On Record | In Conversation

Broadcaster Satnam Rana and Journalist Adrian Goldberg present twenty-two conversations with Birmingham musicians, promoters, managers, venue owners and entrepreneurs who have all contributed to local, national, and international music culture. Join us and our special guests for conversations about their lives in music, their connections to the city, and how Birmingham has inspired or influenced them, personally and musically.A pioneering champion of Black music, Lloyd Blake was part of the team that opened the legendary Hummingbird. In this episode Adrian asks Lloyd about running the first Black-led major city centre venue in the UK, and Lloyd’s impact on Birmingham’s music and cultural landscape.Known and recognised for his sartorial elegance, Lloyd has had a long, distinguished, and pioneering role in Birmingham and Black music culture. He started out promoting Sound Systems in Birmingham and was later part of a prominent group of Black musicians, entrepreneurs and activists who would successfully campaign for more representation and Black music programming on BBC Radio, a campaign that would ultimately lead to dedicated Black music stations like BBC Radio 1xtra.

Broadcaster Satnam Rana and Journalist Adrian Goldberg present twenty-two conversations with Birmingham musicians, promoters, managers, venue owners and entrepreneurs who have all contributed to local, national, and international music culture. Join us and our special guests for conversations about their lives in music, their connections to the city, and how Birmingham has inspired or influenced them, personally and musically.Selected dates also feature free live performances from the artists appearing On Record. The first of its kind, On Record is a multi-artist, multi-genre concept album forming a sonic love letter to the city of Birmingham. Produced as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, the eleven-track album will be available on a limited vinyl release and across all streaming platforms. James Indigo is an artist from Birmingham, who uses his experiences of growing up as an LGBTQ person of colour, to create an esoteric sound that is true to himself. In this episode Satnam Rana finds out about James’s experience of growing up in Birmingham, being Black, queer and rapping. James says he knew from a young age that he wanted to be in the entertainment business. Aged 16, he started learning to play the piano and writing songs. He went to music school, took a short hiatus while modelling and travelling, and released his debut single ‘CXNTOUR’ in 2019. 2020 saw the release of singles Daddy’s Coming Home, and Van Gough and the EP Married to the Game. 

Broadcaster Satnam Rana and Journalist Adrian Goldberg present twenty-two conversations with Birmingham musicians, promoters, managers, venue owners and entrepreneurs who have all contributed to local, national, and international music culture. Join us and our special guests for conversations about their lives in music, their connections to the city, and how Birmingham has inspired or influenced them, personally and musically.Selected dates also feature free live performances from the artists appearing On Record. The first of its kind, On Record is a multi-artist, multi-genre concept album forming a sonic love letter to the city of Birmingham. Produced as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, the eleven-track album will be available on a limited vinyl release and across all streaming platforms. Composed of an international line-up of musicians, the Friendly Fire Band sound comfortably juggles traditional roots, dancehall and one drop rhythms, and they’ve become an institution on the Birmingham Reggae Scene. In this episode Satnam Rana talks to band members Robin Giorno and Myki Tuff and finds out about their love for Birmingham and what inspires their music and lively performances. Having supported a host of artists from Dawn Penn to the late Michael Prophet and released music on their own Friendly Fire Band Music label, the band continue to be one of the most active live reggae and dancehall outfits in Birmingham, on stage and in the studio. Friendly Fire Band have attracted a strong fan base through their fiery festival performances on some of the best stages on the national circuit. 

Broadcaster Satnam Rana and Journalist Adrian Goldberg present twenty-two conversations with Birmingham musicians, promoters, managers, venue owners and entrepreneurs who have all contributed to local, national, and international music culture. Join us and our special guests for conversations about their lives in music, their connections to the city, and how Birmingham has inspired or influenced them, personally and musically.Selected dates also feature free live performances from the artists appearing On Record. The first of its kind, On Record is a multi-artist, multi-genre concept album forming a sonic love letter to the city of Birmingham. Produced as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, the eleven-track album will be available on a limited vinyl release and across all streaming platforms. Carl Phillips is the founder of Moseley Folk and Arts Festival and Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul, along with Tanworth In Arden’s Lunar Festival. In this episode Adrian Goldberg talks to Carl about growing up in Birmingham spending most of his teenage years at Rockers record shop in Birmingham and his shock at being allowed to do his 2 weeks work experience there before leaving school. While hanging out at Rockers Carl recalls being asked to go and buy all the Acid House music he could find in Birmingham, so they could stock it in the shop and remembers being encouraged to put on his first club night. After recording the single 'Jesus loves the acid' which was put out on Rocker's record label, the unexpected consequences saw a host of popular club nights in Birmingham cancelled when the national press reported the club was a drug den. However, this wasn't enough to stop Carl whose determination and love for music has seen him set up two of the biggest festivals in the city and even meet some of his musical heroes including Neil Young. 

Broadcaster Satnam Rana and Journalist Adrian Goldberg present twenty-two conversations with Birmingham musicians, promoters, managers, venue owners and entrepreneurs who have all contributed to local, national, and international music culture. Join us and our special guests for conversations about their lives in music, their connections to the city, and how Birmingham has inspired or influenced them, personally and musically. Selected dates also feature free live performances from the artists appearing On Record. The first of its kind, On Record is a multi-artist, multi-genre concept album forming a sonic love letter to the city of Birmingham. Produced as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, the eleven-track album will be available on a limited vinyl release and across all streaming platforms. DJ, television, and radio presenter Bobby Friction is one of the faces of the BBC Asian Network. In this episode Satnam Rana asks more about Bobby’s early DJ’ing days at the Shaanti club at Birmingham’s Custard Factory, his successful journey into broadcasting and his continuing love of music. Bobby joined BBC Radio 1 in 2002, co-hosting the award-winning Bobby Friction & Nihal Presents, followed by a move to the BBC Asian Network where he currently hosts a regular drivetime show. A documenter and historian of Asian music culture, and multiple Sony Radio Academy Gold Award winner, Bobby is a recognized specialist in desi beats but is first and foremost a massive fan of music!

Broadcaster Satnam Rana and Journalist Adrian Goldberg present twenty-two conversations with Birmingham musicians, promoters, managers, venue owners and entrepreneurs who have all contributed to local, national, and international music culture. Join us and our special guests for conversations about their lives in music, their connections to the city, and how Birmingham has inspired or influenced them, personally and musically. Selected dates also feature free live performances from the artists appearing On Record. The first of its kind, On Record is a multi-artist, multi-genre concept album forming a sonic love letter to the city of Birmingham. Produced as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, the eleven-track album will be available on a limited vinyl release and across all streaming platforms. Holly Hollister is Editor in Chief at BABMAG, a culture publication representing Birmingham and beyond, and founder at Selextorhood, an empowered DJ community, that encourages equality in the music industry. In this episode Satnam Rana finds out what Holly thinks about Birmingham’s music and culture scene. Originally from Exeter, Holly studied Communication & Media Studies at Birmingham City University. While there, she wrote for BABMAG and produced and presented a weekly music show for Brum Radio. Holly is currently a Visiting Lecturer at BCU teaching a Music Ecologies module on the Media Communications & Music Industries degree course, a Board Member on West Midlands Music Board and continues to fight for equality and increased visibility of womxn and non-binary people in music industries. 

Broadcaster Satnam Rana and Journalist Adrian Goldberg present twenty-two conversations with Birmingham musicians, promoters, managers, venue owners and entrepreneurs who have all contributed to local, national, and international music culture. Join us and our special guests for conversations about their lives in music, their connections to the city, and how Birmingham has inspired or influenced them, personally and musically. Selected dates also feature free live performances from the artists appearing On Record. The first of its kind, On Record is a multi-artist, multi-genre concept album forming a sonic love letter to the city of Birmingham. Produced as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, the eleven-track album will be available on a limited vinyl release and across all streaming platforms. Birmingham based Olalekan Babalola is a Nigerian jazz percussionist, musician and two times Grammy award winner, known for his innovative style, using his native Yoruba tongue infused with traditional music, Afrobeat and funky dance overtones. In this episode Adrian Goldberg talks to Lekan about his varied career, from being Fela Kuti’s protégé to working with Spike Lee. Born in Lagos State, Nigeria, by the age of six Lekan had started playing the conga at his father's Yoruba Christian Church and later formed a patchwork band with his peers. In 1980, he left Nigeria for the UK to study engineering, but switched to filmmaking before returning to music and working with notable acts including Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Prince, Roy Ayers and David Byrne.

Broadcaster Satnam Rana and Journalist Adrian Goldberg present twenty-two conversations with Birmingham musicians, promoters, managers, venue owners and entrepreneurs who have all contributed to local, national, and international music culture. Join us and our special guests for conversations about their lives in music, their connections to the city, and how Birmingham has inspired or influenced them, personally and musically.Selected dates also feature free live performances from the artists appearing On Record. The first of its kind, On Record is a multi-artist, multi-genre concept album forming a sonic love letter to the city of Birmingham. Produced as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, the eleven-track album will be available on a limited vinyl release and across all streaming platforms. Elle Chante is a musical self-expressionist based in Birmingham, interested in exploring human emotions and experiences through the arts. Described as 'ethereal' 'angelic' and 'enchanting' Elle’s performances use looping, guitar and emotive song writing and vocals to invite the audience to share in the world that she lives in. In this episode Adrian Goldberg talks to Elle about growing up in Birmingham, her musical and artistic influences and invisible illness. Elle's most recent events include co-creating and performing ‘Seasick’ (an interdisciplinary piece of performance art about coming to terms with chronic illness) and creating ‘Invisible’ - an event to give artists with invisible illnesses a platform to perform and discuss their experiences. Elle is a recipient of the Jerwood Bursary and her genre bending, ambient, electronic, orchestral sound, has gained recognition from labels such as Pilot Records and Liquicity.