Stop this Grooverider Nonsense!

THE STORY:

Radio 1 DJ Grooverider given four-year jail term for cannabis smuggling

The Radio 1 DJ Grooverider has been sentenced to a four-year prison term in Dubai after admitting to carrying cannabis into the country.

Grooverider – whose real name is Raymond Bingham – told judges at previous court appearance: “The drugs were in my possession and I forgot I had them in my trousers.”

He was convicted yesterday and given the minimum sentence for drug possession in the United Arab Emirates, where deeply conservative laws sometimes collide with the liberal values of the millions of tourists who visit each year.

Grooverider’s lawyers had tried to argue in his defence that he was unaware of the laws.

The 40-year-old DJ, who co-hosts the weekly BBC Radio 1 drum-and bass programme Fabio and Grooverider, was arrested at Dubai airport on November 23, with 2.16 grams of cannabis in his pockets just hours before he was due to play a sold-out show at a popular nightclub.

“I just want this to end and to never come back. It was a small amount. Back home I would not even get prosecuted,” he previously stated, in a published interview from jail.

A BBC spokesman said: “He made a serious mistake and is paying a very high price.” Grooverider has been off the air since his arrest last November.

Although not officially suspended by Radio 1 it is understood that the BBC is not paying him a salary, as the DJ is paid for each show he presents. Bingham has provided his own legal representation.

Drugs are strictly banned in the United Arab Emirates, however there have been several high-profile cases of foreigners being jailed for smuggling small amounts into the country.

A British tourist, Keith Brown, spent four years in jail for the possession of 0.002 grams of cannabis. Bert Tatham, a Canadian UN official who advised the Afghan government was also jailed for carrying 0.5 grams of hashish and two poppy seeds into the country.

The rulers of Dubai later issued Mr Tatham a rare pardon, deporting him to Canada. Highlighting a new crackdown on drug smuggling, the UAE recently installed new drug-sensitive detecting equipment in its airports.

Grooverider, who made his name DJing at illegal warehouse parties, is recognised as a pioneer of the abrasive style of dance music known as drum and bass.

He is a recording artist and record label owner in his own right and an in-demand DJ on the international club circuit. His colleague Fabio will continue to present the Radio 1 show in his absence.

The former Radio 1 DJ Kevin Greening died of a heart attack last year, aged 44, after taking large quantities of cocaine, ecstasy and the drug GHB.

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MY TWO CENTS:

you go to a country in the middle east as a westerner, try not to do something that stupid. drugs are illegal, alcohol is very often illegal, porn…you get the idea. tough state laws, strict adhering to religious laws, i mean come on, think before you go there.

and ask a cop how many times they heard the “not my drugs” excuse in drug arrests. probably 150% of all drug related arrests haha.

i mean shit sucks, but hey, be smart about it. and trust me, no online petition of drum n bass heads, is gonna get you out of a middle eastern prison.

try a religious leader if anything!

stop this nonsense!

Amadeus Europe Tour 2008 – Booking Now!

AMADEUS

NYC / USA – TOUCHCREW | PLAN B
WEBSITE
MYSPACE
Originally from Berlin (Germany), Amadeus has been pushing the sounds of Ragga / Jungle / Drum N’ Bass for a decade now. He rose up playing clubs and raves all over Colorado, from “Roofless Productions” and “Together Productions” Raves, to SOMA in Boulder (Mixmag voted Top Ten club in the USA), and many more. His first CD “Phonik Boom” was released on Organik Recordings (now defunct) in 2000 and the following release “Midsummer Night Sessions” (Organik Recordings, 2001) was praised by BPM Magazine as “The music is sooo fine – drum and bass bliss. Props for not being the typical band wagon monkey. If this guy is in your neighborhood give him some props!” issue 02/01, and earned him runner-up in the North-American Mixtape contest “Unleash the Beats”. Currently living in NYC, he continously travels throughout the US and Canada to perform his unique style of Ragga and Hip Hop infused Drum N’ Bass & Dubwise. Not only active behind the decks he co-hosted “Plan B Dnb Sundays” from October 2006 until March 2008 alongside residents I-Cue & Paul C, with weekly national and international guests, and is the mind behind SURVIVAL STORY – The Ragga Jungle Compilation (www.survivalstory.net), with a second volume dropping in 2008. He puts out Mix CD’s on the regular to great resonance in the scene, having released 6 alone in the past year and is currently working on his own productions (myspace.com/amadeustunes), including a forthcoming collaboration with new school ragga jungle legend Krinjah. He has toured Europe every spring for the past three years and is gearing up for an even bigger tour in 2008. Known for highly energetic performances, Amadeus blends anything from high energy hipstep rollers to ragga-jungle, with an emphasis on reggae / dancehall and hip hop remixes. Always comin’ correct with loads of unreleased dubplates from international producers his unique sound is defined by versatility and crowd interaction, always inciting respect and overall dancehall madness.

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MEDIA
VIDEOS OF LAST TOUR (2007)
PHOTOS OF LAST TOUR (2007)

MIXES
BRIDGE OVER BABYLON
CULTURE RISE
SOUNDCLASH UNITY
LAZY ROCKERS INC
DUBWAY
ROUGHNECK SYMPHONY
OLD SCHOOL RAGGA JUNGLE (LIVE @ Plan B)

TUNES
AMADEUS TUNES

IN PRINT
TOUCH CLOTHING AD 2007
BPM MAGAZINE 2001

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CONTACT
amadeus@touchcrew.com
MYSPACE

AOL: amarobot
MSN: needletip@hotmail.com

Let me know if you need anything else and i’m open to any booking requests. Let’s make this happen!

Peace & Bless

-Amadeus

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