SHEFFIELD!Jarvis Cocker’s Musical Map of Sheffield, Radio 2, 10.30pm
We don’t often preview radio here, but every now and then, a little (potential) gem stands out. Tonight sees one of those, as Jarvis Cocker takes us on a musical tour of his home city (and mine – well my adopted home, anyway) of Sheffield.
Now, Sheffield may not have the prestige of Manchester or London as a hotbed of musical energy, but lots of amazing acts have come from the city, including ABC, Pulp, Richard Hawley, The Arctic Monkeys, Cabaret Voltaire, The Longpigs, bits of Moloko (sort of), Heaven 17, Reverend and the Makers, The Long Blondes and The Human League (whose first EVER gig was held at the place I work, fact fans). The city’s trade is essentially in cheeky pop-synth-indie-dance with a wry sense of humour and it’s something worth celebrating, especially as many of these acts have influenced some of the indie/dance/pop we have today.
Cocker himself is always a welcome presence on telly and radio, and you could do a lot worse than give this hour-long show a whirl. Bonus Sheffield bingo points if he mentions Henderson’s Relish, WARP records, the Peace Gardens, Threads or the Kellvin flats.
