Radio One Year On

Three studios, fifty two weeks and fourty seven Podrophenia's later* - Piley and I cross the waymarker that is one year of Radio Podrophenia and our live Tuesday night natter-abouts.

And what a twelve month run we've had.... a gallery of guests pooling together members of The Damned (Roman Jugg) local musicians (Dave Woodcock, Darren Jones, Andy J Gallagher), writers (Syd Moore, Daryl Easlea) artists (Simon Monk), regulars (Fi Jacobs) and Podrophenia Board Members ( Pouchie, Phil Hubbs, Dan, Marmite, Jack Gestures, Gary Fowles). Even a live outing with Len Price 3 and a handful of magazine mentions.



A huge salute is due to our live listening chums (speaking and silent types), the take away downloaders, jingle-makers (Hubbs, Drakey, PH Send) and all the board commentators, contributors and regulars with special mentions going to Drakey, Hannah, JoDB, Lil, Dan, Phil Hubbard, Captain Kettle, Iceman Sam, Reado Jr, Martin, Maxwell, Marmite, E F Rice, Jack Gestures, Retroman, Mark Underwoood, Dog Faced Boy for propping up the bar from week to week.

So what spectacular spin and whistles have we got planned for tonight - well, ermmm, we're going for covers (again), the theme we blasted off with three years ago, and reheated for our first radio run-out last year. Expect to hear Ella getting heavy, splashes of Schlager, Indian psychedelic/hard rock  and behold the Golden Voice of Prague.


If you missed last week's Podophenia a fully loaded edition with a storming performance and live session from Dave Woodcock, the latest signing to Blow Up Records  - fill your boots here, or via iTunes..


*Should be our fifty second show, but due to the odd tech meltdown and holidays - tonight comes in as number fourty eight.

The Reviews Are In.............

Out this this week Plectrum The Cultural Pick issue 12 - The glitziest of arts/fashion/music magazines. Where, you'll find editor Guy Sangster Adams in conversation with Marcella Puppini, ex Biba model Delisia Howard  urging a return to dandyism,  new shoes from ‘The Rock ‘n’ Roll Cobbler’  Terry de Havilland, and  Nina Antonia author of Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood  and  The New York Dolls: Too Much Too Soon as guest columnist.

Alongside this glittering gathering you'll find me on music reviews, where Hip Parade and two fruity new releases from Blow Up,  Faye Hallam with The Bongolian and Baltic Fleet are all lent a critical ear. Grab your yourself a copy via the P-TCP website, or better still sign up for a subscription..



The lead off single 'Dancing' from Faye Hallam and The Bongolian's due-soon album Lost in Sound is previewed on the latest edition of Podrophenia: Southenders United - with special guest Dave Woodcock. It's a bulging edish tipping in at around two hours - loaded with live music, improv tinkling 'n' TV themes and an exclusive new tune 'My Escapism', so freshly written, the ink was still drying on Dave's songbook when he barrelled it out for us.

Should you fancy a listen, fill your boots below...

Radio Podrophenia - Southenders Old and New, with Dave Woodcock

Southenders United

For tonight's Tuesday evening radio run out Piley and I will be celebrating Southenders old and new. It's a musical map that gets you from Mickey Jupp to Marc Bolan, The Basey Brothers to David Bowie and Blow Up records to Roman Jugg. The full route will be revealed tonight from 9.

Bowie comes to The Cricketers pub, Southend 

And joining us with his keyboard and kit, we've live music from multi-instrumentalist,  man about the Southend music scene and newly signed Blow Up artist - Dave Woodcock..

Park yourself at Chance Radio from 9 tonight. Or  if you fancy a take away version of last Tuesday's doings - Podrophenia: The Letter L is now on iTunes, or baggable here..



Lee Brilleaux's hand drawn childhood map of Canvey - now on show as part of the Thames Delta expo...see also the Bowie flyer above

Wilko Johnson on debut gigs, dodgy venues and Cloud 9

Terribly grim business this week with Donald Duck Dunn and Donna Summer -  Larry does the pitch perfect tributes to both here and  here . For my part, in no way a smirch on the life of Donna Summer - but, more a celebration of the deep-reach of her magnificence. Behold the Bollywood refit of I Feel Love....

A snatch of background: On the day I phoned Wilko Johnson for our Vive Le Rock interview, the line was beeping with a gut-rumbling engaged tone. A ticker tape of terrors rattled across my noggin - wrong number, dead line - he's forgotten! It turned out to be none of the above. Wilko had been busy on the helpline to Her Majesty's finest telecom's advisors, trying to untangle the mangle that is his old age pension.

You won't read about his rights, entitlements and allowances in issue 7 of Vive Le Rock. No, no we stick strictly to the script of Dr Feelgood's first gigs in Canvey and London. revealing - which gig does Wiko dispute as the band's debut, where did he have to avoid bashing his head - who barked at him for dragging amps across the metallic floor? All this can be read and digested between the covers of the latest Vive Le Rock in this edtion's You Should've Been There feature

 

The Quinn Martin style epilogue : I bumped into his Royal Wilko-ness while DJing at The Railway last Sunday (also in attendance was NME photographic ledge Dean Chalkley) - and can confirm he's even more of a gent and a legend in person....

If you fancy more musical based chat and chanter - grab yourself a copy of Tuesday's Radio Podrophenia (theme:Money) where Piley and I were joined by champion chap and choon chooser - Daryl Easlea for a chatter-about on days working at record shops, writing sleeve notes (over 300 to his credit) interviewing Lee Perry and the lost magic of ABC's Beauty Stab

Radio Podrophenia - Money

The Money Programme: Take 2

 Lord Reginald of Varney using the World's first cash machine...

Due to some unexpected technical agg (broadband link went pop) - the Money edition of Podrophenia never happened. So it's take two with special guest Daryl Easlea tonight from 9 at Chance Radio

Should you fancy a listen to last week's outing (the letter 'L') - take one and pass it on below. Or via iTunes
   
Radio Podrophenia - The Letter L

 

Pounds, shillings and pence are the fistful of fiscals underwriting tonight's Money themed radio runout - where we're joined by local music writer (Mojo, Q, The Guardian, Uncut, Dazed & Confused, The Independent), DJ and broadcaster Mr Daryl Easlea..

Four tunes a pop amongst Daryl, Piley and myself. I'm opening my account with Magic Michael, Steve Marriot and Lee Perry.

If you missed last week's installment of the Podrophonic Alphabet: The Letter K ... take one and pass it on

Radio Podrophenia - The Letter K

The Sunday Sessions: soul, blues and Black Belles

 

What a full and frothing menu of musical doings are afoot at Southend's Railway Hotel this coming Sunday - bringing together a mixed bill of blues, soul and black-hearted all-girl garage.

Spread across two floors: upstairs Mod Club Almost Grown thumps out the funk with a soul all-dayer. While from 4:30 in the main bar downstairs - Martin McNeill's Bottletop Blues Band will be stomping through a set of jump blues, boogie and raw-rooted R 'n' B.

Following this, it's new band on the block The Other Ones (formed of Tom Burgess and Seasider Paul Hill)...Literally capping off the event are Snow-White-meets-the-Wicked-Witch girl group (and Jack White signings) The Black Belles dropping in as part of their debut UK tour.

From 4:30 between-the-bands in the downstairs bar I'll be pitching in a few platters ranging from Big Joe Turner to Big Boss Man and Merry Clayton to Mae West.

Should you happen to be in the central Southend area, or fancy heading there - come on around The Railway and shake a Sunday leg. One tune that's proved to be a recent rumbler at various shindigs has been.....

Amos Milburn - I Done Done It

L is For....

Led Zep (a BBC recording rarity), Little Richard a Roxy album track and Lulu - but which Lulu to choose? Feeling Alright, Watch That Man or Morning Dew?

Last week's radio runout didn't manage to lift off the launch pad - due to a last minute tech meltdown, so refreshed and re-revved after an unexpected Tuesday night off - Piley and I are back in bunker from 9 tonight at Chance Radio - why not swing by and listen live.

Divvyshare upload problems seem to be over - so as promised a take away versh of  last Friday's funky nugget

Honey & The Bees - Love Addict

The Funky Friday Sessions: Theoretical girl and an explosive soul obscurity

Honey & The Bees - Love Addict must be one of the grooviest tunes ever posted on this ol' blog - in almost five years of posting tunes on this ol' blog. A nifty fit of soul with an opening riff that sounds distantly familiar leading to a soaring chorus that rises and shines like the midsummer sun.

It's a track that at some point, will be spun in during my DJ set at The Railway Hotel tonight - where oddities, obscurities,  soul stompers and funky covers will be popped onto the playlist before during and after the bands. I'm not sure who support comes from, but headlining are electro-mod-poppers Theoretical Girl.

 Headlining tonight - Theoretical Girl

So if you're Southend based or bound and with a spare Friday - night rally yourself round to The Railway and shake a lively leg...

Due to Divshare agg' (read: not allowing uploads) - I can't cross your palm with a copy - but you can lend Love Addict an ear here. 

The Money Programme

 Lord Reginald of Varney using the World's first cash machine...

Pounds, shillings and pence are the fistful of fiscals underwriting tonight's Money themed radio runout - where we're joined by local music writer (Mojo, Q, The Guardian, Uncut, Dazed & Confused, The Independent), DJ and broadcaster Mr Daryl Easlea..

Four tunes a pop amongst Daryl, Piley and myself. I'm opening my account with Magic Michael, Steve Marriot and Lee Perry.

If you missed last week's installment of the Podrophonic Alphabet: The Letter K ... take one and pass it on

Radio Podrophenia - The Letter K