Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM returns...

....on Wednesday 5 October 2014.

Details of this and future shows can be found on Facebook.

The O'Marleys Live

Great to have live music from Devon band The O'Marleys.

Becky Baker and Robert Garnham...

...were my special guests on today's Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM.

Exeter University Footlights

On this week's Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM we welcomed members of Exeter University Footlights.

Matt Calder and two halos

Matt Calder joined us in the Phonic FM studio for this week's Hot Pebbles! More info soon.

Jerry Cahill plus Don from The Skull Kids

Alex Kreid plus India Electric Co Live!

Author Graham Sclater plus live music from Lazibyrd

It was a great pleasure to once again welcome Exeter-based author Graham Sclater

to  Hot Pebbles!on Phonic FM. Graham spoke to us about how he goes about his involvement in music and about writing novels and film and TV scripts.

An accomplished songwriter and musician, Graham has performed and recorded with artists including Jimi Hendrix, Fats Domino, James Taylor and Elton John. Some of his songs have won competitions in France, Spain, Gibraltar and Japan as well as being recorded by well-known artists.

Graham has produced records in varying styles as diverse as punk, folk, country, heavy rock and MOR in studios as far afield as Trinidad and Jamaica. Many of these productions were released on Graham's own Tabitha Record label.

Graham is currently working on the novel “Love Shack”  based in London and Amsterdam.

In the second half of the show, we welcomed the duo Lazibyrd - Sharon Martin (vocals, violin) and Tom Chapman (vocals, guitar) - who performed four of their own songs:

The Little Things

Carry On Regardless

Run To The Door

Fog On The Water

We also played I'm Alright and Under The Stars from Lazibyrd's excellent album Under The Sky.

Lazibyrd were the winners of the South West Music Awards 2013 in the Best Duo category and are busy with engagements which include supporting violin virtuoso Dave Swarbrick in Bristol this weekend and at festivals like Bradninch and Exmouth.

Listen to and order Lazibyrd's album Under The Sky here.

African music special

 Listen to the show here  

Nick Hall of Dakar Audio Club joined me for a very enjoyable one hour of African music on this week's Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM . Nick is organising a series of exciting African Nights in Exeter. 
The first of the African Nights features the Batch Gueye Band on Sunday 13 April at Exeter's Tobacco House.

Find out more by following this link.

In the second half of the show, I spoke on the phone to singer, songwriter Kimmie Rhodes from Texas about her music and about playing at The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter on Thursday 3 April.

David Sawyer and his unorthodox instruments

Many, many thanks to David Sawyer for entertaining us on this week's Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM with his amazing home made unorthodox musical instruments.



 Listen to the show here 

Gypsy folk, accapella from Zimbabwe and much more...

...on Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM this week.

More info soon.

U3A and The Legendary Ten Seconds

 Listen to the show on Mixcloud

 Live music on Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM this week from The Legendary Ten Seconds aka Ian Churchward.

Epic tales of Richard III in song performed on guitar and other instruments by Ian and friends.

Three songs live from Ian: to be completed.

Recordings too, some available on The Legendary Ten Seconds' album Loyaulte Me Lie
More information about music by The Legendary Ten Seconds on Facebook and  buy the album on iTunes.




Lynn and Trudi from Exeter U3A told us all about the origins and
development of The University of the Third Age, a national organisation with international links.

The U3A welcomes people, usually over the age of fifty and retired from full time employment, to join together to learn from each other and to enjoy social activities that are of common interest.

Find out more on their website.

Exeter U3A has fifty interest groups ranging from languages, sciences and philosophy to keep fit and walks. There are interesting and stimulating talks, academic workshops in conjunction with the University of  Exeter and numerous opportunities for socialising.

Find out more about U3A here and about the Exeter group here.

Photos by ace photographer Cecil Hatfield.

Ward Thomas Sisters sing for Phonic FM

Ward Thomas delighted us in the Phonic FM studio on 
Hot Pebbles! this week. 

 Listen to the show on Mixcloud 

Wonderful (largely original) country music / Americana with a touch of folk and rock music too.

Beautifully crafted harmony singing by Catherine and Lizzie Ward-Thomas with superb accompaniment by guitarist Dan Gordon.

There were three songs live on Hot Pebbles! and two recordings from their forthcoming EP called Ward Thomas. Details along with the Mixcloud cloudcast.

Keep up to date with Ward Thomas's music, news, gigs and recordings on their Facebook page. Visit the Ward Thomas website too.

See also Dan Gordon Music.

Many thanks to Marie Belsten of Mingle Music for introducing us to Ward Thomas.

Photos by ace photographer Cecil Hatfield. More pics here.

Featured album: Billy Bottle & The Multiple, Unrecorded Beam.

Unrecorded Beam is described as "an unfolding mini-epic of poetry by Thoreau inside a prog/jazz odyssey".
The epic was launched at Exeter's Barnfield Theatre to great acclaim.

Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots...

...in Exeter.                                                                    

Project co-ordinator Ghee Bowman joined me on Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM today and he proved a brilliant story teller.

The stories he told were collected as part of the Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots project exploring Exeter's long multicultural history. Find out more here.

 Listen here to my interview with Ghee Bowman, 

interspersed with relevant music. 

Playlist included along with the recording.

Lukas Drinkwater...

...did a great live set for us in the Phonic FM studio today. He talked about the wide range of music he plays as a solo musician and as a session musician and accompanying, amongst others, Emily Howard and Jim Causley and with the 3 Daft Monkeys.

 See playlist and listen to a "cloudcast" of the show here 

See Lukas Drinkwater's website for more information about - and recordings of - his music and his gigs. 

See the 3 Daft Monkeys in concert with Dumber Than The Average Bear for Phonic FM at Exeter Phoenix on Saturday, 15 February. 

More details on the Exeter Phoenix website.

 More pictures of Lukas Drinkwater's session in this Facebook album. 

The blog resumes

So, what is happening to the Hot Pebbles on Phonic FM blog?

After a lull for deliberation, I have decided to continue this blog site but with some changes. 

I have been using it to give a fullish report on my Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM radio shows along with studio photos of guests and playlists.

Since starting the blogs, I have generally given the playlist of live music and recordings. Now I am using Mixcloud for podcasts of shows, the playlist can be seen there but at present only one photo for each "cloudcast". 

Photos from radio sessions are mostly being posted in Facebook albums now. 



So, what you will see on this blog site from now on will be:

A very brief report on Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM radio shows along with

• some photos plus links to see Facebook photo albums
• links to my Mixcloud pages to hear "cloudcasts" of shows and extracts from shows plus playlists and details of other items on the show.

http://www.mixcloud.com/martinhodgeuk/ 

Old blog entries will still be available here. 
Many of these have links to listen again to old shows. Use the search on this blog (top left) to find entries with particular musicians and organisations - like theatres and theatre companies - that have been featured on Hot Pebbles!

Many thanks to photographer Cecil Hatfield. Cecil will still be providing some photos of studio guests, particularly musicians.

So sorry...

...not to post here recently. Now I am putting pretty full details of my radio/internet shows on Mixcloud - http://www.mixcloud.com/martinhodgeuk/ - I am not finding enough time to keep up this blog. I may close it and (hopefully) keep the archive going. I will decide soon - and keep you posted. Many thanks to all who have been following me (so to speak)!

See also
https://www.facebook.com/HotPebblesOnPhonicFm?fref=ts

The Pebbles stay hot for 3 hours

Yes, a three-hour Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM today.

Sorry. Details not available at present.

Happy 2014!!

Apologies for being a few days late!
 Listen here  
to the New Year Hot Pebbles! on Phonic FM with Lisa, Gavin and Martin.                      

Playlist (Quite a varied selection by the 3 of us - with requests from family and friends...)

Jimmy Jones..Good Timin'
Eric Ness..All The Things You Are..Eric Ness
Ed Sheeran..I See Fire (Kygo Remix)
Jay Tamkin..Grown Up In Every Way
Alex Kumar..1963..Alex Kumar
The Yorkshire Bach Choir / Peter Seymour..Jesu Meine Freude / Lobet Den Herrn..J.S. Bach, The Six Motets
Patti Smith..Frederick..The Essential Patti Smith
The Pet Shop Boys..Bolshy..Electric
Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin..The Nailmakers' Strike Part 2..Mynd
Iain Ballamy feat.Django Bates..All I Ask Of You..Balloon Man
St Thomas (Exeter) Gospel Choir..Love Is The Answer
Susie Hodder-Williams & Chris Caldwell..Shadows..Mariner's Way
Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra..Tuxedo Junction..Small World Big Band, Volume 2: More Friends
Daft Punk..Get Lucky
The Skull Kids..Rapunzel
Jimi Hendrix Experience..All Along The Watchtower..The Ultimate Experience
Danny Thompson & Whatever..Fair Isle Friends..Elemental
Dakar Audio Club..Mogobey
The Special AKA..Free Nelson Mandela
The Mighty Boosh..Free Nelson Mandela
John Taylor, Palle Danielsson & Peter Erskine..Bulgaria..Time Being
Babyshambles..Fireman
Count To Fire..Pictures On The Wall
Amadou Diagne..Baikat..Yakar
Ry Cooder & Corridos Famosos..Do Re Mi..Live In San Francisco
Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra & Stereophonics..First Time Ever I Saw Your Face..Best Of Friends
Billy Bottle..Soul Play..Exeter Local Records Sampler 1
India Electric Company..Eyes And Tears