Read on to find out our list of why we think we’re the greatest radio station around. If you’ve got any of your own to add, let us know!
1. It’s in a pub. We could just finish this list here, but…
2. … not just any pub! The Boogaloo in Highgate is legendary and has become one of the most well known and respected pubs in the UK. Their history with creative types such as writers, poets and artists goes back years. It is the watering hole of choice for many established musicians. One time, Suggs from Madness was having a few pints here and actually ended up co-hosting an entire radio show, much to the bemusement of the actual presenter, Jim O’Donoghue Martin.
3. The presenters are the backbone of the music industry. John Leckie (Saturdays 4-6m) produced both Radiohead and Muse, plus John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Brix Smith Start (Wednesdays 12-2pm) was lead guitarist in The Fall, Ted Carroll (Mondays 12-2pm) managed Thin Lizzy, Alan McGee (Mondays 6-8pm) signed Oasis, Primal Scream and Jesus Mary Chain, Mike Smith (Tuesdays 7-9pm) signed PJ Harvey, Elastica, Supergrass… it’d be fair to say this lot know a thing or two about music.
4. Everyone has creative freedom to play and say whatever they want. Seriously, you should check out Luke Haines’ show (Tuesdays 2-4pm) if you don’t believe us. Ever get a craving for a 12 minute German Metal instrumentals? Want to hear a grown man play the Kazoo live, over the top of every track? We got you.
5. You can drink on air. Not that any of us would ever dream of being drunk on air. That would be… unprofessional.
6. We don’t play adverts! Of course we give kudos where kudos is due e.g. our audio partners Meze Headphones and Rode Audio but asides from that you can enjoy 24/7 streaming ad-free.
7. Our biggest fans are from several different continents. Story time; opposite The Boogaloo is a flower shop called, ‘Highgate Flowers’. One Friday, after a fantastic episode of BB & The King (Bernard Butler and Mark Kingston) the panicked shop owner came rushing over with a gorgeous bouquet. Apparently, ‘someone’ in South Korea had rung them and ordered some to be made and brought over. That is dedication. We’ve also had gift packages from Canada and Australia.
8. The radio industry has been infamously male-led. We’re proud to boast a roster full of incredibly talented women. From Rowena Alice (Weds 2-4pm) who champions women in rock and indie, to Princess Ziah (Sat 8-10pm) who plays a blend of Reggaeton, Dancehall, Soul and R’n’B.
9. Our presenters are not strictly, ‘presenters’- which is a good thing! We don’t know about you, but sometimes commercial radio can feel a bit… bleh. Scripted and vanilla. Here you’re only going to get real opinions, real conversations (swearing is allowed) and real mistakes. It’s part of what we do.
10. We archive everything. Go to our ‘Shows’ page here, or visit our Mixcloud page here. Alternatively, download our app and click on the picture of your favourite presenters to see a list of all previous shows.