Monthly Archives: May 2016

blog, radio shows

LISTEN AGAIN: Peppermint Iguana Radio #120 Merthyr Rising Special

merthyr unsionOver the weekend of 3rd/4th/5th June, Merthyr Tydfil will be celebrating its rich radical past by hosting the third annual Merthyr Rising Festival.

Over the weekend you will be able to watch live bands, listen to political debates and laugh at non-violent direct action stand up.

Peppermint Iguana Radio Show, sponsored by Rhondda Cynon Taff UNISON, the union for public service groovers, invited two of the directors of the festival in for a chat and to play some music.

Below you will find a link to a cloud cast of the show for you to listen to again at your own inconvenience.

Rhondda Cynon Taff UNISON, along with Merthyr Tydfil UNISON, have combined forces to sponsor the festival and are hoping this will be the start of a long term relationship.

First broadcast on Dapper FM, Community Radio Station on 31/05/16

Play list

1. Red flag: BY BILLY BRAGG
2. Ironmasters: BY THE MEN THEY COULDN’T HANG
3. When will be paid: BY THE STAPLE SINGERS
4. Dog scratched ear: BY HENRY’S FUNERAL SHOE
5. Peterloo to Orgreave: BY MATT ABBOT
6. Reactions: BY TRACEY ISLAND
7. Union man: BY THEE FACTION
8. Strike occupy resist (Flappsandwich re-rub): BY COSMO
9. Current affairs: BY THE UPBEAT SNEAKERS
10. UK arms trade: BY MARK THOMAS
11. Know your riots: BY THE CHOMSKY ALL-STARS
12. Modern day burn: BY DOLE AGE
13. Groovy train: BY THE FARM
14. Get up stand up: BY BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS
15. Half the world away: BY OASIS.

news, radio shows

Peppermint Iguana Radio Merthyr Rising Special 31/05/16

UNISON keeping the red flag flying in Merthyr
UNISON keeping the red flag flying in Merthyr

Over the weekend 3rd/4th/5th June, Merthyr Tydfil will be commemorating the uprising of 1831 with the Merthyr Rising Festival. Now in its third year the festival features music, talks, walks, films and much more. Highlights include music from the Farm and Henry’s Funeral Shoe, talks from the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Tariq Ali and comedy from Mark Thomas.

To provide you with a warm up for the event, Peppermint Iguana Radio have invited organisers from the event to join us in the studio to talk about the idea behind the event and talk about what is instore for us this year.

We will also be spinning tunes by some of the bands playing the festival and one or to tunes that fit in with the spirit of the Merthyr Rising.

To listen live, go to www.dapperfm.co.uk from 8pm till 10pm on Tuesday 31st June.

Peppermint Iguana Radio, like the Merthyr Rising, is sponsored by UNISON, the union for public service groovers.

blog, radio shows

LISTEN AGAIN – Peppermint Iguana Radio tribute to Steve Will

Steve and his wife Lesley
Steve and his wife Lesley

On 24th May, Peppermint Iguana Radio paid tribute to our mate Steve Will, who sadly passed away earlier this month. Below you will find a cloud cast of the show to listen again.

At times like this it is always difficult to know what to say or do. People will always struggle to come to terms with someone passing too early. Everyone will have their own way of dealing with things.

Here at Peppermint Iguana we do a radio show. So we did a show for Steve. That’s what we do. It won’t rewind the hands of time and it won’t bring Steve back. But it has helped us down the road of coming to terms with things and hopefully will play a part in the healing for others.

Steve was as passionate about music as we are. The show features some of the songs he introduced us to and some of the songs we shared with him. It also shares a handful of memories that will live with us forever.

We hope that the show will bring comfort to those that knew him and provide an insight into who Steve was to those that did not know him. We think it stands up in its own right alongside all of our other shows – entertaining and hopefully informative. Judge for yourselves.


Play list

1. The Cardiff City sound: BY THE BLUEBEATS
2. Keep on keeping on: BY THE REDSKINS
3. Skinhead moonstomp: BY SYRAMIP
4. A little bit of something: BY LITTLE RICHARD
5. All for one: BY THE STONE ROSES
6. Psychic attack: BY RUTS DC
7. Ali Baba: BY JOHN HOLT
8. Too late: BY LARRY WILLIAMS
9. Memphis soul stew: BY KING CURTIS
10. David Watts: BY THE JAM
11. Ignite: BY THE DAMNED
12. Pressure drop: BY THE CLASH
13. Blue army: BY THE OPPRESSED
14. Simon says: BY CAPTAIN ACCIDENT
15. Geno: BY DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNER
16. Al capone: BY PRINCE BUSTER
17. Geno: BY PHOENIX CITY ALLSTARS
18. Jubilation dub: BY JOE GIBBS
19. Little latin lupe lu: BY THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
20. Legalise it: BY PETER TOSH
21. Everything’s groovy: BY GAYE BYKERS ON ACID
22. Cornflake: BY THE PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS
23. Miss you: BY TED TAYLOR
24. The harder they come: BY JIMMY CLIFF
25. Riders on the storm: BY THE DOORS
26. Seasons in the sun: BY TERRY JACKS
27. One love: BY BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS
28. My way: BY SID VICIOUS
29. Ghost in my house: BY R DEAN TAYLOR

Show first broadcast live on www.dapperfm.co.uk on 24th May 2016

Peppermint Iguana Radio is sponsored by Rhondda Cynon Taff UNISON, the union for public service groovers

news, radio shows

Peppermint Iguana Radio 118 – A tribute to Steve Will – 24/05/16

steve
Steve – at home on the dancefloor in the middle of the night, or just out walking the dog

On 24th May, Peppermint Iguana pays tribute to Steve Williams, who sadly went on to the great dancefloor in the sky recently. Steve touched many of us in many ways. He was an uncle, a friend, a mentor and – in some ways – a role model.

Well known on the Northern Soul All-nighter scene, on the terraces of Cardiff City and loved by all who knew him, Steve was an avid music lover that taught us all a few things in his time. Never sticking to what he knew, Steve was always one for checking out new sounds.

This show will pay tribute to Steve by playing some of the music he loved and some of the music we love that reminds us of him. Expect Northern Soul and Ska. But also expect punk and a few other little surprises.

We will also feature a few new hot releases – cos that is what Steve would have wanted – for us to keep on keeping on.

To listen live go to www.dapperfm.co.uk from 8pm till just after 10pm on Tuesday 24th May.

Peppermint Iguana is sponsored by RCT UNISON, the union for public sector groovers

news, radio shows

Euros 2016 podcast with Dymock and Corky

Wales fans away
Wales fans away

First time around he forgot what day it was, then when we finally got him into the studio Corky broke the radio station. But we managed to salvage something from it and we now have two hours in conversation with Paul Corkrey and Neil Dymock of the Football Supporters Federation Cymru recorded and on line for you to listen at your own inconvenience.

Yep, apologies to those of you that tried to listen live but Corky managed to pull out a vital cable and we could not work out where it came from. But no matter, below you will find a downloadable link to our chat about the forth coming Euro 2016 Tournament.

Expect vital information about stadiums, discussions about wales prospects of winning the final and tales of leper colonies.

Continue reading Euros 2016 podcast with Dymock and Corky →

blog, news, radio shows

Iguana Radio – four shows in three weeks!

radio-show-1

We have a busy few weeks coming up on Peppermint Iguana Radio, with four shows in three weeks.

  • Sunday 22nd May 5pm till 7pm – we have a Euro 2016 Special, with guests Paul Corkery and Neil Dymock of the Football Supporters Federation Cymru in the studio to talk about the past, present and future of travelling away to watch the Welsh international football team. If we don’t incriminate ourselves it will be made available for download shortly after.
  • Tuesday 24th May 8pm till 10pm + a bit– A tribute to our mate Steve Will, who recently went on to the dancefloor in the sky. Expect tunes that remind us of Steve mixed in with new sounds we think Steve might have approved of
  • Tuesday 31st May 8pm till 10pm + a bit – A Merthyr Rising Special. We invite some of the organisers of the Merthyr Rising Festival in to the studio to talk about what they have lined up and play some of the music from bands playing the event.
  • Tuesday 6th June 8pm till 10pm – its Euro time. Expect music connected with both the Euro 2016 tournament and the EU referendum.

You can listen to all of these live by going to www.dapperfm.co.uk

Peppermint Iguan Radio is sponsored by RCT UNISON, the union for public sector groovers

news, radio shows

Iguana Radio Euro 2016 special with Corky and Dymock 22/05/16

 RESCHEDULED

Wales fans waiting for plane home from Krakow - after watching Wales lose to Poland (yes, the game was in Warsaw, don't ask!)
Wales fans waiting for plane home from Krakow – after watching Wales lose to Poland (yes, the game was in Warsaw, don’t ask!)

With Wales’ first major football tournament since 1958 looming, on 22nd May 2016 Peppermint Iguana dips its toes into new territory. We will be presenting a strictly spoken word show, featuring special guests Paul Corkery and Neil Dymock, of the Football Supporters Federation Cymru.

We will be talking about the arrangements for fans heading to France for the tournament and looking back at some memorable moments from past away trips.

Paul has already been out to check out the stadiums and the arrangements for the games in France, so is perfectly placed to tell us all we need to know. Expect all the information you will need about the grounds, fanzones and security.

Neil Dymock will also be joinging us in the studio. Neil clocked up 18 years worth of aways without missing a game, is a gol trustee, editor of Dragon Has Landed fanzine and been manager of the supporters team for 13 years

We will also be looking back at previous trips away following the ‘sleeping dragon’, reminding Corky of things he wants to forget and straighten him out when he strays from the truth.

You can listen live on Sunday 22nd May from 5pm to 7pm GMT. Feel free to leave questions on our Facebook event page for the gang.
If we do not end up incriminating ourselves on the show, we will then make it available as a downloadable podcast for you to listen to at your own inconvenience.

The show will be broadcast live on www.dapperfm.co.uk and you can listen anywhere in the world that has an internet connection

Peppermint Iguana Radio is sponsored by Rhondda Cynon Taff UNISON, the union for public service footy fans.

 

blog, music review, news

STONE ROSES: New single splits the nation shock

Stone Roses
Stone Roses

Manchester’s Stone Roses have released their first new music in twenty one years – and it has divided the nation within hours of its release. Oddly, people who like the Stone Roses like it and People who don’t like the Stone Roses hate it. Go figure.

Music is a funny old business. The more successful a band the more people get passionate about them. Fans of a band will make an effort to like things that are not as good as the stuff that got them into the band in the first place. People who do not like a big name band will, rather than just ignore them, go out of their way to be hostile about them.

Then of course, you have to throw into the mix the ‘following the crowd’ factor. There have been some really dreadful bands that have reached the dizzying heights of headlining stadiums and festivals purely because the media have made them out to be cool.

So where do the Stone Roses fit into this? Continue reading STONE ROSES: New single splits the nation shock →

festivals, gig review

LANDED FESTIVAL REVIEW: Sunday (01/05/16)

DSC_0921
Now is our winter of disco in tents

We surfaced at the crack of mid afternoon. We had planned on getting up for Reverend Dread’s Sinday Service set in the dance tent at noon, but it was too warm and dry in the tent.

Mmm Steamers
Mmm Steamers

First stop was the cafe for a caramel Steamer then to stand at the back of the dance tent watching the big box little box crew grooving to one of the many DJs that made up Psy-Sunday. We then had a bit of a wander, took some photographs of the kids on the bungee swing, stuck our head inside the ‘psychonaught’ machine for a psychedelic ten minutes and back over to the buskers stage.

Again, there was some sort of hip hop jam going on. Clearly they had not spent half the day in bed like we had, ‘cos at four in the afternoon they had the thousand yard stare and mile wide grins, but still managed to get a decent free style beat box and rap session going. Continue reading LANDED FESTIVAL REVIEW: Sunday (01/05/16) →

festivals, gig review

LANDED FESTIVAL REVIEW: Saturday (30/04/16)

Someone has got the horn
Someone has got the horn

Waking up at the crack of noon we went for a day time reckie. The site is on land owned by descendents of James Watt, the steam engine bloke. Apparently they have the honour of being heirs to the title Lord Watt of Wye. The site is at the bottom of a beautiful valley, has the A470 and Doldowlod Hall on one side, with the River Wye bordering the other side of the site.

In between is beautiful flat lush grass land with some magnificent ancient trees dotted around the site.

Fruit (they are not real you know, really!)
Fruit (they are not real you know, really!)

For this weekend the trees are complimented by several stages, a bar, several small cafes, a craft area, a small market space, kids area, circus area, the deliberately trippy psychonaut tent and the obligatory dance tent. Scattered around this are random acts of beauty, in the shape a variety of sculptures. Continue reading LANDED FESTIVAL REVIEW: Saturday (30/04/16) →

festivals, gig review

LANDED FESTIVAL REVIEW: Friday (29/04/16)

The sttely home of Lord Watt of Wye
The sttely home of Lord Watt of Wye

Preparing for a festival we don’t normally have to worry about being prepared for snow and ice, but amazingly this was potentially on the cards for Landed Festival this year. It was with some trepidation we set off up the A470, but we needn’t have worried, the festival was always going to eclipse anything Mother Nature had to throw at us.

Arriving on Friday evening it was clear from the off that this was going to be a laid back friendly event. The gate crew were warm and welcoming and as we drove into the site lots of familiar faces reminded us what a tight knit and welcoming community the festival family is.

Once we had plotted up for the weekend it was time for a quick sprint around the site to get bearings and establish what was on the menu for tonight. Only on site an hour and we had our first ‘clash’. Was it to be Kilnaboy on the Main Stage or Cosmo in the Verbal Melodies tent. Fortunately, with a site this size, it was not too difficult to flit between the both.

Kilnaboy (and girl)
Kilnaboy (and girl)

Kilnaboy have been slowly but surely slogging away at it for over a decade now. With each year they get tighter and – once the perennial support band – now claim decent slots on the bill of any half decent festival. Their usual rawkus set of punk fuelled celtic rebel music had the well wrapped up crowd losing layers and warming up the tent. Being so familiar with a band you sometimes assume everyone knows them, but it was clear from the response that even those that had not come across them before were loving it. Continue reading LANDED FESTIVAL REVIEW: Friday (29/04/16) →

radio shows

EURO 2016 IGUANA RADIO SPECIAL – with Paul Corkery 17/05/16

STOP PRESS: SHOW TO BE RESCHEDULED
Our man Corky is stuck in North Wales on FSF Cymru outreach work. Show to be recheduled for 22nd May 5pm to 7pm

Wales fans waiting for plane home from Krakow - after watching Wales lose to Poland (yes, the game was in Warsaw, don't ask!)
Wales fans waiting for plane home from Krakow – after watching Wales lose to Poland (yes, the game was in Warsaw, don’t ask!)

With Wales’ first major football tournament since 1958 looming, on 17th May 2016 Peppermint Iguana dips its toes into new territory. We will be presenting a strictly spoken word show, featuring special guest Paul Corkery, of the Football Supporters Federation Cymru.

We will be talking about the arrangements for fans heading to France for the tournament and looking back at some memorable moments from past away trips.

Paul has already been out to check out the stadiums  and the arrangements for the games in France, so is perfectly placed to tell us all we need to know. Expect all the information you will need about the grounds, fanzones and security.

You can also expect anecdotes from past trips that will make you want to laugh, cry and spill your beer at the same time.

To liven things up we will have some special guests that also have a few away games following the sleeping dragon under their belts. They will be on hand to remind Corky of things he wants to forget and straighten him out when he strays from the truth.

You can listen live on Tuesday 17th May 2016 between 8pm and 10pm. Feel free to leave questions on our Facebook event page for the gang.

If we do not end up incriminating ourselves on the show, we will then make it available as a downloadable podcast for you to listen to at your own inconvenience.

The show will be broadcast live on www.dapperfm.co.uk and you can listen anywhere in the world that has an internet connection

Peppermint Iguana Radio is sponsored by Rhondda Cynon Taff UNISON, the union for public service footy fans.