This has been by far the most popular post I've put up this year, so I'm going to keep it front page for a while.
I put this together last month for a radio class I taught to US students. I wanted to put the West Midlands in perspective for them. They knew some of the bands, of course, but not all (do you?), and had no idea that they all came from/worked in the region. There was a role for local radio in supporting pretty much the first 16 or so in the sequence, but those days seem to be over. Shame...
This is a montage, not even close to a proper mashup - for that, check out Sam Redmore's brilliant work - but I had a ball putting it together. The range and diversity makes me proud of my town.
With just one exception, I have interviewed and/or hung out with, worked with, shook hands with, or hugged and kissed all of these guys.
9 comments:
Liked this a lot, Robin. I got most of them, I think. Apart from a couple at the end. I hope your students appreciated the work and the music.
Thank you, Steve. Interestingly, I couldn't dig up any Punk era acts that really shook things up on our patch. We did have Spizz Energy, and one or two others who stomped across Barbarella's stages, but in retrospect, seems like most of the big punk outfits came from London or Manchester.
GBH maybe? Very late punk and probably too much of a niche audience to be mainstream.Others that could have been included; Wonder Stuff, Ocean Colour Scene, Pop Will Eat Itself and one-hit wonders T'Pau(Carol Decker vocals), City Boy, Maisonettes...to mention a few. But then, I wasn't the one having to do all the mixing!
Know what? I feel another mixing session might be due in the not too distant future :-)
love this...am going to play it on my radio show; it has inspired me to make another one as one is not enough to include everyone, though you almost have...EXCELLENT! I think it is great that you still work so hard to promote local stuff with such passion-very inspiring. I wish you would get a radio show again...I would listen to every show.
Thank you so much, Shelley - actually the minute you put something like this together, the gaps become glaringly evident! Steve mentioned a few, and there's one or two others I'm particularly fond of that could have gone in - Steve Gibbons, Magnum, Fashion, and some more contemporary guys like Casino (or whatever they're called now)... That's the beauty of this kind of thing.
Looking forward to hearing your mix now.
Hi Robin,
Love this, got most of them but struggling on the female vocals at abt 5.01 and 7.15 also not sure on one at 8.33!
Anyway punk could be Killjoys, Nightingales, Toyah!, Au Pairs, The Accused, Hazel O'Connor, The Cravats/The Very Things and Fuzzbox (although they were later) as a starter.
Good stuff...
JEz
Hi Jez
The ladies in question are Joan Armatrading, Ruby Turner, and Beverly Knight respectively.
Good punk suggestions - especially Fuzzbox! Fine and memorable bands on and all. But none of them had the spit and vinegar I seem to remember from the time... maybe the Nightingales, who are still going, of course.
Post a Comment