Sidetracked with Annie and Nick

What are the key components of a good gig?Off the back of the Oasis tour starting and Fontaines D.C. performing to their biggest audience ever, Annie and Nick discuss the ways we can all create a fun concert atmosphere – and all the things we shouldn’t do. Elsewhere, as if performing at Glastonbury wasn’t enough, PinkPantheress recently won a Chess Grand Slam in Bromley and she’s not the only overachiever in the music world, all seven members of BTS are almost finished National Service and they’re coming straight back to K-pop. Plus, Annie and Nick are preparing for the event of the summer, Ian’s birthday party, and one story has Nick comparing the mystery of a 316-year-old violin to a Jane McDonald TV show.SONGS Danny L Harle and PinkPantheress – Starlight PinkPantheress – Illegal Underworld – Dark and Long Oasis - Wonderwall Stevie Wonder - AsALBUMStevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of LifeOTHER Longitude FestivalSidetracked Live from Glastonbury: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0lkz02p Mary Anne Hobbs - Black Sabbath show: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002f7c8Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk

Now that Glastonbury is over, Annie and Nick share their 2025 recovery tactics and analyse their post festival dreams of bread, butter and Jessie Ware. Elsewhere, they’re getting excited for upcoming gigs such as Fontaines D.C. at Finsbury Park, Black Sabbath’s final curtain, the Oasis reunion tour, and Stevie Wonder. Plus, a compelling Wood Pigeon impression from a listener’s son, Sidetracked as a source of oxytocin, and a recent TIME article argues that the concept of the Song of the Summer might be over - but did it ever matter? Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk

From watching CMAT's career defining performance on the Pyramid Stage to bumping into Lily Allen and Rita Ora in Block9, Annie and Nick debrief on the weekend that was.This episode was recorded live on 6 Music from Glastonbury.Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk

For the first time ever, Annie and Nick bring Sidetracked to a live audience. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk

Annie and Nick discuss their hopes and predictions for Glastonbury 2025.Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk

In the last of a series of Glastonbury specials, Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw sit down with Loyle Carner to discuss headlining the Other Stages – ten years after he first performed at the festival on the BBC Introducing Stage. What is it about Glastonbury that makes it a truly special place for both artists and festivalgoers, and how does he feel about using his set to make a political statement?Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk

Sabrina Carpenter has divided the internet this week with the artwork for her new album, Man’s Best Friend - but is it radical or regressive? Elsewhere, despite a famously rocky relationship with the Catholic Church and three ex-communications, it turns out that Madonna is related to the new Pope. Plus, Ticketmaster are in trouble again, Nick’s found a way to make DJ’ing easier and remembering the genius of Sly Stone and Brian Wilson.Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk

As part of our series of Glastonbury specials, Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw sit down with Emily Eavis to discuss this year's festival - from site changes and secret sets, to the cheesemongers weather forecast. Plus, what it's really like planning a festival like Glastonbury in 2025 and why the power of community is the thread that holds it all together.Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk

From camping essentials to Portaloo regrets, Annie and Nick talk all things festival season in this Q&A special. Plus, dream festival line-ups, battery powered coffee machines and does anyone actually know where the Piano Bar is at Glastonbury? Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk

In the first of a series of Glastonbury specials, Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw sit down with Sir Rod Stewart to discuss the legends slot. When will he decide his set list, how does he look after his voice before a big show and who does he think Glastonbury should book for the slot in 2027? Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk

Can Sidetracked ever top being endorsed by Jacob Alon’s therapist? Annie and Nick are joined by the self-described "cheeky folk" artist to talk about their debut album. Elsewhere, Nick shares what it's like to be backstage with Iggy Pop, and Annie praises Taylor Swift for reclaiming her music from Scooter Braun. Plus, Annie and Nick swap notes on the Scissor Sisters O2 gig, analyse Bono ruffling Elon Musk’s feathers, and advise on how to turn a festival into a hen do. SONGS HAIM - Take Me Back Wet Leg - CPR Miley Cyrus - Easy Lover Obongjayar - Holy Mountain ALBUMS Jacob Alon - In Limerence OTHER Pan Amsterdam: https://panamsterdam.bandcamp.com/ Biggy Pop: https://www.instagram.com/biggypop/?hl=en

Nick is joined by Alana, Danielle and Este Haim to discuss their weeks in music. HAIM are the first all-female rock band to be nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, they’ve collaborated with everyone from Taylor Swift to Stevie Nicks, and next month they’ll release their fourth studio album “I Quit”. As they tick off their first festival of the season, the sisters look back on Glastonbury’s gone by and the lengths (and step count) Alana has gone to for a crush. Elsewhere, things get nostalgic as they share stories of prom night and sneaking out the house – but what songs instantly transport them back to adolescence? Plus, the lies they told their parents, a Kate Moss inspired cameo by Addison Rae and the first time they met Nick. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.ukSONGS HAIM - Relationships Addison Rae - Headphones On HAIM - Blood On The Street The White Stripes - I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself Addison Rae - Aquamarine Architecture In Helsinki - Do The Whirlwind Architecture In Helsinki - It’s 5! HAIM - Take Me Back Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better The Strokes - Is This It Tim Deluxe, Sam Obernik - It Just Won’t Do Cheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do ALBUMS Jamie xx - In Colour FILMS That Thing You Do The Mastermind OTHER Radio Three Unwind Playlist - Fatboy Slim Brighton Beach 2002

After a legal dispute almost forced some of London’s biggest day festivals to cancel days before taking place, Annie and Nick consider the impact this could have on future urban festival planning and how spaces could be better protected for the sake of local residents. Elsewhere, as Lorde opens up in a new interview with the Rolling Stone and hints at her most truthful music yet, it prompts the question - is she at her creative peak? Plus, the countdown is on as Glastonbury releases a new site map for this year’s festival, the Frank Ocean rumour mill is spinning once again and what happens at a PTA rave. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.ukSONGSRobert Burns – Auld Lang Syne Wolf Alice – Bloom Baby Bloom Lola Young – One Thing Little Simz – Young Sleater-Kinney – Get Up Arca - Sola Arca – Puta Tyler Ballgame – Help Me Out Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved ALBUMSEzra Furman – Goodbye Small Head Lorde – Solar Power

It’s one of the oldest and most beautiful forms of music – but why is listening to birdsong so good for us? From the ethereal melodies of a Nightingale to the bass-heavy coos of a Pigeon, Annie and Nick break down the science behind the sounds and why we should all spend more time outdoors. Elsewhere, as the V&A announce a new exhibition showcasing London’s lost music venues, Annie and Nick unearth some lost memories of nights spent in Bungalow 8. Plus, Charli XCX has changed the cover of ‘brat’ and no one can figure out why, the Maltese entry for Eurovision is trying to serve but is being told not to and how Nick ended up on a plane with Busta Rhymes. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS CMAT – Take A Sexy Picture Stevie Wonder – Evil Olive – You're Not Alone Miriana Conte – Serving Charli XCX – Apple Aphex Twin – Formula Josh Wink – Higher State Of Consciousness Beatrice Harrison – Danny Boy (BBC Radio Session, 1924) ALBUMS Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo Stevie Wonder – Songs In The Key Of Life Charli XCX - brat RADIO SHOW: Cher – Desert Island Discs BOOK: Jodie Harsh -You Had To Be There EXHIBITION: V&A - Lost Music VenuesWith thanks to the BBC Archives

How exactly does a song come to be? Nick and Annie are joined by iconic spoken word artist Kae Tempest to discuss his creative process and the importance of community. Elsewhere, Lady Gaga has set a new world record and André 3000 has moved on from flutes to pianos. Plus, Black Sabbath are feeling the pressure ahead of their final gig, Annie discusses the benefits of listening to music you don't like, and Nick thinks the Met Gala should have a fallow year.Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS Kae Tempest - Know yourself The Pointer Sisters - Automatic Teddy Pendergrass - Love T.K.O. Leon Vynehall and Poison Anna – Mirror’s Edge MOGAN - House Rules Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On Jocelyn Brown - Somebody Else’s Guy Maroon Five - Payphone Kae Tempest – Statue in the Square ALBUMS Kae Tempest - Everybody down Kae Tempest - Let them eat chaos Kae Tempest - Self-titled Chilli Gonzales - Solo Piano II Andre 3000 - 7 Piano Sketches Arooj Aftab - Night ReignBOOKS Leslie Feinberg – Stone Butch Blues

Oscar nominated singer, songwriter and actress Cynthia Erivo has the voice of a generation. She joins Annie and Nick to talk about the art of singing, the impact it has on her body physically and physiologically, and what it was like writing her new album alongside her starring role in Wicked. Elsewhere, Beyoncé and Katy Perry have kicked off their new world tours – but have we seen it all before? Plus, the wonderful weirdness of OutKast, why Oasis aren’t bothered about missing out on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the beauty of Big Boi’s owls. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SHOWS The Colour Purple Wicked Jesus Christ Superstar ALBUMS Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter Katy Perry - Lifetimes Cameron Winter - Heavy Metal Cynthia Erivo – I Forgive You SONGS Lorde – What Was That Beyonce – Deja Vu LMFAO – Sexy And I Know It Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – Defying Gravity (Live at the 97th Oscars, 2025) Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U Kae Tempest - Statue In The Square Aretha Franklin – Ain't No Way Cynthia Erivo – The Impossible Dream (Live at the Kennedy Centre, 2016)

What does the response to Kneecap’s Coachella performance tell us about the current relationship between music festivals and political expression? Annie and Nick are joined by BBC Music Correspondent, Mark Savage, to decipher the fallout from the rap trio’s set. Elsewhere, from conical bras to London’s West End – Self Esteem has found a new fan in Madonna, but would you want to know if pop royalty was in the crowd before or after going on stage? Plus, there’s a composer in Australia who’s making music beyond the grave, Annie’s spent her holiday doing family rap battles - and what it feels like to ride Bad Bunny (the horse). Since this episode was recorded, Kneecap have given BBC News a statement. You can read that here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1dr6xvk5x3o Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16, WhatsApp on 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.ukSONGS Orbital – Belfast The Dare – LCA Lorde – What Was That Pulp – Spike Island ALBUMS Greentea Peng – Tell Dem It’s Sunny Self Esteem – A Complicated Woman

From Lady Gaga’s masterpiece in theatrical pop to Missy Elliott dressed as a car, Nick is joined by Scissor Sister’s singer and West End star Jake Shears to discuss the highs and lows of Coachella as the desert dust settles on weekend one. Elsewhere, Elton John’s had a busy couple of weeks making up with Madonna and securing his tenth number one album – but what’s he really like to work with? Plus, Lorde has returned just in time for Easter, why Bon Iver should be added to your sex playlist and the story of how an access all areas pass to a Lady Gaga concert got Jake over an international border. SONGS George Frideric Handel - He Was Despised Osvaldo Golijov – Laika Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World SHERELLE and George Riley – FREAKY (JUST MY TYPE) Bon Iver – Walk Home Lana Del Rey – Henry, come on Lorde - What Was ThatElton John & Brandi Carlile – You Without Me Elton John & Brandi Carlile - When This Old World Is Done with Me Elton John & Brandi Carlile – The Rose of Laura Nyro Lady Gaga – Abracadabra Tears for Fears – Mad World The Beatles – Rocky Racoon CMAT – Running/Planning Phosphorescent – Song For Zula David Bowie - Repetition (Acoustic Version)ALBUMS Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters Amadou & Mariam – Welcome to Mali Amadou & Mariam – La Confusion Bon Iver – SABLE,fABLE Lorde – Solar Power Elton John and Brandi Carlile – Who Believes In Angels? Lady Gaga – MAYHEM Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York Lauryn Hill - MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 SHOWS Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Anthony Roth Costanzo Akhnaten by Philip Glass Beck at the Royal Albert Hall Self Esteem presents A Complicated WomanJake's podcast, Queer The Music - https://pod.link/1722154700

What time of day would you be and why? This week’s episode has been curated by your listener questions as Nick shares his top tips for solo gigging, Annie soundtracks the perfect Sunday morning montage and CMAT’s new album inspires a rousing list of potential song topics – from wheelie bin collections and mortgage rates to the art of mushroom foraging. Plus, the joys of Radio 3 Unwind, why Donna Summer isn’t singing about pasta and what is Kankyō Ongaku? Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk. SONGS Survivor - Eye of the Tiger BIA – WHOLE LOTTA MONEY Charli XCX - Vroom Vroom Florentino - Con Luz Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Burning Kings Of Leon – Sex on Fire Donna Summer – Hot Stuff ALBUMS Horrors - Night Life Caribou - Honey Hiroshi Yoshimura – Flora

How important is it to make music with purpose? Annie and Nick chat about Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso teaching people what’s important at this year's 6 Music Festival. Elsewhere, AJ Tracey has decided to include smaller cities and venues on his upcoming tour and Sam (not Shawn) Mendes is set to create not one but four Beatles Biopics featuring Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn as each band member. Plus, Lucy Dacus asks Annie and Nick which music artist they’d curate an exhibition on, Annie reveals all about wining Player of The Match at her latest football game, and what are some quintessential spring songs? Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you’re over 16 WhatsApp 079700 82700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk. SONGSAngie Stone – Wish I Didn’t Miss You POLO & PAN — Petite Etoile feat. Beth Ditto Light of the World – London Town Albums Jayda G – DJ Kicks Ed Sheeran – Play, Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, Stop, EjectLucy Dacus - Forever Is A Feeling