Ish specialises in booking Dance Music, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass and Reggae acts but also has considerable experience in the contemporary Indie / Rock, Jazz and other generas. Examples of live acts and DJs booked over the last few years include:

Hip Hop:
Africa Bambatataa • Arsonists • Beatnuts • Biz Markie
Blackalicious • Busta Rhymes • Cannibal Ox & Aesop Rock
Cash Money • De La Soul • Grandmaster Flash • Ice T
Jazzy Jeff • Jeru The Damaja • Jungle Brothers • Jurassic 5
Kool Keith • Mark B & Blade • Mobb Deep • Onyx
People Under The Stairs • Pharoahe Monch • Prince Paul
Public Enemy • Q Bert • Rahzel • Rodney P & Skitz
Roots Manuva • Scratch Perverts • Tim Westwood
Ugly Duckling • Vadim & Kela

Dance / Chill etc
Aphex Twin • Armand Van Helden • Black Grape
Chemical Brothers • Dave Pearce • Derrick Carter
Derrick May • DJ Krush • DJ Shadow • DJ Sneak • Eat Static
Fergie • Fila Brazilia • John Carter • Josh Wink • Judge Jules
Kid Koala • Lamb • Laurent Garnier • Layo & Bushwacka!
Lo Fi Allstars • Moby • Moloko • Morcheeba • Orb • Orbital
Paul Daley • Paul Oakenfold • Pete Tong • Plaid • Prodigy
Red Snapper • Richie Hawtin • Royksopp • Sonique
Stanton Warriors • Stereo MCs • Underworld

Drum & Bass / Garage
Adam F • Andy C • Artful Dodger • Breakbeat Era
DJ Luck & MC Neat • Dream Teem • Ed Rush • Fabio • Goldie
Grooverider • Hype • Kosheen • Krust • Ms Dynamite • Optical
Randall • Rap • Roni Size - Reprazent • Shy FX • So Solid Crew

Jazz / Funk / World / Reggae
Afro Celt Sound System • Asian Dub Foundation
Badmarsh & Shri • Big Youth • Black Uhuru • Bunny Wailer
Burning Spear • Bushman • Carleen Anderson • Cocoa T
Courtney Pine • Culture • Dreadzone • ESG • Everton Blender
Femi Kuti • Finlay Quaye • George Clinton • Gil Scott Heron
Giles Peterson • Guru's Jazzmatazz • Herbaliser
Herbie Hancock • Issac Hayes • Jah Shaka • James Brown
James Taylor Quartet • Johnny Clarke • Jools Holland • Kitachi
Lee 'Scratch' Perry • Luciano • Mad Professor • Mr Scruff
Nitin Sawhney • Ozomatli • Pharaoh Sanders • Prince Buster
Scientist • Sizzla • Sly & Robbie • Snowbow • St Germain
Talvin Singh • Third World • US3 • Yellowman
Youssou N’ Dour

Indie / Rock / Punk
Alabama 3 • Beta Band • Buzzcocks • David Gray • Elastica
Elbow • Fun Lovin Criminals • Grandaddy • Hundred Reasons
Korn • Low • Mogwai • One Minute Silence • Pitchshifter
Rocket From the Crypt • Shed 7 • Sick of it All
Six By Seven • INC • Spiritualized • Stereophonics
Super Furry Animals • Supergrass • Terrorvision
The Levellers • Therapy? • Toploader

Résumé
1987 - Entertainments Sabbatical, Thames Polytechnic
1989 - Overseas and Welfare Sabbatical, Thames Polytechnic
1990 - Entertainments Manager, Sussex University

1994 - Present:
Set up Essential Music Festival and Essential Entertainments Ltd, and under those banners, promoted or co-promoted the following large events:
2002 - Essential Festival, Ashton Court, Bristol
2001 - Essential Festival, Hackney Marshes, London
1994 – 1997 & 2000 - Essential Festival, Stanmer Park, Brighton
2000 - Fringe Sunday, The Level, Brighton
1999* - Total Eclipse Festival, Newnham Park, Plymouth
Essential – Slinky Allnighta, Brighton Centre **
1998* - Essential at the Palace, Alexandra Palace, London
1998 - Essential Boutique Allnighta – Brighton Centre & Brixton Academy (simultaneously)
1997 - Essential Weekender, Finsbury Park, London
1997*** - Tsunami, The Palace Pier, Brighton
1991 – 1993*** - Essential Festival, University of Sussex
* Co-promoted with Harvey Goldsmith Entertainments
** Co-promoted with Slinky
*** Co-promoted with University of Sussex

Promotion of approximately 100 club / venue based shows per year since 1991
Booked for Gatecrasher Drum & Bass Tent
Booked acts for Glastonbury Festival
Ish Ali and his team have also been involved in the following major UK events:
Radio 1 Roadshows • Cirque Du Soleil • Mardis Gras
South Africah High Commission Theatre Production
U2 at Roundhay Park • The Oxford May Ball