Roger Michael

Not originally intending to go into promotion,[2] Michael started his career in nightlife marketing in 1989, during the Second Summer of Love when acid house parties and raves were becoming popular in Britain.[14] In 1994 he won the Longest Guest List Award for his club night Atomic Model at Iceni at the Piper Champagne London Club And Bar Awards.[15] By late 1995, beyond Atomic Model he was also known for the London club nights The Next Big Thing at the Hanover Grand and Eyeball Arizona at Subterania.[16]

He was soon simultaneously hosting four weekly night nights, including Wednesday nights at Embargo in Chelsea,[14] The Next Big Thing on Thursdays at Hanover Grand in Hanover Square,[3][17] Atomic Model on Fridays at Iceni in Mayfair,[2] and Saturdays at the Brown's Member's Club in Covent Garden.[14] In 1995 The Independent called The Next Big Thing "a hybrid of Handbag House, dancefloor anthems and a live band."[17] Also by that time,[16] he was running his own company Roger Michael Associates, which organized events which The Independent described as having "an exclusive feel while maintaining a down-to-earth, community vibe."[2] In 1995 Roger Michael Associates also threw a New Year Avant-Garde Catwalk Ball at the Porchester Halls in London, among other one-time events.[16]

The Independent called Michael "one of London's most successful promoters" in 1997, and explained that "his events are renowned for their sense of style and glamour."[2] In the 2000s he also ran two other consecutive nights, including Thursdays at Kabaret's Prophecy in London, and Fridays with Cyril Peret Paglinghi at the Man Ray in Paris.[14] By 1998, The Next Big Thing had DJs such as Derek B, playing a mix of house and speed garage.[3] He also began working for Vivienne Westwood in 1998, providing bespoke guest list for the London launch of her first perfume "Boudoir." The following year he also helped launch Westwood's first store in Manhattan, with the event coinciding with her first US fashion show.[14] In May 1998, Michael was featured in the "Cool Britannia" edition of GQ Germany along with other figures in London such as Tony Blair.[18]

Michael founded his creative agency and nightlife brand I Am Rockstar in September 2003.[14] Among the brand's earliest projects was an eponymous Tuesday night at the club Boujis members' club in South Kensington,[5] which ran until 2012.[14] In 2006, The London Evening Standard described Tuesdays at Boujis as "hosted by Roger Michael... a favourite with Princes William and Harry that is also adored by models, Eurotrash and Hollywood types."[19] Travel.com wrote in 2009 that "Boujis in Kensington has a reputation around the world for catering to the rich and famous," and that "arguably the most popular night at Boujis is Tuesday." The article further stated the night was popular with celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton and Uma Thurman,[5] and other people known for attending include David Furnish,[20] Mickey Rourke,[21] Kate Middleton before her marriage,[22] Anna Chapman before her indictment as a spy,[23][6] Prince William and Prince Harry, Prince, Janet Jackson, Quincy Jones, Dr. Dre, Will.i.am, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Avril Lavigne.[14]

In 2009 he formed I Am Rockstar into an international party brand, taking the I Am Rockstar dayclub and nightclub events on tour to venues in Paris, the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, the OHM Festival in Hvar, Croatia,[14] and the United Arab Emirates club Blue Marlin Ibiza.[24] In late 2010, he became creative director of the Night Lounge at Morton's members club in Berkeley Square in London.[14] Beyond club nights, Michael has also curated and hosted events for groups such as Team USA's London Olympics closing parties in 2012.[14]

As of 2009 he was still hosting what the London Evening Standard called a "famed Tuesday night of debauchery at Boujis," with celebrities such as Paris and Nicky Hilton attending, and with DJs such as Lindsay Lohan. Michael was featured in the London Evening Standard's 'Power 1000 List' in 2009[1] and 2010,[7] two years later he was named as the 2012 London Lifestyle Personality Of The Year, and runner-up to London Mayor Boris Johnson. In 2013, he won the Services To The Nightlife Industry Award at The London Club and Bars Awards.[14]

In early 2015, the members-only mobile app for booking clubs and events, titled InList,[9][25] brought Michael on as an advisory board member and their city ambassador. After a break from public life, in April 2015 Michael debuted the monthly Thursday club night I Am Rockstar Roar at Mode Collective in Notting Hill,[14] with DJ Sander Kleinenberg as resident[26] at the "Berlin-style club."[26]