London pirate radio - news and discussion

[blossie33]

Interesting pictures, I actually saw the exhibition at the ICA when it was on last year.

 

[ffsear]

I used to DJ on Soundz Fm 94.3. Our rig was up a mobile phone tower in Swanley. Used to get calls in as far as Stevenage. Not bad for 200 watts of power!

 

[stethoscope]

Not done one of these for a while, so here's what I picked up in varying reception the last few days in Stratford mainly (and also a few hours near Waterloo).

88.0 Pulse 88 (r'n'b/hiphop)
88.4 Vision (house/garage)
89.8 Station FM (reggae)
90.0 Hot 90 (african)
90.2 Point Blank FM (house)
90.6 Cyndicut (d'n'b)
90.8 Lightning (reggae)
91.8 Live FM (house/garage)
92.2 Metrolove (reggae/r'n'b)
92.4 USD (house)
92.7 Natural Vibez (reggae)
93.0 Fresh Soundz (house)
93.8 Vibes FM (reggae)
94.0 Touch FM (house/garage)
94.2 True Flava's (d'n'b/garage)
94.6 Kool (d'n'b)
95.4 UK Roots (reggae/soul)
95.5 On Top (reggae/r'n'b/hiphop)
96.5 Dem Radyo (turkish)
97.7 SLR (reggae)
98.1 Mystic (reggae)
99.3 Select UK (house)
99.5 Venture FM (reggae)
99.7 Flex FM (house/garage/d'n'b/dubstep)
99.8 Supreme (reggae)
100.3 House FM (house)
101.3 Spice Radio (reggae)
101.5 Empire London (house)
101.8 Bizim (turkish)
102.0 Conscious (reggae)
102.5 Galaxy (reggae)
102.8 Radyo Umut (turkish)
103.8 Buzz FM (r'n'b)
104.0 Muzik Radio (reggae)
104.2 Playback FM (garage/house)
104.7 Pozitif (turkish)
105.2 Heart of Love Radio (r'n'b/reggae)
106.5 Project Radio (house)

 

[dweller]

Nice one. I wish I still had one of those big metal tuner decks with the giant knob in the middle.
Those were always best for browsing the pirates.

 

[skyscraper101]

Anyone got any favourite adverts? I rathe like the Peak Performance Health one they have on Kool Fm.

"get in shape get in shape etc etc "

 

[ska invita]

Thats a classic one for sure...that garage on the lee bridge roundabout (ask for Nick) sounds great, especially for those of us who are tired of the technical flim flam.
Seeeeeeeya!

 

[ringo]

I've still never had porridge from Johnny One Stop on the Leander Road. V-V-V-V-VIBES FM!

 

[skyscraper101]

Thats a classic one for sure...that garage on the lee bridge roundabout (ask for Nick) sounds great, especially for those of us who are tired of the technical flim flam.
Seeeeeeeya!

HAHA I love that garage ad. Especially the "technical flim flam" line

 

[ska invita]

Edited post from a couple of years back, re mobile phone ad and what happened to said shop

killer kool fm tape here - love brockies selection at this time (93, with a few 92s in there too) - classic ad break - and then fabrok gets very ugly

Deep Inside The Oldskool: Brockie & Fabrok - Kool FM - 23rd April 1993

Adverts
(first ad for some ropey lee bridge mobile phone company - unfortunately not a happy ending to that one. )
-

Top Kool FM that, I always remember Skytone's ads on Kool! I presumed they were the ones that supplied Kool and Rush their legendary numbers and were always amazed that when other stations were regularly getting their phones/numbers cut-off, Kool and Rush kept their same numbers for many years

ETA: link is dead - basically IIRc the phone shop guy got sent down for all kinds of dodgeyness

 

[ska invita]

I've still never had porridge from Johnny One Stop on the Leander Road. V-V-V-V-VIBES FM!

that ads been on there for at least 15 years

 

[stethoscope]

There was a cracking ad for 'Chicken in a box' Willesden area on a few of the ragga stations the other year. Wished I'd got a recording of that.

 

[stethoscope]

That 'Liiiiiiiiife & Utopia' one is still etched on my mind over 20 years later

 

[ska invita]

That 'Liiiiiiiiife & Utopia' one is still etched on my mine over 20 years later

that and teeeeeeellleeeeeeeeeppppppaaaaaaaaaaattttthhhhhhhhhhyyy man!

 

[skyscraper101]

Sometimes the more low rent they are the better.

I like how for no reason at all, the lee bridge roundabout ask for nick one has the Helicopter Tune as it's soundtrack.

 

[ringo]

that ads been on there for at least 15 years

I had a driving job delivering Taxi parts to garages around London in the summer of 2003 and its been in my brain ever since

 

[sovereignb]

Thats a classic one for sure...that garage on the lee bridge roundabout (ask for Nick) sounds great, especially for those of us who are tired of the technical flim flam.
Seeeeeeeya!

Question is has anyone actually been there and what is Nicks connection to Kool FM

 

[ska invita]

The lea bridge roundabout seems to be a hotbed of advertising revenue for kool

 

[ska invita]

I had a driving job delivering Taxi parts to garages around London in the summer of 2003 and its been in my brain ever since

Hah same, I began my driving job in 2000 and that was when I started listened to vibes...

 

[sovereignb]

Liiiiiife and Utopia has now been ringing in my head all day now

 

[ska invita]

I've still never had porridge from Johnny One Stop on the Leander Road. V-V-V-V-VIBES FM!

Gave the vibes ad break a listen today and the ad wasn't there anymore

 

[stethoscope]

'Return of the heavyweights... at the luxurious Platinum Suite, Tottenham N15... Strictly no trainers or sportswear, dress to impress... Ladies you're free b4 11...'

 

[ska invita]

Currently getting heavy rotation on vibes is the higher level function rooms in Thornton heath... Granarys is a nightspot burned in my brain from vibes ads of old...

 

[ringo]

Gave the vibes ad break a listen today and the ad wasn't there anymore

Booo

 

[ringo]

Currently getting heavy rotation on vibes is the higher level function rooms in Thornton heath... Granarys is a nightspot burned in my brain from vibes ads of old...

I went to Porky's Wine Bar last month for the first time, it was great, Wassie One was selecting

 

[stethoscope]

Wassie One was selecting

He archives his Venture FM shows on mixcloud here. Love Wassie!

 

[ringo]

He archives his Venture FM shows on mixcloud here. Love Wassie!

Ta I didn't know that. Nice friendly chap too, great selector.

 

[skyscraper101]

So what are people mostly listening to these days? I used to listen to Passion FM a lot but they seem to have disappeared.

I have Kool FM, Flex FM and Point Blank FM in rotation. Never really listened to Vibes until this morning but I liked it.

 

[ska invita]

Have been tuning in to Galaxy a lot more recently...i'd describe it as an afrocentric station, lots of chat, but when they do play music its always interesting and not usual...some great jazz, reggae, african and soul...definitely worth a check in on the dial to see whats up.
Other than that its mainly between kool/vibes/house fm/and rinse depending on mood - though radiowise increasingly checking out Mi Soul (especially on a Sunday when the line up all day is a killer) and theres always great music on the 4hero created online station NUWAVERADIO - am yet to hear a dud set on that station

 

[blossie33]

I used to listen to Passion.
I have trouble finding stations on my radio now

 

[ringo]

I haven't listened to Vibes for a while. The car is tuned to Rinse FM (Mrs R) when there's not a CD playing. My digital radio in the kitchen keeps getting switched between Radio 6 (Mrs R) and Capital FM (the littlun), but I sometimes spin the dial til I get to reggae and leave it on whatever comes up.

I don't mind Radio 6 now and then on a Sunday cooking the roast but I get very bored of all the Smiths/indie shite on it. Capital FM can do one.

I am definitely going to preset a few channels on there for ease of use. I have been saying that for 6 years.