John & Mark host a show dedicated to the bands that played at legendary Manchester club, The Haçienda ahead of the NYE extravaganza. Hear Spiritualized, Blur, The Inspiral Carpets, while they show the working out to creating Blue Monday. Plus a Christmas tune or two.
Some big hitters this month emanating from Umbrella Towers. John takes in tunes from Tami Terrell né Mongomery, Gene Chandler, The Main Ingredient and more while talking James Brown & Curtis.
Mark & John Have some eerie choices this month, post Halloween. Along with Syd Barrett, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Band and plenty more!!
Soul & Funk by the bucketful this month, with a slight diversion into Calypso. All the way from Umbrella Towers, hear gems, nuggets & dubloons from The Flirtations, Shuggie Otis, Vernon Garnett & The Arrows.
John & Mark discuss sleep deprivation and music thievery, to a soundtrack of The Walkmen, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Joe Royal and many more big hitters.
Transmitting from Umbrella Towers, hear music from The Sonics, The Fall, Eagles Of Death Metal and many more, while Mark & John discuss the dangers of sea travel. Listen up!
In preparation for Carnival East on Bank Holiday Sunday. We treat you to a Reggae extravaganza. Hear Keith & Tex, Eek-a-Mouse, a rare Bob Marley dub, and loads more!
All joking aside this month, as John steers us through Al Wilson, The Beginning Of The End, Arthur K Adams, The Coasters and many more, while sheltering from the rain in Umbrella Towers.
This month Mark & John discuss the world’s best frontman, while playing Donovan, The Stranglers, The Moonlandingz and more..
Beaming from Umbrella Towers this month, John tries to play a Motown free show…will he make it? In the meantime, hear Curtis Mayfield, The Vibrations, Syl Johnson and more.
Mark & John bring you the result of their own poll, and have an alternative Queen’s birthday celebration. Hear The Cure, The Count 5, and The Hives and more!
Umbrella Towers has visitors this month with Fabienne & Bryony from Cuckooz picking Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue for your listening pleasure. Plus John spinning a little Joy Lovejoy, King Floyd & Brenton Wood.
Every month Umbrella Radio take control of the music at The Sun, usually with a live DJ set from our very own John Robinson who’s joined by a guest DJ playing their own take on “Non-Specific” rock and roll – everything from the 50’s & 60’s, through Glam, Punk & New Wave, to the Indie of yesteryear and today.
This month it was the turn of David Preshaah of Hoxton Radio – a digital station founded by David in 2012. Hoxton Radio shed light on pop culture in East London with a foundation of great music, all from their studio overlooking Spitalfields Market – you can read more about them here. Other recent guest DJ’s for Non-Specific have included Drew McConnell (Babyshambles, Helsinki), Palma Violets, Superfood and Rennie (The View).
The Sun Tavern launched their new cocktail menu on the same night. The traditional Irish spirit Poitín is very much a part of The Sun Tavern’s DNA, and the new menu was inspired by other indigenous spirits from all over the world. Think Arrack, Grappa, Slivovitz, Cachaça, Pisco, Sake, Mezcal and of course, Poitìn.
To accompany all this we be served the age old peasant staple – stew. Irish stew to be exact. Made to the Duffy family recipe (Our general manager’s family!)
The festivities went on until the early hours, and all in all it was a great night – If you missed it, make sure to pop by to check out the new menu as soon as you can (we’re happy to see The Evening Standard are fans of it…) Also don’t miss next month’s Non Specific!
The Clash – Rudie Can’t Fail
The Cure – A Forest
The Stooges – I Wanna Be Your Dog
Harry Nilsson – Subterranean Homesick Blues
The Road – She’s Not There
The Sonics – Have Love Will Travel
The Modern Lovers – Roadrunner
Elvis Costello – Pump It Up
Plastic Bertrand – Ca Plane Pour Moi
Iggy Pop – I’m Bored
Let’s start with the fundamentals, Vinyl, CD’s or laptop?
I’d love to say vinyl, but unfortunately it’s CD’s. I was vinyl for years, but since I moved to London it’s been CD’s all the way. I’ve got hundreds of records but they’re all back up North. Didn’t want to be carting them every time I moved…. which was inevitable. It’s much easier on the back as well!
You DJ a lot, but what else do you get up to?
Oh all kinds!! Nah, I’m pretty musical so I do a lot of writing and playing in my spare time, but I do a lot of work with The Umbrella Project guys, curating events and we’ve just been working on some podcasts for the soon to be coming Umbrella Radio which is pretty exciting.
Tell us more…
Well there’s one for Discount Suit Co. and one for The Sun. There’ll be one for Umbrella Brewing which has just kicked off as well. We’ve got some ideas for others too.
What was your last musical epiphany?
It was actually through one of Discount’s regular DJ’s, Anne Frankenstein. It’s called ‘Bad Girl part 1&2’ by a guy called Lee Moses. As soon as he starts singing it’s like he’s on caps lock! He’s so full on man. And the recording of it’s really scrappy as well, which just makes it better. There’s some out of tune horns and loads of hitting reds. And it’s got this amazing line in it…it’s basically about a girl he’s going out with who’s a bad influence or not treating him right and he describes her as “very good, very bad, very good”! I think he laughs at one point too. It’s amazing.
Have you got a favourite concoction from DSC or The Sun?
Ooh….Dorian (DSC’s former manager) used to make me a Chocolate Daiquiri which floated my boat. I really liked the Conference Call as well. It was quite smokey and had a nuttiness. I couldn’t tell you what was in it, but I was a big fan.
What’s your prized possession in your record collection?
I think it’d have to be my first pressing of ‘Catch A Fire’ by The Wailers. It’s the one with the zippo cover. The record label wanted to make them accessible to a rock audience and I think they thought a zippo lighter would do that. They changed the cover after the first few pressings to a picture of Bob Marley with a spliff so the zippo one’s a bit special. It’s one of my favourite albums as well.
Finally, what’s the funniest request you’ve ever had?
Oh, there’s so many. There was one time I was Djing in The Sun, I think I was playing Joy Division. This guy came up to me who the barman had already told me was interested in DJing there too. So he comes up to me and asks “Have you got any Joy Division?” I’m stood there thinking ‘This guy wants to DJ and he’s asking me for the band I’m playing right now?!’ When I told him so, he didn’t bat an eyelid. He just asked “Have you got anything I can dance to?” I realized he was joking while he rattles off all the worst requests he or I had ever heard!! We had him Djing the next week.
There was another guy in DSC one time. I’m stood there at the decks with headphones on and he asks “What CD is this mate?” I told him the name of the song and he said “I know the name of the song mate. I want to know what CD it is. There’ve been some bangers on it” He seemed to think that I was just playing some comp CD, start to finish. I think I laughed in his face.
She’s Not Just Another Woman – 8th Day
Super Duper Love – Sugar Billy (NOT Joss Stone as Tommy loves to say)
Me and My Baby Got a Good Thing Going – Lyn Collins
Queen of Losers – Eleanor Rigby
Whalebone – Lester Stirling
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