Shocking FBI Stories, Concert Drama, & Prison Tales: Ian Bick's Nightclub Videographer Reveals All!
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It's a normal concert, packed, high energy. Now, there's word getting around that there are cops in the building. Like, you know what I mean? People are whispering. They're like, yo, cops, cops, cops. And like, we're hearing things. You know what I mean? Like, I'm talking with Dan. I'm like, yo, you heard there's cops here. All of a sudden, word gets to us. Ian's been arrested. So Dan and I just look at each other. We're just like, ah.

I love you, dude. But like in the back of our head, we like knew this was a possibility. Like we knew as we were working for you that like because as especially as the Fed case started, like it was just kind of a workplace risk that Ian would get arrested at any moment. So we're like, today's the day. So Dubs goes over the microphone and they did what every respectable DJ would do. They just were like, you know, there's some cops in the building.

The police, let's turn up. And then the rest of the concert went on. You weren't there to see it. And then the end of the night came and yeah, everyone just went home. Mike Squires, welcome to Locked In. Let's go, dude. We've been talking about doing this for a while and it's good to finally have you here. And you're a very big piece of my past. So I think...

the audience will appreciate your perspective because everyone's so curious about the nightclub aspect of my story. Yeah, dude. Just that period of time. And what's so cool about the show is that when I bring on people like my dad, people in my life like my attorney, the listeners who have fell in love with the show start to get a glimpse of that, of the past and put pieces because I know like –

The evolution of the show is I started telling stories about myself, drifted into focusing on the guests, and we built this massive listener base just off of the guests. And people are all the time commenting on Instagram, DMing me and stuff like, we want to know about your story. So it's cool to integrate it by sharing not only your story but also a part of mine too. And it gives the audience a new face who has a very interesting life,

himself while also shining light on this. Yeah, no, I'm excited. I'm excited to go down a trip of memory lane, dude. Yeah, so you're a Connecticut native. You grew up in Connecticut. Yep, born and raised in Stanford, Connecticut. Lived there pretty much my entire life. I recently moved to Shelton, but I rep Stanford very hard, and that's my city. And we got to get you out of Shelton. You got to go back to Stanford. Yeah, dude. Shelton's just in the middle of nowhere. Listen, I was able to get a house in,

uh, for a very affordable rate. And the thing is I make a lot of music. Uh, so I really need a house where I could be loud versus, you know, uh,

apartment or something where my neighbors are going to be hitting the broomstick on like the ceiling, you know? Yeah. And on that note, if you could describe yourself in like a couple sentences of what it is you do to give the audience like a clear picture of who Mike Squires is. Yeah, I kind of describe myself as a Renaissance man. I kind of dabble in a bunch of different things. So, you know, I have a lot of music out there for my music production. I started as a video director and that's how we connected because I was the video guy at Tuxedo Junction. But I

I've toured for years with artists doing photo and video. More recently, I've performed. That's kind of me in a glimpse, but I'm just kind of a creative, just kind of whatever I'm feeling. And as long as I'm creating, that's like my path. And you have a podcast that you film here. Plug that in. I do have a podcast, the Mike Squires and Friends podcast. I got to re-plug Ian because I probably wouldn't have a podcast if it wasn't for Ian, but he was just like, yo,

It's like, you got the stories, you got the guests, I got the studio, let's make this happen. So out of that came the Mike Squires and Friends podcast where I have a ton of entrepreneurs, people in the music industry, people out of the music industry, but I'm

People that are just on their own entrepreneurial path, just trying to figure it out and talking about their careers. So that's what the podcast is about. And something really cool that you're doing is this 50 States project that you need to talk about real quick and also mention the Chris Webby song because Chris Webby was on the show that you made happen and people really loved hearing his perspective on the show. Yeah. So I'm doing a song with an artist from each of the 50 States, thus the windbreaker. I'm, you know...

I wasn't wearing it just for the sake of wearing it. It has a purpose. But yeah, so I'm almost halfway into this project at the time of this recording. But yeah, I'm just looking for an artist from every state and creating a song with them. And I've been rolling out weekly. And yeah, I kicked it off with the homie Chris Webby, who I've toured with for years, who I know is on the pod. And I'm just looking for an artist from every state and creating a song with them.

And yeah, it's a banger. It's a good song. Crazy. Yeah. And name some of the other people that you've done work with. I mean, Jelly Roll is a huge name and hopefully a future guest on the show one day. That's like the dream. Yeah. Jelly's the absolute man. So I did some photos and video for him on a couple of his tour stops when I was on the road with Echo. I shot for him a couple of photos one night and then Echo was doing a couple of shows with him. So Jelly's team reached out to ours and they're like, yo,

Whoever did photos for me last night, bring them back today. And that's like when I met Jelly for the first time. So I've worked with him, Justina Valentine, who's on the 50 States Project, Echo, who's a good friend of mine. Watsky's another artist that's popular. And I mean, music videos back in the day,

Worked with Drom, Roscoe Dash. If you remember the song No Hands, girl, the way you do it. Sam Adams. Oh, yeah. Sammy Adams is the man. Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of one-off things, too. Like I filmed Cardi B's album release party. I did paper animation on a French Montana music video. There's just a lot. I could probably just keep going through them, but that's...

That's what comes to mind immediately. Yeah, and then not to mention all the stuff you've done working with me during the club days. Oh, man. Huge names which we'll get to. Which actually, you know...

the tuxedo junction days really led to me doing some incredible opportunities in my career because, you know, for those who don't know, but I'm sure a lot of, you know, Ian was having these all-star DJs weekly, pretty much at this venue in Danbury, Connecticut. And I was doing all the video content. So, you know, every recap that you saw of those shows, you know, that was me behind the lens and,

And, but I would connect with all of the, you know, DJs, producers, their tour managers. And inevitably it ended up, you know, getting me to travel places. Like I went to Jamaica doing groove cruise with this check. I'd like, there was just so many travel opportunities that came out of the tuxedo days. Also, I was able to get really good at my craft, you know, from the first show I shot by the time I started to when, you know, Tuxedo Junction came to an end, you

Like my skill set was just so much better. I was able to upgrade my gear because we had a constant flow of money, Ian. But yeah, no, it was good. Yeah, I remember you and Dan Nielsen, who was a photographer, to see you guys evolve and

Cause you guys were the package duo. Every show it was you and Mike, you and Dan, and you guys evolved in gear, involved in connections. And cause we were one of the first clubs that had like the in-house people. That wasn't really a thing. I,

In the East coast area where you have the videographer and the club, and that's where like you could lose massive amounts on a show, but you're gaining that experience from the footage. We were creating a brand. That was something I was really good at doing. We created an insane brand. The business side of it was terrible, but the brand building was great. And that translates to what I'm doing now. Oh yeah, dude. And every time we posted a recap, if you weren't there, you felt like an idiot because the nights look so fun and the energy was so high. Like,

Bro, you had no right bringing Steve Aoki to Danbury, but you did. You know what I mean? Like bringing the chains, like putting those type of artists in like a tuxedo size room was honestly insane because at that time, like a lot of those artists, like, I mean, they're selling out venues, right?

way bigger than Tuxedo Junction. So to put like an, it was like a more intimate show that you wouldn't probably get elsewhere. Exactly. And, and something to note, it's a good thing you brought it up is these after movies that we used to film all live on YouTube. If you search Tuxedo Junction, Danbury, Connecticut, um, these movies that Mike would make, which were like a three or four minute recap video are living on YouTube forever. Um,

And I've noticed like views have gone up as people search me and stuff. So if you just search that, you could see these incredible movies and which look kind of amateur now looking back on it. But they were incredible at the time. Yeah. I was doing that just because technology is advanced. Yeah.

Um, and all that foot raw footage you still have, which will eventually make it into a series or a movie or a documentary. And it made it in to that first one on HBO. Yeah. That was a kind of a crazy experience too, because dude, that was kind of a long time coming from when they initially hit me up to when it became a documentary had to be at least two years, dude. Yeah. And I remember going out, they originally called me when I was like in LA and I was just pacing around and they were like, yo, we're thinking about doing this documentary, how much footage you have, like,

And then maybe like I thought the project honestly like was dead because I didn't hear back for so long. And then like almost a year later, they're like, hey, we're working on this now. Like we're in Connecticut. Can we stop by your house? So the whole crew came and like to my house. We're all like sitting around my laptop. I'm just showing them the footage. And, you know, one thing that I remember about that, because you had just got out of jail.

And, you know, I was going back and negotiating price with them for a very long time. That was probably the longest negotiation I've ever had to deal with. And it was just me. It's not like I have like a team where I like can bounce ideas off of. So I'm just kind of like guessing numbers. But part of my deal was that you got a little piece of the action when it came to it.

And then I'm pretty sure your restitution came in and swooped up that money, dude. It went to restitution. Which is like a good thing, but I was just like, dang, I want Ian to get that check. Yeah, I didn't make anything off the HBO doc, but it did go to restitution, which was good. But, I mean, that's what they look for in documentaries is that raw footage, that archival footage. Yeah. And that we have.

So for those of you that are wondering, the HBO doc is no longer on HBO since they merged with Discover. Very sad. But if you DM me on Instagram at Ian underscore Bic, I got the Dropbox that I shoot off the people with that. Dang, you're hustling the doc, dude? Yeah, because there's no reason why it shouldn't be out there. Like, I put my time and energy into that documentary. Oh, I agree. Watermark and all, dude? You just edited it out? It's a great documentary. Dude, people hit me for it all the time, and it's so awkward just to be like— There's no reason why that that should not be—

out on HBO right now. Yeah. Like, it's just such a... It's incredibly put together. It's pieced together and it's a story. But on the other side, on the flip side, it's good that it's down because it opens the door for when they do make a documentary because you know what's missing in that documentary is prison. And this, dude. And this, this aftermath is...

of everything. And at the time I was working at Whole Foods when I recorded, and it just ends with, you know, I'm working at Whole Foods, paying a couple hundred dollars a month, like the grind, which I fell in love with. And we'll get to it later in this interview of how you were the integral part of why I'm here today and why I have what I have now. But that documentary doesn't even show the part of it. And it kind of, it's cool to see the evolution of how

That showed a period of time in my life where I wasn't comfortable talking about prison, where I didn't talk about it. I remember that, dude. You know, I remember you working at Whole Foods and just like, you got to understand, I knew entrepreneur Ian. I knew party Ian. I knew Ian like would make his dream happen at all costs. And not that there's anything wrong with Whole Foods. There's not. You know what I mean? But just me as your homie knowing you, I'm just like, this can't be Ian's path. You know what I mean? Like-

I just knew that you were meant for something greater than Whole Foods. Not again, not that there's anything wrong with Whole Foods. It's a good, respectable job, but I just know that it wasn't your calling. So when you got into content to

To me, it was like, and to see it work out, it was very rewarding. It was a big risk. And it really like, it came together in the last week, I would say, like to see that hard work pay off and to see what we have now. And just like, I took a huge risk. Like my whole life has been risks, you know, and this could have just put me at a time where everyone's kind of looking at me like he's already in debt to take on more debt to try to do this, you know, to see that come to life is incredible. But I also want the audience to know that

So you're a guy that...

very successful in music right now. You have a business for yourself. I don't remember the last time you worked a regular job. Never. And you go into phases where you like working for people like subcontract and other times you're like, I'm not doing anything. And, you know, I'm not doing a tour and you do your own thing with music and you've built this awesome thing. But I think it's important to know that with that, with the success you show now and everything, and you're just a very normal guy, you're one of the most humble people I've ever met.

You'll casually say, oh, I was with Jelly Roller. I was with this or with that. But you had some trauma in your life before that all came to be and how you kind of got into video because of that trauma. And that's so relatable to the people that listen to our show that are going through a breakup, a divorce, getting out of prison, overcoming addiction, that it's very normal that everyone falls down in life.

Um, but what's important about that is how you get back up. So I want you to share what your experience of falling down, getting back up was before you were able to create this for you. Yeah, dude. So in 2011, my house burned down and I lost everything, dude. And I'll tell you the story of like how that happened. So I was in school. I was in high school at the time. I probably was like 16, um,

And, uh, I was in like this class build on, which was like just an afterschool program that just like does like community work. And over the, the speaker system, they're like Mike Squires to the office. Now I was kind of like a punk kid. So I was like, no, I'm not going to the office. You know what I mean? Uh,

And then like immediately, like maybe like 60 seconds later, Mike Squires to the office. You know what I mean? So I was like, oh, and everyone's like, you know, when you get called to the office as a kid, everyone's like looking at you because like, ooh, you're in trouble. So I go down to the office and everyone is just looking at me like no one's saying anything. They're just like looking at me in that moment. I thought someone in my family had passed away, actually. But I just remember like asking what was wrong because it was obvious something was wrong.

And no one would answer me. And it was, that was like the, I feel sick in my stomach just thinking about that feeling. Um, so, but then someone said, your mom's coming to get you. And I was like, oh no, like my dad's dead. That's what, that was my thought that I had. Uh, in hindsight, you know, it wasn't my dad dying, but like, you know what I mean? So, uh, my mom pulls down, uh, like the ramp of the school. I get in the car and she said, everything's going to be okay.

So immediately I knew everything was not going to be okay. I was just like, oh no, like when you start with everything's going to be okay, like, you know, anyways, then she said, everything's replaceable. And, you know, I mean, my mind is like racing. I'm just like, you know, what's going on? She said the house burned down and we lost everything. And I just remember in that, like, I felt numb in that moment, but I got out the car and I like ran back into the school and I ran back to the class and

And I like pulled, I remember standing outside and I like flagged some of my friends and I like told them, I was just like, well, no, they were just like, what's wrong? And then I was like, my house burned down. I lost everything. And then my friends were like, oh, I'm sure it's not everything. No, it was everything. So, uh, that was like a very pivotal moment. So, uh,

You know, one of the first things we did after my house burned down is we went to go live with my aunt immediately, like that night, because where else were we going to go? So I remember getting to my aunt's house and like looking in the mirror. Like I just went to the bathroom because I was like devastated, obviously, that day. But I just remember looking in the mirror and thinking, why me? Like, why did this happen to me? Like, I felt...

So terrible. I just like, and like, you know, when you're a younger kid too, it's kind of hard to process things too. You know what I mean? Like I didn't have like a worldly perspective to just, you know, understand that, you know, there's another side of this and everything's going to be okay. Like my entire world was yanked from me, but you know, my dad actually calls the house burn down, you know, not like he's calling it a good day, but just like, he's very thankful that no one got hurt that day because someone could have easily got hurt and that situation could have been worse.

so much worse but so I ended up staying on my aunt's for a little bit and then I moved to a hotel like my mom would like rent a hotel for like a month you know what I mean at a time and uh

You know, for the most part, kids in school were supportive, but I definitely had like people were like, oh, Mike's living the sweet life of Zack and Cody life. And it was, dog, we were in like a room not much bigger than this. One bed, I was sleeping on the floor. My mom was like, my sister and my mom were like sleeping in a bed together. So, I mean, it was tough, dude. And like, you know, bouncing back from that. So, yeah, there was a lot of things too. And I could, I'll talk to you or I'll talk about one more instance of like,

something that changed my perspective. So in high school, I had a teacher, Mr. Bryce, and the day after my house burned down, I actually came back into school because I really didn't have anywhere else to go. So I came back into school and, you know, a kid said something to me and he like, whatever he said, he's like, yo, your house burned down. It might've been simple like that, but I was like so fragile at that moment that I just burst into tears. So Mr. Bryce pulls me aside. He's like, what happened? I explained to him everything I just talked about.

And he said, I'm going to do something for you. So Mr. Bryce, after school that day, you know, he got my mom's number and he met with us and he bought me an entire wardrobe of clothes, dude. And I always like, you know, for a long time after that happened, I was like, how do I pay Mr. Bryce back?

And one of my mentors gave me advice and I still like, obviously want to do nice things for Mr. Bryce, but what the best advice he's like, he's like, Mr. Bryce isn't in the situation that you were when you needed that help. So the best advice that one of my mentors, Robbie gave me was pay it forward whenever you have a chance. And that's something I've always carried. You know, if I see someone that's in a tough situation or going through a hard time, I do my best to, you know, pay it forward. But that's kind of my, the house advice.

part in a nutshell and then I could talk about like how it turned into a career. So, you know, when something bad happens in life, you have two decisions, right? You either can let it

crumble you and you can disintegrate with it or you could just rise up and you know turn something because I remember I didn't want to be the kid whose house burned down because the second that happened that's who I was I was Mike Squires the kid whose house burned down and I was just like this is not how I'm going out guys so starting that summer I landscaped and dog I had so much poison ivy all over me but I landscaped for that entire summer to buy a used camera used laptop like whatever equipment that I could

Like as a 16 17 year old kid like put together that's like what I did that summer and then I ended up getting uh, Uh like gigs I would do like short little like 50 for a florist for like a photo shoot like a hundred bucks here And then what really was a turnkey for me? was When I started doing music videos now, I started doing music videos with like local artists, but then Every video I did ended up becoming like a word of mouth, you know

advertisement for itself. So even when I started doing videos with you, it's like people would see the videos I did for you. And then they would just be like, you know, like who's doing these videos? How can I hire them? So it was kind of like a domino effect from there of just like word of mouth when I started doing videos. How different do you think your life would be if that fire never happened? It's going to sound weird, but I'm like, in hindsight, I'm thankful that it happened. And I know that's like a weird thing, but like,

I just don't know if it like the fire legitimately lit a fire inside of me to like pursue my passion and like,

You know, it was it was a necessity dude I like needed to make money to survive like I didn't mention this but the like insurance covered nothing you know what I mean? so it's like It's not like we got everything back like I had to like work for everything and you know help my mom where I could and I was just like How can I make money and like survive? And luckily I found that I was good at video early on because I always had the passion even before my house burned down I was always into video and stuff, but you know

When my house burned down, I was like, okay, I need to make money off this because I need to survive. Like I need to help where I can. And yeah, I don't think I would be, I would definitely would not be in the same spot where I'm at now if my house didn't burn down. So it's like, you know, I'm not saying it was a good, like a good thing, but I'm very, I wouldn't change where I'm at for anything. What do you, what's your view on hitting rock bottom and climbing out of rock bottom as an entrepreneur and also as a person, what you've learned from that? Because so many entrepreneurs

people that listen to this show can relate to that feeling of rock bottom. That's why they listen to this to motivate them. These stories of these individuals who have, you know, overdosed multiple times or went to prison, which I think is like one of the worst things that could ever happen to someone clawing your way back and seeing that comeback. I mean, you've seen firsthand my experience of literally being at rock bottom, which we'll get to. But what is that like for you?

I mean, it's scary and I think rock bottom is different for everybody. But like, I remember when my house burned down, just like I said, I was thinking, why me? And, you know, it's not easy to get out of that place. You know, in hindsight, like looking at it, I could have went the other way. You know what I mean? I could have easily seen my life, you know, just like, oh, well, life hates me. So, yeah.

You know gone down dark paths start messing with people that like I wouldn't necessarily necessarily mess with like doing things that were out of my character So I mean the thing When you're at rock bottom It's literally only up from there, right? You know what? I mean? so I think your mindset is a huge factor in it and like When those tough days are happening to try to keep a positive mindset. It's hard but

you know, nothing lasts forever. And there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You just got to keep going no matter what, because what's the alternative?

Do you think that experience helped you show compassion towards others? Because something I've realized with our friendship is that you've always been very understanding with me through situations. You've always shown me compassion. You're always there for me when I need you. You've just been there no matter what. And I feel like when I was going, and this ties into the theme of the show because a lot of individuals –

that our guests on the show have faced getting tarnished in the media and kind of dragged through the mud. And you saw firsthand that happened to me, and you still showed compassion, and you ignored what was said online. And I think it's important for people that haven't experienced that,

that aspect to understand what your perspective was of why you never attacked me or went after people. And you kind of showed that compassion, even though you didn't really know me on that level yet when it was going on. Yeah. I always judge people off of my experience with them. And, you know, my experience with you was always a positive. And that just applies to anybody like

Cause people always talk, right? People will say what they want. I've had plenty of instances where someone's like, yo, this person's a jerk. Like I hate him. And then I've met him and I'm like, yo, this person's actually kind of cool. And now the person who said he's a jerk kind of feels more like a, like, why were you saying that? And I don't know. There was like, to me, you were also were somebody who was, I didn't know another Ian Bick, like anybody that was like you, like,

an entrepreneur. Cause I come from a very entrepreneur, you know, vibe family. Uh, so, you know, I probably gravitated towards you more because I saw that in you that you were an entrepreneur. And like most of my friends, like growing up, like obviously love them, but they didn't have that bug in them, you know? And it's like, why you gravitate towards people, you gravitate to people that you feel are similar to you and have like a similar mind. So I feel on that aspect, we had a

big risk takers you know what I mean and to me it's fun because like at a point where like I'm sure you feel this way too but like you know taking risks is fun even if it doesn't work out like at least you could say you tried you know because what's the alternative just living like a boring life and just not because you know when it comes down to it Ian at the end of the day when you're old when I'm old are you going to be stoked on you know playing it safe

Or like, hey, we tried something crazy and we did it, you know? Well, I mean, and that's a great topic because I was in the position where like I knew from a young age you have to risk big to make it successful as an entrepreneur. And I remember the first risk I took and that was an epic fail. And I had the mindset of, OK, you know, I'm going to get back up and I'm going to I'm going to do it again. And I got in and I restarted tuxedos. That was kind of like my act, too. That was separate from those of firsts.

initial shows that tanked, you know, and I went through act two and then, you know, I ended up going to prison and I think I was very scarred and traumatized by taking a risk that I fell into that nine to five grind, which there's nothing wrong with that. And

you know, just working hard. And I remember telling you about, you would tell me, hey, what's your next move? Everyone was always asking me what my next move was. And I said, I'm just happy to be at Whole Foods because it gave me so much that I'd never got as an entrepreneur. It gave me credit, gave me a dog, it gave me family, it gave me a relationship, it gave me an apartment, all of these things. And that pressure of people being down my back about money and just all of that. And I didn't want to go through that

taking a risk again but then it got to the point where you know it was just i was drained from putting my heart and soul because the way my mind works is i can't do something half-assed like i'm all in which is why like i'll be here late like when i start a project like i it's got to get done i can't leave it half ass emptied so when you said hey like i think you need to do something else

That took a lot for me to do and I think that's a part of why I was hesitant because it takes a risk and I once I was hooked and saw Progress with making videos which you told me to do that's when I made that jump and that was the first time I had taken a risk In like almost five years, bro It's scary dude and the thing is like the entrepreneur life is not meant for everybody because there's a part of you that has to like Know that it's going to be a roller coaster because

I mean, you really are risking it all. And like you, when you take that jump, you lose security. Like, you know what I mean? Like you knew what you were getting every week. You knew like you kind of have it saved. So you don't have to really think about it because you know, it's coming in. Like when you're working at like a nine to five or something like that. But when you're out here in the wild, wild west of entrepreneurialism, it's like, sometimes you don't know when the next check is coming in. You don't know if this is going to work out, but you just have to try it and trust the process a lot of the time. So yeah,

It is tough, though, and it is a risk. And I commend you for doing it again because, you know, earlier, like, I mean, the tuxedo days, like, landed you in jail. So the idea of, like, you know, taking another risk and it not working out and having, you know, a result like that would probably be devastating to you. But...

I'm glad that you did it because it worked out, dude. So you and I met at a Big Sean concert in Danbury. That was my first ever huge act aside from like Asher Roth that I booked. I did Big Sean. What was your first impression of me when you met me and you were introduced to me? So that technically was the first day we spoke together, but I technically saw you. This is my, I love this story, dude. My first time meeting or seeing you in existence was,

I'm sitting in the green room, I think in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, somewhere up there. It's a Kid Ink show. There's a promoter that has me hired for video. You and I haven't connected yet. Ian walks in the room, takes a huge stack of money, and just mad at the promoter and pegs him with it. There is money everywhere. And

And at that moment, I was like, yo, this dude's going to be my homie. This is going to be my friend for life. No, but that was my first impression of you, dude. And we didn't talk after that. And then I think the Big Sean show happened. That was actually the first time I ever filmed on stage because Mike Studd and Huey Mack were on that show as well. Big Sean actually happened before this. Oh. Because Big Sean was my first concert.

So I went Big Sean, which we might not even have met at Big Sean. I don't think we met then at Big Sean. I think I found out afterwards that you filmed Big Sean, but then the Kid Ink thing was the second. Yeah, because I don't think I had some other video guy. The first time you hired me. Christian Ball was the video guy that did like a Huey Mack, Mike Studd and stuff. So I hired you for that Kid Ink tour. I think that's when I was still with the other promoter. I remember now the first time we met.

You had messaged me on Facebook and you were just... Because I really entered when Tuxedo started. Yeah. Like, that's where I started getting hired from you. And...

You were like, and I think it was a Blau show. Is that what you kicked off Tuxedos with? That was the first one that you did the after movie for because you had a whole vision. You're like, we're going to do an after movie for everything and we're going to make it really special. Yeah, so that was the first time. I remember coming down to your office at Tuxedos. How old were we? We were like 17, 18? I was 19 when Blau happened. I just turned 19 when we did Blau. And that...

Blau is such a special show because that was my – I was stepping into act two at that point. Like all of the shows failed. So to put it in perspective, my whole FBI case had nothing to do with tuxedos. There was other like criminal charges from like selling liquor without a permit, stuff like that from tuxedos. But everything else happened before with investors, the beats by Dre and the fraud aspect or whatever. It was all before tuxedos. Everything fails. Investigation starts.

Instead of just like being on the ground rolled over, I get the idea to open tuxedos and I paint it. I put it all together by myself with literally no money. I'm a million bucks in debt at that point with interest. And no one knows the FBI is investigating me. It was all under wraps. And I start the second club and that's when I hired you and we did the Blau show.

That show was my first time I had made money at that point in years since I did the teen nights at that very location. And we packed it out on a Wednesday. Bro, I mean, Tuxedos was an era, dude. I have like some of my favorite memories that we could talk about. But yeah, so we did Blau. I mean, you had so many. One of my crazy memories was Steve Aoki at Tuxedos.

Can we talk about how you were letting people enter the building at Steve Aoki? Yeah, share from your... I've told it on social media. Oh, man. So, you know, I think it's the fire marshal. The fire marshal's cracking down on capacity. So we got the fire... Like, you know, you got your own dude doing capacity in the front. The fire marshal's also there clicking, making sure you guys aren't going... What was the capacity of Tuxedo? They rated it at, like, 450, but we... Which is crazy. Yeah, it was low. It was low. It was low. Meanwhile, at the...

At the backstage door, these dudes are funneling in people from the back entrance. And I like... I mean, the fire marshal must have been so confused because he was there clicking the whole time and then to look and see how packed it was, like, there must have been like a thousand people in that room, dude. It was packed like sardines, dude. It was actually 2,500 was the final count. Bro, that was the most reckless thing I've ever... Dude, I mean, there...

Yeah, there's something and it's crazy, though, too, because, you know, the average person is going to hear that, you know, that you got in trouble with all the feds and everything. And they're just going to loop it all together. They're going to be like, oh, Tuxedo Junction was. But it's crazy because, you know, from what I saw for the most part, you know, Tuxedo Junction was like running smooth. You know, every show was profitable. But, you know what I mean? You always had that.

That shadow from the past that you were kind of chasing from my perspective at least what do you think people was people's biggest? Misconception about me during that time period and it could even be to this day to people that don't know what the show is about Like I still get comments saying like this kid's a scammer this and that but I feel like no one What was always underreported was the grind aspect and?

Like I did not have a big team around me at tuxedos. People would kind of leech on to me. And I learned a lot about friendship and whatnot after prison because look, you're the only one –

Besides Manny and maybe a couple others that are with me even after prison. But there was a lot of leeches that hopped on and when I went, they wanted to see me go to prison so they could take over the club and whatnot. But what do you think was the biggest misconception of me? I think people thought you had malicious intent. I don't think you ever had malicious intent, dude. I think you always worked with your heart and like tried to make things happen to the best of your ability. Did you get in over your head?

Hell yeah, dog. What do you mean? Like, you know what I mean? Did you make some mistakes? Of course. You know what I mean? But you're a young kid. Everyone makes mistakes. So and that kind of goes back to like, you know, our friendship and stuff like I just knew you as not a malicious person. Like even when I saw things falling apart, like am I like, yo, did Ian do this intentionally or did he just make a wrong play?

And like you made a wrong play, dude. You know what I mean? As your homie who I've known forever, I'm not going to sit here and say you did everything perfect, you know, but I know that you didn't have bad intent at any point. No, I definitely made a ton of mistakes. And me and Matt talk about it all the time. Like I was a different person back then because of the, I think stress, just like addiction brings out,

unsavory parts about you. Like I was always glued to my phone and I'm still on my phone now, but it's work, you know, it's different. But back then I was like glued to my phone. I was just miserable all the time. I had so much pressure literally all the time. And I think you would do things that you wouldn't normally do to try to, you know, dig your way out. I remember picking you up at the casino one time, dude.

Do you remember that? I was stranded. I literally called you because my business partner left me there because we lost all the money and you called me. We went to White Castle. And I just remember like days of the show, like for five minutes before doors open, which is always a crazy feeling. And I'm going to the laundromat with some ticket money to get singles, to have enough money for the bars. I'm going to the dollar store and getting, you know, things of soda and candy to resale. Like it was just awesome.

You know, and I always appreciated like you and Dan because you guys are always patient at the end of the night to get your money while everyone's hounding me. Oh, I want to talk about that. And just like it was just it was crazy. All the part I was operating this massive venue, completely underfunded, always owing artists money. It was just it was one big mess.

Yeah. And, you know, one thing that I think about is when the feds were visiting everybody, dude, I remember like people like promoters being like, yo, the fed just visited me because to come talk about Ian and

And one of my biggest sad moments is that the feds never visited me, dog. I was like, dang, I had all the footage. I'd be waiting at my mom's house. I'd be like, oh, mom, I might be expecting a visitor. And someone would knock on the door. I'd run to the door all eager. I'd be like, and then it'd just be like Jehovah's Witness. And I'd be like, dang it, dude. Then Dan would call me. And Dan would be like, yo, you'll never guess who just stopped by, the feds. And I was like, motherfucker.

When are the feds going to come visit me, dude? Like the feds never, the feds never came and visited me, dog. So, you know, you know, not that they needed to come, but you know, it would have been nice to, we'll stop by. And cause if they asked me if you were guilty, I would have said, yeah, Ian's guilty of being an absolute legend.

And the worst business man of all time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But listen, okay, so we got to separate the two because, okay, business, terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible. You know what I mean? Like obviously it landed where it landed.

But as far as iconic, legendary things to be done in Danbury, Connecticut, dog, you got that. Like, that's forever, dog. You know what I mean? So who else is bringing Stevie? Like, bro, those shows and everything are like insane. And I know there's a lot of people, too, where it's like, you know, there's a lot of haters to talk about that. Whatever.

There's a lot of people who had some of their best memories at Tuxedo Junction. And really, it was all because of you. You know what I mean? So it's like, I hear stories now where people talk about tuxedos and they'll be like, bro, those are the best years of my life, dude. Like, those shows were insane. So...

Sometimes, you know, you took the fall for that one, like all in. But like, I mean, you created great memories for a lot of people. You know, I still see people making posts about it. And it's cool that because Tuxedos was a legendary venue before I owned it. And now it's so cool that this new generation, just like the older generation that remembers the old one. Now this new generation remembers Tuxedos.

the original one, like the second act one that I created, and they're going to tell their kids about it. It's like the mainstream one because the original tuxedos, there's a couple grainy videos on YouTube, but it's not as documented as the one that I created. Yeah. Do you think that running tuxedos prepared me for what I do now? Because I want to tie that in to the theme of our show where these individuals experience life

the worst of the worst, whether it's in prison or addiction or whatnot. And they're somehow able to use that as a motivator or as a field to get into what their life's purpose is. Yeah. And the thing too is like my homie Spohs said this best, but there's no lesson better learned than when you personally get burned. And you were dealing with some crazy logistics, dude. I remember one day you had to get a generator because the whole, they like locked the power off and

And, you know, just being able to overcome the impossible, dude, or at least what feels the impossible, right? Because I think you had a lot of people around you who didn't want to see you win, who were there for the wrong reasons. I think you were thrown a lot of logistics by, you know, the media. You were thrown logistics by like just internally with the Tuxedo Junction building. Like you had so many hurdles to overcome just within Tuxedo Junction to –

make that happen, you know? So I think in that aspect, I think that has prepared you where it's like, oh, I dealt with this in the past. Like I can deal with it. You know what I mean? You, you know that you can overcome these hard battles. And I think that applies to a lot of things, even when you were in jail, like, you know, I would say even maybe tuxedo junction in some senses was a crash course for us. Cause it's like,

You just dealt with so many tough things like leading up to it, like that. It honestly might have been a nice and you could tell me this, dude. But like if I was you, because I saw the stress you were going through. Right. Like there might have been a part of you that had to be slightly relieved. Maybe. Right. That it just like.

You know, this domino just finally, it's over. Because I feel like you were chasing your tail a lot. And like... I could never get ahead. Bro, that pressure will eat you alive, dog. I think prison, going to prison was the best thing that could ever happen to me in that moment. Because I wasn't going to leave tuxedos. It's not in my DNA to walk away from something. Yeah. Like this podcast...

This thing, I literally am going to have to die before I give up on this now. Like I'm all in. Oh, yeah. Did you – Touch of the Dungeon was your Titanic, dog. Like I remember like when first starting this thinking, should I go back to Whole Foods? Should I work for someone because I was just not making any money? Like I didn't see where the money could come from. I wasn't doing anything. I wasn't making any real money. Even when I make money now, it's like –

It's kind of in disbelief that you could make money from social media and whatnot. It's like it's fascinating. But, you know, I just I needed to be dragged literally from those circumstances. And time heals everything. Like prison gave me a fresh start. Little did I know at the time was that prison was going to be my future, you know. And we've started a whole movement on like owning prisons.

your experience and whatnot. And, you know, it's just wild to think about. Can we paint the picture of your first viral video? Yeah, let's get, I want you to tell one story first though. What do you want me to tell? Before we get to that, I want you to tell the Dubs story. Because that story is just, from your perspective, is incredible. And for those who don't know, Dubs, D-V-B-B-S, are a

DJ duo, a European duo who would eventually later get arrested themselves for something with drugs or something in a foreign country. But I had booked them at my club, Tuxedos, and Mike was the videographer that night. And share what happened that night. Good.

Good old days, dude. So, you know, it's a normal concert, packed, high energy. The standard for tuxedo was high, right? There was never a dull moment at tuxedo.

So high energy show. Imagine this in your head. Close your eyes. Now, there's word getting around that there are cops in the building. Like, you know what I mean? People are whispering. They're like, yo, cops, cops, cops. And like, we're hearing things. You know what I mean? Like, I'm talking with Dan. I'm like, yo, you heard there's cops here. Keep in mind, packed like sardines. All of a sudden, word gets to us. Ian's been arrested. So Dan and I just like look at each other. We're just like, ah.

Like, and I love you, dude. But like in the back of our head, we like knew this was a possibility. Like we knew as we were working for you that like because as especially as the Fed case started, like it was just kind of a workplace risk that Ian would get arrested at any moment. So we're like, damn it. Today's the day. So Dubs goes over the microphone and they did what every respectable DJ would do. They just were like, you know, there's some cops in the building.

Fuck the police. Let's turn up. And then the fucking rest of the concert went on. You weren't there to see it. Uh, and then the end of the night came and, uh,

Yeah, everyone just went home. What should have been – I should have been bonded out in a few minutes. They kept me there all night long. Overnight, yeah, dude. Because I had been arrested before in and out. It was just a misdemeanor for – they wanted to make a whole stage. They raided the club, but it didn't go to according to plan. They wanted to drag me out from the club. I happened to be arguing with the landlord from next door about parking in the back. Mm-hmm.

to let Dubs in, and that's when the cop runs my name and arrests me. And I'm in the back of the cop car with my phone, hands cuffed behind my back, yelling at my dad, get to the police station! Because I wanted to get bonded out for the show, and they just kept me there all night. But then it gets funnier...

The next morning, I didn't sleep yet at all. I said, Mike, we got to go pick up dubs. Oh, my God, dude. Do you remember this? In the sprinter van. Yo, I need you to tell a dude. So I pick you. They were at the hotel, the Crowne Plaza, where we would throw epic. We eventually got banned from the Crowne Plaza because—

Pretty much all hotels in the vicinity. We literally got banned from every hotel because there was always like some type of vandalism from the artists. I remember 21 Savage's team tried to break into the Outback Steakhouse in Danbury. All of these things happened. And so I picked you up and I was like, do you want to come pick them up with me? And I think you were driving. No.

The Sprinter Vanner. You were in the back. I feel like I was there, but I think I was just riding along. Yeah, I think you were riding. You know who? I think my John Roble was driving that day because this was before the FBI case started. So this was in the fall. We go and pick these boys up and they were shocked to see me. Dubs was shocked to see me roll up, pick them up. It was like six in the morning to bring up the airport. I had just got bonded out and I'm on my way to pick them up and bring them.

This kind of goes back to just by any means necessary. It was a grind. You know what I mean? And like most people would have probably curled up, you know, gone to bed and just called it a day. But now you're like, we got stuff to do. Let's make it happen. But I mean, dude, I mean, the tuxedo days were just...

I'm surprised I made it as far as I did because there was just – every day was a new hurdle. Like it's literally shock – I'm literally shocked in my life now when things are unsmooth because I could never get ahead. Like whether it was a big show, yes, there would be a snowstorm or this money was supposed to come, this person wouldn't pay or the electricity going out or it was always something – the landlord locking me out because I didn't have the money for the rent. And it was just all of these things happening.

And then, you know, I ended up having a two-year run at Tuxedos doing these shows. I ended up getting my bond revoked, sentenced to prison, and I end up FaceTiming you randomly on a contraband cell phone.

Yeah, to get a FaceTime call from someone in prison is a weird feeling. I was like, it was from a random number. I answered it. And like, Ian showed me like fucking MTV Cribs. He's got his phone up just like, yo, check out my fucking boys. I'm like, yo, this is fucking nuts. Very quick call. Very quick call. The first thing I noticed is that you lost significant weight. That was like, I remember I was like, yo, like, you know how Gucci Mane went into jail and then came out the other side? Like,

Yeah, which I thought was a good thing too. I was like, okay, Ian's like, came back fit Ian, dude. Yeah. Fit Ian. Fit Ian, dude. But I think I still had the mindset of, I remember telling you like, I'm going to get another club going. I think you did. Now that you say that, I think that, and I think even shortly when you got out, you had those thoughts too. And I like, I've always been supportive. You know what I mean? Like, I obviously don't want to tell you no to do something. Yeah.

And I think you could do anything you set your mind to, but I think it was good that you went to Whole Foods for a little bit too, because I think it gave you that stability that you needed in order to do everything you're doing now. Because when you're, especially when you're trying to like chase your dreams and stuff, you're,

Get a little nest egg. Get yourself established. Give yourself a foundation to build off of because if you don't have that foundation, it's a lot easier to see things crumble. Well, and I think it humbled me out too because I literally rebuilt what I had now from the bottom. Like when I was a kid, I always had a job. I worked at the Matrix or I was working for my dad and I was doing my teen parties and I was grinding.

But the second I started getting investors and going into the big leagues, I lost that grind. And I always reflect back on the two things I would have done differently are one, not lied when they were when the concerts lost. But even before that is I gave up. Like when I got the investor money, I stopped grinding.

Whereas I look at now, like when I got investor money to fund this, like I was still grinding back then. I put my feet up, got an office and thought everything was I thought I did the grind. It happens all the time in the music industry, too, where it's like an artist will sign to a label. They'll get that big check and they'll be like, oh, my work is done.

But really, when you get those opportunities, you got to double down and work harder because now there's people that believe in you that are invested in you. And you got to like level it up, use the money that you get to like bring things up. It's not just like we got this now, like we're good, clear my hands of it. But yeah, no, and I know the story too, obviously.

with you and like the other promoters and stuff. But that I'd be curious what would have happened had you had just kept the grind up. You know, do you think you would have been in this? I think I think had I grinded and been more hands on, it would have kept me honest, you know, to say that we tried everything. But because I didn't know what was happening behind the scenes, you know, I reverted to lying. And I

I think I should have just stuck with what I was good at, which was doing the teen nights. And I could have rode those out for forever, had a nice nest egg, and then did whatever I wanted to do with my life. But I was just always thinking one step ahead, you know? And that's how I felt that Whole Foods wanting to move up and wanting to do different things and just, you know, feeling really kicked down. Because when you're working in corporate, you've got to fit into their mold. And if they are not seeing you in this position, even though you could be the perfect fit, you're not moving up.

which is the sucky part about working for someone else. And then I just remember like those years after getting out, like I was focused on selling the story and thinking like I was going to be the next Wolf of Wall Street or getting the movie sold and paying everyone back. And, you know, I'm thankful now that HBO, that documentary did not blow up.

Because if it went on Netflix and it gave me like you look at Anna Delvey and Billy McFarlane, like they got these massive documentaries and they blew up their social media. Look at Gypsy Rose, all these people. And that was handed to them overnight. Yeah.

Every single follower that I have now came from the bottom that literally came from me making content and getting it out there. So I thought that was just part of the universal plan. So now we get to the part where, you know, it's 2022, the summer. HBO doc had been out for a couple of years and they were just about to take it down when they did the merge with Discover. Yeah.

And, um, you finally convinced me. I remember you were like, just start making content on TikTok. And I kept stalling and, uh, being lazy. You'd call me and say, Hey, are you all set up? And I had the pictures from my memories come up the other day that I shared on Instagram, um, about buying the camera and this and that. And you're like duty and you just got to start making it. I would always find a reason to start tomorrow to start tomorrow. Um,

And then I finally made the first video and you were helping me. I started on Instagram and then I moved over to TikTok and I was getting a couple thousand views each one. And it was that fifth video when I called you sick in bed with COVID. I love it, dude. Yeah, that's one of my favorite. I was in Rhode Island on a video shoot. Ian calls me and he's like, dude, I'm not going to post today. I'm feeling sick. He also did sound terrible in his defense. He sounded terrible. I was like, dog, shut up. Post, dude.

And of course, of course, that's the one that goes right. Like, what was your feeling when it was going, dude? Because I remember that like being a moment for you, dude. Dude, it did. I called you every hour because that thing just skyrocketed 1.5 million. And the thing that made that video different than the other ones is the other ones I was talking about the club. And I was still in that mindset of the club story, which everyone can agree is a cool story.

I thought that was it. That that club shit was going to be like all the war stories we had, the big names, this and that. But it wasn't. That fifth video was me talking about solitary in prison.

And that's when I realized I had something you take my the way I look the glasses My experience being in federal prison like my whole life prepared me for this That's why I know this is what i'm supposed to be doing like everything I experienced made me tougher Um everything I experienced in prison that perspective the amount of time I got everything down to the wire Literally prepared me for this and I just didn't know it at the time. Yeah, dude and

I mean, it was like a rewarding moment as your homie, too, to see that happen. Because one...

in my head I knew it the whole time. You know what I mean? I was like, yo, Ian, do these videos. Do these videos. It's going to go. It's going to go. I just know it. But, you know, there's one thing talking about something. There's another thing seeing it happen. Because then that one viral video, you know, never really turned to two, three, four, you know, start doing some YouTube videos. Start doing, and then podcast Ian, and then studio Ian. You know what I mean? So to see like

you know, I'm somebody, and this is something I've always, like, I always like helping people where I can because I like to see what it blossoms into. And, you know, to be a part of your story now and, like, everything that you've created, like, to me, that's, like, a cool thing. Like, I had to tell my friends, I was like, oh, like...

You know, like I kind of pushed him to do some of that stuff. But I mean, every time I do a podcast and tell a story, I always use your name. Like when I was on rap, Mike Rappaport's podcast, when anyone and I'll always tell that story, you know, the bigger I get, like it's because of you, you know, like you pushed me. You were that friend. And that's important for people to hear that, you know, sometimes people just need someone to push them and get them going. And it's always the thing you least expect.

And like now it's totally that moment has changed my life. And in the sense where creating content, it's like people ask, how do you make something go viral? And at first I used to try and now it's like if it's going to go, it's going to go. That's why I've realized like part two is like when you do a part one that goes viral, part two never works the same way because that's not what the universe expects.

And that's also why with my clips, I don't do the fancy AI or the B-roll or any of this. Do I experiment? Yes. But I just – I think –

You just take a unique organic store and you don't interrupt the guests and you put that out there. If it's meant to go, it's meant to go. And it's storytelling. And that's different than what everyone else is doing on social media. And I think that's why like Joe Rogan is so successful because it's just conversation. Joe Rogan doesn't have fancy thumbnails or any of this or any of that. It's just down to the basics. It strips away everything. And that's what became so unique about this show. Storytelling is like...

And like, that's something that is timeless. You know what I mean? Because people love stories, even if it's a story from like hundreds of years ago, like you still watch this kind of stuff because stories are something that just is a timeless media that people can consume. One thing I want to talk on, like, cause we basically talked on your circle, like the people around you. And if there was one thing for people to take away from this podcast is that you are the people you hang around. You know, if you're surrounded by a bunch of bums, you're

I'm sorry to say this, but you're more likely to become a bum. But you want to surround yourself with people who, you know, want to pick you up, want to see you win, want to see you get to the next level. People who are not going to act weirdo jealousy like, no, you just need some genuinely good people that have similar interests and similar grinds and bring each other up because that's how you guys are going to like level up and, you know, figure out where you're supposed to be in life. Yeah. I mean, when I was in prison, I knew in my heart that I was going to get back to

to where I was at before, some way or somehow. I had no idea it was gonna be this, but I knew that when that day came, I was gonna be very careful of who I let in my life because something at Tuxedo, you've seen all the people that were in and out of my life. Every time, a new girl, a new friend, everyone thought they were close to me. And then the second I went to prison,

That's where you find out you're a real friend. I had two friends visit me in prison. Yeah, I know. Two friends. And, you know, we'll give you credit because you FaceTimed me. But two friends. And out of all the people from the past, there are only a few that are with me to this day. You know, from school. Because a lot of people I went to school with wrote me off. But a lot of people also that have formed an opinion on me don't see what we're building now. Like guests are always shocked when they come in and it's just me.

Like I'm doing this all on my own, you know, like I, and, and that's not in a cocky way. It's just like that. I went back to my roots of knowing what I had to do and, you know, success on social media and stuff. It took a while to get there. There was eight months where I was making TikToks out of my car. I had no money. I,

I had no money. I was living off my credit cards. I racked up another $30,000 in debt after already being hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. And I had to get into a deal that took away half of my revenue when I first started because I had no money to start it.

And that was just the grind. And you saw a year ago I was using a shared studio. Oh, yeah. And now I never in a million years pictured this. And I took a big risk to do this. Yeah, dude. I mean, to see everything leveled up to where it's at now, again, as your homie, is really rewarding. And to even go back on just like, you know, your real friends. Yeah.

The quickest way to find your real friends is hit rock bottom. You know what I mean? Because then you can see who's really there. Everyone wants to be there when the shows are great. Everyone wants to be there when the money's being made. Who's going to be there when you're in jail? Who's going to be there when you're broke? Who's going to be there when the worst thing's happening to you? You know? So if you are at rock bottom, you know, there's a good opportunity to find out who really got your back, you know? So it's like,

Cause you don't need that fake energy in your life, dude. And I think that was like, that probably was the worst thing for you in the tuxedo days too. Cause you had so many people in your ear, like everyone had their own agenda. Everyone was like trying to,

You know what I mean? So, yeah, real friends are important to have and stand by because then, you know, when you actually get things like this going, it's like you have people to talk to. You have a whole circle. You have a whole community to support you and just get genuine feedback and people that are actually happy for you versus like, again, someone with a secret agenda, some weird vibes. Now, if you could go back to your high school self the day your house burned down and you got that news and you were sitting there laughing.

what advice would you give to yourself? If you're older Mike Squires talking to younger Mike Squires in that moment, what would you say to him? It's going to be okay, you know? And I know that's like so basic, but like...

You know what my dad had a quote that he's always said to me and like even in that moment it helped me My dad always said nothing's as bad as it seems nothing's as good as it seems and That's a quote that's kept me kind of level-headed when you know terrible things like my house burned down or great things happen where You know an incredible career opportunity where it's like I kind of stay in the middle where it's like I don't get too excited But I don't get to a place of like self-destruction. You know, I mean I just like

got to ride this out and just weather the storm. You know what I mean? And a lot of the time now I'm at a place too, where, you know, when things don't work out, cause you know, even where I'm at in my career, I try things all the time and like some things don't hit, some things do hit, but I'm always better for trying because out of it, there's something I've learned, something I've gained, like just knowing how, and the best way to like level up

Anything you're trying to do is just trying and learning along the way like it doesn't need to be perfect when you start so Pretty much everything I just said in a nutshell is what I kind of reiterate to a younger me and hopefully he'd listen Absolutely. Well mike i'm glad we finally got to sit down and do this. Yeah, this has been exciting Yeah, thank you for coming on. Thank you for being a dear friend Um and always being there for me. It means a lot and i'm never gonna forget that

And looking forward to doing your show soon too. And everyone check out Mike's podcast. He's doing a great thing over there with it, and he's got a lot of energy, and check out his music. I appreciate everyone who checks it out, and I appreciate you, Ian. You know, good old friend Ian Bick.