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  The 76-year-old has experience on the station, having fulfilled a similar role in 2013 when he stood in for Pulp frontman, Jarvis Cocker, on his own Sunday afternoon show, ‘Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service’. Cooper Clarke’s performance was reviewed by The Guardian, with Nosheen Iqbal saying, “Hearing Cooper Clarke pontificate is probably as close as 6 Music gets to replicating the ‘down the pub’ chatty spirit so many shows work to achieve.”  

The Bard of Salford was on Laura Laverne’s Radio 6 show on Friday, celebrating World Poetry Day, in which he chose some of his favourite readings throughout the show. On the BBC website, the stand-in slot promises “a Sabbath Special, the compulsory Elvis number, and a nod to Iggy via Clarke’s Compilation Corner”.

@bbc6music Happy World Poetry Day John Cooper Clarke joined Lauren to share some of his favourite poetry recordings. Listen on @bbcsounds and on your Smart Speaker #worldpoetryday #johncooperclarke ♬ original sound – BBC Radio 6 Music

This afternoon’s show opened with a tribute to the late Johnny Green, Cooper Clarke’s tour manager and friend. The poet told audiences that Green’s “invisible fingerprints were all over this afternoon’s playlist.” Green found success as the road manager for the Clash, documenting his time with them in the book, ‘A Riot of Our Own’, and also managed US musician Joe Ely. He died earlier this month, with tributes pouring in from across the punk world.  

Cooper Clarke has often mentioned the impact that Iggy Pop has had on him on more than one occasion. He likened himself to the titular passenger in Pop’s song, when revealing his influences, and saying “It’s a poor artist who only paints the picturesque.”

The BBC website for ‘Iggy Confidential’ seems to indicate that Cooper Clarke’s run will last for two shows spread over three weeks, those being 23 March and 6 April. The intervening weekend will feature a wrap-up show for the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival, which takes place next week in Manchester. Cooper Clarke is also set to perform in Manchester next week, headlining an event at the Co-op LIVE arena on Saturday, 29 March, making him the first poet to headline an arena in the UK.  

It will be a busy week for the poet, as he is also set to receive an award at the Northern Music Awards, held in Liverpool on Thursday, 27 March. Cooper Clarke will be awarded the Northern Music Award, which celebrates a legacy act who is a “household name with a long and highly-respected career that is still active in music.”  

This could go down as the best few weeks radio for a long long time. Listening to Dr Clarke tell some stories whilst plying a bit of music for two hours each day. All for free.

— Streetwise Stu (@StreetwiseStu79) March 23, 2025

Reaction to the news of Cooper Clarke’s shows was extremely positive, with one X user saying: “This could go down as the best few weeks radio for a long long time. Listening to Dr Clarke tell some stories whilst playing a bit of music for two hours each day. All for free.”

With an exclusive mix of punk, reggae, and old school rock ‘n’ roll, Cooper Clarke’s first show goes toe-to-toe with Pop’s own renowned playlists. It’s clear to see that the punk poet has meticulously curated the show, from each song, the order, and the dedications to his late friend. 

The show is available on BBC Sounds for 29 days.

It goes on to say: “This was a mix so giddy, creative, genre-blurring and downright fun that it could only be considered equal to a full-length album — which is exactly what happened, tallying Album of the Year and Album of the Decade accolades from the likes of The New York Times, Spin, The Face, Pitchfork and more, and shifting over half a million copies globally”.

We have been informed that the album will get the deluxe reissue treatment — with Richard Young’s famous original photography for AHORS returned to its proper place after being saved from the depths of legal trouble.  And finally, this groundbreaking mix will be made available on streaming services for the first time ever. So, a new generation of fans will be able to hear a piece of electronic music history on DSPs.

The special one-off concert will kick off AHORS‘ 20^th-anniversary celebrations. 2manydjs will be performing alongside Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Kittin, and other 2002-specific special guests yet to be announced at the O2 Academy Brixton on Saturday, December 17^th. Tickets go on sale on Friday, October 7^th and are available here.

The Dewaeles continue to promote cutting-edge electronic music through their Ghent studio and record label DEEWEE, including the catchy “Topical Dancer” by Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, one of 2022’s most lauded electronic-pop albums. They’ve also maintained a strong remixing streak, giving artists like Róisin Murphy, Peggy Gou, Robyn, Sylvester, Fontaines D.C., Wet Leg, and Marie Davidson their distinct jagged-yet-refined electro touch. Despacio, the roving audiophile soundsystem that the Dewaeles undertake alongside LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, completes the picture.

Together with like-minded collaborators like Erol Alkan, Tiga, and Jacques lu Cont, 2manydjs brought a rock ‘n roll mentality to club culture and sent dancefloors into a frenzy. The Dewaele brothers rose to the top of dance music thanks to their distinctive sound, which managed to be both incredibly credible and enormously scalable, and from which they never descended. AHORS served as their genre-defying calling card.

The press release finishes: “Their long-awaited DSPs drop and 20^th-anniversary party in London will rubber-stamp over two decades’ worth of work. As ever, it’s Stephen and David Dewaele connecting the past, present and future like no-one else; as they say, “doing it the hard way since 2002.”

As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt.2 20^th Anniversary Party:
17/12/2022 – O2 Academy Brixton – London