Nineties Pop Icons Light Up Chester with Surprise Gig
For most people, broadband installation day involves tedious waiting and frustration. But for one Chester resident, it became an unforgettable spectacle featuring a legendary 90s boyband. Tao Chang, a local university lecturer and father-of-two, had his high-speed internet switch-on transformed into a full-blown celebration, complete with a neon light display at his home and a headline performance from pop icons Five.
From Stadium Tour to Intimate Pub Performance
The band took a night off from their nationwide stadium tour on 07 November 2025 to headline the giffgaff Switch-On Party at The Carlton Tavern. This marked their first-ever performance in a pub, where they delighted around 100 guests with classic hits like ‘When The Lights Go Out’ and 'Keep on Movin'. The event celebrated Chester becoming one of the first towns in the UK to experience giffgaff's new full-fibre broadband.
Five commented on the unique event, noting, "When we first came onto the scene, broadband hadn’t even launched in the UK — and now here we are in Chester helping giffgaff switch on the next generation of full-fibre connection!"
Tackling Britain's Connectivity Crisis
The festive occasion highlighted a serious issue facing the country. Despite broadband technology being available for 25 years, recent research reveals that more than half of Brits (53%) experience connection issues at least twice a month. In the North West alone, poor broadband has prevented over 340,000 people from securing tickets for live events.
Natalie Cutten, giffgaff's Broadband Product Director, explained the company's approach: "Like we’ve done before in mobile, we've built broadband around our members to create a product that meets their needs - simple, fair value and flexible broadband."
The party also featured two exclusive DJ sets from Chester-born Radio 6 presenter Nemone Metaxas, alongside specially themed 'bytes' of food and drinks for attendees. For Tao Chang, the experience was far from a standard installation. He said, "I never thought getting new broadband would end up with Five lighting up my house... The whole thing has been amazing; the energy, the music, the community spirit."