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 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
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.
Sunday 17 March, 22:00
David chats to David Coverdale about Whitesnake ahead of the release of the
new live album 'Made In Japan'
AC/DC,
Michael Chapman, Alice Cooper, Allman Brothers Band, America, Argent, Asia, Atomic Rooster, Jeff Beck, Pat Benatar,
Black Crowes, Blue Oyster Cult, Joe Bonamassa, David
Bowie, Brinsley Schwarz, Jack Bruce, Budgie, Paul Butterfield, Roger Chapman, Eric Clapton, Cream,
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Deep Purple, Dio, The Doors,
Edgar Broughton Band, Europe, Fairport Convention, Fish, Fleetwood Mac, Focus,
Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Free, Rory Gallagher,
Gamma Ray, David Gilmour, Groundhogs, Steve Hackett, Richie Havens, Hawkwind, Jeff Healey, Heart,
Heaven And Hell, Jimi Hendrix,
Alan Hull, Humble Pie, Ian Gillan
Band, Iron Maiden, Jefferson Airplane, Jethro Tull, Janis Joplin, Judas Priest,
Richie Kotzen, Led Zeppelin, Lindisfarne, Linkin Park, Magnum, Man, Manfred
Mann's Earth Band, Marillion, John Martyn, Megadeth, Michael Schenker Group, Molly Hatchet,
Gary Moore, Mott The Hoople, Mountain, Nazareth, Nektar, The Nice, Ted Nugent,
Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd, Robert Plant, Procol
Harum, Queen, Queensryche,
Rainbow, Todd Rundgren, Stone The Crows, Thin Lizzy,
Thunder, Toto, Pat Travers, Robin Trower,
Roxy Music, Rush, Santana, Saxon, The Scorpions, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Status Quo,
Supertramp, Taste, Ten Years After, Tesla, Thin Lizzy, Thunder, Toto, Traffic, Walter
Trout, The Tubes,
Twisted Sister, Tygers Of Pan
Tang, UFO, Uriah Heep, Van Halen, Whitesnake, The Who, Wings, Johnny Winter, Wishbone
Ash, Neil Young, ZZ Top, Zzebra
Click the link below to reveal those artists that have featured in our Hair
Metal sequence, and then make your own suggestion!
Alice Cooper - House Of Fire (1989)
Aldo Nova - Fantasy (1981)
Blue Murder - Blue Murder (1989)
Bad English - Don't Walk Away (1989)
Bad English - When I See You Smile (1988)
Badlands - Seasons (1989)
Britny Fox - Hold On (1988)
Cinderella - Gypsy Road (1981)
Cinderella - Night Songs (2008)
Chrissy Steele - Two Bodies (1991)
Def Leppard - Women (1987)
Danger Danger - Boys Will Be Boys (1989)
Dokken - Mirror Mirror (1991)
Enuff Z Enuff - The Way Home/Coming Home (1991)
Firehouse - Love Of A Lifetime (1990)
Firehouse - All She Wrote (1990)
Giant - Stay (1991)
Hanoi Rocks - Malibu Beach Nightmare (1983)
Holy Water - I'm Not Worried (1991)
House Of Lords - Sahara (1990)
Hanoi Rocks - Up Around The Bend (1984)
Lynch Mob - Wicked Sensation (1990)
LA Guns - Electric Gypsy (1988)
Lizzy Borden - Me Against The World (1987)
Lover Boy - Love Will Rise Again (1987)
Motley Crue - Shout At The Devil (1983)
Night Ranger - Sister Christian (1983)
Odin - Shining Love (1990)
Phantom Blue - You're Free (1993)
Poison - Talk Dirty To Me (1993)
Quiet Riot - Metal Health (2008)
Ratt - Round And Round (1984)
Ratt - Lay It Down (1985)
Saraya - When You See Me Again (1991)
Steelheart - Can't Stop Me Loving You (1990)
Stryper - Honestly (1986)
Tyketto - Wings (1991)
Tesla - What You Give (1991)
Vixen - Fallen Hero (1990)
Van Halen - Jump (1984)
Vinnie Vincent Invasion - Back On The Streets (1986)
Winger - Headed For A Heartbreak (1990)
Winger - Battle Stations (1991)
Warrant - Cherry Pie (1990)
Y&T - Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (1990)
Yngwie J Malmsteen - Heaven Tonight (1988)