Amateurism: The lockdown years

This is Amateurism Radio calling…

The Amateurists found their true calling in the strangest of times. It’s impossible to recall just how strange and shocking the feeling was when the world went into a global lockdown back in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a completely new way of living, with people locked up in their homes for most of the day – but it’s one that forced many to discover new ways of connecting. For Leo, his response was to message three of his close friends and fellow Amateurs – Rob Leggatt in Hove, Gavin Lucas in London and Aymen Bensaad in Edinburgh – with an idea. His proposal was that they would create a collaborative DJ mix between the four of them, with each recording a 45-minute set before passing it on to the next in line, noting the bpm for their final track so that it could be seamlessly stitched together into one continuous mix. The process was like a musical version of consequences; a remote aural relay that would keep everyone focused, connected and upbeat.

Having created their final 3-hour mix, the quartet wanted to share it with the wider Amateurism family, spreading a bit of love and positive vibes during the most difficult of times. Rather than simply sending a link or uploading it to a streaming service, Gavin hit on the idea of broadcasting it as a show instead.

‘When lockdown happened, I was really worried about my daughter Amber’s impending isolation from her school friends,’ he recalls. ‘She was six at the time, and really getting into Spotify and building playlists. I had been researching how to set up your own radio station and had even designed her a little ‘A’ logo for ‘Amber Radio’. But it turned out that my 6-year-old had no desire to host her own radio show… Leo was much more receptive to the broadcasting idea than Amber, and immediately started doing some research of his own – and took the idea to the next level.’

‘Instead of just sharing a new mix, it was now going to be about a shared experience,’ Leo adds. ‘The idea was for it to be much more like throwing a lockdown party mixed with a kitchen disco. And upon airing that first mix, the feeling of elation and connection with everyone tuning in and commenting on our WhatsApp group created a really special energy and realisation of what was possible. Despite many of us having DJ’d at parties for years, we were completely new to broadcasting – and it was all on our terms.’

It soon became clear that this could become a bigger communal project and a platform could be shared further. Within a few days, they had set up an account with a more robust internet radio broadcaster, purchased the relevant licenses and started broadcasting 24/7 – flying by the seat of their pants in true Amateurism style.

‘It brought light during a dark time,’ says Aymen. ‘Lockdown was nuts, and having the idea to start a mix together to keep busy, then asking friends to contribute, then thinking how can we share it with anyone who wants to listen and contribute… it was a ‘lightbulb’ moment. It was a special moment in time, which is now documented forever, and it made me a better person on many levels.’

Amateurism Radio gained over 100k listeners in its first year. A definite high point was the special broadcast they put together for what should have been Glastonbury weekend in June 2020 – entitled ‘We’re Not Worthy’. A host of great contributors bought into the idea of a virtual ‘happening’ – including Nick Dewey, Martin Elbourne, Ed Chemical, Norman and Woody Cook, Hot Chip, Stewart Walton and more.

For his part, Rob started off with a gospel morning show, his version of a Sunday religious programme to lift the soul during lockdown. ‘In my enthusiasm, I pretty much threw every Sunday record I had into that first show,’ he says. ‘It sounded decent, but then I realised I’d blown most of my religious tracks in those first three hours, so I had to roll up my sleeves and get digging, week in and week out. That was an education in itself, and it really made me appreciate what a proper DJ does in terms of the sheer amount of time needed to uncover new sounds.’

On the other side of the coin, Norman Cook embraced the opportunity to rejoin the ranks of the Amateurs: ‘I wasn’t sure if I qualified as an amateur,’ he said in an email to Leo back in 2020, ‘but the fact that I probably won’t have any shows this year means I suppose I am no longer a professional DJ. I will happily do another one when you think the time is right…’

More than a feeling

This idea of ‘we’re all amateurs now’ – of everyone joined together for the common cause – is one that really struck a chord for all involved. Some of the guest ‘name’ DJs – for instance Joe Goddard of Hot Chip – became so enamoured of the whole project that they became regular fixtures with their own weekly shows. But it wasn’t just about the line-up. Amateurism Radio also provided the opportunity to experiment with what an online radio station could be. For instance, the Glastonbury weekender included field recordings of random chatter and crowd noises as 10-15 minute filler sections between each show – making listeners really feel like they were there, experiencing the festival for real. It gave everyone involved full creative license to just be free and have fun with it, which is what Amateurism has always been about. Even though those involved all take it seriously and put a lot of time and effort into it – it’s never bound by any real rules, pressures or expectations to do it any other way than how they see fit.

‘The thing about Amateurism is it has a family vibe,’ says Rob. ‘Everyone is kind and friendly and looks out for each other. I'm sure that sounds a bit hippy, but it’s true – and increasingly vital in these strange times.’

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Additional note from Leo Walton

‘Something I feel really privileged to have experienced with Am-Rad, is how I was able to naturally take a leading role in encouraging, supporting and enabling certain friends – who weren’t initially confident or sure of putting themselves out there by doing a show for the station – to experience the magic of selecting and sharing music with others. To give them their deserved moment to shine.

To witness certain contributors grow stronger, and really ‘get it’ was truly really special – Amateurism Radio definitely expanded our core crew of brilliant selectors, and created so many special moments that, against all the odds, we all somehow shared together – and became even closer for it.

I’d also like to say that it was an honour and privilege to have our dear late friend Shaun Roberts contribute to the station with regular shows. Tragically he was suffering from terminal cancer during lockdown, so he needed to be strictly isolated for long periods due to being more vulnerable to infection. His enthusiasm, humour and brilliant selections were a joy to behold (including a Christmas Day morning special in 2020!) and he actively tuned in regularly and commented on other shows whenever he could.

Shaun very sadly passed away in December 2022, so to have those recordings and happy memories from his last two years means a great deal indeed. He is greatly missed and loved.’