Author Archives: Simon

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About Simon

Simon Ashberry has been playing the best of local music on Bradford Beat for almost a quarter of a century . He was music columnist for the Telegraph & Argus for several years, covering local acts such as Embrace, Terrorvision, Tasmin Archer and New Model Army, and has played bass in several bands himself. He was previously part of Bradford-based Loom with John Rigby from Trip and Stumble and currently plays with innovative blues trio West Yorkshire Noblemen's Society.

More missing music

Bradford Beat will be showcasing two new CDs produced in conjunction with the Gary Cavanagh and Matt Webster project Bradford’s Noise of the Valleys.
The new CDs feature tracks that weren’t included Bradford’s Noise Of The Valleys Volumes 1 and 2.
Volume 3 features music from 1966-1987 and volume 4 from 1988-1998.
In the coming weeks we’ll be featuring many of the tracks by acts such as Joolz, Anti System, Blade, Lost Weekend, Zed and Worm.
As a taster, we kicked off our latest show with The Ovaltinies by Trip And Stumble. Here’s the full list of tracks we played this week:

Thurston Moore – The Best Day
Alt-J – Leaving Nara
Tuneyards – Real Thing
Mark Heslop – Song for the City Gent
Cheap Girls – Amazing Grace
Embrace – Quarters
Circa Waves – So Long
Saint Saviour – I Remember
Archie Bronson Outfit – Two Doves On A Lake
Stand Alone – Learn how To Feel
Oasis – She’s Electric
Trip and Stumble – The Ovaltinies
Dub Colossus – Boom Ka Boom

You can listen again here

A pair of true Gents

It was great to have Mark Heslop in the studio this week performing his new song celebrating the 30th anniversary of the City Gent.

The fanzine’s editor Mike Harrison was also our guest, chatting about its enduring appeal among Bradford City fans.

Here’s the full list of songs on the show:

Alt-J – The Gospel of John Hurt
Mark Heslop – Song for the City Gent (live in session)
DZ Deathrays – Gina Works At Hearts
Embrace – In The End
Benjamin Booker – Always Waiting
Elizabeth – New Year
Interpol – My Desire
Slow Club – Everything Is New
Superfood – Mood Bomb
Stand Alone – Learn How To Feel

You can listen again here

City Gent celebration

Don’t miss our special guest this week – Mark Heslop will be performing his new song marking the 30th anniversary of the City Gent fanzine.

Mark will be chatting about how he came up with the idea and also giving a live studio rendition on Bradford Beat.

A video for the song is also on YouTube.

We’re on air from 8pm to 9pm this Thursday (24 October) on BCB 106.6FM

Bradford Beat – 16 October

Can’t think of anything witty to say this week – so I’ll just give you the list of what tracks we played…

Saint Saviour – I Remember
New Model Army – Peace Is Only
Against Me! – True Trans Soul Rebel
Alt-J – Warm Foothills
Twin Atlantic – Hold On
Slow Club – Everything is Good
Rob Lynch – Broken Bones
Stand Alone – Learn How To Feel
St Vincent – Rattlesnake
Embrace – I Run

Click here to listen again

Bradford’s very best

We’re putting together a top 10 of the best ever tracks by Bradford bands – and want your help.

Get in touch at simon.ashberry@bcbradio.co.uk with your suggestions of what should be included. It could be any song by any band from the Bradford area from any era.

We’ll aim to broadcast the show in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, here’s what we played on Bradford Beat this week:

Alt-J – Left Hand Free
Benjamin Booker – Always Waiting
Being 747 – Use Your Friends
Interpol – My Desire
Embrace – Follow You Home
Jack White – That Black Bat Licorice
New Model Army – Here Comes The War
Phox – Kingfisher
DZ Deathrays – Keep Myself On Edge
Stand Alone – Easier Said Than Done
Kate Bush – Rubberband Girl
Laura Groves – I Am Leaving
Arcade Fire – Flashbulb Eyes
Alt-J – This Is All Yours Intro

You can listen again here.

Something to Believe In

A forthcoming punk event featuring Abrasive Wheels, TV Smith and The Negatives was under the spotlight on this week’s Bradford Beat. Here was the full tracklisting:

King Creosote – Something to Believe In
Embrace – Quarters
TV Smith – We Want The Road
The Negatives – Another Stakeout
St Vincent – Rattlesnake
Kaiser Chiefs – Meanwhile Up In Heaven
Ben Watt – Nathaniel
Scaramanga Six – Trouble
Jack White – High Ball Stepper
Alt-J – Every Other Freckle
Half Man Half Biscuit – Bad Losers On Yahoo Chess
Junk Dealers – Hometown Blues
Superfood – Mood Bomb

You can listen again by clicking here.

 

No more nights in the Cockpit

This week’s Bradford Beat takes a fond look at the some of the bands who played at the Cockpit following the news that the legendary Leeds venue has closed its doors.

The tracks played were:

Futureheads – Yes/No
Alt-J – Every Other Freckle
Anna Calvi – Piece By Piece
Negative Panda – Why Am I So Negative?
Superfood – Mood Bomb
Kaiser Chiefs – Angry Mob
The Ting Tings – Silence
Coldplay – Politik
Toots and Maytals – Sweet and Dandy
Orange Juice – I Can’t Help Myself
Embrace – I Run
DZ Deathrays – Gina Works At Hearts
Parquet Courts – Bodies Made Of
Death From Above 1979 – Trainwreck 1979

You can listen again here

Take a deep breath…

On this week’s Bradford Beat, we take a brief pause after a hectic year so far to look back at some of the lesser-known musical highlights of 2014.

The tracks played were:

Kate Bush – The Red Shoes
Elizabeth – New Year
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Coming Down
Embrace – Follow You Home
Phox – Slow Motion
Stand Alone – Easier Said Than Done
Against Me – Unconditional Love
Kaiser Chiefs – Coming Home
Red Paintings – Streets Fell Into My Window
Marika Hackmann – Deep Green
Alt-J – Every Other Freckle
Junk Dealers – Bad Vibrations
Brody Dalle – Meet The Foetus/Oh The Joy

You can listen again here

Bingley Music Live preview

This week’s Bradford Beat took a look ahead to BML 2014, featuring the likes of Gaz Coombes and Bradford band Warme. The full tracklisting was:

Alt-J – Every Other Freckle
Siren – Hold Me
Benjamin Booker – Have You Seen My Son?
Kate Bush – King of the Mountain
Warme – Monday Comedown
Supergrass – Sun Hits The Sky
DZ Deathrays – Keep Myself On The Edge
Embrace – Self-Attack Mechanism
Parquet Courts – Bodies Made Of
Lisa Marie Glover – Gillian
New Pornographers – Brill Bruisers
Slow Club – Everything is New
Junk Dealers – Govenment Leaders

Listen again here

The one-handed radio show

Ever heard what radio sounds like when the presenter has broken a bone in his hand playing cricket?

Pretty much the same as usual actually…

Here was the Bradford Beat playlist this week:

Slow Club – Tears of Joy
Lisa Marie Glover – The Panel
Archie Bronson Outfit – In White Relief
Embrace – I Run
Billy The Kid – Phone Bills
The Delvaux – O Wronged World
Superfood – Right On Satellite
Junk Dealers – Reality TV
Broken Bells – The High Road
Roger Davies and the Durbervilles – The Grand Depart
Beaty Heart – Seafood
Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes
Alt-J – Hunger of the Pine
Parquet Courts – Sunbathing Animal

Click here to listen again