John Peel's Shed - London run this week

October 25 to 29, 2011; Jackson’s Lane, London
8.00pm; Tickets £10.95 – £12.95 – Book Tickets Now

In 2002, John Osborne won a competition on John Peel’s Radio One show. His prize was a box of records that took eight years to listen to. This is an ode to radio, those records and anyone who’s ever sought solace in wireless. Script edited by Joe Dunthorne (Writer of the novel Submarine).

Direct from a five-star, complete sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival, comes John Osborne’s debut storytelling hour partly adapted from his acclaimed book Radio Head (Radio 4’s Book Of The Week). The hit of the Edinburgh Festival comes to Jackson’s Lane in London this October.

“Shy and awkward but with a keen eye for a killer line and the significance of the trivia of daily life, Osborne sits somewhere between Tom Wrigglesworth and Daniel Kitson, which a very good place to sit. I could have listened for hours” – ★★★★★ The Independent.




REVIEWS

“Shy and awkward but with a keen eye for a killer line and the significance of the trivia of daily life, Osborne sits somewhere between Tom Wrigglesworth and Daniel Kitson, which a very good place to sit. I could have listened for hours” – ★★★★★ The Independent

“Beautifully-written, funny and poignant… Just as John Peel’s records changed his life this lovely, simple, beautifully executed show has enriched ours” –★★★★★ The Scotsman

“One of the Top Ten Theatre Highlights of the Edinburgh Festival… Funny, perceptive and charming” – ★★★★ The Telegraph

“One of the loveliest things you’ll see all year” – ★★★★ The Herald

“Genius… A comic highlight” – The Guardian

“I heartily recommend John Peel’s Shed. It is a gentle tale of one man’s passion for obscure music and the radio which has been compared to the work of Daniel Kitson” – Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard

“John Osborne captures the intimacy of the medium, the startling human connections and priceless stories. Its an uplifting if occasionally twee story that makes a classic, nostalgic fringe piece” – Total Theatre

★★★★★ The Latest
★★★★★ Fringe Biscuit
★★★★ Sunday Express
★★★★ Edinburgh Evening News
★★★★ What’s On Stage
★★★★ Fest Magazine
★★★★ AllTheFestivals.Com

John Peel's Shed - links

During John Peel's Shed there's a few things I mention. Here are the links to them:

The 'author slams Radio 1' article is here.

The Radio 1 unofficial fans forum where people criticise me is here

The caller to the Human Zoo who doesn't realise he's live on air here. The Human Zoo was a show where calls went live to air unscreened.

Find more about Atom and his Package here.

Edinburgh

My show, John Peel's Shed, did well at Edinburgh this year, receiving 5 star reviews in The Independent and The Scotsman, selling out the whole run and having to add on extra midnight dates. A UK tour is currently being booked for Spring, and there is a five day London run at Jackson's Lane Theatre. Book tickets HERE!

“Shy and awkward but with a keen eye for a killer line and the significance of the trivia of daily life, Osborne sits somewhere between Tom Wrigglesworth and Daniel Kitson, which a very good place to sit. I could have listened for hours” – * * * * * The Independent

“Beautifully-written, funny and poignant… Just as John Peel’s records changed his life this lovely, simple, beautifully executed show has enriched ours” – * * * * * The Scotsman

“One of the Top Ten Theatre Highlights of the Edinburgh Festival” – * * * * The Telegraph

“One of the loveliest things you’ll see all year” – * * * * The Herald

“As perfect as any show inspired by John Peel could hope for” – * * * * Fest Magazine

* * * * Sunday Express, * * * * Edinburgh Evening News, * * * * What’s On Stage

Edinburgh!

This August I am taking my very first solo show up to the Edinburgh festival. It's a show called John Peel's Shed, and it's origins are in a box of records I won in a competition on Peel's Radio 1 show in 2002. It is a show about my love of radio, my affection for those records and the role John Peel played in my life. So far I have done previews in Bath, Brighton, London and Ipswich and it's been going pretty well. I'll be in the Underbelly from 17.30 every day. It's partly based on my first book, Radio Head, published by Simon&Schuster in 2009. It's being produced by Show+Tell, whose other shows at Edinburgh include Simon Munnery, Edward Aczel, Tim Clare and Nathan Penlington. More details here.

About John Peel's Shed:
"Osborne occupies the same corner of stand-up as Daniel Kitson. This is a show about the pleasure of having your own personal project, and leaves you itching to get out into the world, and discover your own” – The Latest 7

About Radio Head:
Funny, perceptive and charming - The Daily Telegraph.
Captivating - The Guardian.
Very funny ... it made me go out and buy a new radio, too - Tim Key.

John Peel's Shed - Edinburgh previews

I am doing a live show of John Peel's Shed as part of the Edinburgh fringe, Underbelly, 5.30 every day.

Here's some previews:

Thursday May 26th, John Peel's Shed at Wolsely Theatre, Pulse Festival, Ipswich 6 pm.

Saturday 28th May, John Peel's Shed at the Brighton fringe. 5 pm, Upstairs at the 3 and 10.

Sunday 29th May, John Peel's Shed at the Brighton fringe. 5 pm, Upstairs at the 3 and 10.

Sunday 5th June. John Peel's Shed at Stoke Newington Literary Festival. 3pm, The Gallery, Stoke Newington Public Library £4.

Monday June 13th, John Peel's Shed at the Rosemary Branch Theatre. 9 pm. (Nathan Penlington presents Uri and Me and 7.30 pm).

Tuesday June 14th, John Peel's Shed at the Rosemary Branch Theatre. 9 pm. (Tim Clare presents How to be a Leader at 7.30 pm).

Friday July 1st, John Peel's Shed at the John Peel Centre for the Creative Arts, Stowmarket. 8 pm.

Monday July 4th, 7.30 pm, Take 5, me and Tim Clare do previews of our Edinburgh shows, John Peel's Shed and How to be a Leader, both heading to The Underbelly this August. £2 on the door.

Tuesday 12th July, first preview of Aisle16 R Kool! Aisle16 are cool poets. They wear shades, play sweet licks on their guitars and love chillin’ out and watching The Gadget Show. Wanna hear their poems? A cabaret show themed around that ever-shifting mirage: coolness. Luke Wright, John Osborne and Tim Clare, present a pre-Edinburgh showcase of Aisle16 R Kool.

Wednesday July 20th John Peel's Shed, Leicester Square Theatre, London. The Lounge, 9 pm.

In 2009 my book Radio Head, up and down the dial of British Radio, was broadcast as Radio 4's Book of the Week. You can download / listen here. It's read by Lee Ingleby.

Episode 1


Episode 2

Episode 3


Episode 4


Episode 5

Live show

In the last few weeks I've been working on a live show based on the episodes of John Peel's Shed I recorded. I've never done a solo show before and it's something I'm really enjoying developing. It's also about British radio, and features some of my experiences in writing my book Radio Head. So far I've performed it once, in Brighton, and it seemed to go pretty well. So hopefully I'll get to do it more often. More info on the show here.



There's a review of the Brighton show here. The next preview of the show is November 17th 2010 here.

Captivating - The Guardian

Funny, personal and charming, The Daily Telegraph

Osborne demonstrates a seemingly unhealthy obsession with British radio. But then, as you read Radio Head, you're reminded that you do too. A nostalgic journey through the airwaves, stopping at seemingly every station and finding it all pleasantly familiar. Radio Head is a warm, up-lifting read. And it made me fork out on a new, better radio, too - Tim Key.

The podcasts

So that's the five episodes all finished now. I might do a couple more episodes, but for now you can download the podcasts by following these links.

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5

And the Guardian article about it is here.

John Peel's Shed is a radio show where I play tracks for a box of records I won in a competition on John Peel's Radio 1 show in 2002.

About me: I am a writer based in Norwich. I have had two books of non fiction published by Simon&Schuster and a book of poetry published by Nasty Little Press. I have had poetry published by The Guardian, The Big Issue and The Spectator.

Show 5

The final episode of John Peel's Shed. Sunday 30th May, futureradio.co.uk, 9pm.

Tracklist, show 5, recorded 10th March 2010.

1. Walter Ghoul and his Lavender Brigade - Frumpy and the strange machine.
2. The Anubian Lights - Smoke and Mirrors
3. The Cavemanish Boys - Sunday Street
4. Distillers - Warriors
5. Hey O Hansen - Marie
6. Michael Sheehey - The Licensing Song.
7. The Now Time Delegation - Little Miss Fortune.
8. The Chesterfields - Ask Johnny Dee
9. Ai Phoenix - The carpet said hello
10. Shyheim - I declare war
11. Knoxville Girls - Baby wedding bells blues
12. Station Rose - Eclipse
13. Crabstick - Tourist
14. Bushman - Fire pona deadas
15. Oizone - Wannabe
16. Screaming Lord Sutch - Scream and Scream.

Guardian article

John Peel's Shed received a lovely write up in The Guardian this week. Read it here.

There's also articles in the EDP and the Norwich Evening News.

The original idea for the show came while I was writing my book Radio Head, which features a chapter on John Peel. Read the Daily Telegraph's review.

You can buy Radio Head here.

Show 4

Show 4 of John Peel's Shed is on Future Radio, 96.9 FM, or at futureradio.co.uk on Sunday 23rd May.

1. Stereo Total - Ushilo sugota a kilei
2. Kev Hopper - Lamalou les bains
3. Mercury - Ink
4. The Arousers - Goo goo muck
5. Calvin Don't Jump - Crystal Clear Mississippi
6. Dot Allinson - Mo pop
7. Red Rot - Buddy she want
8. 1000 Violins - Poet
9. Pimlico - Me and Mr Lonely
10. Dusted - Always remember to honour your mother Part Two
11. Mystery Brinkman - Ride a bike
12. Oizone - You're gorgeous
13. Chilly Gonzales
14. Soul Inc - You betta get a move on
15. Tarwater = All of the ants left Paris
16. First Born – Credo

Show Three

Tracklisting, show 3

Follow this link to download.

I think this is the best of the five shows, musically. As a radio presenter I am still rubbish. But the bits when I don't talk are pretty good.

1. Royal Trux - Fire Hill
2. Stereo de Luxe - Riddle me this
3. The Haywains - Just the job
4. Rudolf Brauer Sextett - Vorsorge
5. The Folk Implosion - Someone you love
6. Transistor 6 - Queenie King
7. The King Bees - I want my baby back
8. Oizone - Father and Son
9. Stereo Total - Schön von hintern
10. Bushman - Robbery aggravation
11. Ming - Ulysee
12. 54 Nude Honeys -
13. The Casswells - Elvis is dead
14. Hell on Wheels - Having one's luggage labelled
15. Raz Ohara - Far's song.

Show Two

Tracklist, show 2, on air Sunday 9th May 9pm at futureradio.co.uk

You can download the episode here.

1. The Dirtshakes - 18th December 1984
2. Junior Delgado - Working the midnight blues
3. Electralane - Blue Straggler
4. Modest Mouse - Born a rat
5. The Iron Gate - Feelin' bad
6. The Young Monkey Men - I believed you
7. Wackcat - All grrrl band
8. Hey O Hansen - d night out
9. Screaming Lord Sutch - Monster rock
10. Sylvester Boy - Sylvester boy
11. Seafood - Cloaking
12. Spot - Chelsea (is a horse)
13. Atom Rhumba - Gimme chaos
14. Joy Zipper - Check out my new Jesus
15. John Does - One kind favour

Images

Episode 1

Tracklist, show 1, recorded 20th January 2010.

Download here

1. Dislocation Dance - Bottle of red wine
2. Screaming Lord Sutch - Rockabilly Madman
3. The Maheer Shala Hash Baz - Street corner college
4. Direct Hits - Too shy
5. The Dirtbombs - Your love lives under a rock
6. Shyheim - Furious anger
7. Atom and his Package - Going to Georgia
8. Rock con los Sonambulos - Grandes bolas de fuego
9. Girls at our Best - Politics
10. Walter Ghoul's Lavender Brigade - Hey Mary Jane
11. Oizone - Earth Song
12. Royal Trux - Call out the lions
13. Metabolics - Dawn of the dead
14. Anubian Lights - What a Bagdad had
15. Dusted - Always remember to honour and respect your mother.

John Peel's Shed - show info

So all five shows are now recorded and pretty much ready to go on air on Future Radio, 96.9 FM, and will also be available to hear online. You can download the shows here.

The first show is on Sunday 2nd May at 9 pm and the series will be broadcast for the next five Sundays. For more information the best thing to do is email me at john@aisle16.co.uk or follow me on twitter at twitter.com/@johnosradiohead.

John Peel's Shed
This is a new show on Future Radio 96.9, Norwich's community radio station.

In 2002 I won a competition on John Peel's Radio 1 show, my prize was a box of records from John Peel's shed. This is a show featuring the best tracks from those records.

John Osborne is a writer and performer, based in Norwich. His first book, Radio Head was published by Simon&Schuster in 2009 and was Radio 4's Book of the Week. It features chapters on John Peel, Mark Radcliffe and Test Match Special, as well as profiles of stations including Radio 1, 6Music and Resonance FM.

He is a member of poetry collective Aisle16, who regularly perform at festivals including Glastonbury and Latitude. His first book of poetry, What if men burst in wearing balaclavas, was published by Nasty Little Press earlier this year.


His new book, The Newsagent's Window is out in April 2010. More information on him can be found here.

For more information on the show or tracks played contact john@aisle16.co.uk