1xtra – PMG

BRUKOUT x BOXPARK BLACK HISTORY MONTH TALKS

Our sister organisation, BrukOut keeps coming with Black History Month celebrations announcing a set of talks. BrukOut & Chat – “Expression without Repression” – are a series of open and frank conversations that explore the world of black music in many forms during Black History Month.

The first talk, entitled REMEMBER THE TIMES PT1 WITH REGGAEOLOGY takes place on the 20th October. The talk looks at the the 70’s and 80’s global reggae scene and how the UK played its part in the growth and success of it. As well as carving out an industry here in the UK, the music resonated throughout the reggae world. From the ambitious and talented sound systems such as Saxon who spawned the likes of Tippa Irie and Maxi Priest, to the hard roots production and lyrics of Aswad and Steel Pulse as well as the chart topping exploits of Janet Kay. Amongst it all was birth and development of one of the genres leading styles – Lovers Rock. Uniquely British, the Lovers Rock sound embodied the time.

In this talk, the PMG’s Seani B looks at that special period in Black British Music history, and explores how it all came about and the generational impact of it all. With special guests John McClean, Sweetie Irie and Rudy Ranx.

Following the talk Rudy Ranx and DJ Ratty take to the decks.

Get your FREE tickets HERE

On the 23rd, there is an In Conversation with UK Garage music pioneers, The Heartless Crew.

As we hit the eve of 2020 The Heartless Crew are not only still active, but are thriving. With a new national radio show on the BBC and demand for their live shows as high as it has ever been, DJ Fonti and Bushkin talk about the Garage years, the UK music scene then and now as well as who inspired them and the secret to their longevity. This event is hosted by Seani B.

Get your FREE tickets HERE

The third and final talk is GOOD TIMES – THE STORY OF NORMAN JAY – which will be an In Conversation with the man himself.

Norman Jay is known as the “DJ’s DJ”, the “Ultimate party Starter”, an “encyclopedia of music knowledge” and “Britain’s finest musicologist”. As one of the leading musical pioneers both as a Dj and a broadcaster, his roots are firmly planted in the sound system culture of growing up as a first generation black British music fan. He went on to plant his trademark all over the clubs, bars and warehouses of Britain, before further cementing his iconic status with his show on Kiss FM and then the BBC. All this plus his infamous Notting Hill Carnival sets which always attract incredible crowds and vibes.

With the release of his much acclaimed autobiography, Seani B catches up with Mr Good Times to get the stories behind the stories, and some of those anecdotes that can only be told in the Norman Jay way.
This is one not to be missed.

Get your tickets HERE

The PMG Welcomes Ace

The Playmaker Group are proud to announce the newest addition to our representation roster – Ace has been a longtime associate of ours, and we are delighted to welcome him aboard.

His BBC Radio 1Xtra show is aired Monday to Friday 1000-1245 UK time already boasts record figures for that slot, and his commitment to giving brand new R&B maximum exposure on his “Everything R&B” Thursday selections.

It’s not just R&B – Ace recently covered Wrestlemania 2019 – the WWE’s flagship event – in New York, one of the few British journalists who has the respect of the wrestlers and organisations who manage the sport.

He also presented a special documentary for the BBC called “No Waste Man” in which he was set the challenge to live creating zero waste for seven days.

Look out for Ace DJ’ing in Ibiza this summer as well as appearing at The Ends festival in his hometown of Croydon.

A versatile broadcaster, skilled interviewer and accomplished club and live DJ – we welcome Ace to the PMG family.

NEW PMG PRODUCED RADIO DOCUMENTARY * UPDATE *

The PMG are proud to announce our latest documentary – “THE BITTERSWEET TRUTH” – which was aired on BBC Radio 1 on Sunday 5th May at 4pm and on BBC Radio 1Xtra at 9pm.

“THE BITTERSWEET TRUTH” looks at the rise of Diabetes in young people across the UK with three very special case studies. The documentary is produced by The PMG, and is presented by Ace, who suffers from the condition himself. This important programme also features a young man who has lived with Diabetes from birth, and a young Londoner who feels she is suffering from the symptoms of Diabetes, and goes along to get the necessary tests.

Listen to the documentary below

With over 25 years of award winning productions behind us, we continue to create cutting edge content for some of today’s biggest outlets. Our client base includes BBC Radio, Capital Radio and Inflight Audio Entertainment for British Airways & Emirates. We have also curated, programmed and managed a number of pop up radio stations across the UK in London, Birmingham and Liverpool amongst other cities.

Our media production also filters worldwide – we currently produce a number of radio programmes which are aired on some of the best radio stations across the world, with a particular spotlight on East Africa, The Caribbean and Asia. In addition, we have a number of years experience producing visual content for music artists, brands and events.

Buju Banton: A Moment In Jamaican Musical History

Last Saturday, Mark Myrie aka Buju Banton performed at his first show since coming out of prison, the first time he had graced the stage in Jamaica in over a decade. Billed as Long Walk To Freedom, it was held at the National Stadium in Kingston, the same location that played host to the previous biggest show the island had seen – Bob Marley’s iconic Smile Jamaica show in the seventies.

The Playmaker Group and Brukout were in Jamaica giving us an insight on what went down on that historical night which included interviews and a show on BBC 1Xtra. As part of Brukout’s weekly article for The Voice newspaper, Ray Paul and Seani B give an exclusive overview of the huge return for Buju Banton.

“In over 20 years of documenting reggae professionally as a broadcaster and journalist, I have never witnessed anything like this. The mood was one of anticipation and promise mixed with a slice of celebration and joy.

All week I witnessed stars from the Jamaican music scene and the man and woman on the street sharing a feeling that seemed to have never been generated in other shows in living memory. This was coupled with an excellent management and carefully selected pre-promotions campaign which saw Buju say very little in the run up – all which built the anticipation even further. It truly was about to be a history moment.”

Listen to Seani B’s BBC 1Xtra show on the Buju return below or you can read the whole article from The Voice Newspaper here

‘BLACK IS A DIRTY WORD’ REVISITED

THE PLAYMAKER GROUP produced BLACK IS A DIRTY WORD which aired on BBC Radio 1 on 1/11/16 and BBC Radio 1Xtra on 6/11/16. It was the most listened to documentary during BBC’s “Black and British Season” and is hosted by BBC 1Xtra DJ and Grammy winning producer Seani B.

After some of the criticism UK artist Dave’s new track ‘Black’ has received, we thought it would be fitting to re-visit the documentary.

It looked at what it means to be black in Britain in 2016. It’s not friendly. It’s not box ticking. It is an uncomfortable listen. It may not be everyones cup of tea but hope it encourages an honest conversation.