Our Story
Boogaloo Radio is the world’s 1st radio station, broadcasting 24/7 from a pub… but not just any pub.
The Boogaloo is where creatives go – past, present and future, to decide the fate of the industry over gin, whiskey and beer.
You might, quite rightly, be wondering why on earth so many flock to this unassuming corner of Archway Road. And it’s a good question – but one worth answering well.
So stop what you’re doing and read on to learn about our history, our mission and how Boogaloo Radio is the next chapter in the British music scene.
‘Oh my god, here we go again.’
In 1993, a man called Gerry O’Boyle opened up a pub called Filthy MacNasty’s. Reading this, you might already feel like you’re on familiar ground, but for our new friends, Filthy’s was a hive of creative activity. Shane MacGowan lived upstairs, Johnny Depp served a few pints of Guinness to the punters, and in the hay-day and became the unofficial NME office, where secret meetings took place to decide the fate of the music industry.
‘Someone’s night, pouring into another’s day.’
Filthy’s eventually came to an end, as all great things do, so Gerry opened up The Boogaloo Pub in Highgate. There aren’t many Londoners left who haven’t their own tale or two about this sacred place, but if you’re new here let us give you a short history lesson.
The Boogaloo opened its doors in 2002, and like Filthy’s, it quickly garnered a reputation as being the hub of the music scene. Chris Martin, Kate Nash, Chrissie Hynde, Wolf Alice, Suggs, Pete Doherty and many more names found themselves performing impromptu gigs here, much to the surprise and enjoyment of the regulars.
‘I guess we’re a ‘Global Local’ of sorts.’
With the boom of online radio, we couldn’t help think how amazing it would be, to give all of this history, a way to tell its own story and to continue shaping the industry as we know it.
So, we cleared out the old bin shed in the beer garden then dusted off some mics and mixing desks from the basement. Landlord Gerry O’Boyle, called up the little black book of regulars to see if anyone wanted to do their own show and luckily, everyone wanted to spin some tunes.
‘The Best Online Radio Station’- The Times, 2019
2018 saw the launch of Boogaloo Radio and is now considered as, ‘one of the best online radio stations’ (The Times, 2019).
Our roster spans from Carl Barat of The Libertines, Starsky and Hutch’s David Soul, Radiohead producer, John Leckie, The Fall’s Brix Smith Start to producer Bernard Butler and label boss Alan McGee.
We also champion the new wave of tastemakers with shows from Sports Team and Whenyoung. Guests have included RUN DMC, Bananarama, Talk Show, Placebo and La Roux.
‘It’s like having the best seat, at the best lock-in, with the best people.’
The one thing tying them together being an unapologetic love for music, and of course, The Boogaloo.
We are constantly humbled by those who frequent our studio, and you are welcome any time to pull up a seat at the bar, whoever and wherever you are.