Christmas Day

Steve Knightley from Show Of Hands talks about his forthcoming solo tour of UK village halls under the banner of Grow Your Own Gig, Full length version of interview with Tom Robinson, broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music on 21 December 2013. Also included: exclusive live solo recordings of Show Of Hands classics: "Diesel/Longdog" (medley) and "Cutthroats, Crooks & Conmen". For more information on the Grow Your Own Gig project, including a list of dates and various videos showing how the whole process works, see http://growyourowngig.co.uk 

There's also an informative in-depth interview with Steve Knightley, packed with gressroots gigging wisdom, at http://freshonthenet.co.uk/case-study-show-of-hands

Steve Knightley: Grow Your Own Gig

QUIET AS A MOUSE -  British Flag (remastered)

THE TOMORROWS - My Jelly Baby (remastered)

You can find the splendid COKETOWN POTBOILERS on their own Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/coketown-potboilers

COKETOWN POTBOILERS - Ard Timez (remastered)

Mark Williamson from Spotify talks to Tom Robinson on BBC Radio 6 Music, 3 May 2014

Interview with Mark Williamson from Spotify

It's Christmas Eve so for this week's mixtape we bring you an hour of seasonal songs - and from 3am today they're yours to keep via http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/trintro - our small seasonal gift, made possible by the generosity of the artists concerned. And so onto the vexed subject of Christmas Singles - of which said mixtape entirely consists.

To declare an interest, in childhood I sang in my local church choir - briefly rising to the dizzy heights of Head Chorister before my voice broke in the early 1960s.  So although smartphones, social media and adventurous new artists very much float my boat, in some areas I'm still a traditionalist. My idea of a Christmas soundtrack has always been more Carols From King's than seasonal cash-ins by the likes of Slade, Wizzard and Wham!

But there's no getting away from it: Christmas Singles are now a permanent part of the UK's musical landscape, and this year it seemed like every emerging artist in the land had decided to make one. My colleague Mar De Miguel at our Fresh On The Net blog rashly put out a request for seasonally-themed songs and by early December had already received well over three hundred for her Christmas Day special.

For this mixtape, I had to listen - with gritted teeth - to every single track uploaded to BBC Introducing in the last three months that had "Christmas" in the title. Imagine! And yet buried in that vast sugary snowdrift of clichéd sleighbells and schlock sentimentality, there were nineteen gems that I actually liked very much. Some of them funny, some cynical, some genuinely affecting… and some so silly and strange they were simply irresistible. Yes, Lynne Butler with your Yodelling Christmas Song, I'm talking about you.

Have a cool Yule everybody and we'll be back next week with a small selection of the many Introducing artists we think you should look out for in 2013.

FREE SWIM - A Rip Roaring Christmas [start 0:13]
http://www.facebook.com/freeswimswimfree

HOLLY AND THE WOLF - Marzipan Reindeer [start 04:28]
http://www.hollyandthewolf.com

SIDE SHOW - Cashing in on Christmas [start 07:13]
https://www.facebook.com/SideShowUK

KARIINA GRETERE - Twas The Night Before Christmas [start 9:25]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoymPut7ME0
http://www.kariina.com
 
BOYDZOID - Christmas Carol [start 13:48]
http://www.soundcloud.com/boidzoid

JACEN BRUCE - Christmas and New Year [start 15:38]
http://www.jacenbruce.com

THE OTHER GUYS - Christmas Gets Worse Every Year [start 18:18]
http://www.otherguys.co.uk

LAURENCE MADE ME CRY - You Can't Have Christmas, It's Mine [start 22:56]
http://www.laurencemademecry.com

LEANIE & THE XMAS FACTORS - Cardboard Christmas [start 27:33]
http://www.leanie.com

THE FAM L E - Happy Christmas Haters [start 30:30]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf-ou1J3aig

OF ARROWE HILL - Christmas Distance [start 33:55]
http://www.facebook.com/ofarrowehill

FALLINGHAM FAIR - Think Of It As Christmas [start 36:29]
http://www.facebook.com/fallinghamfair

SWAMP DUCK - Duckin' Out Of Christmas [start 40:26]
http://www.swampduckmusic.co.uk/

CORNELIA BROWN - Christmas For Everyone [start 43:23]
http://www.corneliabrown.net

LIFE IN A BLENDER - Hey, Christmas [start 46:12]
http://www.lifeinablender.net

JESS MORGAN - Christmas Eve [start 50:11]
http://www.jessmorgan.co.uk

FLEECE - The Banks Have Stolen Christmas [start 53:47]
http://soundcloud.com/fleecerock

TURBO LASER - Sexual Christmas [start 57:29]
http://www.facebook.com/turbolasermusic

LYNNE BUTLER - A Yodelling Christmas Song [start 1:00:37]
http://www.lynnebutler.co.uk

BBC Introducing Mixtape 24th December 2012

With thanks to Paul Lewis who posted it at https://youtu.be/H79_3Nv_eWo "The song ‘Merrily Upon High’ recorded on 21 December 1978 at Pye Studios in London. It was co-written and performed by Peter Gabriel and Tom Robinson. It was recorded specially for Nicky Horne’s Capital Radio show and broadcast for the first time later that day. The pair played a charity concert at Hammersmith Odeon on 24th December 1978. They were joined on stage by Phil Collins, Elton John and Mike Rutherford, plus members of Tom Robinson Band and Peter Gabriel’s musicians. I found this track in a box of tapes that I had kept for close to 40 years. I was delighted to find it still played OK. As far as I can tell this track has never seen an official release, although a re-recording was released by Tom Robinson sometime in the early 1980’s after TRB had split up."

ROB & GAB - Merrily Up On High

COWBOIS RHOS BOTWNNOG - Celwydd Golau Ydi Cariad: one of many fine tracks you can hear and download at http://soundcloud.com/cowbois

COWBOIS RHOS BOTWNNOG - Celwydd Golau Ydi Cariad

In the small hours of a Monday morning from 2-3am you can hear a selection of my favourite new tunes compiled into an hour-long mixtape of nonstop music. All the audio is sourced from the BBC Introducing Uploader - some of it recommended by friends and colleagues and some discovered via Twitter and my own Fresh On The Net blog.

From 3am each Monday the latest mixtape is available free via the 6 Music Downloads Page at http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/trintro - where you'll also find archived episodes from the previous 4 weeks.

This mixtape was broadcast on Monday, 7th January 2013: you'll find this tracklisting on my BBC blog at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tomrobinson

WILD COMBINATION - Great Expectations [Starts 0:13]
http://www.wildcombinationuk.com

MY GREY HORSE - Need Wood [Starts 4:16]
http://www.mygreyhorse.co.uk

THE PORTRAITS - Validation [Starts 07:07]
http://www.theportraitsmusic.com

SYMPHONIC PICTURES - Smile Its Real [Starts 11:56]
http://www.symphonicpictures.com

THE SON(S) - If I Hear You Talk Apostrophes Again [Starts 15:33]
http://soundcloud.com/the-son-s

SNIPPET - Come To My Party [Starts 18:54]
http://www.snippetcuts.co.uk

THE CUT THROAT RAZORS - Mr Bond [Starts 21:47]
http://www.thecutthroatrazors.co.uk

ROO PANES - Know Me Well [Starts 25:37]
http://www.roopanes.co.uk

JOE INNES & THE CAVALCADE - Sweetheart Revolution Part 1 [Starts 29:56]
http://www.joeinnes.com

JACK ROBERT HARDMAN - Plymouth [Starts 33:18]
http://www.jackroberthardman.co.uk

MAIA - Where Else But Earth [Starts 36:34]
http://www.maiatheband.com

JULIE HAWK - The Value of Gold [Starts 39:30]
http://www.juliehawkmusic.com

ARBEIA - Umbrella [Starts 43:09]
https://www.facebook.com/arbeia.music

JESS HARWOOD - Every Little Thing [Starts 47:04]
http://www.facebook.com/jessharwoodmusic

CREATURE THAT BITES - Plane to Caracas [Starts 50:44]
http://www.creaturethatbites.com

OWEN DUFF - London You're My High [Starts 54:32]
http://www.owenduff.co.uk

BBC Introducing Mixtape 7th January 2013

Conversation between Brian Eno and Tom Robinson broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music on Saturday 12th January 2013

ENOinterview2013

Team Freshnet's very own Simon Poole chatting to Shaun Keaveny on the BBC Radio 6 Music Breakfast Show. Simon's Song Of Praise was "Boredom" by The Buzzcocks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoYiQ8Qsozk

Programme information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01q9shj
Simon at Silent Radio: http://www.silentradio.co.uk/author/Simon-Poole
Simon at Fresh On The Net: http://freshonthenet.co.uk/simon

Simon Poole on Not-So-Silent Radio 6 Music

Having recently been enjoying the excellent audiobook of Stalin Ate My Homework by Alexei Sayle,  I decided to play Alexei's classic 1984 hit Ullo John Got A New Motor on my Saturday night show on 6 Music. When I floated the idea on Twitter loads of people were keen to hear it on air and started quoting lines from the song at me.

But it seems the regular 7" single mix has vanished off the face of the bloody planet. The BBC no longer have a copy in their library, you can't buy a download on iTunes or a CD on Play or Amazon. The only video versions on YouTube are absolutely awful quality. But what you can find on iTunes is loads of Karaoke versions because it's such a well-loved classic

In the end my Twitter friend Drew Tabori sent me an audio file of the sweary 12" version, so we finally did get to play it on Saturday 3rd February 2013, although (as you can hear) it was severely edited down for BBC compliance purposes....

Check out that audiobook by the way: www.audible.co.uk/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B004EW5PSW

ALEXEI SAYLE - Ullo John Got A New Motor - on 6 Music

In the small hours of a Monday morning from 2-3am you can hear a selection of my favourite new tunes compiled into an hour-long mixtape of nonstop music. All the audio is sourced from the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/introducing/uploader/" target="_blank">BBC Introducing Uploader</a> - some of it recommended by friends and colleagues and some discovered via <a href="http://freshonthenet.co.uk">Fresh On The Net</a>.

From 3am each Monday the latest mixtape is available free via the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/trintro" target="_blank">6 Music Downloads Page</a> - where you'll also find archived episodes from the previous 4 weeks. All the tracklists and start times for each track are published here - together with a link to each artist's website. These are the listings for Monday, 15th April 2013.

BODY IN THE THAMES – Disconnect Yourself [Start 00:13]
GEORGIA RUTH – Week Of Pines [Start 04:43]
INJA – Pepper Sauce – 2:31 [Start 08:28]
THE RUCKUS – You Only Like Me Coz I’m In A Band [Start 11:04]
FLAMING JUNE – Rumpelstiltskin [Start 14:11]
SPOTLIGHT KID – Budge Up [Start 17:56]
SAM THOMAS – I’m Gonna Be A Witch [Start 22:13]
PROFESSOR YAFFLE – Sometimes [Start 25:41]
FLASH PAN HUNTER – Quiz Show [Start 31:12]
TRWBADOR – Safe [Start 35:05]
LOW DUO – Keep Your Sparkle In The Pain [Start 37:56]
LUCY ZIRINS – Morning Light [Start 41:01]
PECULIAR DISCO MOVES – Automatic Choice [Start 44:36]
JOHN SMITH – Salty & Sweet [Start 48:19]
BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY – Satisfactory Man [Start 51:24]
NINETAILS – Mama Aniseed [Start 56:06]

Tom’s Introducing Mixtape: 15th April 2013

Fresh On The Net is a music blog hosted by Tom Robinson and Team Freshnet, offering independent artists an open door and a level playing field for their music. Our inbox is open at http://freshonthenet.co.uk every Monday to Thursday morning - if you share a track with us there it will be heard by every member of our moderation team, including Tom. 

IMPORTANT: 
Only send ONE track, and make sure the dropbox says "OPEN".  Sorry, but tracks sent while the dropbox is closed - or shared drectly with this Soundcloud account - will not get heard.

freshnet

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