I have been listening to Resonance 104.4fm and valuing the station’s unique contribution to the arts since its earliest days, when I was lucky enough to have been involved via my then job at the national office of Arts Council England. Since leaving the Arts Council, and wanting to continue to support the excellent work of Ed and the rest of the team, I have been a director and I currently chair the Resonance board, but I am still also a listener and a supporter, and Resonance 104.4fm continues to make an incredible and growing contribution to the arts in London and the UK. That is why I am devoting this post to sharing the information about some of the events that are being put on around London by Resonance 104.4fm programme makers as part of the annual fundraiser.

If you haven’t tuned in before, Resonance 104.4fm is London’s award-winning arts radio station. It was established by London Musicians’ Collective and licensed as a community radio station by Ofcom. Resonance 104.4fm started broadcasting on May 1st 2002 as one of the first community radio stations licensed by the then Radio Authority, and it provides a radical alternative to the universal formulae of mainstream broadcasting.

Resonance 104.4 fm features programmes made by musicians, artists and critics who represent the diversity of London’s arts scenes. With hundreds of live sessions every year, with weekly programmes from, by and about just about every art form, and with regular weekly contributions from nearly two hundred musicians, artists, thinkers, critics, activists and instigators; plus numerous unique broadcasts by artists on the weekday “Clear Spot”.

Resonance broadcasts 24 hours per day on 104.4fm in London or online and via the Radio Player app. The station’s annual fundraiser runs from 10-16 February this year. Here’s the blurb from the Resonance site:

with a series of live events, an on-line auction and plenty of special broadcasts. We hope you will join us in our efforts to raise funds. The boring bit: we need to secure £50,000 reserves in order to bolster our next funding application to Arts Council England, who have generously supported us for the last 11 years. The exciting bit: our programme makers and many friends have organised a variety of amazing entertainments for you – all proceeds going to Resonance. With your help we can keep our unique and exceptional broadcast service on air and advert-free!

Resonance104.4fm Fund-raising Events!

Resonance programmes makers have organised a series of events from tonight. Featuring art movies, debate, ukulele luminaries, high tea with Max Keiser, Rough Trade DJs and Sound Art Superstars.

Please check your diaries and the booking info below, and do come along if you can. It would be great to see you at one or other of these events.

Monday 10th February

Facing the Music

The Pod Delusion and Little Atoms with Soho Skeptics present “Facing the music” – a cultural debate with Charles Shaar Murray, David Stubbs, Andrew Mueller, Jude Rogers and more. Lively discussion about popular culture and sound: a chance to meet like minds and disagree with them. T-shirt stall, bar. Buy tickets here.

Monday 10 February 8pm £6, NB: Change of venue and start time: The Slaughtered Lamb, 34-35 Great Sutton St, London EC1V 0DXL

Tuesday 11th February

Henry Scott-Irvine presents a night of blues & folk

Henry Scott-Irvine presents a night of blues & folk – Mollys Daggers + The Bermondsey Joyriders + Sasha Ilyukevich + Ronnie Golden + Howard & Clack. A rollicking gig with former members of Chelsea, The Little Roosters, and Johnny Thunders – and a Belarusian Troubadour.

Tuesday 11 February 8pm £5, 12 Bar Club, Denmark Street WC2H 8NJ

Thursday 13th February

Sine of The Gravy

Sine Of The Times & The Gravy present LV (Hyperdub), My Panda Shall Fly, Only Rays (Circles and Squares), DJ Bobafatt (Rough Trade), Will Ward and Patrick from The Gravy plus Sine of The Times’ very own Rita Maia.

More details here.

Thursday 13 February 7pm till 1am £5, Candela Clapton, 159 Lower Clapton Road E5 0QX

Thursday 13th February

Gala Sound Art Concert

Resonance104.4fm presents sound-art superstars Janek Schaefer + Rie Nakajima + Yuri Suzuki + Oscillatorial Binnage. Headlined by the UK’s leading sound-artist Janek Schaefer, this bill also features Arts Award Foundation Experimental Music fellow Rie Nakajima and BASCA Composer of the Year (and Resonance station manager) Chris Weaver.

Thursday 13 February 8pm £8, Cafe Oto, 18 Ashwin Street E8 3DL

Friday 14th February

The Relatively Good Valentines Do

The Relatively Good Valentines Do – Dulwich Ukulele Club + The Gents + Double Bass Dan and Friends + Santa Mozzarella + The Relatives. Resonance’s Relatively Good Radio Show presents a night of all-star local talent in London’s first cooperatively owned pub. Buy tickets here.

Friday 14 February 8pm £15, Ivy House, 40 Stuart Road SE15 3BE

Saturday 15th February

Bermuda Triangle Lovely Audio Visual Extravaganza

BTTTB presents Bermuda Triangle Lovely Audio Visual Extravaganza featuring Bruce Gilbert + Bermuda Triangle Test Engineers + Greta Pistaceci + James Alec Hardy + Chips For The Poor + DJs Art Terry and Dave Ball. A night of audio-visual treats with cult musicians including Gilbert (Wire), Ball (Soft Cell) and numerous Resonance luminaries. MC is The Man From The Bermuda Triangle. Bar, bar food, t shirt and merch stall.

Saturday 15 February 8pm to 2am £5, The Roxy, 128 Borough High Street SE1 1LB

Sunday 16th February

High Tea with Max and Stacy

Join outspoken financial pundits Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert of The Truth About Markets for a face to face high finance Q&A session.

Tickets available at the WeGotTickets website.

Sunday 16 February 4pm £15, The Roxy, 128 Borough High Street SE1 1LB