On The Wire
Steve Barker plays the latest leftfield releases in electronica, ambient and dub/reggae.
Steve Barker plays the latest leftfield releases in electronica, ambient and dub/reggae. Whilst at Radio Blackburn in 1984, On the Wire was born from a spin-off from the music review show RPM and is now the longest running continuous alternative music show on UK radio.
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On The Wire
Born in Brierfield, when it was still the centre of the known universe, Steve remembers seeing hordes of local "football supporters" heading off to Old Trafford rather than Turf Moor on a Saturday.
His best football memory from the 1960s, apart from the Division 1 Championship, is a 5-3 away win by the Clarets over United. He's looking forward to watching yet another premiership season.
After a promising start in journalism, interviewing Jimi Hendrix and Yoko Ono in the same week, his ambitions receded only to be recruited to Radio Blackburn in 1978 to work on the music review show RPM. In 1980 RPM begat Spinoff which in 1984 mutated into On the Wire, now the longest running continuous underground music show on UK radio - and Steve recently celebrated his 40th continuous year with 大象传媒 Radio Lancashire.
On the Wire was an early champion of new musical genres such as hip hop, House and Techno, many bands and performers who were to become musical legends passed through the show including U2, REM, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Eno, Joy Division, Burning Spear and Lee 鈥淪cratch鈥 Perry. Of late On the Wire has taken a more relaxed view of the music scene and is as likely to play pre-war hillbilly, gospel or country blues as much as experimental electronica or dub.
From 2002 to 2011, Steve contributed to the show from Beijing where he worked for the British Council, popping back every now and then to caress the 大象传媒 Radio Lancashire's Mark II Chiltern studio desks he loved for years - sadly now extinct.
Longtime listeners of On the Wire continue to expect to hear the unexpected. On The Wire is on Saturdays at midnight.