Lockdown! at the Disco #1: The Pilot Episode
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE!
READ THE TRANSCRIPT TO THE EPISODE!
TRACK ONE: “A New Wave” – Sleater Kinney
Hello and welcome to Lockdown! at the Disco on Comics Youth Radio. I’m your host Amy Roberts and you are with me for the next 90 minutes or so of rad tunes, sassy shoutouts, and many mispronounced band names. I can promise you that.
As is always our mission here at Comics Youth, we’ve started this station as a way to elevate and celebrate the youth voice. Now you’re probably sat there thinking to yourself, What is this old broad talking about? Chattin on about raising the youth voice and she’s sat there sounding about 80 – I’m not that old, jeez! – but that’s also fair enough…
I’m here leading this show for now. But after all this is over we want our young people to take control and ownership of this station and to produce and program their own content for it.
For now though, we want Lockdown! at the Disco to be a riotous resource during this tough, lonely and uncertain moment. And we want you to be as involved in it as possible. So if you have any song requests, shoutouts to loved ones, feelgood news or book and film recommendations you want us to share on air then you can do that!
Either slide into our DM’s on Instagram or you can email me directly via Amy@comicsyouth.co.uk. There are full guidelines about how to do this up on our website www.comicsyouth.co.uk via our Comics Youth News blog.
But that’s enough waffle from me. Let’s get this going.
We all might be physically distanced right now but we can still maintain amazing social connections and share kindness and love. And maybe a socially distanced dance party or two? To this? I think so. Let’s kick this off with a right lovely queer bop. This is “I Know a Place” by Muna.
TRACK #2: “I Know a Place” by Muna
TRACK #3: “Bulletproof” by La Roux
Alright, that was “I Know a Place” by Muna and that was requested by the wonderful Kay Dale – who you’ll know as the awesome artist and coffee fiend that we call “boss” around the Comics Youth office. Love ya, Kay!
Following that was “Bulletproof” by La Roux and it was requested by Natalia who you probably all know and miss from our junior activism and dungeons & dragons sessions. That’s a proper fighter of a song, innit. I hope you all flexed your biceps and struck a Jojo-style power pose and felt boss while you were dancing to it.
Since we’ve all become government enforced hermits we’ve had to make a few adjustments here at Comics Youth to make sure we can still deliver our usual sessions and hang out like we used to. If you didn’t get the memo we’ve moved our services online now and we do our sessions via Discord.
If you’re over 13 and want to join a kind, intelligent, supportive and super sassy youth community then pop over to our website where you can find out more information about all of our available sessions and channels and fill out a really simple form to join.
One lovely thing that was made in one of our virtual sessions this week is this amazing piece by Paul who has written, that “Pre-Covid felt a lot like that scene in Mean Girls. We were all at different tables not talking to each other.
At the moment though, we may be scared but that fear has brought us together. Neighbours are offering to help out with shopping, pub quizzes are happening over Zoom, and the often ignored essential key workers are being respected.
Post-Covid may feel uncertain and worrying. But hopefully we will come out of lockdown with a new sense of community and respect.”
*tranquil deep breath” yeah, that’s the stuff (!!!) – thanks for the good vibes, Paul!
Now, for some classic emo. This is “In Circles” by Sunny Day Real Estate on Lockdown! at the Disco.
TRACK #5: “In Circles” by Sunny Day Real Estate
TRACK #4: “To You” by I Am Kloot
That first track was “In Circles” by Seattle sad boiz Sunny Day Real Estate for our emo4lyfe art director Ste, followed by the very lovely “To You” by I Am Kloot as requested by 13-year-old artist Deborah Cavanah who says “This one goes out to my family for spearing me on with the amount of work I have had.”
It’s really hard at the moment for students, isn’t it. You’ve all been given more work than ever and if you’re anything like how the Comics Youth team have been then you’ve also likely felt foggy, tired, and a little up and down.
But we just want you all to know that you’re doing amazingly. Just remember: You should always put your health and your wellbeing first. You’re more important than anything else.
There’s actually a really great blog post up on our website at the moment by Comics Youth newspaper staff writer Jenny Speakman about how to stay hopeful as a student in lockdown. And you can read that on the Youth Takeover blog right now.
TRACK #5: “1 Thing” by Amerie
TRACK #6: “Hell” by Shamir
“1 Thing” by Amerie there which is a proper throwback bop that we’re playing for our pals Mike and Laura Pinnington who were kind enough to do a playlist feature on us this past week which you can enjoy on their website now.
Following that was “Hell” by Shamir – their whole new album Cataclysm is a lo-fi queer marvel. So if that’s your bag then check it out. We’ve played that for Jack and Mat who make an amazing graphic novel for children called Alien in the Outfield which is currently available to download for free from their website along with a few other fun creative resources that are worth checking out.
They wanted to share the message that “it's 100% okay to feel overwhelmed or scared by the pandemic, pretty much everyone is on some level. But reaching out to just talk nonsense to friends or family is one of the best methods of self-care. Mat and Jack have been doing just that apparently…’ - and my goodness, so have I, dear friends.
We’re about to get super heavy up in here, so if you’re not one for pounding drums and fat riffs and metalheads yelling about survival then you might want to go and make a cup of tea for these two tracks. For the rest of you: LET’S OPEN THIS PIT UPPPP! This is “Sulfur” by Slipknot.
TRACK #7: “Sulfur” by Slipknot
TRACK #8: “Ghost Under the Umbrella” by Utsu-P
Woooph!! I hope your respective homes survived the blast of that one. That was requested by Comics Youth regular Cheesecake who said “I want to hear this song on air because Slipknot have been helping me through quarantine massively and help me get my daily rush of serotonin. I’d like to dedicate the song to Adam as his playlist is helping me through quarantine massively.”
And that was followed by “Ghost Under the Umbrella” by Utsu-P as requested by Tabby who is currently missing everyone at Comics Youth. We miss you too, Tabby!
TRACK #9: “Fires” by Omoi
That perky little number was “Fires” by Omoi as requested by Ruben who says that it’s an underrated song that he would like more people to know about. He also shares his love with y’all.
I want to do a really massive shoutout right now to our Safe Spaces squad who have been working so hard in the past few weeks on developing some insanely good writing and artwork for their online campaign By Body is Not Your Business. But also to everyone in our junior and senior activism groups. All of you have been doing so great and keeping those fires burning and I hope all of you are keeping creativity and fight strong within you.
There are moments right now when it’ll feel easier and better for your wellbeing to go into your shell and to be silent. And that’s really important and necessary. I think we’re all doing that on some level. Because we all need to find our peace.
But if you manage to find a scrap of energy - and by the way, have you tried checking behind the couch cushions for some? – then keep fighting and keep on making sure that you’re being heard right now, because you all deserve to be.
Write, make art, put on performances, make noise – use everything in your wheelhouse to communicate how you feel about this country and this world and make yourself heard. Take a leaf out of saint Fiona Apple’s playbook and refuse to be shushed when you have something important to say. This is “Under the Table” from Fetch the Bolt Cutters.
TRACK #10: “Under the Table” by Fiona Apple
TRACK #11: “Green Light” by Lorde
That was “Green Light” by Lorde and it was requested by a Mr Brian Roberts – AKA me dad – and he dedicates it to everyone currently struggling in the lockdown. It’s also my mum’s birthday this week and so this is a perfect time to give a massive loving shoutout to her – but also to everyone who might be celebrating a birthday under these less than idea conditions. I hope you manage to find a party within yourself whatever you all do and pls know that everyone here at Comics Youth is eating party food on the daily to celebrate ya.
I know as well that a lot of us are currently separated from our person in lockdown. It can make all of this extra tough to go through when you’re doing it without your honey by your side. If you’re anything like me and my person then you’re hopefully getting by doing island visits on Animal Crossing or binge-watching Cowboy Bebop together via WhatsApp.
Just remember that love always survives. With that in mind this The Knife with “You Take My Breath Away” – which isn’t an appropriate Covid-19 title but it is what it is, let’s just make it work – and it goes out to my person. And I hope you can share it with your people, too.
TRACK #12: “You Take My Breath Away” by The Knife
Okay, we’re winding down now. This show has flown by, hasn’t it? Which is a weird thing to say considering that time basically doesn’t exist right now. I think we’ve lived five years in four weeks.
Anyhoo, next up we’ve got “Victorious” by Panic! at the Disco as requested by Tom who adds that this song is his “way of thinking we’ll conquer the virus and slowly get out of lockdown.”
Following that gem we have “Pretty Little Distance” by As It Is as requested by Lucas who is an absolute Comics Youth hero who has been writing some spectacular stuff for us the past few weeks. He dedicates “Pretty Little Distance” to his co-workers and says “I work at a care home for the elderly and everyone’s working really hard through such a difficult time. I especially want to dedicate it to them now as I’m self-isolating and I want them and the residents to all stay safe.”
Lucas and his mum have just had the great news that their tests came back negative for coronavirus so make sure you play these extra loud to celebrate that too. Here’s Panic at the Disco and As It Is on Comics Youth Radio.
TRACK #13: “Victorious” by Panic! at the Disco
TRACK #14: “Pretty Little Distance” by AS IT IS
And this is it folks! We’ve come to the end of the first episode of Lockdown! at the Disco on Comics Youth Radio and it’s been a blast sharing this time with you all.
We’re going to finish up with a song requested by the captain of this good ship Comics Youth Rhiannon – who is just about one of the greatest human beings ever popped onto this planet. If you know her in any way then you probably love her just as much as we all do on the team and you’ll also know that she’s probably crying right about now hearing this.
Until next time gang gang: Stay safe and stay sassy. Oh, and be sure to keep that rainbow connection shining strong cos we love you all so much. Byeeee!
TRACK #15: “Rainbow Connection” by Kermit