NCB Radio: Tony P takes a bow(ie)

There is one show on NCB Radio where you’re more likely to hear David Bowie than any other. It’s broadcast between 6 and 9pm on a Thursday and 1pm until 3pm on a Saturday. It’s the Tony P Radio Show with Tony Pendleton – and he really loves his Bowie.

We asked him to send us a few words about his show and love of Bowie and well…he sent us an essay. Take it away Tony!

Tony said: “If there’s one thing that I’ve learned about compiling a playlist for a radio show, it’s to choose songs that I want to listen to rather than songs I think listeners will like. It is my radio show after all. The news that the Bowie Archives are to be donated to the V&A and housed in a new building in East London and it makes the front pages of the papers proves that his music will continue to find new audiences, hopefully through my radio show.

“There are regular Bowie-related thematic playlists, a Bowie On TV feature with a selected performance from a television show, Introducing The Band feature which spotlights individual band members from Bowie’s many concert performances.

“Being from Liverpool, I keep an ear out for new music with ‘The Best Band Ever To Come From Liverpool’, which changes every week. Also from Liverpool is a regular contributor, Doreen McInnerny. Doreen is… well… it’s best to tune in figure that one out for yourself.

“Living on the Isle of Wight these past five years, I think I have ingratiated myself on the local music scene. Thankfully, it doesn’t just stop with Wet Leg, and we applaud their success. Talent abounds elsewhere with the likes of Plastic Mermaids, Coach Party, Paul Armfield, Angelina Grimshaw, Lee-Lee Reid, Lauran Hibberd, The Appalled, Fat Earthers, Panda Swim, Fronglands PK, I could go on. We’ve even got our own ex Rolling Stone Dick Taylor who plays regularly around the island. And I love to play music from them all.”

Wednesday 8pm – 11pm: The Edward B Radio Show. The best way to describe this presenter is by using the dictionary definition: “a bit of a an unpleasant or despicable person”, or to use the adjective, “(of a thing) no longer in its pure or original form” who shares his first and surname with a first-class cricketer who played for Oxford University and Somerset, having been born on February 28, 1862 and dying at the tender age of 39 on April 2, 1901 in Taunton.

We don’t think he’s that unpleasant or despicable but the best way to make your mind up is to hear his show. You might like it. He’s approaching retirement, with his 500th show this summer set to be the last. So, catch him while you can!

Fridays 8pm – 10pm: The Old Dusty Decks with Jason Baldaro. Jason gets behind the decks for his weekly show, with a very soulful mix of tunes coming out of the vinyl bag.

All our shows can be heard at www.ncbradio.co.uk, on the Tunein app and by asking your smart speaker to ‘play NCB Radio’.