NICKY BLACKMARKET: From Pirate Radio & Blackmarket Records to Global Jungle / D & B Icon (Part 1)

Billy Daniel Bunter sits down with the legendary Nicky Blackmarket — one of the most influential figures in UK rave, hardcore, jungle, and drum & bass history. Born in the late ’60s and raised in London through the ’70s, Nicky’s story takes us from bombsites and derelict playgrounds to the creation of one of the most iconic record shops in dance music history — Blackmarket Records. In this incredible conversation, Nicky opens up about: – Growing up in Marylebone and Kennington – Working as an office clerk and in the photographic industry before music – Discovering electro-funk and pirate radio – How he, Dillinja and Clarkey started doing house parties before rave even began – How Acid House evolved into hardcore and jungle – The story behind Blackmarket Records – the shop that became the “internet” of the rave scene – Selling tickets, flyers, and records to the entire UK rave movement – His early pirate radio days on Friends FM, Pulse, Eruption & Kool FM – His first release on Reinforced Records – His spiritual friendship and legendary partnership with Stevie Hyper D, and the devastating loss that left a huge hole in his life – His black book of contacts – how Nicky became the “Google of the 90s” – The power of pirate radio, Labyrinth, Kool FM, and the Jungle explosion – Surviving health scares and becoming a healthy-living inspiration – His pride in seeing his daughter Millz carry on the legacy From pirate radio raids to the evolution of rave, from Reinforced Records to Super Sundays on Kool FM — this is a deep, emotional, and historical insight into one of the true godfathers of UK dance culture. This is Part 1 of a 2-part Rave Story TV special with Nicky Black Market. Watch, comment, and share to keep the history alive. 00:00 Tea & chaos intro 01:00 Early days chat — 35 years gone fast 02:15 Best time ever — multiple eras, one genre 04:30 Late nights & snacks — honey, toast & energy 06:00 Hearing loss & shop life 08:00 Growing up — 1960s–70s London roots 10:00 Mischief & school — leaving at 16 12:30 First jobs — photo lab & early music obsession 16:00 Discovering electro funk & pirate radio 19:00 Leaving work — joining Black Market Records 22:00 Early DJ gigs — house parties w/ Clarky & Dillinja 27:00 Entering Black Market — 1990 rave shift 33:00 Record shop rivalries — Groove, City Sounds, Reds 36:00 Hardcore birth — 1991–92 sound experiments 37:00 Pirate radio rise — Star, Friends FM, Pulse 43:00 Reinforced Records — making “Spam” EP 45:00 Buying into Black Market — mum’s rainy day fund 47:00 Pulse FM chaos — DTI raids & near misses 56:00 Jungle explosion — Stevie Hyper D partnership 1:06:00 COVID talk — survival, livestreams & resilience 1:15:00 Pirate radio raids — Holly Street Flats story 1:20:00 Cool FM — Super Sunday legacy 1:26:00 Meeting Stevie — Thunder & Joy club 1:31:00 Stevie’s passing — loss & legacy 1:36:00 Millie Blackmarket — carrying the legacy forward 1:39:00 Drum & bass evolution — from underground to global #RaveStoryTV #NickyBlackMarket #BillyDanielBunter #Jungle #DrumAndBass #Hardcore #AcidHouse #BlackMarketRecords #StevieHyperD #PirateRadio #KoolFM #ReinforcedRecords #RaveHistory #OldSkool #UKRaveCulture #LondonRaveScene #Mills #Labyrinth #HouseToJungle #RaveStoryPodcast #RaveLegacy #RaveCulture #RaveDocumentary