My Life In The Mosh Of Ghosts

Over the course of his final gig with Sheffield band The Box, Roger looks back at the three and a half years they were together. Using five songs from the setlist, he tells the story of what went right, but also what went wrong.  Intro and outro music: Simon Elliott-Kemp Artwork: Rionagh. Sound FX by Freesound.org, with particular thanks to: Big Joe Drummer - all drums. Jacqueline Kohrs - shop amb...

Former Soft Cell frontman Marc Almond starts his bid for solo stardom on a chilly Tuesday in Sheffield. There is fear in the city of steel following the TV broadcast of the film 'Threads' on the BBC, which depicted the meltdown of society in South Yorkshire after a nuclear attack. Send us Fan Mail Never miss an episode. Follow me at:  Blue Sky @rogerquail.bsky.social YouTube https://www....

Roger has a new job working in a Sheffield record shop, and cannot quite believe the amount of free stuff the stores receives from the reps of the big record companies, who are very keen to curry favour. 45s, promo albums, T-shirts and badges.  Also free were tickets to see Echo & The Bunnymen at a one day festival held outdoors at York Racecourse. So Roger saddled up and went along for the ri...

Roger talks about working with Mal and Richard of Cabaret Voltaire on their 1984 album 'Microphonies'. He also turns the spotlight on Bedford Boys Club, which was a successful alternative / indie music venue in the Home Counties in the early-to-mid-eighties. Intro and outro music by Simon Elliott-Kemp. Artwork by Rionagh. Edited by Nigel Floyd. Sound FX courtesy of Freesound.org With par...

Out on strike and newly single, Roger seeks comfort in sound in the shape of legendary avant-garde, free jazz giants The Art Ensemble of Chicago, on a rare visit to Sheffield in the spring of 1984.  Intro and outro music: Simon Elliott-Kemp Artwork: Rionagh Editor: Nigel Floyd Sound FX courtesy of Freesound.org, with particular thanks to: Concert applause: Recording Hopkins. Djembe: Rutger Muller....

Roger, playing drums with Sheffield post-punk band The Box, gets to visit the city of Prague in the former Czechoslovakia, and plays a secret gig. Along the way he meets rebels, students, rock 'n' rollers and artists, all trying to express themselves as individuals while living under an oppressive regime. Intro and outro music: Simon Elliott-Kemp Artwork: Rionagh Editor: Nigel Floyd Soun...

Roger goes to the Octagon Centre for the second time, to cheer on and take snaps of his friends in Cabaret Voltaire, who are promoting their recently released new album 'The Crackdown'. Having signed to Some Bizarre / Virgin Records, the Cabs pull out of the stops to impress their hard-to-please home town audience.  Intro and outro music: Simon Elliott-Kemp. Artwork: Rionagh. Editor: Nig...

Sheffield welcomes Space-Jazz royalty as the legendary Sun Ra brings his Arkestra to the new University concert space for a mind-blowing night of free-flowing, transcendental music.  Artwork by Rionagh. Music by Simon Elliott-Kemp (thank you so much Simon!) Additional FX courtesy of Freesound.org, with particular thanks to: AJ Heels - twinkling stars intro. Therac 25 - starship hum. Rikus246 - aud...

Roger has a rare night out at The Limit Club in Sheffield. Ostensibly to meet up with champion road warrior Chas Banks, who is shepherding young rockers Death Cult around the UK on their debut headline tour.  However, the Limit clientele has changed a bit since he was last down in the sweaty West Street basement, and Roger realizes he too is going through some changes.  With thanks to Simon Elliot...

Grab a cuppa and a biscuit 'cos this is a long one. Roger is in Rotterdam for the very first Pandora's Music Box music festival at the super smart De Doelen venue.  Siouxsie and The Banshees headline but play first, which means poor, delicate Rog has to wait six hours before The Box take to the stage in the middle of the night.  Some tales here from a very long, but very memorable night....

Jaz Coleman and King Coal Arthur Scargill together in the same episode. Two years since he last saw them, Roger and his band mates in The Box renew their acquaintance with Killing Joke in London. Can Jaz and KJ conquer the world before we are all blown to kingdom come? Intro and outro music - Simon Elliott-Kemp. Artwork - Rionagh. Sound effects courtesy of Freesound.org, with particular thanks to:...

A trip to London in the middle of a sweltering July heatwave sees Roger and his cohorts in Sheffield band The Box share a stage with The Fall.  Riding high on the recent release of their classic 'Hex Induction Hour', the Mancunian legends are in an uncomprising, take-no-prisoners mood.  Why would we expect anything else? Also includes good stuff about The Scorpions, sheep and Arthur Negu...

It's a big one. Roger takes a coach up to Scotland to see his first David Bowie concert.  For a distinctly personal take on what are some of Bowie's most well-documented shows; Roger mixes the events of the day itself with some of his memories of growing up as a teenage Bowie fan in Sheffield during the 1970s.  May cause offence to fans of Icehouse, Pilot and the population of Milton Key...

In which Roger and his bandmates in The Box find themselves in a heavy metal maelstrom on a Thursday night in Glasgow. Iron Maiden take no prisoners at the legendary Apollo Theatre en route to world domination. It's very loud, very sweaty and a just little bit silly, but as a baptism of fire into the world of heavy metal and the legion of devoted young fans, it's one not to be forgotten....

It's the start of a new year - 1983 - and Roger and his Sheffield pals in The Box find themselves in London playing with pop newcomers JoBoxers. These lads are on the fast track to fame and favour style over substance.  With heavyweight management and a major record company behind them, will they go Pop before the bubble bursts? Intro & outro music: Simon Elliott-Kemp. Artwork: Rionagh. S...

How exciting. Roger is off on tour in Europe with The Box, the Sheffield band he plays drums in. Okay, so it's only two nights in The Netherlands at the end of November, but nonetheless the excitement is palpable.  With thanks to Simon Elliott-Kemp for the intro and outro music, and to Rionagh for the artwork. Sound FX courtesy of Freesound.org, with particular thanks to: BeeProductive: audie...

Sheffield's grand old Lyceum re-opens for the second time in less than twelve months, and it falls to Cabaret Voltaire, who haven't played an official gig in their home city in over a year, to herald the resurrection. Roger puts on his new leather jacket - which he has been trying to make look like an old leather jacket - and goes along for a look. Intro and outro music: Simon Elliott-Ke...

Strange days in Sheffield back in the Spring of 1982.  On one hand, we are out shaking our funky butts to the sophisticated NYC street-hustlers Kid Creole and The Coconuts, down at the old Sheffield Poly building on Pond Street; while simultaneously trying not to think about the awful news emerging from the Falklands War on an almost daily basis.  As another New Yorker David Byrne said "this...

Roger looks back at the short period in early 1982 that Sheffield band The Box played two important gigs with guest vocalist Stephen Mallinder from Cabaret Voltaire.  Mal himself guests to reflect on an exciting time of change and uncertainty in our home town.  Also, reflections on Adam Faith in 'Stardust', Tyne Tees TV, Roxy Music b-sides, Thomas Dolby live and some unpleasantness in th...

Roger reflects on the tragic loss of former band mate Stephen "Judd" Turner, who passed away on September 29th, 1981, aged 24 years old. The same day as the narrator turned 21. Some weeks pass, and the mood is lifted by the irresistible afro-pop sizzle of Bow Wow Wow, live at the recently re-opened Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield. Thank you to Simon Elliott-Kemp for the intro and outro music...

Seconded by his employers to a mind-numbing admin job in the middle of nowhere, Roger and his work pal Mark take a trip to see Simple Minds live in Liverpool. Happily, Jim Kerr and his band are at the height of their grand metropolitan art-rock powers; touring the just-released 'Sons and Fascination' / 'Sister Feelings Call'. Also includes The Box, Paul Morley, the dull-as-dish...

MLITMOG reaches it's half-century with one of Roger's favourite gigs of all time. The jaw-dropping combination of sound and vision that was Kraftwerk on tour to promote their Computer World album in the summer of 1981. Intro and outro music: Simon Elliott-Kemp. Artwork: Rionagh. Sound FX: courtesy of Freesound.org With particular thanks to -  Komit - synths and beats. Ampul - pocket calc...

It's a big gig for Roger and all the other South Yorkshire jazz-heads as the legendary saxophonist Ornette Coleman brings his rock-jazz-fusion "double trio" Prime Time to The Crucible Theatre. Intro and outro music: Simon Elliott-Kemp. Artwork: Rionagh. Sound FX: Freesound.org. With particular thanks to: TC630, Juskiddink, Fred Galist - alto saxophones. Freed feat. Igal - drumset bi...

Season 4 finale. It's the end of an era, as Roger catches up with his teenage idol Bill Nelson (of Be Bop Deluxe and Red Noise) at The Limit, together with 800 other true Bill-believers, and it all gets a bit Corinthians 13:11. Simon Elliott-Kemp - intro and outro music. Rionagh - artwork. Sound FX - courtesy of Freesound.org With particular thanks to: Ultradust - applause. Rikus 246 - club a...

Willkommen! And bienvenue! Welcome! London's ultra-trendy Cabaret Futura shimmies into Sheffield on mild Friday night in May.  Even the presence of local art-house heroes Cabaret Voltaire fails to attract the South Yorkshire cognoscenti.  Roger - still shaken by the Cro-Magnon stomp of The Cramps a few days earlier - remains unstirred. Also, Charlie Collins and the christening of The Box in T...