Up until the inception of the pirate radio station, later to be called Caroline, rock and pop music radio and tv was limited to a few carefully selected and highly unsubersive programmes, their output pretty much controlled by the major labels. When Caroline founder Ronan O'Rahilly couldn't get airplay for the bands he managed... he bought a ship and set up shop in international waters.
Despite continuous attempts by the government to put a stop to their 'dangerous' activities (and of course being keen to control any revenue), the station has kept going in one form or another ever since.
These days, although still maintaining their fiercely independent ideaology, the station broadcasts on the internet, Sky, satellite and cable, with the excellent recent announcement that Caroline is being relayed to the 100,000 listeners in the Baltic states from the powerful 945kHz medium wave transmitter of Radio Nord in Riga, Latvia.
Rob Leighton presents Imagination Radio via Carolines transmitters and has long been a good friend and supporter of Bluehorses. Rob asked us to record a live set for Imagination some time ago, and we finally got it together in August on the way home from the very rockin' Farmer Phil's Festival.
The show was recorded in Rob's beautiful 250 year old country cottage with an invited audience of friends and neighbours. The band played for about an hour, recording onto their mobile studio, really having a ball, making some new friends and availing themselves of the sumptuous buffet provided by the lovely Mrs Leighton!
The show goes out on the 14th September at 10pm so please listen in, the band are all really proud to be leaving their small mark in radio history. To find out how to listen to the show, click on the Radio Caroline logo above.
