CANTERBURY SOUNDWAVES EPISODES 8-14

Before Canterbury Sans Frontières was Canterbury Soundwaves a show which creator Matthew Watkins described as "exploring the so-called `Canterbury Sound`, its many roots, branches, twigs and accompanying mycelia in 28 episodes (November 2010 - January 2013). We, the little fellows hiding behind the scenes at Gonzo Web Radio are proud to announce that as well as Canterbury Sans Frontières episodes as they happen, all 28 of the back catalogue will also be hosted.

This is going to take some time, especially as I live out in the sticks with very dodgy and intermittent internet access. But they will be posted in batches of half a dozen or so, and we are very pleased to be able to announce that the first seven episodes, complete with playlists, are now available at the Gonzo Web Radio site.

Check them out!


EPISODE EIGHT: "Oh no......Steve Hillage!" (Neil, The Young Ones)
Oh yes! From the heavy psychedelia of his (and Dave Stewart's) first band Uriel to his more recent collaborative efforts with 90's spacerockers Ozric Tentacles and ambient explorers The Orb, from the classic '73 Gong lineup to his triumphant 2009 return, Subcomandante Spillage's influence on British psychedelia examined from several angles, oblique, acute and orthogonal. ALSO a '68 Caravan classic, the Annie Whitehead connection, Robert Wyatt's second favourite piece of music ever (supposedly) and an Ornette Coleman cover performed in Canterbury just the other day...
Playlist for this episode
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EPISODE NINE: An investigation of how Henry Cow got from Cambridge to 'Canterbury', with special attention paid to everyone's favourite feminist avant-rock bassoonist, Lindsay Cooper. Also, the Soft Machine quintet lineup live in early 1970, Richard Sinclair guesting with some Norwegians, Jimmy Hastings in both absent and present forms, the (almost) beginning of the Planet Gong mythology and an Australian listener called Wyatt covering Robert Wyatt, as well as (Robert) Wyatt's choice of favourite record ever (as of late 1974).
Playlist for this episode 
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EPISODE TEN: East Asian connections from Canterbury to Malaysia, Japan, China and Tibet, then back again. A rare instance of Dave Sinclair singing, Robert Wyatt reading from some Chinese communist propaganda, quite a bit of Alan Gowen, Acid Mothers Gong being very strange indeed, another cover of Wyatt's "Alifib", more Hugh Hopper collaborations, an (almost) live version of "Winter Wine" by Caravan, Steve Hillage in Japan with Ash Ra Tempel's Manuel Göttsching... AND a frivolous poetry competition!
Playlist for this episode 
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EPISODE ELEVEN: The entire set from an embryonic Hatfield and the North lineup live at the Tower of London in summer '72, a beautiful Hugh Hopper/Richard Sinclair collaboration, the largely undocumented Hastings-Coughlan-Richardson-Austins-Evans Caravan lineup live in France in '72, an extraordinary (and quite long) tape experiment put together by Daevid Allen in 1966, Kevin Ayers with The Wizards of Twiddly, Lindsay Cooper playing bassoon and electronics at a festival of Women's Improvised Music in Zürich, '86 and the latest on the Canterbury Soundwaves haiku competition!
Playlist for this episode 
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EPISODE TWELVE: Strange encounters with punk, funk, new wave and disco, as typified by Daevid Allen's late 70's New York Gong project. Also, Soft Machine experiencing technical difficulties (but ultimately triumphing) at the 1970 BBC Proms, Hatfield Mark II (with Dave Sinclair on keyboards, and Robert Wyatt on guest vocals), a freaky Gong jam from '72 with mystery trumpet player, some Canterbury sounds from early 70's Holland, thirty-seven seconds of unparalleled brilliance from Henry Cow (twice), the last vocalist you'd ever expect to hear on Canterbury Soundwaves and the winning entry in our recent haiku competition...
Playlist for this episode 
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EPISODE THIRTEEN: An extended chat with jazz trombone legend, East Kent resident and Robert Wyatt collaborator Annie Whitehead about jazz, politics and feminism in the 1980s, Zappa, Wyatt's creative processes, the "Soupsongs" band she assembled to play his music live, her various collaborations with Elton Dean, Phil Miller, Dave Stewart, Geoffrey Richardson, John Etheridge, et al., as well as the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Also, the classic Soft Machine trio lineup on French TV in late '67 (incredible, newly surfaced footage), the top three Canterbury tunes from our winning haiku poet, and a few thoughts from the current Archbishop, Rowan Williams.
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EPISODE FOURTEEN: An exploration of Canterbury connections with Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd (mostly Soft Machine related, but not all), including some remarkable Floyd recordings you've probably never heard. Also, some very free jazz from Lol and Didier, more incredible autumn '67 Soft Machine from French telly, Kev and Daev reunited, Matching Mole live, a beautiful two-part cover of "O Caroline"... and Caravan playing with an orchestra and getting away with it (arguably).
Playlist for this episode 
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