Month / July 2023

by Gareth

Tony Butler

Really sad to hear earlier today of the death of Midlands broadcasting legend (and that title’s not an exaggeration!) Tony Butler. Growing up in the region, he was a TV and radio presenter who was known by everyone, and I got to work with him for probably about 18 months back in the late 90s. It was right at the start of my career, in my first job working at local cable TV station Birmingham Live.

Tony Butler at Birmingham Live TV in 1999.

He certainly was a larger-than-life character, and very much had his own way of doing things, but I really enjoyed getting to work with him making low budget TV! I did quite a lot of shoots with him at various sports venues, and so many random people would come up and talk to him, and he just seemed to know everyone!

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by Gareth

Sounds of the City

This week, I went to ‘Sounds In The City’ to see the Inspiral Carpets and Blossoms play at the Castlefield Bowl. I saw Snow Patrol play there last year, so was hoping for an equally decent gig this time!

Inspiral Carpets.

There was an extra support act before the Inspiral Carpets, but I didn’t make it there in time to see them! Anyway, I got myself a decent position, and when the Inspirals canme on, I hadn’t realised how many of their songs I actually knew! I haven’t listened to them loads in recent years – obviously I heard them quite a bit on TV and radio during the late 80s and early 90s, just as I was finishing school and starting uni – but the memory was still there!

Inspiral Carpets setlist:

Joe
She Comes in the Fall
This Is How It Feels
Two Worlds Collide
Find Out Why
Move
I Want You
Dragging Me Down
Saturn 5

Before Blossoms came on, there was an idiot not too far away from me that though it’d be fun to throw pints over the crowd, which he found hilarious, but others less so! At one point, someone who’d got hit by one pushed his way through the crowd and tried to deck him! Even after this, he was very arrogant about it, and carried on with it… but there was a real sense of justice when security eventually came over and took him away!

Blossoms.

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