Friday 30 March 2012

New Cloudcast and final fling at Diversity FM

The latest cloudcast is a dozen songs by local artists who were featured on Tuesday's show. If you don't have time to listen to the whole 50 minutes there are links to the artists' pages on Soundcloud and other web sites.

http://www.mixcloud.com/cmbertram/off-the-beaten-tracks-04/

That pretty much wraps things up at Diversity FM apart from the final 12 hour broadcast we're doing tomorrow, that's Saturday from 12 noon to 12 midnight. I'll be there in the afternoon playing a few tracks and chatting on air with whoever else turns up. Reza Mills plans to be there sometime after 4pm.

We forgot to thank the guys at Diversity at the end of this week's show so I'd like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to Duncan, Tony, Chris and Jayne for giving me the opportunity to present Off The Beaten Tracks for the last 4 years. It's ironic that the radio station is being made homeless by the YMCA - maybe we can broadcast from the homeless shelter and sell the Big Issue to raise some cash.

Thanks again to everyone for tuning in and to all the musicians who have donated cds to the show. As Jim Morrison put it, this is the end, beautiful friend.

Colin Bertram

Twitter : https://twitter.com/#!/thebeatentracks
Soundcloud : http://soundcloud.com/the-beaten-tracks

Tuesday 27 March 2012

The final edition of Off The Beaten Tracks on Diversity FM

Playlist 27 March 2012

The medley features 30 second samples of tracks by the artists listed below and I'll include the full-length versions of songs in my next cloudcast. Wes and I will be taking part in the final day of Diversity FM this Saturday (the 31st) probably in the afternoon. We'll be letting people know when we're on air via Twitter - @thebeatentracks and @thatwesmartin

We want you all to sing along to "We'll Meet Again" at the end!

Thanks for listening to the show over the last 4 years and for reading the blog. I will continue posting here and 'broadcasting' on mixcloud.com

Show of Hands - Arrogance Ignorance & Greed
Roy Harper - Goodbye
Richard Thompson - I Ain't Fighting Anymore
Sibylle Baier - The End
Jo Gillot - River Pinn
Lancaster & Morecambe Medley featuring Greenheart, Ottersgear, Moll Baxter, Stuart Anthony, Jess Thomas, Rich Tea & Celia Briar, John Rigby, Ponies, Turnstone, Idiot Johnson
Dan Haywood's New Hawks - Farewell Comeback
Hayseed Dixie - Moonshiner's Daughter
The Low Countries - Goodbye (not)
Kate Rusby - Elfin Knight
Johnny Cash - We'll Meet Again

Gigs...

Last Harbour, The Low Countries & Nancy Kent
Thursday 29 March, 8pm
The Yorkshire House, £6

Greenheart and Maudling Hertz
Friday, 30 March 2012    7:00 until 8:00 pm
Lancaster Priory Church, £5 / £3

"Off The Beaten Tracks" on Diversity FM
Tuesday at 9pm
103.5 FM in the Lancaster & Morecambe area
Listen online at diversityfm.co.uk

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Today's playlist

Coming up at 9pm this evening but if you can't wait til then check out the cloudcasts at http://www.mixcloud.com/cmbertram/

Breabach - Glasgow of the Big Shops
Seth Lakeman - Feather in a Storm
Michael Chapman - Waiting For A Train
Judy Dyble - Talking With Strangers
Gigspanner - Picnic
Annlaug - Ord Som Fell
Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies - Watter's Coming Annie
Nancy Kerr & James Fagin - Rammed Earth
Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston - Sweet Pea / Mean To Me
Steve Knightley - The Galway Farmer
Gren Bartley - Sweet Traveller
Jamie Smith's Mabon - Fiddler's Despair
Fairport Convention - Breakfast in Mayfair
Steeleye Span - Bonny Black Hare

Gigs...

Hush #2
Idiot Johnson, Marc Nellis, Dave Wright (via Skype), Goldmundo
Sunday 25 March, 7:30pm
The Gregson Centre

Last Harbour, The Low Countries & Nancy Kent
Thursday 29 March, 8pm
The Yorkshire House, £6
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/156892

To celebrate the arrival of the 32ft pipes for the restored pipe organ
Greenheart and Maudling Hertz
Friday, 30 March 2012, 19:00 until 20:00
Lancaster Priory Church

"Off The Beaten Tracks" on Diversity FM
Tuesday at 9pm
103.5 FM in the Lancaster & Morecambe area
Listen online at diversityfm.co.uk

Thursday 8 March 2012

Cloudcast no 2

I've completed my second Cloudcast which focuses on singer songwriters, ranging from Sandy Denny to Kami Thompson. There's a bit more chat between tracks as I slowly get used to recording my own voice on my PC at home rather than in the studio.

http://www.mixcloud.com/cmbertram/off-the-beaten-tracks-02/

The news regarding Diversity FM is that we are still due to close at the end of March but there are on-going discussions about getting a new licence and funding so we may be back later in the year. But in the meantime there are three more shows to do. I hope you enjoyed Wes' solo effort on Tuesday. 

Some gigs to tell you about...

The Urban Folk Quartet
Friday 9 March
Melling Village Institute

Tel.01524221233 or e-info@greenclose.org for tickets

Bill Orrick/Jo Gillot/Sootytern/Idiot Johnson
Friday 9 March
The Yorkshire House, Lancaster

Doors 8pm, tickets £3

Last Harbour + The Low Countries + Nancy Kent
Thursday, 29 March
The Yorkshire House, Lancaster
Doors 8pm, tickets £6
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/156892

Monday 5 March 2012

Instrumental Cloudcast

I had a burst of enthusiasm at the end of last week and put together a second playlist on Saturday. This one is made up of instrumental tracks with a strong Scottish element thanks to cds I've received over the last year or so from Bob Buchan including new releases by Blazin' Fiddles, Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson and The Battlefield Band. It was in danger of being too much of a fiddle fest so I added tracks by Flook and Michael McGoldrick along with some lovely harp playing by Corrina Hewat. If you enjoy her track, do check out her album 'Harp I Do'.

I'll be featuring tracks by local artists on each Cloudcast and this one kicks off with Lancaster-based band The Balkanics who recently supported Moishe's Bagel at a sellout gig at the Gregson Centre in Lancaster. The other local artist is none other than my step-son Kish McGuire with his rendition of the Davey Graham classic 'Angie'.

Enjoy!

http://www.mixcloud.com/cmbertram/otbt-instrumental-mix-01/

Thursday 1 March 2012

Cloudcasting on Mixcloud


With us facing an uncertain future at Diversity FM I've decided to take Off The Beaten Tracks onto the internet and will be uploading cloudcasts onto mixcloud, probably one every week or two. These are different from podcasts in that they cannot be downloaded - you can only stream them. The reason for this is that this will enable the featured artists to be paid royalties.

I will be continuing to play a mix of old favourites and new music so please do sign up to mixcloud where you can follow my cloudcasts.