#338. London 90's Rave Promoters ‘Slammin Vinyl‘ & Bagleys - Grant Smith & Paul Rooney

#338. London 90's Rave Promoters ‘Slammin Vinyl‘ & Bagleys - Grant Smith & Paul Rooney

From Dodge Woodall Network by Dodge Woodall

April 15, 2026 · 1h 11m

About this episode

Paul Rooney and Grant Smith discuss their journey in the UK rave and events industry, highlighting their experiences and challenges.

Paul Rooney and Grant Smith open up about a life built on risk, resilience, and relentless graft - from teenage beginnings in the underground music scene to becoming pioneers of the UK rave and events industry. Starting out young, they threw themselves into record production, launched their own label, and quickly learned hard lessons after being burned by shady distributors. As the rave scene exploded, they evolved with it - moving from pressing vinyl and selling records directly to shops, to promoting club nights, running record stores, and staging major events at iconic venues like Bagley’s, Brixton Academy, Alexandra Palace, and the Sanctuary. But behind the success was constant pressure - financial gambles, volatile crowds, industry setbacks, and moments where one bad call could wipe everything out. From building brands like Dreamscape and One Nation to navigating the shift from underground raves to large-scale festivals, they reflect on a journey shaped by reinvention, risk-taking, and a genuine love for bringing people together. Through it all, their long-standing partnership has remained at the heart of everything - built on trust, instinct, and decades of surviving the…

People in this episode

Host: Dodge Woodall

Guests: Paul Rooney, Grant Smith

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Slammin Vinyl, Dreamscape, One Nation

Places: Bagley’s, Brixton Academy, Alexandra Palace, the Sanctuary

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