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Made of Coventry

Coventry created its own sound. 2-Tone began in Coventry with The Specials. Emily Pilbeam celebrates the city with Tom from The Enemy and Pete from the Coventry Music Museum.

2-Tone is the sound of one city - Coventry. The musical movement began with The Specials and their fusion of ska and punk. Bands like The Selecter, The Specials and The Beat went on to create a sound which united music lovers against racism. But Coventry isn't just about 2-Tone. Emily Pilbeam talks to Tom from The Enemy about growing up in Cov and the music and creative scenes that thrive there. Featuring music from The Primitives, The Libertines, Pop Will Eat Itself, Spiritualised, Fun Boy Three and Hazel O'Connor. Plus, great gigs in the city such as Oasis and brand new music from the city and surrounding areas from Short Straw and Suns of Rest.

Produced in Birmingham by True Thought Productions for BBC Radio 6 Music Indie Forever.

2 hours

On radio

Mon 3 Aug 2026 20:00
BBC Radio 6 Indie Forever

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Music Played

  • The Enemy

    We'll Live and Die in These Towns

    • We'll Live and Die In These Towns.
    • WM UK.
    • 5.

  • The Primitives

    Crash

    • Into The Eighties - Various Artists.
    • Global Television.

  • The Libertines

    Don't Look Back Into the Sun

    • I Get Along.
    • Rough Trade.
    • 2.

  • The Selecter

    On My Radio

    • Rip It Up (Various Artists).
    • EMI.

  • The Swinging Cats

    Away

    • Two-Tone Records.

  • Pop Will Eat Itself

    Def Con One

    • Beechwood.

  • The Enemy

    This Song Is About You

    • Warner Bros. Records.

  • The Specials

    Ghost Town

    • The Ultimate Eighties (Various).
    • Hit Records.

  • Feeder

    Just A Day

    • Echo.

  • Oasis

    Half The World Away

    • Definitely Maybe - B-Sides & Extra Tracks.
    • Big Brother Records.
    • 016.

  • Spiritualized

    Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space

    • Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space.
    • Fat Possum.
    • 1.

  • Pint Shot Riot

    Not Thinking Straight

    • Life in the Big City Records.

  • Fun Boy Three

    Our Lips Are Sealed

    • Now 1983 - The Millennium Series.
    • EMI.

  • The Flys

    Love And A Molotov Cocktail

    • EMI Records.

  • Babyshambles

    Delivery

    • CD SINGLE.
    • Parlophone.

  • FEET

    English Weather

    • Submarine Cat Records.

  • Bar Pandora

    Dynamic

    • self-release.

  • The Specials

    Gangsters

    • Terry Hall - The Collection.
    • Chrysalis.

  • Hazel O’Connor

    Will You?

    • And Then She Kissed Me Vol.1 (Various.
    • Debutante.

  • shortstraw.

    Good For Nothing

    • shortstraw.

  • The Ripps

    Loco

    • Catskills Records.

  • The Institutes

    Alleyways

    • 42's Records.

  • Suns of Rest

    Overflow

    • independent.

  • Euan Blackman

    Better

    • Ripe Records.

  • The Horrors

    Something To Remember Me By

    • Wolftone.

  • All About Eve

    Flowers in our hair

    • Eden Record Label.

  • The Primitives

    Everything's Shining Bright (Radio 1 Session, 31 Mar 1987)

Broadcasts

  • Yesterday 20:00
    BBC Radio 6 Indie Forever
  • Mon 3 Aug 2026 20:00
    BBC Radio 6 Indie Forever