Legendary promoter Terry “Turbo” Stone has been away from the drum & bass scene for a while acting and making films, but he’s back with a documentary about his One Nation event, ‘United Nation, three decades of Drum & Bass’. Directed and produced by Terry and Richard Turner, the raw original archive content speaks for itself, with tell-it-all interviews from DJs and MCs like DJ Fresh, Andy C, Sigma, Hype, Ragga Twins, Adam F, SASASAS, DJ Rap, Grooverider, Fabio, Jumping Jack Frost, Nicky Blackmarket, Ray Keith, DJ Brockie, Rat Pack and many more. The premiere takes place at The Troxy on February 15, so we spoke to Terry to find out why he’s back and what to expect.
How did you get involved with the rave scene and club promotion?
I started off as a raver back in 1988 and worked for a company called the Flying Squad handing out flyers. After a fall out with them over money I started my own firm, Turbo Promotions and I also started selling tickets for all the big one-off rave events which meant I could earn a living from the rave scene. After a while, I set up a rave magazine called The Scene that was a big success and then that led me up to December 1993 where I put on my first ever rave, One Nation at the Roller Express in Edmonton, north London.
For some of the younger ravers out there please give us some background on One Nation…
It was one of the first large scale drum & bass events that started off big. Our first event was for 3,000 people, we didn’t ever do anything small. We were the first company to do a worldwide tour using our One Nation brand, and we were also the pioneers of back to back DJ and mc sets. we did a sell-out 20,000 rave at Wembley Arena. I don’t think any drum & bass event topped that.
There’s also a book coming on Junior Tomlin who did some of your early flyers, how important was he to your visual identity?
When I started One Nation there were two artists that I liked: Junior Tomlin and Pez. However, I felt that Junior’s work was more in line with the One Nation vibe, so we met, discussed and agreed what we wanted and he designed our first ever flyer and many more thereafter.
Why did you end your involvement with the rave scene?
It got silly towards the end, clubs were shutting down, certain DJs and MCs weren’t allowed to play, the gun crime went off the scale, and the fun for me fell out of promoting, so I decided to do something else.
Why are you coming back?
I think the scene now is a good as it was back then, the nice vibes are back, and now I’ve made a film covering the last three decades. It’s given me a taste to do a world tour with the film and put on some old skool jungle nights with our residents.
What can you tell us about the documentary?
Yes, it’s a 90-minute journey where young and old can experience the inner secrets of the drum & bass/jungle scene, what went on: the sex, the drugs, the violence and the unadulterated fun.
What can we expect at your premiere at the Troxy this weekend?
It will be a proper red carpet affair with the who’s who of the drum & bass scene, alongside 250 celebrities from the world of music, TV and film mixed in with anyone who wants to buy a ticket and experience how the old parties used to be done.
Any forthcoming films or acting jobs you can tell us about?
Yes, Rise Of The Footsoldier 5 The Tony Tucker Story is happening this year and Once Upon A Time In London and Rise Of The Footsoldier 4 Marbella are both being rolled out around the world which is very exciting. There will also be a garage documentary about the Garage Nation days coming out later this year.
If you can’t make it to the premiere at Troxy then there will be other opportunities to see the film and listen to Q&As after:
- Friday 21st February, 6.30pm, Ritzy Brixton – Terry Stone & DJ Jumping Jack Frost
- Saturday 22nd February, 8.30pm, Hackney – Terry Stone, DJ Brockie & MC Det
- Sunday 23rd February, 7.30pm, Fact Liverpool – Terry Stone, MC Mad P & Top Buzz aka Jason Kaye
- Monday 24th February, 8.30pm, Cameo Edinburgh – Terry Stone & DJ Kid
- Thursday 27th February, 8.30pm, Theatre Royal Stratford – Terry Stone, Fabio & Grooverider