Rebellious Jukebox at 300

Right on the heels of Magpie's Folk Cafe, and if all goes to plan, Thursday 3rd July will see the realisation of the 300th Rebellious Jukebox show. I started the show in June 2018; my intent at the time being solely to impose my record collection onto Frome and the rest of the World. The first episode went out while England were playing in the World Cup, so I set the bar fairly low with regards to the commencement of a steadily growing listenership. Soon after that I was press-ganged onto the board of directors and gained a deeper understanding of all things community radio and since then I have always tried to champion local artists in every show to some degree.

I always intended the show to be longevous and to morph over time. My first shows were pre-recorded in the studio and then I started doing live shows. During COVID I started making shows at home using the Mixxx software, again first pre-recorded and then live. This is something that I have continued to do until the present day, with the occasional vinyl-only offering live from the studio. During COVID I set myself a challenge of making one hundred shows in one hundred weeks, a feat I managed to achieve despite all the other problems that I was dealing with at the station at that time. Around that time the show was extended to two hours for a while as we were short of programmes.

I'd be lying if I said there have not been periods when I've been fed up with it, but I've always carried on... and I've definitely become a better presenter over the years! I think those lows probably helped with that, because pushing through them stopped me trying so hard and led to a more natural delivery. Irreverent, was how someone described it the other day, which I quite like, although of course I have the utmost respect for all the artists whose material I play. I have never promoted myself as anything other than someone having a go, but I like to think I always deliver an hour of high quality music. As a general rule, I never play the same track twice. I'm also conscious that my love of music was the reason I joined FromeFM, and so any other duties that I take on at the station should not suppress the continuation of the show.

Some of you will know that 'Rebellious Jukebox' is the name of a song by The Fall. I had a few show name possibilities before I started, one of them being 'Good to your Earhole', a song by Funkadelic, which I was advised against using, probably for good reason. I'd undoubtedly call it something else if I started again now, but it is what it is. I try and record a show every week but unfortunately some weeks I just cannot fit it in. I have recorded occasional shows in hotel rooms when I have had to travel. Show number 300 will be on the eve of the 2025 Frome Festival.

Random facts:

• The first track ever played on the show was Gimme a Bullet, by AC/DC. The last track on the last ever show, whenever that may be, will be Highway to Hell, by AC/DC.
• One of my first guests was celebrated Frome poet, Liv Torc. She came into the studio and read her poem live while I set about being nervous. I gave her a bottle of wine for her troubles, which disappeared into her TARDIS-like handbag and she in turn disappeared soundlessly into the night.
• Leading up to last year's Frome Festival, a guest on the show was Peter Morrison from the Peatbog Faeries. He realised he had to up his game when I proceeded to ask him about bag-pipe tunings...
• On the occasions that I've done a show with a theme, I'm often never totally happy with it. However, over the years there has been a bagpipes special, a 1971 special, a Radio 1 Friday Rock Show special, a Scandinavian music special, a Collander label 40th anniversary special and many shows inspired by festivals that I've been to.
• In 2024, the Rebellious Jukebox tracked FromeFM presenter Alex Hart on her cycle touring adventure to Europe. Alex sent in voice recordings which were played out every week during her travels.
• My son and daughter, Angus and Holly often choose tracks for the show. Through this and amongst other things, I have been introduced to the wealth of great music that has been created for video games.
• The most listened to Rebellious Jukebox show on Mixcloud is a 2021 interview with Angus's one time band, All to No Avail. This turned out to be an apt name for said collective as they disbanded shortly afterwards.
• Rob Baily, presenter of our syndicated shows Eclectic Selection and Offshore Music, once compared the Rebellious Jukebox show to that of the great John Peel, whom he produced for a while. Hell, yeah!
• Most played artists on the show are Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa and Welsh band Man. It's not a rock show but one cannot desert one's formulative years!
• The Rebellious Jukebox Christmas shows are always difficult to make and every year I threaten not to make one. But I always do. Seven years of searching for Christmas songs which are in a minor key.
• The Rebellious Jukebox is proud and hugely appreciative of the continual sponsorship by Frome record shop, Raves from the Grave!

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