Show Notes
Queens of Lovers Rock Janet Kay MBE and Carroll Thompson join Zakia Sewell and V&A research assistant Josephine Small to explore the genesis of the soulful genre. Looking at objects from the V&A collections, including Sonia Boyce’s Lover's Rock (1998) wallpaper, they discuss the impact of this first generation of British-born musicians on the UK music scene. They explore how Black British music was heard at a time when record labels and radio stations were not typically playing Black artists, and how female pioneers drove crossover success. They take us behind the scenes of a crucial UK music phenomenon and explore how it still impacts people today.
Chapters 00:00 Zakia Sewell introduces the episode and her guests, Carroll Thompson, Janet Kay and V&A research assistant Josephine Small 01:35 What is the distinctive sound of Lovers Rock? 02:34 It was surreal: Janet Kay MBE reminisces on 1979 - the release of her huge hit Silly Games and its crossover success 05.36 OBJECT 1 How did artist Sonia Boyce represent Lovers Rock through wallpaper? 06:55 The importance of house parties, blues parties and shebeens to UK Black music culture 08:52 Carroll Thompson and Janey Kay reflect on the strict Caribbean culture they grew up in 12:12 Creating music from their real experiences as young British-Caribbean women in the UK 13:27 OBJECT 2 Carroll Thompson reflects on creating Hopelessly in Love 17:27 No gatekeepers – how did Lovers Rock get distributed? 20:37 What was the impact of a female-led genre in the 70s & 80s? 22:30 Different clothes for different music: UK Black fashion culture in the 70s & 80s 25:12 OBJECT 3 What was it like recording and producing in the studio? How did white label prerelease get music out? 28:55 The importance of sound systems to building Black British music culture 30:41 Lovers Rock to Jungle - The reggae bassline that runs through Black British music 32:02 The backdrop of discrimination and the expression of pain 34:56 The political act of joy as a form of resistance 36:22 The ongoing legacy of Lovers Rock ---- Objects featured in this episode are on display as part of The Music is Black exhibition at V&A East Museum, which runs until the end of 2026. Find out more: V&A East Museum The Music is Black ---- About Three Objects In Three Objects, host Zakia Sewell and her special guests connect three carefully-chosen objects from the vast V&A collections of art, design and performance to tell a story about the world we live in today. If you love history, contemporary culture and a behind the scenes glimpse of the music that made us, this is for you. Never miss an episode! Subscribe now, and if you enjoy it, don’t be shy about leaving a five-star review!
More from Three Objects
Who really won the battle between Blur and Oasis? Host Zakia Sewell chats to writer, broadcaster (and drummer for 90s Britpop band Menswear) Matt Everitt, and V&A curator Harriet Reed about the heady days of Camden in the mid 90s. In this episode Matt explains what the scene was really like and puts to bed the myth that it was Damon Albarn who chose the release date for Country House, causing the infamous battle of the Britpop bands of August 1995. On a tour of Camden venues and 90s nostalgia for a time without phones and social media, Matt and Harriet evoke the sweaty, sticky-floored, beer-stained venues of the era. Looking at early Blur setlists, Noel Gallagher’s handwritten lyrics and recalling the power of the UK music press to make or break a band, Matt reminds us that Britpop wasn’t just lad culture and boozing – and that we didn’t call them bucket hats back then.
How did one club in the 80s change the face of nightlife across the UK? Host Zakia Sewell is joined by queer club pioneer DJ Paulette, and V&A curator Harriet Reed to unpack the heyday of the Haçienda club of the 1980s and 90s. Looking at photos and footage of Paulette DJing at clubnight Flesh at the Haçienda in the early 90s, they recall the inclusivity of the scene during a time that was not-at-all welcoming to the queer community. They explore the importance of design and the forward-looking nature of the club and of Tony Wilson's Factory Records, its owner. From the throbbing bass that greeted your arrival, to the pure joy of the dancefloor, DJ Paulette takes us back to the club that set the tone for a new type of nightlife. Chapters 00:00 Zakia Sewell introduces the episode and her guests, DJ Paulette and V&A Curator of Contemporary Performance Harriet Reed 01:28 How did the Haçienda change clubbing in the 80s? 03:15 OBJECT 1 It was very cold - DJ Paulette reminisces about getting her DJ outfit sculpted and sewing sequins 06:56 Flesh at the Haçienda - What was it like to be there? 10:21 Pockets of joy - DJ Paulette live at the Haçienda in 1992 or 1993 12:28 OBJECT 2 The philosophy, design and concept of the Haçienda – through a sound crew T-shirt 15:55 DJ Paulette’s original Flesh flyers – setting the tone for clubbing design 17:38 Raver to DJ - How did DJ Paulette get started? 20:57 OBJECT 3 Could a vintage pager stop sound complaints? 22:08 The end of the night – the demise of the Haçienda 23:58 The sheer noise of the bass – we aren’t allowed to hear music at that volume any more 25:32 DJ Paulette’s last night at the Haçienda
Did a Super Nintendo console help create the sound of grime? Host Zakia Sewell is joined by special guest NoLay to find out how the classic console was instrumental in a global cultural phenomenon, as well as remembering how NoLay won over a highly sceptical Glastonbury crowd (despite an epic tech fail), blagged her way into a club for her MCing debut, and her early experiences on pirate radio. The SNES (owned by Boy Better Know star JME) is the first of this episode’s Three Objects from the V&A collections, hand-picked by V&A Assistant Researcher Josephine Small, to tell the story of Grime. NoLay also revisits her notebooks, containing her handwritten lyrics for Unorthodox’s No Help or Handouts and dialogue for Mandy, her character in Top Boy. The rapper and actor – real name Natalie Athanasiou – recalls how she nearly didn’t play the part, and her often overlooked earlier cameo in Top Boy. She also gives her point of view on one of grime’s seminal cultural moments, when Skepta won the Mercury Music Prize for his album Konnichiwa in 2016, as captured in Hyperfrank’s epic photograph. Chapters 00:00 Zakia Sewell introduces the episode and her guests, NoLay and Josephine Small 01:40 Josephine Small on the history of east London and the roots of Grime 02:37 How does NoLay feel about Grime being on display in a museum? 03:15 OBJECT 1 What’s a Super Nintendo and a mouse got to do with Grime? 06:18 The DIY scene and Pirate Radio – NoLay reminisces on her early experiences 08:12 NoLay on releasing no Help No Handouts with Channel U and seeing herself for the first time 10:49 OBJECT 2 NoLay's notebooks – and why she hates seeing people rapping off their phones 14:14 How Vibes became NoLay... and her underage MC debut 17:00 Was it harder to be seen as a woman in Grime? 17:33 NoLay’s Glastonbury tech fail 19:17 NoLay’s Top Boy debut 20:12 Did success lose Grime’s spirit? 23:05 OBJECT 3 Skepta’s Mercury Music Prize win: Showered with joy, 2016, by Laura ‘Hyperfrank’ Brosnan 24:45 It feels like a bit of a kick in the teeth... 26:32 Is Grime culturally the UK’s HipHop? 29:07 How does it land when North American artists like Drake reference UK genres? 29:50 What is Grime’s impact today? 30:02 Why did the V&A acquire NoLay’s lyric books? ---- Two of the objects featured in this episode are on display as part of The Music is Black exhibition at V&A East Museum, which runs until the end of 2026. Find out more: V&A East Museum The Music is Black ---- About Three Objects In Three Objects, host Zakia Sewell and her special guests connect three carefully-chosen objects from the vast V&A collections of art, design and performance to tell a story about the world we live in today. If you love history, contemporary culture and a behind the scenes glimpse of the music that made us, this is for you. Never miss an episode! Subscribe now, and if you enjoy it, don’t be shy about leaving a five-star review!
Did major labels and the mainstream media take over and shut down a grassroots scene? Zakia Sewell chats to UKG pioneer Norris ‘Da Boss’ Windross and V&A Researcher Josephine Small to uncover the rise of the UK Garage scene – and the turbulence along the way. Looking at Norris’s early dubplate collection they recall Sound System and DJ culture, and chart the differences between Rave, Jungle and Drum n bass nights with the new, aspirational, Garage scene. From champagne and designer labels to So Solid Crew’s Audi TTs, Norris takes us through the highs and lows of the 1990s to the mainstream success of Misteeq and Craig David in the early 2000s. He explores Clause 696, targeting the shutdown of certain performers, and gives us behind-the-scenes insight into the 100-person meeting that tried to keep the scene in the hands of the people who built it. Chapters 00:00 Zakia Sewell introduces the episode and her guests, Norris ‘Da Boss’ Windross and Josephine Small 00:12 How did Norris become both Da Boss and a Godfather of Garage? 02:06 From House to Garage 04:54 OBJECT 1: What is a dubplate – and why was it a 'bullet'? 08:03 What makes a track UK Garage? 09:30 Going out: Fashion and dancing, UK Garage club culture 12:36 Champagne! The drink of UK Garage 13:53 OBJECT 2: Sharing the success, realness and raising yourself. So Solid Crew 2001 by Eddie Otchere 17:59 Garage as the scapegoat for youth violence 20:02 Clause 696 and the shutdown 21:00 OBJECT 3: Scandalous! Is the Garage mix better than the original? Misteeq 2003 by Soula Petrou 24.14 Re-re-wind – Norris’s perspective on the mainstream success of UKG 26:08 “Having a say about our own scene” The meeting of the Garage bosses – and how it ended 28:25 Garage’s enduring legacy – creating music that will live forever ---- Two of the objects featured in this episode are on display as part of The Music is Black exhibition at V&A East Museum, which runs until the end of 2026. Find out more: V&A East Museum The Music is Black ---- About Three Objects In Three Objects, host Zakia Sewell and her special guests connect three carefully-chosen objects from the vast V&A collections of art, design and performance to tell a story about the world we live in today. If you love history, contemporary culture and a behind the scenes glimpse of the music that made us, this is for you. Never miss an episode! Subscribe now, and if you enjoy it, don’t be shy about leaving a five-star review!
Welcome to Three Objects, a brand-new podcast miniseries that delves deep into V&A museum collections. Join host Zakia Sewell as she revisits seminal moments in British music history, connecting the people who made them happen to museum objects that uncover untold stories. Discover how a Super Nintendo, a pager and even a roll of wallpaper have profoundly affected and reflected the sounds and culture of their time. Hear from grime legend NoLay, UK Garage godfather Norris 'da boss' Windross, Queens of Lovers Rock Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson, Haçienda trailblazer DJ Paulette, and Britpop star Matt Everitt. Visit The Music is Black: A British Story at V&A East Museum before 10 January 2027 Visit Lost Music Venues at V&A South Kensington before 30 October 2027 Tell us what you think! 💬 If you enjoy Three Objects, please let us know in the comments below. We'd love to make more episodes, and the breadth of the museum collections means there's almost infinite rabbit holes we could dive down. What should we tackle next? 🤔