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David Randall

David Randall

"Assume The Position", Sundays 22:00, Mondays, Fridays 22:00 (repeat) Latest playlist

New to GRTR!, Tuesdays 16:00, Thursdays 21:00. Saturdays 16:00 (repeat) Latest playlist

David presents 'Assume the Position', a weekly show signposting new additions to the website, upcoming tours and playing the best new and classic rock tracks, and 'New to GRTR!' showcasing latest additions to our playlist.

David Randall grew up in the sixties on a diet of pirate Radio Caroline North enchanted by both the music and the informality. Like many enthusiasts, as a youngster he made home recordings of an imaginary radio station using an early reel to reel.

Whilst at University he worked at BBC Radio Birmingham witnessing first hand the work of Alan Dedicoat (the voice of the National Lottery) who was then a station announcer. He then auditioned for Radio 210 (Thames Valley) when Bob Harris was Head of Music and Presentation and Mike Read and Steve Wright were on the DJ roster.

David Randall in 1983 David was unsuccessful and decided that he would pursue an alternative career. However he maintained his radio interest in the 1980s when he worked for Liverpool's biggest hospital radio station, later becoming station manager. David says: "Technically, the station was kitted out with some of the best ex-BBC equipment and it provided an excellent training ground not least with the roadshows which entailed engaging the public and of course raising funds for the hospital."

The Internet gave David a chance to rekindle and develop his lifelong radio interests and study of rock radio. He says: "Amazingly, much rock radio is still driven by a fairly restricted playlist rotating the familiar big name artists. There is a lack of real depth in the programming. With GRTR! Radio we like to give a voice to independent and upcoming artists as well as the more mainstream and we take great pleasure in searching out those who may have been overlooked or forgotten about over the years but who nevertheless repay greater investigation. There are also specialist presented and continuous music sequences for a range of genres under a general classic rock banner."

David Randall in 1983

"It's amazing that the Internet now gives an opportunity to reach a global radio audience - it's created more of a level playing field - and much of our feedback comes from outside the UK as listeners discover the refreshing music mix. For example, we've had some great comments from listeners in North America which traditionally has been a stronghold for FM Rock Radio."

David established the radio channel after the demise of UK City Radio which broadcast his weekly show from 16 June 2007. The idea was to complement the reviews and interviews that appeared on the well-established classic rock website Get Ready to ROCK!

His biggest radio heroes are those who trailblazed rock music in the UK sometimes in the face of adversity: Alan Freeman, Bob Harris and Johnnie Walker. He aims to bring elements of their style and spirit to his own programming. In particular, he was always very impressed with Bob Harris' overnight show for BBC Radio 1 in the early-1990s: "If there is a model for GRTR! Radio it is that. Bob calls it a strip show, rather than a specialist sequence, but he played a really healthy selection of music with interviews and live sessions and before his subsequent more specialist Country and Americana interests."

David's own musical tastes came full circle with the start of the Get Ready to ROCK! website in 2003. For a period in the eighties he was very interested in disco and funk music (with pop this formed the staple output of his hospital radio station) and the 1990s was something of a blank as music became less important in his life almost coinciding with Bob Harris' removal from Radio 1 as part of an old-school DJ cull in 1993. Now fully reformed and enlightened, David cherishes that he started buying records in the early 1970s in what was a glorious and formative period for classic and progressive rock.

If you'd like to make your own suggestions for any of our features (see below) or request a particular track please contact us.

The 'New to GRTR!' sequence is broadcast on Tuesdays at 16:00 showcasing new releases and gives a flavour of the range of music played on the station.

You can also hear David interviewing artists in our regular 'Songwriters' and 'Guitarists' series. These have included Steve Hackett, Rod Argent, Joan Armatrading and Geoff Downes.

'Assume The Position', Sunday 22:00 (Mon and Friday 22:00 repeat)

Sunday 19 May - 300th Edition

David celebrates his 300th show by including some of his favourites over a six year period.

'Anniversary Rock' feature

From 13 January 2013, we pick out three anniversaries with tracks to suit.

If you have a suggestion for this sequence, please let us know by email, you can also suggest tracks for those forthcoming shows listed above.

Sunday 13 January: tracks from Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones and The Police
Sunday 20 January: The Sweet, David Bowie, Whitesnake
Sunday 27 January: Fleetwood Mac, Keith Emerson, Kiss
Sunday 3 February: Toto, George Harrison, Shocking Blue
Sunday 10 February: Donovan, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Dire Straits
Sunday 17 February: Tori Amos, Whitesnake, Average White Band
Sunday 24 February: Uriah Heep, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles
Sunday 3 March: Forcefield II, Jimi Hendrix, Robben Ford
Sunday 10 March: Kate Bush, Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi
Sunday 17 March: The Police, R.E.M., Billy Joel
Sunday 24 March: Steve Hackett, Billion Dollar Babies, Lenny White
Sunday 31 March: Paul McCartney, Ian Gomm, Cozy Powell
Sunday 7 April: Patrick Simmons, Orianthi, David Bowie
Sunday 14 April: Electric Light Orchestra, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin
Sunday 21 April: Thea Gilmore, Maggie Bell, The Who
Sunday 28 April: Mick Ronson, Muddy Waters, Alanis Morissette
Sunday 5 May: Todd Rundgren, The Moody Blues, Julian Lennon
Sunday 12 May: Fat Mattress, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Sunday 19 May: Jeff Beck, Stevie Nicks, Edgar Winter

Playlists 2013 (updated 20.05.13)

January-March 2013

April - June 2013

Highlights 2013

Delain

Sunday 5 May (Monday 6 and Friday 10 May repeat)

We have our usual mix of new and classic rock including - in the first hour - a chat with Jack Sharp from the band WOLF PEOPLE with tracks from their new album 'Fain'.

In the second hour, we chat to Charlotte Wessels from Dutch symphonic metallers DELAIN, talking about the band and the new album 'Interlude' on the eve of release.

David Coverdale