Shed Seven’s Alan goes from chart topper to app master

Shed Seven drummer Alan Leach is spearheading a smartphone app that aims to revolutionise pub quizzes and trivia nights all over the world.

His company, Clifton Moor-based Speedquizzing Ltd, created the app. It delivers the questions, photos and information to teams’ mobile phones, then monitors and, if necessary, times their responses.

Pen and paper? That’s so last century…

Alan (pictured right) has hosted pub quizzes for nine years. On the lookout for new ways to keep things exciting – and also beat the phone cheats – he started using a wireless buzzer system in 2005.

The software wasn’t great so he asked his computer programmer brother John to create something bespoke. They kept improving this until his kit was the envy of other quiz hosts.

When smartphones arrived, Alan and John realised they could make a business out of their efforts. About two and a half years ago, when John returned from travelling the world, they embarked on creating the world’s first and best smartphone pub quiz software and app system.

Since then demand has started to soar. They are just about to expand into Spain.

Alan enjoys his new role but it’s a lot of hard work – especially since he writes all of the content himself. Currently he has approximately 50 registered users hosting a total of nearly 70 quizzes a week.

“It is a full time job providing these people with support. So what started as a hobby is now just ever so slightly poised to conquer the world,” he said.

“All Shed Seven members have other jobs and pastimes, we all enjoy what we do outside of the band – but equally we are all very much looking forward to our Shed Seven O2 Academies Tour in December.

“A tour rarely goes by though without me hosting dressing room / tour bus quizzes for the band and crew in between gigs.”

• Alan and other Shed members are taking part in a 90s Indie/Britpop charity pub speedquiz at the Cuban Bar in York on Thursday, July 11, 2013. Tickets are £10 per team and are still available from the Speedquiz website
• You can download the Speedquizzing app from the iTunes store as well as Google Play.
• Try Alan’s Mix Six pop quiz here