How did a middle-aged British man in a bathrobe become a global DJ sensation?

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A different type of British invasion had EDM fans in a trance at the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

DJ Fish56Octagon, known for his online popularity, recently made his first appearance at a U.S. festival, performing at Insomniac’s Dreamstate SoCal on November 21st and 22nd. He shared the stage with top electronic music artists like Tiësto, Paul Oakenfold, Gareth Emery, Ferry Corsten, and Chicane.

Known online as Fish, this 46-year-old Londoner started using TikTok on a casual impulse in 2021 after his friends showed him the app. Now, with over a million followers, that simple decision has completely changed his life. He left his job in marketing to pursue a career as a DJ and music producer, and has even played sets at major music festivals around the world – all within the last four years.

He started by sharing his watch collection, but this car enthusiast soon began making videos about cars, turning it into a profitable side business within two years. Because many of his viewers were both car and music fans, the dance music he used in his car videos – and the vinyl record unboxings he occasionally posted – sparked lively discussions about the classic rave tracks he was introducing them to.

You know, one of the things that really helped him blow up online was this really memorable visual. It started because his work asked him to make sure his videos didn’t look like he was filming during work hours. So, he started posting these quick clips of himself – a pretty average-looking guy, middle-aged, thinning hair, a little bit of a dad dancer – doing goofy moves in front of his impressive Technics record players. He’d be jamming out, pumping his fists to the music, sometimes even eating Weetabix! And the kicker? He was always wearing this bright red and black dressing gown – his mother-in-law had actually given it to his wife. It was just so unexpected and eye-catching, it stopped you mid-scroll every time.

“That gown is elegant,” wrote a fan in the comments.

“It was legit my mum’s but she found it too hot,” Fish responded.

Someone else commented, “You look just like your mom!” and added a sweating smiley face emoji.

Fish started livestreaming on TikTok late at night, and for the first time in two decades, he played his own music mixes.

Fish recalls seeing comments during his Live streams like, ‘We started watching you before going out, spent the whole night in town, and you’re still playing!’ He loves this, enjoying the chance to share music – sometimes popular hits, and other times songs that are personally meaningful to him.

For decades, Fish has been immersed in the world of electronic music. His initial exposure came during his early teens while watching the British TV show “Inspector Morse.” An episode featuring an underground rave sparked his interest – the idea of partying in an old warehouse seemed incredibly appealing.

I first discovered my ear for music by soaking up everything I could from pirate radio and, thankfully, vinyl. My initial setup was wonderfully cobbled together – two old hi-fi record players my dad had stashed in the attic. One of them had pitch control, which was a lifesaver. I taught myself to beatmatch by running a record player into each side of my amplifier and using the balance knob as a makeshift crossfader. Then, I got Soundlab DLP-1 belt-drive turntables as a birthday gift, and honestly, that’s when things really took off. My obsession just accelerated from there, and I was completely hooked.

Back then, I was putting every spare penny towards building my vinyl record collection. I was really into the rave scene – early old-school, hardcore jungle, happy hardcore, and drum and bass – mostly from the early to mid-90s. I often played records at house parties.

During college, he became the regular DJ at the student union, playing records. He also started experimenting with making his own music. Later, he switched from using physical equipment like turntables and synthesizers to the Ableton software, and he began converting his vinyl collection to digital MP3s, which meant he needed less space for his music.

After graduating college and starting a marketing job, Fish put his dream of becoming a DJ on hold. But when he started doing live sets on TikTok, club promoters noticed and began contacting him about gigs. Although he lacked confidence at first, an opportunity to perform a solo show at Hidden in Manchester in February 2024—around the time he fully transitioned his TikTok channel to music—finally pushed him to start DJing live again.

He admitted he wasn’t certain anyone would attend, but he believed those who did were coming to see him specifically. He ended up performing a five-hour solo show, playing from beginning to end. Tickets sold out well in advance – a couple of months before the event actually happened.

Fish wasn’t sure if his recent success was a fluke or the start of something huge. Soon, offers to perform started pouring in from cities across the U.K., including gigs at FishTales in Newcastle, Beaverworks in Leeds, and raves in Liverpool and Birmingham. He decided to get an agent and began selling merchandise.

“Not sure how this happened! But I’m here for it and hope you are too,” he wrote online.

This summer, he completed a 20-show tour that included performances at the renowned Glastonbury Festival, as well as Reading and Creamfields. He also played shows in Ireland, Scotland, and Malta – his first professional gigs outside of England.

In August 2024, he left his regular job to pursue DJing and music production as a full-time career, with encouragement from his family – his wife, children, and parents.

He explained that his family supports him, even though pursuing his goals means he doesn’t get to spend as much time with them. They understand he’s chasing his dreams and doing work he believes in.

He’s become well-respected as a historian of the music style. His fanbase now includes artists he once admired – like Skrillex, David Guetta, Disclosure, and Bicep – who now consider him a colleague.

I remember hearing him talk about those first few months, and it really struck me. He’d wake up every morning almost hoping it hadn’t happened, thinking it was all just a wonderful dream. But then he’d check his phone, and the reality of it all would hit him – it was actually real. It was such a vulnerable thing for him to share, and it really showed how surreal the whole experience must have been.

Fish credits social media with helping his career, but he cautions that simply gaining followers doesn’t automatically lead to more work or success.

He explained that his success is a direct result of creating popular music content, which allowed him to gain a following and open doors to new opportunities. He’s now performed nearly 200 professional shows at clubs, festivals, and events worldwide.

I was so excited when Fish finally announced his first North American tour in November 2025! Eleven dates – it was huge, and included his very first U.S. festival appearance. He played Dreamstate, which made total sense to me. He’s always been a huge trance fan and really understands how deeply people connect with that music – it felt like the perfect fit.

He explained that while he enjoys all kinds of dance music, trance is special because of its emotional melodies and harmonies. He particularly loves how the sharp, clear beats and powerful bass create a strong impact.

I caught Fish’s set on Friday night at “The Vision,” and wow, that stage has seen some incredible artists this year – Chicane and Paul Oakenfold both played there! Even Darude hit that same stage recently. But the fun didn’t stop there! I also saw him play an amazing back-to-back set with Gareth Emery early Sunday morning. It was the headlining act for the festival’s afterparty, and the location – the Grand Salon of the Queen Mary – was just perfect. Seriously, a night to remember!

After finishing a performance on stage at 3 a.m., he immediately went to LAX to catch a flight to New York, where he was scheduled to DJ for the final three hours of a 24-hour rave.

As a huge fan, I’m so excited to hear Fish is heading to New Zealand and Australia later this year! And get this – he’s playing his biggest show ever on March 28th at the O2 Academy Brixton in London. But that’s not all – he’s also running his own record label, Octagon Discs, and putting out music for himself and other artists. It’s a really busy time for him, and awesome for us fans!

As more and more people start following Fish, those who were among his first supporters continue to be amazed by his incredible success.

One fan commented on his Dreamstate recap video, saying, “How did he end up here? So happy for you!”

Fish said that music was always his biggest passion, but he worried he’d started too late. He expressed gratitude for the encouragement he received.

“Amazing,” another chimed in. “But I would not recognize u in the wild without the bathrobe.”

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2025-12-18 00:02