EVENT  ⁄  ARTS & CULTURE

Phonic FM 15th birthday party

Exeter's community radio station celebrates fifteen years of broadcasting with an evening of live music and DJs.

Exeter phoenix 

Phonic FM, Exeter’s community radio station, celebrates fifteen years of broadcasting on Saturday 23 February at Exeter Phoenix.

An evening of live music will be headlined by 3 Daft Monkeys with support act Jess McAllister

Phonic FM DJs will also play in the Exeter Phoenix bar before and after the live performances, with the party continuing into the small hours.

Phonic FM 15th birthday Saturday 23 February 2023 Exeter Phoenix

Four-piece 3 Daft Monkeys has been playing a blend of world folk styles for more than twenty years.

The band has performed at UK festivals including Beautiful Days and Boomtown and headlined at festivals in Holland, Germany and France.

It has toured with the Levellers and opened for Hawkwind, Bellowhead and Dreadzone.

It has also played live sessions on Bob Harris’ and Mark Radcliffe’s BBC Radio 2 shows.

The band is working on a new album that is due for release later this year.

3 Daft Monkeys 3 Daft Monkeys

Jess McAllister is a singer-songwriter from Exeter and former Phonic FM DJ.

She and her band have performed at south west venues including The Old Firehouse, The Barrel House and Dartington Hall.

Last year they featured at the Gone Wild festival at Powderham Castle and will play at EOS music festival in Newton Abbot in May.

Jess McAllister’s debut album Courage/Fear was released in 2020.

Jess McAllister Jess McAllister. Photo © Jess McAllister.

Phonic FM broadcasts on 106.8FM and on DAB+ radio.

Phonic FM was one of eight services launched on the DAB multiplex which broadcasts to the Exeter area in December last year.

Radio Exe and Riviera FM also now transmit from the three ExeDab network sites.

Listeners can also find Phonic FM online and via the RadioPlayer UK and TuneIn apps.

The broadcaster has its origins in a radio station set up in 2003 to support Exeter’s then-annual Vibraphonic Festival with a fortnight of event previews and a fortnight covering the festival itself.

Exeter Community Radio Ltd was subsequently granted a full time Ofcom broadcasting licence in 2007, with Phonic FM launching on 15 February 2008.

The Phonic FM 15th birthday celebration begins at 7.30pm on Saturday 25 February.

Tickets cost £15 for balcony seats and £12 standing and are available from the Exeter Phoenix website.

 is membership co-ordinator and community & culture editor of Exeter Observer and a director of its publisher Exeter Observer Limited.

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