RAVING COVIDIOTS
Rogue DJ’s firm defies lockdown with wild parties
A DJ is continuing to take bookings for private parties despite strict new Covid-19 lockdown rules being imposed.
David Alexander, who runs Zander Nation, offers to entertain guests in his clients’ house and garden for £250.
A rogue DJ is operating lockdown-busting back garden raves despite tough new Covid- 19 restrictions being imposed across the country.
David Alexander, who runs party firm Zander Nation, is continuing to take bookings for house parties, triggering fears his actions will help spread the killer virus.
The 36- year- old offered to provide a home disco service after being contacted amid concerns that draconian rules on socialising are leading to an unregulated clubbing scene.
Alexander operates the firm with his brother Stuart, who compared First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to Hitler in an online outburst.
A Sunday Mail investigation found Zander Nation was prepared to take our business despite the Scottish Government introducing new social distancing rules following a fresh spike in coronavirus cases.
Health experts have established that the rise is down to people hosting parties in their homes.
The pandemic has left mainstream venues closed for almost six months with no date for reopening.
The Sunday Mail posed as a potential customer to ask Zander Nation if it could set up a party in West Dunbartonshire later this month. We were told to text details.
When asked if coronavirus rest r ict ions would cause any problems, the man who answered the phone appeared to dismiss the bug.
He said: “We’re setting up a gig right now.
“Text me the details and I’ll have a look in the diary.”
A reporter contacted Zander Nation for a second time yesterday and inquired about a garden party in Glasgow for a minimum of 10 people.
A male asked us to text details, claiming there was just “one slot left”, which would require a £ 40 deposit.
He added: “All garden parties are two hours slots. £250.
“Be quick to secure. £ 40 deposit required. As I say, one slot left – let me know ASAP.”
He advised us to pay via bank transfer or PayPal, adding: “Be quick.”
Zander Nation’s Facebook page features numerous video clips of house and garden parties it has hosted.
It also urges potential customers to “be quick” because September and October bookings are “almost full”.
Posts also claim new Covid-19 restrictions are observed – despite footage showing large crowds ignoring two-metre social distancing rules.
Tighter measures to tackle Covid-19 will be put in place in Scotland tomorrow.
No more than six people from a maximum of two households will be permitted to meet indoors or outdoors, either at home or at other venues. Children under 12 are exempt.
It comes after curb son home visits were imposed on households in Glasgow, East and West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire.
People living in these areas are not allowed to meet other households in their homes, affecting more than 1.75million people in the west of Scotland.
The Scottish Government yesterday confirmed there had been 221 new Covid-19 cases in the previous 24 hours.
In 2018, David Alexander, of Summerston, Glasgow, was forced to apologise after a video emerged of primary school girls chanting
“here we f*****g go” at one of his discos.
Scot l and ’ s night - t ime industry operators have claimed lockdown rules are creating a dangerous unregulated new trade and are putting jobs at risk.
Bars and restaurants are operating under tighter rules and aren’t allowed to play music. Operators have repor ted customers walking out.
Donald MacLeod, owner of Glasgow’s Cathouse and Garage nightclubs, and convener of the city’s licensing forum, said: “It’s inevitable that this sort of activity is going to become more prevalent the longer restrictions remain in place.
“It’s tragic that a country like Scotland has banned music with no end to that ban in sight. A world without music makes us a lifeless asteroid.
“The Government is killing the night-time industry by refusing to engage with us and explore ways of operating safely.
“Young people are being pushed into an unregulated environment with no health and safety, no controls, and it’s only going to get worse.”
Tony Cochrane, who owns a chain of nightclubs around Scotland, said: “It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this sort of activity is springing up.
“When you ban things you will always just move the industry sideways.”
Stuar t McPhee, general manager at the Siberia Bar and Hotel in Aberdeen, said: “You go into a bar at the moment and it is a room full of rules. You can do very little, you can’t listen to music, young people can’t go over to another table and talk to someone new.
“We’re cutting things out of the lives of young people that are human nature.”
Paul Smith, whose Castle Leisure Group operates a string of venues, added: “You can’t lock down young people for this long without them eventually going out and partying underground.
“Government policy is creating these dangerous illegal raves because people need somewhere to go.”
An online campaign #FreedomtoDance has been launched to highlight the lack of indicative dates for music and dance venues to reopen. A recent re survey of more than 300 night- time businesses found that 83 per cent will have to make redundancies when the furlough scheme ends next month.
More than three-quarters said they expect to lay off more than half their workforce.
Up to 75,000 jobs are at risk in Scotland according to the survey, published by the Night Time Industries Association.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said : “It is completely unacceptable for anyone to break the rules on social gatherings or recklessly try to profit from breaking them.
“Not only are they putting themselves and others at risk – but their actions may prolong the time for which restrictions have to be in place, or even see some restrictions having to be reintroduced.
“Gatherings of more than six people from more than two households are not allowed – and relevant authorities, including the police, have the powers to enforce, including through fines and dispersing gatherings.
“For now, nightclubs must unfortunately remain closed as they involve prolonged close social contact.”
A police spokesperson said: “Our officers will continue to engage with the public, explain the legislation and guidance, and encourage compliance.
“We will use enforcement as a last resort where there is a clear breach of the legislation.”
Alexander did not respond to our request for a comment.