From Timbuktu to the 02 – A for Alpha is taking the DJ scene by storm

While growing up, Abby Gray religiously listened to Annie Mac’s Future Sounds show on BBC Radio 1 and took inspiration from Mac’s selection of tunes by underground artists and her presence in the world of DJing.

Fast forward to November 2022, Abby, whose DJ name is A for Alpha, played the warm up set for Annie Mac’s Before Midnight event at Bristol’s 02 Academy.

The special event marked not only the 26-year-old’s debut set at the 02, but also the first of her gigs that her mum has attended.

A for Alpha recently warmed up for Annie Mac’s Before Midnight event. photo: Abby Gray

Abby, who lives in St George, reminisced: “It was quite a full circle moment to be asked to do that with her (Annie Mac).

“It was quite mad because I did it and then I don’t think it really kicked in until afterwards when I was upstairs in the 02 looking down on the crowd and watching Annie play, thinking ‘what have I just done? That’s so mad.’”

From being greeted by a “scary security man” and playing her first ever gig at Timbuktu, at the age of 18, back when she didn’t have her own decks – to hosting and playing at a Boiler Room event which came to Propyard in October and getting booked to play at London’s renowned Fabric venue to warm up for fellow Bristol DJ, Eats Everything in December.

A for Alpha is taking the DJ scene by storm, one gig at a time.

Abby, who recently launched her record label: Alpha’s Trip Records, is passionate about 90s underground sound and mixing the old with the new.

Her DJ name was coined after working at a call centre and using the phonetic alphabet to communicate over the phone. With the first letter of her name being A, she thought A for Alpha had a memorable ring to it.

Abby, who is originally from Cornwall, was drawn to Bristol because of its thriving music and culture scenes and has called the city home for the past six years.

Since then, she has played in venues around the city, launched her own record label, and teaches DJ lessons from her studio in Stokes Croft.

We spoke to Abby in the latest episode of Bristol247’s Behind the Headlines podcast about how she’s grown as a DJ, record label owner and producer, her favourite venues in Bristol and how her passion for music from a young age has driven her success in the music industry in Bristol and beyond.

Listen to the full interview with Abby on Episode 75 of the Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:

During the eight and a half years she has been involved in the music industry, Abby said she has seen more and more emerging female talent on the scene across a number of roles from booking agents to management. She said: “When I was first learning to DJ there were a few female DJs about but nowhere near as many as there are now.

“There’s still quite a way to go with getting it balanced but it’s really, really nice to see there’s more and more female talent coming through.

“As a female DJ, producer, label owner, if I can inspire some other young women, or anyone of any age to do the same thing – it’s a special thing to help with.

“For me, I was always very inspired by people like Annie and Flava D, so it’s nice that there are more female role models coming through.”

Abby’s next gig is an all vinyl one at Lost Horizon HQ for an event called Misscoteque on Saturday.

You can catch A for Alpha in the main room at Eat Everything’s history of rave event at Fabric in London on December 16.

She will be back playing in the capital bringing in the new year alongside Chaos in the CBD at Phonox for her last gig of 2022 and her first of 2023.

The music brought to your ears throughout the podcast episode are snippets from A for Alpha’s unreleased tracks, which will be released on her record label Alpha’s Trip in the near future.

Thank you to our podcast partner Digital Bulls

All photos: Abby Gray

Read next: 

• Motion announces NYE lineup with Eats Everything & Born on Road 
• Is nine-year-old Betty Bristol’s youngest DJ? 
• Get to Know: Lily Huu

Listen to the Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: