‘Rave Gurner’ Reveals Shocking Cocktail of Substances Behind Viral Dance Moment

Have you ever wondered what it actually takes to become an accidental online legend? Let’s rewind to 2014—when social media wasn’t yet this algorithm-infested jungle, and viral moments just crashed onto our screens with a weird, wonderful kind of force. That’s exactly what happened to Shaun Jackson, though most of us only know him as the ‘rave gurner’ guy. One night, a promotional video at Rumes nightclub in Preston just happened to capture him unleashing next-level dance moves (and, yes, some absolutely outrageous facial gymnastics) to Blastoyz and Ranji’s ‘Zoom’—and the internet was never the same .

It’s wild to realize how a single clip—equal parts hysterical and, honestly, a tad unsettling—can launch not just a meme, but a bit of folklore . I still remember seeing those intense, almost alien expressions for the first time and thinking, “Is this avant-garde performance art, or just another Friday night in the North?” The best part? The guy behind the viral madness didn’t even have a name for most of us, just a face—and what a face it was .

So—what’s the story behind that legendary rave? What happened after the ‘gurn’ heard ‘round the world? Should I be worried if my jaw moves like that at parties? One very human night, an ordinary man and a dance floor made internet history. And it still makes people laugh—and scratch their heads—years later .

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Shaun Jackson, known only by the internet as the ‘rave gurner’ guy, became an online sensation after a clip of him dancing in a nightclub went viral.

Social media was starting to get increasingly popular and things went viral a lot more organically back then.

But organic isn’t really the word you would use when describing Jackson being filmed in a nightclub in 2014.

So if you’ve never seen the ‘rave gurner’ video, it was basically a promotional clip for Rumes nightclub in Preston, which captured Jackson’s fierce dance moves and, shall we call it, intense facial expressions.

The Brit is there pranging out to a tune called ‘Zoom’ by Blastoyz and Ranji. Here it is if you’ve never seen it before:

What was the ‘rave gurner’ guy on?

Well, you don’t have to be an expert to figure out that the ‘rave gurner’ guy was, indeed, gurning.

According to Vice, gurning is an ‘inescapable part of taking MDMA or ecstasy’.

You’ll know Shaun Jackson by face but not by name (TikTok/@wackojack013)

“Gurning is likely predominately a result of bruxism, which is prolonged jaw clenching,” said Harry Sumnall, Professor in Substance Use at the Centre for Public Health.

“And also trismus, which describes reduced mouth opening. This can lead to chewing motions and lateral movements of the teeth.”

During a 2019 interview on the Flexxed podcast, Jackson confirmed what substances were in his body at the time of recording.

Jackson went viral back in 2014 (YouTube)

“So I’ve gone out from there that night, three-quarters of a bottle of vodka already down my neck and then three or four drags of real good MD (MDMA),” he said.

“The rest is history,” the podcast co-hosts laughed.

Jackson added: “When I go out anyway, if there is a camera there or not, I am always doing a bit of mad stuff just to get people laughing.”

His only regret was that as things got even wilder during the evening, no one was filming.

What is he up to now?

Jackson is fairly inactive on his public social media platforms.

On Insta, his last post was in 2023, whereas on TikTok his most recent video was shared in 2024.

In 2022, however, Jackson made headlines when spotted at the Glastonbury music festival doing his signature dance moves.

That same year, he even had an action figure made in his honour.

People are still commenting on the original clip in 2025, as one person said: “This is hilarious and terrifying at the same time.”

Another added: “When aliens finally invades us this man would be our last shot to impress them.”

While a third wrote: “What an absolute legend.”