How to see your favourite musician for free: Meet the London DJ who ditched £60k a year sales job to bring the world's most famous artists to street gigs in the UK

Daily Mail​

18 hours ago

A London-based DJ is giving Britons the chance to see some of the world's most loved artists for free.
DJ AG, real name Ashley Gordon is quickly making a name for himself in the UK's music scene by inviting famous faces, including Will Smith, Ed Sheeran, and Rita Ora, to feature in surprise performances outside British landmarks, including London 's King's Cross.
Fans and commuters have scrambled to watch the musicians perform alongside the 39-year-old DJ for free, often causing huge crowds to gather.
He owes much of his fame to TikTok, where he multiplied his fanbase to one million followers by livestreaming his performances.
With his impressive contacts book, internet stardom, and musical talent, most might assume that fame came naturally to DJ AG. However, his reality tells a much different story.
For the past 12 years, he worked a £60,000-a-year manager job at an FTSE 250 sales company to provide for his family. But when bosses overlooked him for a promotion, his children urged him to pursue his DJ'ing side hustle on TikTok.
Despite initially thinking the move was 'crazy', he gave it a go and quickly realised his potential.
He told Metro, 'I was DJing at home, and then talked to my community, and I kind of tested it for a few months, and I realised that I could monetise and survive, so I effectively quit my job.'
The decision was undeniably nerve-racking for his family, but they witnessed DJ AG's newfound sense of enjoyment that he was getting from his work, and they accepted the career shift.
But it wasn't always so easy for him, and when he first started in the streets of the UK's capital in 2023, unimpressed viewers threw water at him and even egged his DJ decks.
'When I first started the walking DJ thing, I had people throw water at me, had kids throwing eggs at the equipment,' he told Dazed, 'Those moments made me question whether people would understand what I was doing, but I'm not a quitter.'
The council also got involved in his performances, issuing him warnings and even an antisocial behaviour order in 2023 after he attracted a bigger-than-expected crowd in London's Shoreditch. His ASBO expired in January 2025.
'One day, I received a letter from Haringey council,' he told Time Out. 'On the basis that it was unsafe, for women in particular, which I found disgusting.
'I also had complaints about the noise and something about illegal trading. Oh, and I got an ASBO in Shoreditch, which they brought up.'
Now, DJ AG has hordes of fans thankful for his determination to continue in the music scene, having given hundreds the chance to see some of the biggest names in the industry.
Popular Grime artists Skepta and JME drew attention to DJ AG when they joined him outside London's busy King's Cross for a performance in October last year.
This April, the DJ stunned commuters as he welcomed Jessie J for an impromptu performance outside King's Cross station on a Monday evening.
The British pop star, 37, joined DJ AG behind his usual setup of decks outside the busy train station for one of his well-known London street performances.
Then, in May, Ed Sheeran sent fans into a frenzy with a surprise street performance in Sheffield alongside DJ AG.
The Shape of You popstar, 34, got behind the decks in the centre of the city for one of his signature performances live streamed on TikTok.
The upbeat setlist included performances of Peru, You Need Me, I Don't Need You and a host of collaborations with Man Don't Care MC JME.
Most recently, Rita Ora and Will Smith gathered a massive crowd as they performed with the DJ outside London's King's Cross station on Wednesday.
Though he's attracted a string of famous faces, DJ AG also uses his platform to spotlight lesser-known artists.
At the same time, he admirably takes a backseat when performing, allowing the attention to firmly remain on his accompanying guests, regardless of whether they're famous or not.
He told Dazed, 'There'll be a time and a place for me to do a club event and show my mixing skills but, for me right now, it's about showcasing talent and seeing what we can do to help people.'
Unlike many who experience a quick rise to fame, DJ AG has maintained a humble nature and is set on creating a positive impact, which sees him perform at care homes and streaming the show online.
Elsewhere, he's striving to improve music education for children and aiding rehabilitation in UK's prisons.
It's a set of morals that led the DJ to win Time Out's DJ of the Year in 2024, with the magazine commending his down-to-earth nature and ability to unite communities.
The 39-year-old told the publication, 'For me, everything is done with humility and being grateful.
'So I'm grateful for this and everyone taking the time to bring it to life. And it's just nice that people believe in what I'm trying to do.'