Crilli

Crilli began in 2005 as a Belfast-based drum and bass and jungle promotion. David Campbell, performing as Bad Operator, launched its first event late that year, with early parties in a back-bar in Bangor, County Down, before events moved to Belfast. The first parties included hip-hop turntablism and electronic styles, with drum and bass played later in the night. Seamus Barnett, known as Artois, and Kev Girvin, known as Blarney, joined as residents in 2018.

Events have taken place at Belfast venues including the Menagerie, Voodoo, Lavery’s and the Ulster Sports Club, where Crilli also held a residency, and at Sandinos in Northern Ireland. Goldie, Calibre and DJ Hazard are among the artists Crilli has brought to Belfast. In 2020, Bad Operator and Artois issued the collaborative EP 130 University Street for Crilli’s 15th anniversary; the title refers to the Menagerie’s address. The bar closed that year.