, ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy’, the beats will be swapped for breakneck riffs and choruses built to shout along to.

There will also be support from local DJs including Bolt, DJ Connie Von D and Big Things at what will be an epic celebration.