Yesterday, TotalRock Radio celebrated its 25th anniversary, having spent a quarter of a century amplifying the raw energy of rock and Metal. Launched in May 2000 by legendary BBC producer Tony Wilson and the late rock journalism titan Malcolm Dome, TotalRock’s mission was to play rock and Metal 24/7.
From its humble beginnings above a pub in Fulham, the station gave airtime to iconic voices like Lemmy, Ozzy, and Dio and to fresh, genre-bending talent.
From the Fulham premises, TotalRock moved to Denmark Place, which has now been demolished to make way for the hotel and station complex, and from there to the famous Denmark Street, where they were located above a guitar shop.
Then, with the increasing rents and the renovation and gentrification of the whole Tottenham Court Road area, TotalRock moved again to just off Brick Lane in Shoreditch but is now run almost entirely online and remotely from home.
Original TotalRock DJ line up – 2000.
“When we did the Friday Rock Show with Tommy,” Tony Wilson said, “it was a show that mostly played current contemporary music. A lot of people look back and try to recreate that, but they play the same music we were playing in the ’70s and ’80s.
“But the show was a new music show at that time. TotalRock has always been a grassroots station supporting new forms of rock and Metal music and new bands. That is TotalRock’s ethos. Whatever genre of rock and Metal, we’ve supported new and up-and-coming bands in that field.”
In a fast-shifting industry, surviving five relocations, changes in ownership, and the turbulent transition from analogue to digital, TotalRock’s roster of over 250 presenters has included everyone from genre pioneers like Neal Kay and Krusher to media personalities such as Julia Hardy and Jeff Leach.
“The challenges are going to be to keep TotalRock relevant to the way that people like to find music and enjoy it,” Wilson said, reflecting on the future. “It might be that we have to move onto different platforms. We have to keep ourselves relevant in the way we reach the audience and satisfy their needs.”
Tony Wilson looked back with pride on the massive achievement of keeping TotalRock going for a quarter of a century. “I’ve been blessed to spend every day of my working life doing what I love,” he said.
“We set out to build a home for new music and passionate voices. After 25 years, I think we did that—and more.”
You can find TotalRock at TotalRock.com.
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Tony Wilson Reflects On 25 Years Of TotalRock Radio first appeared on
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