I DJ'd on Defection 89.4. The 'studio' was in the kitchen of a flat on the block opposite. Miley and Stitch set up Defection because they said the Weekend Rush crew were too mad! It wasn't a toilet seat they threw onto the police car - it was a whole toilet!
I remember listening to pirate radio a lot in the early 90s in Manchester. This was simply because they played dance music that just wasn't available on regular radio stations. I don't think any of the radio stations in Manchester went to this extreme - although I did hear some stories of creative ways they avoided the authorities. Again a great video Lewis 👍
Some serious players here.. concrete, electrified bars & abseiling...sounds like something from the IRA ! I've never actually heard a pirate station. Lewis, if you are able perhaps you could put together a couple of minutes of some choice pirate DJ chatter with a few seconds of the music spliced in ? I'm sure I can't be the only radio enthusiast who's never heard a pirate station.
Oh, the good old days. Personally know many of those guys even today. Loved the CB days before this but remember Rush and the multitude of private radio stations around back in those days.
I knew just from the video pic this would be Weekend Rush. I remember going to a small festival on the Nightingale Estate just before they knocked the blocks down. They were mostly empty apart from some squatters in the lower levels. I remember seeing scaffolding poking out of the top windows with dipoles on the end. I'm guessing it was Kool still using them just before they moved down the road, as Rush had finished by then.
I bought a batch of radio gear at the young age of 16 back in 1973. My mates in the local park had handsets & would call in requests for records that l was broadcasting from my bedroom. I had a cool little radio station going for a 16yr old lol. However it did not go un-noticed. The cops caught me & my mate some weeks later. They searched us & ofcourse we had handsets on us. And off to the nick l went. I was questioned about the radio station as it was on a frequency the same as the handsets. Ofcourse l told them l had no idea who was broadcasting as l had only heard it. So my dad contacted & we both had to go into the inspector's office for a chat. Considering my young age, he would let me off with a caution if l was prepared to sign over the handsets to the police........to be used for police training (he did not elaborate). So l signed them over as if it went to court l very much doubt l would get them back anyway. I was very relieved that they did not search my house as l had a full station set up in my bedroom. I shut down the station after that as l then knew they were trying to track it down. Had l not been caught with those handsets l do not doubt the raid would have happened.
Back in the day I bumped into an Ex who was an EHO. After pleasantries she proudly said she was meeting the DTI and Police to raid a Pirate Radio Station. After turning down BassFM on the car radio and saying goodbye I messaged the studio advising them to leg it.
There is a brief picture of Hackney Wick estate. I had two different flats there between 1985- 1987. All gone now. Great days man. The early days of pirate and rave. I wish I could move back there.
I remember seeing the news report at the time as I was on holiday in London back in 1993. Also other London pirate stations such as Pulse FM , one of the heavyweights back then, were in solidarity & used to play the Weekend Rush EP that sampled the London Tonight news report.
Great video Lewis i think it was big in most cities we used to be speaking on cb on what was on air around Nottingham about same era one breaker was allways in the know later one nigbt heard him mc on a garage set on a popular pirate station funny they allways had a so recognisable bass voice audio output tone
5:42 'The pirates grabbed him and dangled him over the edge of the roof by his ankles before letting him go' . . . was this an intentional pun Lewis? 😁
@@RingwayManchester HAHA... I do it all the time. Make puns and don't realise why people laugh. BTW. I'm radio communications trained (RN) and was RO/ETO in Greenpeace Marine Div for a while. I grew-up on the original era of Pirate Radio - Radio Caroline and Radio Luxembourg and early Capial. My personal logo/thumbnail ( Skull + 4 electric flashes overlaying the four cardinal points) - was designed for a pirate station that I was going to set-up back in the mid eighties, but went back to sea with GP instead. . The idea is still there though...
Wow, boobyrtrap's? Gas? Electricity? We never did such things. What we did when they caught us was installing new dipoles under the stack that was sealed, and replacing all equipment the same day. We had a lot of people to help us.
As dangerous as it sounds making a blockade out of concrete, with scaffold tube's wired to the mains and gas canisters laying in wait for the unsuspected people to find, it's an ingenious and well thought out deterrent!
The title made me think of a story I saw in the early 2000s from the US where the police had arrested the operators of a pirate radio station, allegedly aside from the kinds of music you didn't hear on commercial radio they ran adverts for drug dealers, reviewed firearms and illegal drugs as well as other things that attracted the law's attention much more swiftly than if they'd just stuck to playing music. From what I can remember of the news story their setup was a bedroom studio with the antenna in a nearby tree.
I remember that news broadcast well, even Dicer being interviewed. Even remember where I was when it was broadcast 🤣 Did a stint on Weekend Rush too. Will never forget those times.
Rush went off in 1995 not 1997 after they'ed changed their name to KIK FM. De Ja Vu was on 98.2 at the time. "dangled by his ankles" ....Oh that old chessnut. :D :D
such were the stakes in 80s 90s and beyond to stay on air a make a name for yourself ....lockdown of course has brought some stations a chance to operate unmolested by ofcom for nearly 2 years only to fall foul of one of there own ...the rig thief....even recently as reported to me thievery is still present. ...Great history Lewis these guys certainly went big with this quadruple set up .......
In Arayat, Pampanga in the Philippines, 98.5 Channel A Radio was permanently cease operations in May, 2023 due to non licensed by the National Telecommunications Commission and continued by an Online Audio Streaming
“Dangled him over the edge of the building by his ankles before they let him go”? Is the “before they let him go” part meant to imply that they pulled him back onto the roof of the building? Or meaning they dangled him over the edge of the building in order to really let the fear of falling sink in before they let him go to fall to his death? 😮
I was involved in Pirate radio in the 80's in Eastbourne and yes we got chased by the DTI but hearing Lewis say they "dangled" the DTI officer over the side of the tower block is "Rather Extreme".🙈🙈 73.G7HFS/PA3IKH
It's unfortunate that these cat and mouse activities aren't more appreciated and accommodated by authorities. It would be an important skill in another time like WW2 Europe.
Seems the pirate stations don't get in as much trouble as they do in the states. Here they confiscate everything you own, fine you into bankruptcy and possibly toss you in prison. What I would give to be able to even pull off what you guys can.
Fine you, Jason? 'You' only works if they can find 'you'! The guys here are invisible - totally off the radar, ghosts. Fining them isn't possible. The station is 'will of the wisp' stuff, too - unlikely there's anything you can find to seize. It moves around like a WW2 resistance thing. And, take it from me - these hombres are not cuddly. They terrify the radio service investigators (unarmed - just like the FCC guys in the US). And, d'you think the local cops or the military think pirate radio stations are a good use of their resources? They don't. They want to stay out of this sort of nonsense. You're not seeing this right - this isn't a bunch of lard bellied CBers running 10kW amps from their homes - it's gritty, inner city housing with locals deeply hostile to the authorities. Maybe in the US, law enforcement yahoos would turn a public housing estate in downtown Mogadishu. This is England.
They do that in the UK too. Also, they give you an ASBO, which normally means you get banned from certain locations of the city and risk going to prison if caught in those places.
I really enjoy these f*ck the govt stories. Pirate radio has been a part of my listening pleasure since the 70s. The hunt for pirate radio on SW is the real joy.
Problem with the internet is getting exposure, you're downing in a sea of other internet stations. We've still got a few pirate stations where I am and they also stream online, fm helps drive new listeners and there's the online streams to fall back on when the station goes off air for a while
Crazy shit this is. Love it! Just got my foundation level license, M7VOO. (Got into it after watching your vids) Radio is powerful stuff. Would love to see more of the pirate radio madness.
Whilst I do not condone the actions that happened in that block, the statement about a normal pirate radio station being a criminal organisation, I disagree strongly with. We commit a crime against who exactly? These are airwaves. The truth is, pirate radio actually brings people and community's together through music. Pirates yes, criminals, absolutely not, never.
@@RSCOZZY Lol, 'we are not criminals, we just do criminal things'... Great defense for in court... Threatening to throw people of a block of flats, placing traps meant to seriously injure or kill police/DTI and throwing bricks at police cars while saying you're not a criminal xD I hope they were involved with drugs, it would somewhat explain their delusional behaviour.
I DJ'd on Defection 89.4. The 'studio' was in the kitchen of a flat on the block opposite. Miley and Stitch set up Defection because they said the Weekend Rush crew were too mad! It wasn't a toilet seat they threw onto the police car - it was a whole toilet!
I remember defection well .
💨🚽 🤣😂🤣😂
Flying toliets 😂🤣😂🤣
The journey from defection to defecation.
@@Ronaldo-se3ffLOL😂😂😂 Beat me to it!
Love these pirate radio stories. Pirate stations were a big part of my youth.
Same!
Exactly!! They shaped our youth growing up!!
I remember listening to pirate radio a lot in the early 90s in Manchester. This was simply because they played dance music that just wasn't available on regular radio stations.
I don't think any of the radio stations in Manchester went to this extreme - although I did hear some stories of creative ways they avoided the authorities.
Again a great video Lewis 👍
Some serious players here.. concrete, electrified bars & abseiling...sounds like something from the IRA ! I've never actually heard a pirate station. Lewis, if you are able perhaps you could put together a couple of minutes of some choice pirate DJ chatter with a few seconds of the music spliced in ? I'm sure I can't be the only radio enthusiast who's never heard a pirate station.
Sure I’ll see what I can do! Thanks as always
@@RingwayManchester Please do!
Search RUclips and you will find uploads of some of the shows
Search for jungle Pirate radio archieves on yt, there's a guy uploading lots of homomade recordings of these pirate radio stations
@@RingwayManchester Is The DTI The Equivalent To Our FCC Here In The United States??
Oh, the good old days. Personally know many of those guys even today. Loved the CB days before this but remember Rush and the multitude of private radio stations around back in those days.
I knew just from the video pic this would be Weekend Rush. I remember going to a small festival on the Nightingale Estate just before they knocked the blocks down. They were mostly empty apart from some squatters in the lower levels. I remember seeing scaffolding poking out of the top windows with dipoles on the end. I'm guessing it was Kool still using them just before they moved down the road, as Rush had finished by then.
Another brilliant story from Lewis showing the length the authorities will go to waste taxpayers money.
It's great to get more information on this. They also made a banging tune from sampling the news report.
The track is Can't Stop the Pirates- Dica and Ben Intellect. It's a tune.
@@64bakes Thanks for the info 👍
@@64bakesgot a link?
@@sivoltage ruclips.net/video/i7e3GLiJEfo/видео.htmlsi=yyL3o2V1cDVS1E_I
Another good one my friend. Thank you for your work. 73
I bought a batch of radio gear at the young age of 16 back in 1973.
My mates in the local park had handsets & would call in requests for records that l was broadcasting from my bedroom. I had a cool little radio station going for a 16yr old lol.
However it did not go un-noticed.
The cops caught me & my mate some weeks later. They searched us & ofcourse we had handsets on us.
And off to the nick l went. I was questioned about the radio station as it was on a frequency the same as the handsets.
Ofcourse l told them l had no idea who was broadcasting as l had only heard it.
So my dad contacted & we both had to go into the inspector's office for a chat.
Considering my young age, he would let me off with a caution if l was prepared to sign over the handsets to the police........to be used for police training (he did not elaborate).
So l signed them over as if it went to court l very much doubt l would get them back anyway.
I was very relieved that they did not search my house as l had a full station set up in my bedroom.
I shut down the station after that as l then knew they were trying to track it down. Had l not been caught with those handsets l do not doubt the raid would have happened.
Were they Pye Pocket phones?
Big up for this documentary. Enjoyed watching every minute of this.
Now that's motivation.
Back in the day I bumped into an Ex who was an EHO. After pleasantries she proudly said she was meeting the DTI and Police to raid a Pirate Radio Station. After turning down BassFM on the car radio and saying goodbye I messaged the studio advising them to leg it.
There is a brief picture of Hackney Wick estate. I had two different flats there between 1985- 1987. All gone now. Great days man. The early days of pirate and rave. I wish I could move back there.
I remember seeing the news report at the time as I was on holiday in London back in 1993. Also other London pirate stations such as Pulse FM , one of the heavyweights back then, were in solidarity & used to play the Weekend Rush EP that sampled the London Tonight news report.
Before the microwave link days then! I used to run hot much to my detriment 😆
Great video Lewis i think it was big in most cities we used to be speaking on cb on what was on air around Nottingham about same era one breaker was allways in the know later one nigbt heard him mc on a garage set on a popular pirate station funny they allways had a so recognisable bass voice audio output tone
5:42 'The pirates grabbed him and dangled him over the edge of the roof by his ankles before letting him go' . . . was this an intentional pun Lewis? 😁
Haha it wasn’t! I realised my slip up after 😂
@@RingwayManchester HAHA... I do it all the time. Make puns and don't realise why people laugh.
BTW. I'm radio communications trained (RN) and was RO/ETO in Greenpeace Marine Div for a while.
I grew-up on the original era of Pirate Radio - Radio Caroline and Radio Luxembourg and early Capial.
My personal logo/thumbnail ( Skull + 4 electric flashes overlaying the four cardinal points) - was designed for
a pirate station that I was going to set-up back in the mid eighties, but went back to sea with GP instead.
.
The idea is still there though...
"Released"
@@RingwayManchester LoL, the correction is even better
Can't Stop The Pirates!
Really enjoy all your video,s, keep up the great work.
Wow, boobyrtrap's? Gas? Electricity? We never did such things. What we did when they caught us was installing new dipoles under the stack that was sealed, and replacing all equipment the same day. We had a lot of people to help us.
The use of radio broadcast underground world will increase in some way mostly in wartimes
Very cool...those guys were serious!!
As dangerous as it sounds making a blockade out of concrete, with scaffold tube's wired to the mains and gas canisters laying in wait for the unsuspected people to find, it's an ingenious and well thought out deterrent!
Fantastic Lewis , bring on the Pirate stuff it is amazing what they will do to try to stop the DTI 😁
Regards
Dave.
Thanks mate! Will call you tomorrow!
@@RingwayManchester Love Your Content!!!!
I finally found the sample from Tommy Holohan's "Subaru Impreza" it's the opening broadcast! Fantastic video as always.
The title made me think of a story I saw in the early 2000s from the US where the police had arrested the operators of a pirate radio station, allegedly aside from the kinds of music you didn't hear on commercial radio they ran adverts for drug dealers, reviewed firearms and illegal drugs as well as other things that attracted the law's attention much more swiftly than if they'd just stuck to playing music. From what I can remember of the news story their setup was a bedroom studio with the antenna in a nearby tree.
had no idea there was pirate radio in the states. dope
Don't mess with the Pirates.
I remember that news broadcast well, even Dicer being interviewed. Even remember where I was when it was broadcast 🤣
Did a stint on Weekend Rush too. Will never forget those times.
Rush went off in 1995 not 1997 after they'ed changed their name to KIK FM. De Ja Vu was on 98.2 at the time. "dangled by his ankles" ....Oh that old chessnut. :D :D
Ah cheers, rusher said 97
They never went to KIK , that’s Bs , rusher was correct !
Remember this at the time cheers Lewis
Another fascinating tale.
I'd be setting one up today if i had the chance. Need more dnb etc to be thrown out there.
These were the days.
Just think how fkd up `owning airwaves` is anyway , fk them.
such were the stakes in 80s 90s and beyond to stay on air a make a name for yourself ....lockdown of course has brought some stations a chance to operate unmolested by ofcom for nearly 2 years only to fall foul of one of there own ...the rig thief....even recently as reported to me thievery is still present.
...Great history Lewis these guys certainly went big with this quadruple set up .......
In Arayat, Pampanga in the Philippines, 98.5 Channel A Radio was permanently cease operations in May, 2023 due to non licensed by the National Telecommunications Commission and continued by an Online Audio Streaming
Any pirate DAB stations popped up yet. Or is that impossible
Not impossible, just very, very expensive!
Fascinating story
Interesting story, thanks
why did the police just not kill the power going to the flat above?
I ❤️ Hackney!
Released. Not Dropped! 😁
“Dangled him over the edge of the building by his ankles before they let him go”? Is the “before they let him go” part meant to imply that they pulled him back onto the roof of the building? Or meaning they dangled him over the edge of the building in order to really let the fear of falling sink in before they let him go to fall to his death? 😮
The pulled him back, I did say that at the bottom lol
@@RingwayManchester Yes, they "Released" him
Like for the dnb track. 😉 And the story of course.
im supprised no one has taken over the old tv frequencys yet or is it pointless???
Very good video.
Thanks Shaun
I was involved in Pirate radio in the 80's in Eastbourne and yes we got chased by the DTI but hearing Lewis say they "dangled" the DTI officer over the side of the tower block is "Rather Extreme".🙈🙈
73.G7HFS/PA3IKH
It's unfortunate that these cat and mouse activities aren't more appreciated and accommodated by authorities. It would be an important skill in another time like WW2 Europe.
Internet pretty much killed the radio pirate
You reckon? Depending on where you are, scan the dial and see. Certainly not the case in London 🙌
Not around here, there's not as many as there used to be but still have 2-3pirate stations broadcasting where I am on any day of the week
I abseiled once , never again !!!
How the hell did they do all that without at least one person snitching?
Pirate radio real urban heros
good vido
That's a crazy story, dangling an officer over the edge of the building is a massive step too far.
Quality
❤🏴☠📻😎
Seems the pirate stations don't get in as much trouble as they do in the states. Here they confiscate everything you own, fine you into bankruptcy and possibly toss you in prison. What I would give to be able to even pull off what you guys can.
Fine you, Jason? 'You' only works if they can find 'you'! The guys here are invisible - totally off the radar, ghosts. Fining them isn't possible. The station is 'will of the wisp' stuff, too - unlikely there's anything you can find to seize. It moves around like a WW2 resistance thing. And, take it from me - these hombres are not cuddly. They terrify the radio service investigators (unarmed - just like the FCC guys in the US). And, d'you think the local cops or the military think pirate radio stations are a good use of their resources? They don't. They want to stay out of this sort of nonsense. You're not seeing this right - this isn't a bunch of lard bellied CBers running 10kW amps from their homes - it's gritty, inner city housing with locals deeply hostile to the authorities. Maybe in the US, law enforcement yahoos would turn a public housing estate in downtown Mogadishu. This is England.
They do that in the UK too. Also, they give you an ASBO, which normally means you get banned from certain locations of the city and risk going to prison if caught in those places.
@@darkerarts Yep, although we've still got a few pirate stations going strong around here which is nice
neato
I really enjoy these f*ck the govt stories. Pirate radio has been a part of my listening pleasure since the 70s. The hunt for pirate radio on SW is the real joy.
👏👏👏👍
I am sure pirate radio today has become irrelevant with the rise of the internet and smartphones.
Err, no. It hasn't. Just scan the dial my friend 😆
Problem with the internet is getting exposure, you're downing in a sea of other internet stations. We've still got a few pirate stations where I am and they also stream online, fm helps drive new listeners and there's the online streams to fall back on when the station goes off air for a while
Corrupt fm😂
Crazy shit this is. Love it!
Just got my foundation level license, M7VOO. (Got into it after watching your vids)
Radio is powerful stuff.
Would love to see more of the pirate radio madness.
sounds like a bunch of criminals
Whilst I do not condone the actions that happened in that block, the statement about a normal pirate radio station being a criminal organisation, I disagree strongly with. We commit a crime against who exactly? These are airwaves. The truth is, pirate radio actually brings people and community's together through music. Pirates yes, criminals, absolutely not, never.
@@RSCOZZY Lol, 'we are not criminals, we just do criminal things'... Great defense for in court... Threatening to throw people of a block of flats, placing traps meant to seriously injure or kill police/DTI and throwing bricks at police cars while saying you're not a criminal xD
I hope they were involved with drugs, it would somewhat explain their delusional behaviour.