Local and Live

Friday 12 - 2 pm

In English.

Music and interviews with local musicians, live-to-air performances and gig guides.

Presented by Richard Fields.

Please send CDs, demos and press releases to Local and Live via 3CR. LINK

CRAM Article November 2004: Local & Live Profile

You might have seen Richard Fields at one of Melbourne’s many live music venues. Big beard, black tasselled suede jacket and, clasped firmly in his right hand, an ubiquitous notebook. Richard, a former music librarian, records the names, the dates, the tunes and the places of each of the 4 or 5 gigs he attends each week.

Local & Live has been celebrating Melbourne’s live music scene for over fifteen years. “I was invited to co-present the show by a former host whom I’d met over the years at the Tamworth Festival. It started as a one off guest appearance, then became fortnightly then finally when Larissa (Macfarline) had to leave I took over the hot seat. That was about 6 years ago”.

The show has been the recipient of two Community Broadcasting Association Australia (CBAA) awards for its contribution to the local music scene. And last year, Local & Live released a self-titled compilation CD of ‘Live-to-air’ recordings from the show’s archive that was a hit in the community radio sector.

What styles of music do you play? “Roots based, I guess. Blues, Jazz, Country, singer songwriters…”

Richard has a strict format for the show. “All of the music played on the show relates to gigs which are happening in Melbourne in the coming week. It’s 100% Australian artists, at least 50% are women and as much Indigenous music as I can find. I think this kind of format should be bread & butter on program grids all over Melbourne”.

Some of the many ‘live-to-air’ highlights this year included; Suzannah Espie & Big Boy Lemonade, Justine Jones, ARIA award winners Collard, Greens & Gravy, International Blues Challenge winner Fiona Boyes, Adam Simmons and local faves Milk.

By Lee Heather.