Adam Walton (born 31 May 1971) is a British
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
disc jockey
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...
who has presented shows on
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is a Welsh radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It began broadcasting on 13 November 1978, replacing the 'Radio 4 Wales' opt-out service (previously the Welsh Home Service). Radio Wales br ...
since 1993. He is also a member of
Mold
A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal seco ...
-based, indie band The Immediate, and a
resident DJ
In the DJ culture, a resident DJ or local DJ refers to a DJ is part of the staff of employees of the club, unlike a guest artist, who works as freelancer, which means that he or she plays on several clubs (including several countries). Obtaining ...
at
Telford's Warehouse in Chester. Adam has also written a book ''On Making Music''.
Early life and career
Walton was born in
Davenham
Davenham (pronounced Dave-n-ham) is a rural village and civil parish approximately south of the town of Northwich, part of the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It has a population of 5,655 ...
,
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
. His family moved to
Nannerch
Nannerch is a village and community in Flintshire, Wales, located within the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. At the 2001 Census the population of Nannerch was 531, reducing to 496 in 2011.
History
Nannerch (pr ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
where he was brought up. He studied English at
Liverpool University
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
gaining a degree and formed a band in 1990 to 'avoid working.' In June 1991 Adam began presenting a series of seven 30 minute radio shows called ''Burst'' on the now defunct station, BBC Radio Clwyd.
Wanting to focus on his band, Walton didn't do any further radio work for 3 years. His band (originally called Daisychain) released a cassette EP called ''Maelstrom''. They changed their name to Metroland before settling on The Immediate, who released a CD EP ''Stay Young'' in 1995.
BBC Radio Wales
Walton began presenting a show on
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is a Welsh radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It began broadcasting on 13 November 1978, replacing the 'Radio 4 Wales' opt-out service (previously the Welsh Home Service). Radio Wales br ...
called ''Revolution'' in October 1994.
It was broadcast on week nights from the BBC studios in Mold and several artistes appeared in session on the show including
Frank Black
Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Fo ...
,
Julian Cope
Julian David Cope (born 21 October 1957) is an English musician and author. He was the singer and songwriter in Liverpool post-punk band the Teardrop Explodes and has followed a solo career since 1983 in addition to working on musical side proj ...
,
Ride (band)
Ride is an English rock band formed in Oxford in 1988. The band consists of vocalists and guitarists Andy Bell and Mark Gardener, drummer Laurence "Loz" Colbert and bassist Steve Queralt. They are recognised as one of the key pioneers of shoe ...
,
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects.
The group was originall ...
,
Catatonia
Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric behavioral syndrome that is characterized by abnormal movements, immobility, abnormal behaviors, and withdrawal. The onset of catatonia can be acute or subtle and symptoms can wax, wane, or change during ...
and
Melys
Melys (English translation:"Sweet") are a Welsh independent rock band from Betws-y-Coed in Conwy, Wales, formed in 1996. They sing in both English and Welsh. They have recorded eleven sessions for John Peel on BBC Radio 1, came first in his F ...
.
The show ran with this format until 1998.
The show was relaunched as The Musical Mystery Tour and schedule changes moved its one hour format, 4 nights a week to a Sunday night. In 2007, Adam decided to dedicate the show entirely to new Welsh based music, a format he still employs today. On 7 January 2011 the show moved to Saturday nights (10pm-1am then later from 9pm-midnight).
With a dedication to Welsh artistes, the show hosted weekly pre-recorded sessions for countless ''underground'' acts, and Adam was/is often lauded as a champion of such music.
Budget constraints have prevented regular sessions since 2012 and despite cuts and changes the show continues to promote Welsh based music.
The show does occasionally organise events or broadcast from events, such as Focus Wales festival in
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
and
Festival N°6
Festival N°6 (Festival Number 6) is an annual art and music festival held in and around Portmeirion, North Wales. The festival presents a wide range of music genres across multiple stages. It is advertised as a family-friendly festival, and as su ...
.
In May and June 2005, Adam hosted a show called ''Walton's Records'', a music quiz programme broadcast from various 'venues' in Wales. The format had two teams, captained by Andrea Lewis (of indie band
The Darling Buds
The Darling Buds are an alternative rock band from Newport, South Wales. The band formed in 1986 and were named after the H. E. Bates novel '' The Darling Buds of May'' – a title taken in turn, from the third line of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: ...
) and Hue Williams (of indie band
The Pooh Sticks
The Pooh Sticks were a Welsh indie pop band from Swansea, Wales, primarily recording between 1988 and 1995. They were notable for their jangly melodiousness and lyrics gently mocking the indie scene of the time, such as on "On Tape", "Indiepop ...
).
Adam Walton also presented a Saturday morning show called ''Science Cafe'' on BBC Radio Wales (up to at least 2012), featuring and interviewing people from the world of science, such as British astronaut
Tim Peake
Major Timothy Nigel Peake (born 7 April 1972) is a British Army Air Corps officer, European Space Agency astronaut and a former International Space Station (ISS) crew member.
He is the first British ESA astronaut, the second astronaut to bear ...
. He was also behind a tech show on the station called ''Mousemat'' (c2013).
From 2017 until 2021, Adam Walton occasionally stood in for
Janice Long
Janice Berry ( Chegwin; 5 April 1955 – 25 December 2021), known professionally by her first married name Janice Long, was an English broadcaster who was best known for her work in British music radio. In a career that spanned five decades, s ...
on her BBC Radio Wales weekday evening show, as well as being the show's producer, and presented a three-hour tribute to Long following her death in December 2021.
Whipcord Records and other work
In 1998 Adam launched Whipcord Records and released 7" singles by Out and
Big Leaves
Big Leaves were a Welsh rock band formed in 1988, originally named Beganifs. They disbanded in 2003, with two members subsequently forming Sibrydion.
History
The band was formed in 1988 as Beganifs by then 11- and 12-year-old school pupils Rhod ...
. He resurrected the label in 2016 as an outlet for his own material.
He is also a resident DJ at
Telford's Warehouse,
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
, the venue hosts regular bands, which Adam occasionally gets involved with promoting them; notably
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...
before they were famous.
Written work
In the late 1990s and into the 2000s, Adam contributed a weekly column to the newspaper
Daily Post (North Wales)
The ''Daily Post'' is a daily newspaper for the North Wales region of Wales. Its website is branded ''North Wales Live''. The newspaper gained independence from the ''Liverpool Daily Post'' in 2003 which later ceased production in December 2013 ...
called ''Ear Buzz'' that covered local music topics of the day. The column was later relaunched from a more 'personal life' point of view before fizzling out. He also hosted his own website covering reviews, show playlists and information (c2010).
1994 saw the launch of Adam's book ''On Making Music'', a guide for bands and artistes on how to make music and how get it out into the public domain. As Adam said, "It saddens me that music-makers in 2014 are making the exact same mistakes I was making in 1994, and this is my attempt to offer advice that will help them to avoid those pitfalls, and also to inspire them."
The Immediate
Having split up in 1996, The Immediate reformed in 2016 and began playing a few gigs in
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
and
North Wales
, area_land_km2 = 6,172
, postal_code_type = Postcode
, postal_code = LL, CH, SY
, image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg
, map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...
. They released two albums ''Manbouy'' (16 June 2017) then ''More Sheep Than Humans''. Adam has represented the band in session on local radio. Walton also uses the band's name for his solo projects.
References
External links
Official website''BBC Introducing with Adam Walton''(BBC Radio Wales)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walton, Adam
1971 births
Living people
People from Mold, Flintshire
People educated at Alun School, Mold
BBC Radio Wales presenters