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The NU-KILLA-CRU was formed in1999 by a few DJs in Limerick who were into Drum & Bass and Hip Hop. There were no clubs playing this sort of music at the time in Limerick but that was soon to change...

Started at the beginning of 2000, NU-KILLA-BEATZ was, and still is, the only club night in Limerick specialising in Drum & Bass. It recently celebrated its third birthday party at The Globe in Limerick.

This innovative event now runs once a month at the Globe and has become recognised and respected as one of the premiere D&B events in Ireland.

DJs from all over Ireland and the UK have played at the club and the future is looking bright for the NU-KILLA-CRU who collectively run the event not just in Limerick but also Galway and Ennis among other towns.

One of the members of the NU-KILLA-CRU is TheEvilGrin who like all the other DJs in the Cru is into others styles of music. He decided that the Cru could fill another gap in the Limerick club scene and in April 2003 HUSH was born. HUSH is closely affilliated withthe NU-KILLA-CRU and without their input it probably wouldnt exist so a big shout out to all the lads for the support and encouragement over the first year of HUSH.

As CODE explains below the NU-KILLA-CRU didnt come from nowhere but are definately going somewhere......

 

THE STORY OF DRUM & BASS IN LIMERICK

After the much mourned demise of Skint, Limerick's breakbeat protaganists were left without a home. However it actually was a blessing in disguise as it forced the trio now known as Code, Bee & Roller T into forming a collective and putting on dedicated D&B night's instead of guesting for an hour every few weeks at a more eclectic night, as Skint was in it's day.

First of all Code and Bee played a low key event @ the Strictly Zoo Bar on Catherine St. This was followed by a hook up with Dublin's Bassbin to bring Dj Fierce to Limerick in December 1999. The energetic Fierce who had released tunes on No-U-Turn, Renegade Hardware, Prototype and 31 Records amongst others (despite having just turned 20!) played alongside Bassbin's Don Rosco and the Nu Killa Kru's Roller T to a crowd of over 100 people. It was a eye opener for the Kru who could see that Limerick was finally becoming receptive to a sound, which for along time was only appreciated in small doses.

After much searching and harrassing of pub and club owners in the city, a home for Drum and Bass in Limerick was eventually found in the bassment of the Dog House on Thomas St. The venue was perfect with it's Dj Box, powerful sound system and capcaity of 120 people. At the time, Ireland was subjected to the archaic pub closing time of 12pm. But to the crowd who came down week in, week out, it didn't matter how early it was! The place was package with dancing lunatics from 10:30 onwards. People were being turned away the place was so rammed on some nights and cheers would ring long after the last tune had finished. Check out the video footage! It beggared belief that this was the same town, which previously you could only hear the sound of D&B in if you happened to go to "Skint" on the right night!

However, the night that boasted a full house every night for the opening two months was unable to sustain that consistancy. That's not to say that the place was empty thereafter but the numbers fell to between 50 -100 per night instead of 100 - 150! Still, there was a hardcore following and always a brillant atmosphere at each gig. National interest was stirred with jungalists from other towns and cities often showing up. Code & Bee's guest slot at the legendary Bassbin night "Refuge" @ Switch in Dublin was reward for the hard work of promoting such an unfashionable sound in a town that for so long didn't want to know.

Soon enough Code, Bee and Roller T were joined by 3 other local Dj's, Deep Cut, HiTeck and the Evil Grin aswell as local producer Lepton who played live occassionally. Eggs, Exhibit A and Leon were also involved almost from the beginning spinning hip-hop in the early part of the night.

A year after it's opening it was time to scale the operation up a little! The 1st BirthdayÊ of "Nu Killa Beatz" in March 2000 was all set to be a special night with 6 hours of music in 2 venues! The Dog House was the first arena featuring the 3 hip-hop amigos aswell as the Evil Grin spinning old skool. Then the doors of the Globe were opened @ 12pm for a 3 hour onslaught by the original Limerck D&B trio of Code, Bee and Roller T. The night was an unrivalled success. Over a hundred people squeezed into the Dog House and the same crowd an then some turned up @ the Globe for part 2! Check the footage of that one!

The next monthly in April saw 2 of Ireland's up and coming producers/Dj's Zero Tolerance and Beta 2 play the Globe, again after a warm-up session in the Dog House. Another top night and now the Kru could see there was a niche for a regular club night. Not even the transformation of the basement of the Globe into a lap-dancing bar could stop 'em! No, the lads didn't Dj in drag, merely moved up a Êfloor into the bar which had a late licence and moved in a sound system once a month from October 2000.

And so it has continued... apart from a brief flirtation with two other venues after a minor "disagreement " with the Globe door staff, the Cecil St. venue has remained the home of "Nu Killa Beatz". The weekly sessions @ the Dog House finished early in 2002 after 2 years, the Nu Killa Kru are now focussing all energies on making the monthly's bigger and better.

Others to guest at the nights in the Dog House and the Globe include: Roy da Bwoy & Nomad (Dukes of Hazzard), Don Rosco, Naphta, Zero Tolerance, Beta 2 and Elmo (Bassbin), Stacks (Jazz FM), Source and Jet Li (Phase II), ÊDanny Daly, Feral and Harry J (Fluid), Swarm (Jungle Fever), Razor (Quadraphonic / Resolution). With some very special guests on the way to Limerick and more appearances by Nu Killa Kru Dj's in other parts of the country due (including @ the new monthly residency in O'Malley's Galway), the only way is up!