No Rock And Roll Fun

STILL, MAKES A CHANGE FROM SMASHING GIRL'S FACES IN: Compare and contrast November 6th, 2001
Exclusive: So Solid Harvey speaks out against violence
Harvey from the So Solid Crew has spoken to Radio One for the first timesince the shootings at the London Astoria nightclub. The whole crew were at the venue celebrating Romeo’s 21st birthday last week when it happened - two men are still recovering from their injuries. Harvey told us he is sick of their image attracting unwanted attention and that trouble seems to follow them around. He says none of So Solid are in the business for that reason: “I don’t know what’s wrong with people to be quite honest, I don’t know how you can leave your house with that mentality that I’m going to start trouble or I’m going to shoot someone. It’s quite scary to think, you know what I mean? People are spoiling what is good, we’ve turned a new sound into something big and people want to spoil it.”
versus
Today
Ashley Walters, a member of garage act So Solid Crew has pleaded guilty to a
firearms charge in a London court.
Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC said the offence was so serious that a substantial custodial sentence was inevitable.
Walters, 29, from Peckham, south London, pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited Brocock revolver at Southwark Crown Court.
A further charge of possessing the gun with intent to cause fear of violence was ordered to lie on file.
The allegation relates to an incident with a traffic warden in July last year at Canary Wharf, east London.
Prosecution counsel Stephen Holt said that Walters was in his car with his girlfriend, parked next to a meter which had expired.
He said that when Walters was approached by traffic warden Olufemi Onafeko, who asked him to either put money in the meter or drive off, an argument broke out between the two men.
The gun was never shown, but Mr Holt said the traffic warden was so concerned about the defendant's behaviour that he called police.
When an armed response vehicle stopped the car the weapon was found wrapped in a sock in Walters girlfriend's handbag.
Defence counsel Simon Pentol said his client was of previous good character.
The case was adjourned to 25 March, to allow pre-sentence reports to beprepared.
Walters's friends and family broke down in tears when they heared bail had been refused.
Previous to joining So Solid Crew, Walters had acting roles in TV dramas Grange Hill and The Bill.
So Solid Crew went to number one in the singles charts with 21 Seconds last August and they won a Brit award last month.
Still, at least we now know why so many SSC audience members turn up with guns... it's probably because they're scared they'll be shot at from the stage...