The Farm with Roy Boulter

Roy Boulter joins us to talk about his time in The Farm & also his new film Algorithm Party starring PJ Smith, which marks Roy’s directorial debut.

The idea came from a football game, Roy’s band The Farm had played an informal football game on Fridays in Birkenhead for over 20 years. One day PJ Smith turned up to play & Roy later found out.

Algorithm Party was filmed in St. Georges Hall in Liverpool, features mucis by fellow Farm member Steve Grimes & is out now.

Roy also tells us about his time writing for Brookside & Eastenders, his career in film & documentary working with the likes of Terence Davies, building a wicker man for The Coral, making a Beatles documentary with Mark Lewisohn & meeting Yoko Ono.

He also toured with the Justice Tonight band with Mick Jones playing The Clash songs to raise awareness for the Hillsbrough campaign.

In 1987 Roy joined The Farm as their new drummer. The band had originally had more of. Punk sound but with the help of producer Terry Farley they change their sound, closer to what becomes known as baggy.

The Happy Mondays become a key band in The Farm’s story & another key ingredient is the Channel 4 documentary A Short Film About Chillin’ about the bands trip to Ibiza.

We hear how close Bill Drummond ever was to managing The Farm.

A cover of the Monkee’s I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone nearly becomes a hit but its Groovy Train which becomes the breakthrough.

All Together Now follows & becomes a hit around the world. The track has a long afterlife being featured in football coverage, in Hollywood movies & famously as the 1995 Everton FA Cup final song.

Suggs, Paul Heaton & other play a part in the production of the Spartacus album which goes to number 1.

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