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Inside Pirate Radio - Alexander Kurz on London Pirate radio 1997

The following story was written by Alexander Kurz from Germany and was developed in attendance of the London Pirate station, Rude FM (104.3MHz, May 1997).

The usual Pirate broadcast starts on Fridays from approximately 21:00 running to sometime in the night of Sunday or Monday morning at 2:00. If on Monday around 3:00 the radio only fuzzes and a re-tuning of the frequency cannot re-establish the eternal Beat, then the weekend has past. Rude FM is one of altogether 40-60 Pirate stations existing in London. Operating Medium: UKW, ideally in the circular metropolis. A transmitter with the range of 20km provides coverage to nearly the entire city. The range of the transmitters depends naturally on the equipment used and the local conditions. The transmitting antenna must be as highly situated as possible. The transmitter also needs to produce sufficiently high performance and above all run trouble free on an unused frequency, which does not disturb side frequencies, disturbance complaints are quickly dealt with by the authorities. The steadiness of the transmitters is amazing; some transmitters operate continuously all week, over months and years!

London listeners carry the underground radio forward, producing a dedicated Drum & Bass sound for the transistor radio! After a long time some listeners can become dependent and get withdrawal symptoms when the weekend transmission finishes. Why is the German Radio scene so boring at night?

Rude FM 104.3

In the night glow the light is broken. The mobiles run on battery power. The kitchen is sound-insulated using mattresses to form a studio. An oversize Ghettoblaster serves as the Studio sound system. The maximum of five DJ's are squeezed into the studio with their records, it's very hot inside.

In the living room an unattached fire and sofa are located; the wallpaper and curtains are torn: possiby for cooling and Joint smoking. On the balcony is a small antenna, which sends the studio audio signal to a large transmitter located elsewhere (somewhere high above where normal people go).

Thanks to DJ Syras

Group Picture.

(?) We're no tourists!

Beginning ...

DJ Chillem: First it was a ``let's try it'', a laugh. When was it when we first ...
Techn Fugative: Four or five years.

Rude FM, 104.3, since summer 1994.
(?): Everyone takes part and there is one technician. He sets up the aerials.
DJ Dove to Techn Fugative: He's the man who puts us all up.

Style
DJ Dylan: Beats.
MC Pedro: It's not one style we use.
DJ Chillem: Jungle, D&B.

Individuals
DJ Syras: Majistrate started 6 month ago, now he's making records. He's young, and he's good.
MC Pedro: A tour to Leipzig, in the next time.
DJ Chillem: The top DJ's are playing in the clubs here.

The others ...

D&B pirate Kool FM, for 5 years on now.
DJ Chillem: We know each other - there are no bad vibes. They help us when we need them, we help them. Everyone is doing their own thing, they used to be the leading Jungle station, but we're approaching them.
Kiss FM, since 1980's, legal 1990: ``Kiss 100''.
(?): Kiss has the DJ's from the pirates.
DJ Chillem: 45-60 pirate stations in London.
...about two persons I don't know: they have big heads ... they think the are better than the other ones. They got their head sticking out of their a...

Money, equipment

DJ Chillem: Pirating is not a cirminal offence; it's a civil offence. DTI -- Best Friends. We try to make it as less expensive as possible. Sometimes they go mad --- they come every day. About one year ago, we were in a squat. Some people called the police, they got 8 of us.
... Techn Fugative: We run a lot of power.
DJ Chillem: at the moment with a 100 W rig, but with this aerial it's like 200.
DJ Dove, Techn Fugative and DJ Chillem are talking about aerials. Luton, Croydon, Heathrow. We're the only ones who cover the whole city. The aerial, it's so high, they fear to take it down. It's so heavy.
Techn Fugative: It's so high, they need a crane. ... Once we lost a 175 W transmitter. I got home, took a drink and came back.
DJ Chillem: Adds: every two hours. We need to buy the rigs, that what it's for; it's expensive. We're paying from our own pockets.
(?): 300 Pounds for a 100W-rig.
DJ Chillem: We're trying to do some raves --- to get some money: 10. May; 17. June: Desire promotions, Rude FM in 2nd room. At the moment we're spending. Fun - that's all about ...

Telephone Hotline

DJ Dove: 24 hours --- no: 24 seconds.
DJ Chillem: People phone in ... and say hello ...

Root / roots ...
DJ Chillem: ... raving in England 1988 ... CJA fucked a lot of things up. Up to two years ago they used to organize massive parties in the fields. 6000-7000 people --- dancing at 8 in the morning, looked like OooO. Proper organization / promotion. Funfare rights. One-day parties to 9 in the morning --- the sun coming up. But also whole weekends ... It's all (CJA) because of the drugs. Today they try to channelize it and people are not so relaxed. Illegal parties today --- they (police) are very strict ...
Techn Fugative: In Luton, every two weeks, in a warehouse at the moment.

Nice story ...

DJ Chillem: Ever since that I am involved in it, every weekend -- it's taken every time the radio. For to be on, we have to be around. You can't say -- I want to have nothing to do with it.
DJ Syras: On the deck ...

How do you get those crappy flats?
DJ Chillem: It's all empty. Can you imagine someone living in here?