It is all Keith Pengelley’s fault…

…Back in 2020 – after the first lockdown had finished – he made me aware of GNet Radio and suggested I may wish to do a show, though I the time I indicated that I felt I was “too busy”.

A little while later, he let me know he was going to do a show based around the music of Joy Division and New Order. After hearing my astonishment at this (I am a bit of an obsessive about both bands), Keith invited me to join him in the studio at St. James as his guest for that particular programme. If I remember correctly, it was me who selected most of the music and provided the majority of links between songs. He had lured me in!

The first Songs From Under The Floorboards (Independently-Minded Music from the Post-Punk Period and Beyond) was broadcast live on 27 August 2020, produced – as were the first number of shows – by Keith. That first programme included music from the likes of Magazine, Steel Pulse, Sigur Ros, A Certain Ratio, Bill Nelson, Cabaret Voltaire, The Sugarcubes and Blondie within its two hour running time.

Thereafter, thanks to great assistance (and incredible patience!) from Sean Johnson, I was set-up to record/broadcast from home – a laptop BUTT, DJ Pro, access to radio.co, a basic mixer and a memory stick was all that was needed. Being able to do this on my own from home was particularly beneficial during the second Covid-19 restrictions.

I am proud to have included much new music, often before release dates, especially that provided by local musicians, such as Mark Le Gallez, Elliot Orchard, Citizen-X, Flexagon and The Risk amongst others. The show now has listeners (either live, or through our Listen Again link on Mixcloud) in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, England, Wales, Scotland, Continental and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the United States.

So, as we approach the 200th show, I am very grateful to all those named above, as well as fellow presenters (past and present), producer Biggles and Guernsey Arts for giving me the opportunity and ongoing support to be able to do this bloney thing each week.

Songs From Under The Floorboards will continue to exist in the future for as long as this occurs and I am able.

Martin x