HISTORY OF ASR

2002
Before ASR even existed, I was dj-ing out every weekend over the UK except for Gloucester - which bugged me. This was why the 1st event happened in 2002 at The Windmill Pub, on Eastgate Street every Sunday with Dj Corrupt. Please click these images as you go along, they will expand for full photos.
Everything was going well and we sustained for a good few months, for a Sunday night free entry, but the manager at the time mentioned there were "Too many black people" coming through the door, so we swiftly departed that venue!

2003
The next event we did was April 2003 at Therapy on Westgate Street Gloucester with Nicky Blackmarket and a few of the people we had met at The Windmill nights. It was a huge learning curve to book and budget for a bigger event and we had a good crowd into the pub. The licence hindered us, shutting at 12 was a big difficulty so we then moved to The Dick Whittington August 2003 with a 1am licence, & 2 floors of DnB.

After Shock Radio better known as ASR today, was set up later that year in October 2003. A large bank loan was taken out to set up the studio with equipment on Stroud Road in Gloucester, and it took 2 months to decorate and prepare for the grand opening in January 2004. The money provided new carpets, studio equipment, lighting, alarms, amenities and everything you could imagine to the 2 floor offices.

2004
We had a few issues. I think being teens and twenties with so much responsibility waked us up. I also had less time to concentrate on my Dj career while trying to help everybody else. A lot of young aggy Djs and Mcs through the doors, with the place getting trashed, and drinking and smoking caused complaints from local business's, and with no funding didn't help. However much it was a great idea, with ASR was built upon a really grand beginning - the lack of money was just not there. We sustained this studio, the £800 month bills and streaming for 5 months, and then started to struggle financially as the money started to run out.

We then set up nights at The Welsh Harp to help fund the ASR studios. We did have a great BBC review and were now getting a lot of press. This was Gloucester's 1st fortnightly drum n bass night ever. You can see as the flyers continue, the range of Djs and Mcs that we had over the years. We left the Welsh Harp, as the manager there asked one of our Dj's General Annoyance to drop ASR and do the nights with some other locals, and take the door money. Another venue we swiftly departed! Back to the studio we went...

A week later, we secured The Station pub for our events. We teamed up with Kerry who helped us with a Sound System and our 1st Event at the Station on 21st May 2004 which went really well. We were able to keep the studio afloat a few more months. During this time, it gave me the chance to concentrate on expanding ASR and getting more Dj's and Mc's out of Gloucester and onto bigger events. ASR hosted the 2nd room for the 1st time ever at the famous Brunel Rooms in October 2004 and we took a 50 seater bus from Gloucester to our 1st Valve event. Bedlam have been a great help to ASR Djs and Mcs breaking through in the last few years, putting a lot of up and comings on the biggest events they have ever played on, so a big thank you to them. In between, we did a breaks and house night at The Brunswick Pub while still continuing the dnb nights at Crackers with Juiceman coming to Crackers for the 1st time Nov 04

Later in 2004 at Christmas I hooked up with Zoe who ran High Rollerz and ASR hosted the 2nd room there. 2004 was really a fun year for us all. Eventually, even with flyers, promotion and our events in Gloucester, things became difficult to continue. We started streaming Djs from home, but charged less, and eventually the studio on Stroud Road was closed to lack of funds at the beginning of 2005.

We would like to just say a huge thanks to all the Djs and Mcs who knew Stroud Road studios, and for thier help. Things were extremely stressful financially and mentally, and I hope that looking back we can remember the good times we had!

2005
I took ASR artists internationally for the first time to one of my gigs in Germany in 2005 and the studios were moved to my flat at Brunswick Square to the delight of my neighbours. Having ASR at home, wasn't ideal with strangers in and out of the house 24/7 and we were unable to play the music very loud. ASR slowly moved completely to Djs and Mcs playing from home. Not only were the noise problems being experienced at home, but the Station pub found this an issue too. We ran more liquidy dnb earlier at The Station as asked by management, and then the harder drum n bass at Crackers just a stones throw over the road. Eventually we moved completely to our home at Crackers in 2005 as The Station management like many other venues in Gloucester didn't like drum n bass.
Dj Silkcut joined us January 2005 and is now the station manager. He has kindly done a lot of graphic design for us over the years to include forum banners, flyers and website work. Over the next year, ASR was moved out of my flat completely with Dj and Mc shows hosted from their own homes. Nights continued to grow at Crackers and then we were featured in the local newspaper.

We kick started our events in 2005 with Dj Pascal. and after that a whole range of Djs and Mcs were rotated on our nights. and by March ASR was invited back to play at Bedlam Valve again versing New Nation in the up and coming room. Doing so well, we were then asked back continually and May saw us getting ASR djs on the Valve sound system.

Brunel Rooms continued to throw bookings towards ASR and Bedlam invited the ASR crew back again for the 2nd time. Nights began to increase and the ASR crews bookings doubling. A good relationship was built with the club, and the opportunities for the Djs to play at big raves increased. We continued Crackers and our busiest night to date was then with Nicky Blackmarket. I continued to get ASR Mc's on line ups where I could sorting out Tommi Gun sets, and Brunels supporting us as residents on the Movement Tour in the club.

ASR In Germany
October 2005 I hooked up again with Swatbee in Germany after playing there, and suggested to get some of the ASR crew abroad and through that in October 2005 ASR hooked up with Devotion to step up the nights in Gloucester too.

The ASR nights alongside with the internet radio station has gone from strength to strength. We have continued to work with Bedlam Valve and included on invite in Bedlams 4th Birthday Party.

Swatbee and Mc Dnb were over for ASR from Germany, and we were still running the nights fortnightly at that time, but our hard work was paid off when in December 2005, we were invited to host a room in London Club Scala, with DnB's biggest promoters, Desire.

2006
We kick started with Nicky Blackmarket back to Gloucester, and local Dj Donovan Smith who over years has been a great help and friend of ASR. He has supported us with our nights, and on a personal level been a great mentor.

We had also decided now to change from fortnights as it was too much with the station and work, and our Februarys monthly event brought Phantasy from Devotion as a resident to our nights and Mc rage touching down in Gloucester for the 1st time.

February we were invited back to Desire in London this time at Club Hidden and still pushing the ASR team in Swindon for Valve Bedlam while bringing Generation Dub to Gloucester for the 1st time. We kept pushing our nights, some were quieter but when we had a good turn out we all pushed harder for the next one.
Saturday 8th April 2006 we were invited back for the last and final night for Desire @ Club Scala London.
In May we were back again for Valve Bedlam, Gloucester turned out in force, and also at the ASR nights bringing Swan E to Gloucester for the 1st time. We would have ASR nights on a Friday and then Valve on a Saturday, showing some proper stamina.
The ASR crew have played in a range of cities now, and we have seen over the years the djs pulling together for nights around the country and at home Gloucester saw the return of the Ragga Twins in the summer while still pushing the nights for High Rollerz in Swindon still prioritising getting the ASR crew about, and getting invited back to Wantage for the 2nd time.

September 2006 we were back again at Valve Bedlam and you can see now why I see The Brunel Rooms as my second home. Our monthly nights in Gloucester brought Skibadee for our Christmas Party. Definately one we won't forget! 2006 was a good year and a massive thank you to Steve who owns Crackers for helping us through the past years.

2007
Our relationship with Brunel Rooms over the years has given us all some memorable nights so continuing to work with them in 2007 was an honour and Bedlam Valve and Hyde Studios were also bringing in guests from London while local Dj Donovan Smith doing guest shows for us also raised our profile.
Our 1st night of 2007 in our home town saw Nicky Blackmarket, Juiceman and D Product touch down and our busiest night ever with Shabba and Phantasy.



February 2007 saw us launch our monthly sister night in Leamington Spa and as such a success we continued to push our nights North of Gloucester. Not just North but South in Kent, ASR were repping with Hyde Studios. We returned again to Bedlam Valve in Swindon in March.

Nationally we hit London hard in April, with resident Dj Peter F promoting a very successful night in Brixton in March. We also did our first night in Cheltenham at Bohemia on a Sunday branching out with drum and bass downstairs and breaks upstairs. We were back with Bedlam for a True Playaz night in Bristol this time,

Click Here for all the event photos


To be continued....... http://www.aftershockradio.com/atm/May05/asr001.JPG (release)