How DJ AG’s streamed street gigs became a summer sensation
By sharing his free performances online, the Londoner is attracting big audiences — and now megastars
DJ AG wheels his sound system to the pavement outside King’s Cross St Pancras Station just before 5pm. As commuters and tourists flock past, a crowd is already forming in anticipation. Two children are star-struck when the 40-year-old DJ appears. “You’re lying!” exclaims one of them, too nervous to approach and ask him for a picture.
The audience gathers to watch AG (otherwise known as Ashley Gordon), as he is joined by local musicians who take the microphone while he lays the beat. No tickets are necessary — the performance is free, and people love its unpredictable nature. AG is joined by soul singers, drill rappers and everything in between. But this is no ordinary type of London street performance.
That becomes apparent as a blacked-out Mercedes Maybach pulls up outside the adjacent McDonald’s. A ripple of excitement runs through the crowd as Grammy-nominated singer and rapper Ty Dolla $ign emerges. Escorted by his posse, the Californian heads straight to AG and picks out high-energy crowd members to join him behind the decks. Once he has established his dance crew, he launches into his 2013 hit single, “Paranoid”.
Ty Dolla $ign is not the only artist drawn to AG’s impromptu street corner gigs. In recent months multi-platinum stars such as Ed Sheeran, Will Smith and Jessie J have joined him in such locations across the UK.
What attracts them is not the physical crowds — though these are fast growing — but another audience they cannot see: online and international. DJ AG streams his performances across social media, with clips uploaded afterwards regularly receiving hundreds of thousands of views. A snippet of Sheeran and grime rapper JME’s appearance in Sheffield has accumulated more than 10mn views on TikTok alone.
This is a significant increase on the audience the Tottenham-born DJ had when he began performing on streets at the beginning of 2023, initially struggling to reach more than 30,000 views. But at that time, increasing his online presence was the least of his worries. Early on, he received an antisocial behaviour order from Hackney council for accumulating a larger physical crowd than expected. He also received a warning letter from Haringey council for his performances in Wood Green, on the basis that they were unsafe — an accusation AG denies.
He was not to be silenced, though. He looked for boroughs where he could perform without a permit, turning his attention to Brixton, in the south London borough of Lambeth, and King’s Cross, in the Boroughs of Camden and Islington. AG was also invited to stream in Camden Town without a permit, although buskers there are typically required to have one. Far from being arrested for his work, he is now assisted by local security teams provided by the borough and performs behind a barrier, separated from the crowd.
He has even taken to uploading a weekly schedule and set list to his social media. Artists from across the globe regularly feature on these set lists. Before Ty Dolla $ign’s appearance, AG was joined by singers from South Africa, Ireland and Canada.
With its international appeal, streaming from the streets is not just a London phenomenon. Across the Atlantic in New York, ARIatHOME (Ari Miller) is also utilising the power of social media, and streaming platform Twitch, to supercharge and monetise his live performances. His approach is even more impromptu. Walking the streets of Manhattan, Ari uses a portable set-up resembling one once fashioned by AG. He has amassed about 3mn followers across Instagram and TikTok, creating improvised beats for members of the public to freestyle over.
Both AG and Ari strike a delicate balance between appealing to a global fan base and providing an intimate experience for the live crowd. But these two audiences do not always mould easily with each other. Due to TikTok regulations, AG’s live stream is suspended when participants swear, and he pauses to “evict” artists for not following the rules — social media guidelines affecting the live experience.
Nevertheless, performers enthuse about the format’s distinctive charm. Irish singer Lyra says: “It gives you that very authentic connection with people . . . We are literally just standing on the street and everyone is at eye level. It’s a real human feeling.”
Shining a light on local talent also enhances the authenticity of AG’s streams. Lyra is preceded by Jasper, a nine-year-old singer from Brixton. Up-and-coming London-based rapper Jesi highlights the accessibility of the format, celebrating it for levelling “the playing field with people who have connections”. AG also cherishes this aspect and rejects the idea of ever paying artists to appear on his platform, or accepting a fee from those who want to feature. Rather, he earns an income through streaming revenue from subscriptions and donations. Last year, his 300,000 TikTok followers were reportedly generating him between £14,000 to £15,000 a month. Since then, his TikTok following has increased fivefold.
Despite such growth, AG insists he is staying true to his roots and that his platform is for everyone. After performing at Afro Nation festival in Portugal, followed by three days at London’s Wireless Festival, he returned to King’s Cross last Monday evening. “That isn’t going to change, regardless of where this goes,” he says. “Because I want to champion people that cannot be seen and are not being heard.”