In 1982 Dave McLean started a club night to provide his friends with alternative music. He's still playing - but to his friends' children.

This does not deter the married dad-of-one, who sees being a DJ as "being paid for enjoying myself".

He said: "I turn up and play my favourite records. It is a bit scary I have been doing it for so long. I always said I'd continue doing it while I still enjoy it and people keep coming to hear me."

Dave started playing at a club called Revelations at the Apollo Hotel, now BN1, in Preston Street, Brighton.

He said: "At the time there were lots of people like myself who were interested in post-punk rock and the New Romantic scene but there was nowhere to go in Brighton for these more alternative tastes.

"So I got together with a bloke called Paul Kemp, who now runs the Wild Fruit nights at Creation in West Street, and we started our own night.

"We blagged our way into doing it on Friday nights. We said we were professional DJs.

"The one thing we said that was true was we could guarantee a big turn-out because we knew a lot of people.

"At the time I did not know anything about being a DJ. I had never done it before. I can remember feeling terrified but once it was up and running I really got into it.

"People came from miles around because it was the first alternative club night in the South-East and we had to get extra security to marshal the queues.

"Paul and I played a mix of punk and goth, plus lots of Bowie and Iggy."

After a year the pair went their separate ways, with Dave running an indie/Sixties night called Sister Rays, first at Fagins in East Street, now Po Na Na, then at Swifts in West Street. That ran until 1995.

Dave, who lives in Montgomery Street, Hove, with his wife Vanessa and five-year-old daughter Hannah, said: "From 1989 I was resident most weekends at The Gloucester.

"When I asked the management about doing a Britpop night they said go for it. Now it's called Lust For Life and here we are today."

Dave has seen many changes in the music industry.

He said: "People don't really dress up to go to a club today. I think that's a shame."

Dave, who works for Brighton and Hove City Council during the day, is glad to still be playing.

He said: "A few weeks ago this lad came up to me in the club and said hello - he turned out to be my old friend's son."