DJ Schak, also known as Nanna Makina, held a rave inside Newcastle's Victoria Tunnel on Friday night, saying he wants to show off the region's culture. The 34-year-old, whose real name is Shakeil Luciano, entered the north end of the wagonway, built in the 1800s to transport coal, with a group of friends and spent around 90 minutes raving underground.
Rave inside the tunnel
Schak, who lives in North Shields, North Tyneside, told ChronicleLive: "I have been aware of the tunnel for a while and I was waiting for the right time to do it. I managed to get a group together to do it." He said the northern entrance, which is permanently closed, was already open, and they sealed it up before they left.
He added: "The vibe was really good. The hair on my Nanna mask is ruined. I have got 180-year-old soot on the mask. Even though I'm small my head was touching the tunnel. I'm only 5ft 3 so that shows how small the tunnel is! My wig is meant to be grey but it's black!"
Safety precautions
The Victoria Tunnel runs from the north of Newcastle, under the city, to where the Ouseburn enters the Tyne. The Ouseburn Trust operates guided tours of the south side, but the north side is prohibited due to poisonous gases and dangerously low oxygen levels.
Schak, known for his pop-up raves, said safety was his main concern. He said: "I went down to check the air quality and the air was the same as on the surface. I also sought advice from a close friend who is a health and safety inspector. I had a team with me who are very hands on. My mate had a gas meter on his chest the whole time. It was fine."
Career and recent events
Schak rose to fame in 2022 with his song Moving All Around (Jumpin') [feat. Kim English], and has since performed with Calvin Harris in Ibiza, at Creamfields Music Festival, and on a tour of America. He promoted the single by DJing on a double decker bus, the Metro, the Shields Ferry, outside St James' Park, and inside a B&Q showroom kitchen in North Shields. He was asked to play inside St James' Park in 2023 and 2024.
In July 2024, he was arrested after holding a rave inside the closed Wet 'n' Wild waterpark in North Shields. He said officers arrested the three people the equipment belonged to, including himself, on suspicion of causing a public nuisance. They were released with no further action.
Schak is now focusing on Makina music, releasing his new single Impacto (Makina) three weeks ago, which has over 20 million streams. He recently introduced Creamfields to his alter ego Nanna Makina. He said: "Life is really good. It's been a massive journey. In March, I took the summer off because I wasn't enjoying what I was doing anymore and I was considering stopping. But the time off allowed me to spend time with parts of my life that were getting neglected. Makina came around naturally. I was writing an album and it came around organically. I posted a Nanna Makina set online and one of my posts went viral. Everything happens for a reason and I'm a firm believer in that."
He added: "I'm one person but two identities. I do a lot of DJing as Nanna but I write the music. They both feed into each other. I'm playing at some really big shows as well as Nanna Makina. It's getting into the mainstream." Schak has announced a "seven hour festive takeover" at the NX Newcastle in December. Northumbria Police have been contacted for comment.
