Maida Vale: Live Sessions

From the mid-1990s, Peel's shows came to feature increasing amounts of live session material from the BBC's Maida Vale studios, alongside the regular sessions recorded at the same facility. Other live music on his shows included sessions from Peel Acres, as well performances from various festivals and Sound City events. Initially, tracks performed live by artists at Maida Vale were sent down the line to Peel at Radio One for immediate broadcast on his show. The DJ had used a similar system at the BBC Manchester studios when he sat in for Mark Radcliffe in spring 1996.

ExilesatBBCMV4 — The Exiles playing their live Peel session at BBC Maida Vale Studio 4, 05 March 2003.

By the early 2000s, Peel was regularly presenting shows from a booth at Maida Vale, generally on Wednesdays, with artists booked for live sets in front of invited studio audiences and tickets for such events often offered as competition prizes. The 60 Foot Dolls were the live session guests for Peel's first show from the facility, on 21 April 1998. As well as regular live sessions, Maida Vale was also used for special live events such as Peel's 60th birthday celebrations, unique performances during Christmas season, lineups of UK finalists from the DMC World DJ Championship, and multi-artist label nights. The grime night special of 26 May 2004 is still seen as a pioneering event.

The use of Maida Vale for live sessions became less common after Peel's show start time was moved back to 11pm in July 2004, with the later slot causing logistical problems, leading to the use of "as live" performances recorded earlier in the day.

According to Sheila Ravenscroft in Margrave Of The Marshes (hardback, pg372), Peel’s favourite Maida Vale sessions included those of Melys, Melt Banana, DJ Rupture, Herman Dune, T. Raumschmiere, White Stripes and Jeff Mills, plus Tresor Records and Grime specials.

1996[]

21 April 1996: Gorky's Zygotic Mynci (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
04 August 1996: Bluetones (full session live down line Maida Vale)

1997[]

25 January 1997: Orb (full session down line from Maida Vale)
18 February 1997: Coldcut (full session down line from Maida Vale)
27 February 1997: Carl Cox (full session down line from Maida Vale)
21 August 1997: Pavement (full session down line from Maida Vale)
16 September 1997: Echo & The Bunnymen (full session down line from Maida Vale)
24 September 1997: Stereolab (full session down line from Maida Vale)
16 October 1997: Eat Static (full session down line from Maida Vale)
25 November 1997: Electric Sound Of Joy (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
18 December 1997: Coldcut (full session down line from Maida Vale)
23 December 1997: Pavement (repeat of 21 August 1997 session)

1998[]

05 March 1998: Finitribe (full session down line from Maida Vale)
24 March 1998: Super Furry Animals (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
07 April 1998: Six By Seven: (two session tracks down line from Maida Vale)
21 April 1998: 60 Foot Dolls (Peel's first show live at Maida Vale)
28 April 1998: Dawn Of The Replicants, Leopards (two tracks each down line from Maida Vale)
05 May 1998: Solex (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
12 May 1998: Magoo (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
02 June 1998: Topper (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
11 June 1998: Dustball (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
16 June 1998: Boards Of Canada (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
23 June 1998: Melys (with London Welsh Male Voice Choir)
14 July 1998: Hofman (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
21 July 1998: Gorky's Zygotic Mynci (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
28 July 1998: El Hombre Trajeado (one session track down line from Maida Vale)
23 September 1998: PJ Harvey (live set, two tracks were already played on the Evening Session)
29 September 1998: Si Begg (billed as Buckfunk 3000) (live DJ set)
08 October 1998: Pacou, Neil Landstrumm & Tobias Schmidt, Surgeon, Regis (live DJ sets marking 100 releases on Tresor label)