Brentwood: currently 13°C, scattered clouds
high today 13°C, low tonight 10°C
sunrise 6.02am, sunset 6.09pm
Now playing:
Platinum Mind ft Marina Flo - 1974 (that's how it was in those days)
Listen Live Webcam


The Creative Sessions

Started in December 2005, with 185 sessions from 177 different bands, most of which have been unsigned or local to the Brentwood/Essex area.

Phoenix FM broadcasts many acoustic sessions each year but due to our studio size limitations, it’s not possible to be fully electric. The Creative Sessions gives bands a chance to take part in “full band” sessions, and us a chance to host them! This is courtesy of Dave Shalloe and the Creative Rehearsal and Recording Studios, based in Brentwood Road, East Horndon, who have been working with Phoenix FM to record and mix some top quality recordings for us.

The sessions between 2005 and 2010 all took place at East Horndon. In 2011 we hosted a 24-hour marathon at the Essex Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre in Havering-atte-Bower and ended the year with a one-off recording at the old Phoenix FM office in the Baytree Centre, Brentwood featuring Tokyo’s finest Carter USM-tribute band Clinton USM.

In 2012 we staged another 24 hour session featuring 23 more artists at the Stage Bar in the Brentwood Centre. Seven of the bands also performed live acoustic sets in the Phoenix FM studio on the Saturday, meaning we undertook a record 30 sessions in the 24 hours!

The eighth annual round sessions in 2013 took place in the Foyer Bar at the Brentwood Centre. Some of the bands brought their fan clubs and the recording resembled a gig at times!

We had another marathon weekend in 2015, and sessions have been held sporadically since.  You can see more on the sessions page here.

The full list of sessions:

14.10.2018 – Salad
20.11.2017 – The Tall Poppies
01.07.2017 – Salad Undressed
09.03.2016 – Turin Brakes
02.08.2015 – Only Braves
02.08.2015 – Fever Dream
02.08.2015 – Finding Miranda
02.08.2015 – Juke
02.08.2015 – Gulag Vakation
02.08.2015 – Paul Williams
02.08.2015 – Dem Bones
02.08.2015 – KLOQ
02.08.2015 – Kurtze
02.08.2015 – The Victories
02.08.2015 – Tokyo Taboo
02.08.2015 – The Shermans
01.08.2015 – Matt Tubey
01.08.2015 – Klair Quest
01.08.2015 – Paul Woodley
01.08.2015 – Winter
01.08.2015 – The Hundred
01.08.2015 – Different People
01.08.2015 – Under The Stars
01.08.2015 – Pola
01.08.2015 – Petty Phase
01.08.2015 – False Heads
01.08.2015 – The Jiti Queen
01.08.2015 – Eva Tobin
14.04.2013 – Outset Ocarina
14.04.2013 – Knifeworld
14.04.2013 – Joanne Joanne
14.04.2013 – The Emotion Signal
14.04.2013 – Abdoujaparov
14.04.2013 – Za/Zu
14.04.2013 – Boxcars
14.04.2013 – Mary Do You Wanna
14.04.2013 – Calico
14.04.2013 – The Velvet Tree
14.04.2013 – Fire At Dawn
14.04.2013 – The Albino Peaches
13.04.2013 – Chaos Theory
13.04.2013 – Bow Flats
13.04.2013 – Republica
13.04.2013 – The Queensburys
13.04.2013 – Tenek
13.04.2013 – Killatrix
13.04.2013 – High/Low
13.04.2013 – Das Russians
13.04.2013 – The River
13.04.2013 – Universal Disappointment Sponge
13.04.2013 – Josh Taerk
13.04.2013 – The Good Jet Shooters
20.05.2012 – Mannequins
20.05.2012 – Turtle Soup
20.05.2012 – King Bandit
20.05.2012 – Herida
20.05.2012 – Filthy Revolution
20.05.2012 – P Coogan
20.05.2012 – Rough Divide
20.05.2012 – Vile Electrodes
20.05.2012 – VII
19.05.2012 – Beatroots
19.05.2012 – My Heroine
19.05.2012 – Soma Rising
19.05.2012 – Yesboss
19.05.2012 – Bow Street Runners
19.05.2012 – Art Gruppe
19.05.2012 – Howling Black Soul
19.05.2012 – Modovar
19.05.2012 – Avenue
19.05.2012 – Wideboy Generation
19.05.2012 – Lost Harbours
19.05.2012 – The Felonie
19.05.2012 – Midway Still
19.05.2012 – Belter
20.11.2011 – Clinton USM
13.02.2011 – John Bennett
13.02.2011 – Corporal Machine and the Bombers
13.02.2011 – Barrie Miles
13.02.2011 – Walk In Coma
13.02.2011 – Russell and the Wolf Choir
13.02.2011 – Sleep Talk
13.02.2011 – Turtle Soup
13.02.2011 – Herida
13.02.2011 – Ten Tigers
12.02.2011 – Sneezy T’s
12.02.2011 – Hyper Blonde
12.02.2011 – Filthy Revolution
12.02.2011 – Steve White and the Protest Family
12.02.2011 – Big Dogg
12.02.2011 – The Scarlet Echo
12.02.2011 – Sabatta
12.02.2011 – Oliver Southgate
12.02.2011 – Lady Grey and the Earls
12.02.2011 – Lee Bowers
12.02.2011 – The Brights
12.02.2011 – Imogen Heap
12.02.2011 – Tibetan Tea Company
12.02.2011 – Mackley Drive
12.02.2011 – Suck My Deformity
12.02.2011 – Protege Reign
17.04.2010 – Belarjio Fire
17.04.2010 – Dead Tracks
17.04.2010 – Silver Serpent
17.04.2010 – Small Talk
17.04.2010 – Basic
09.01.2010 – Archaean
09.01.2010 – 3rd Rock Revolution
09.01.2010 – Death Of The Elephant
09.01.2010 – Lady Grey and the Earls
09.01.2010 – Vintage Collection
14.11.2009 – Monocle Rose
14.11.2009 – Suck My Deformity
14.11.2009 – Kid Neon
14.11.2009 – The OneSevenFours
06.12.2008 – Ten Tigers
06.12.2008 – V Major
06.12.2008 – Jameson
06.12.2008 – Loyal 2 No 1
06.12.2008 – The Sleepy Dogs Band
15.11.2008 – Embellished Symbol
15.11.2008 – MC Sweet
15.11.2008 – Deadbeat Alibi
15.11.2008 – Von Jergo
15.11.2008 – The Art Of Rebellion
01.11.2008 – Cling
01.11.2008 – The Bridport Dagger
01.11.2008 – The New Giants
01.11.2008 – The Perry Lane Sect
01.11.2008 – The Tibetan Tea Company
01.12.2007 – Bob Collum and the Welfare Mothers
01.12.2007 – Weirdgear
01.12.2007 – One Sugar Club
01.12.2007 – Run Don’t Walk
17.11.2007 – Red Burns Black
17.11.2007 – Dee Hunter
17.11.2007 – Reactions
17.11.2007 – Mixup
17.11.2007 – Understated
17.11.2007 – Closure
03.11.2007 – Blind Vision
03.11.2007 – Argelico
03.11.2007 – Fashoda Crisis
03.11.2007 – Torque Armada
03.11.2007 – Rinoa
03.11.2007 – The Colours Between
25.10.2006 – The Nurse Who Loved Me
24.10.2006 – Mama Shamone
24.10.2006 – Fighting Cocks
14.10.2006 – Macaca Mulatta
14.10.2006 – iDou
14.10.2006 – Intern
09.09.2006 – Aimless Mules
09.09.2006 – Girls That Scratch
09.09.2006 – The Grand Twelve
09.09.2006 – The Knocks
09.09.2006 – Wimm
12.08.2006 – Black Ash
12.08.2006 – Jamie Anthony
12.08.2006 – Trash Monroe
12.08.2006 – Fahrenheit 451
12.08.2006 – Crack Village
07.01.2006 – Inversion
07.01.2006 – Cable Street Spy Club
07.01.2006 – Chris T-T
07.01.2006 – Dappa
07.01.2006 – The Sam I Am
07.01.2006 – Loverock Road
07.01.2006 – MJ Hibbett
07.01.2006 – Bird Lane
17.12.2005 – Doll Set Tones
17.12.2005 – Jacksonswarehouse
17.12.2005 – Celeste
17.12.2005 – iDou
17.12.2005 – The Knock
17.12.2005 – Caleb
17.12.2005 – Neat
03.12.2005 – Dirty Fairies
03.12.2005 – Whoremoan
03.12.2005 – Harry Shuttleworth
03.12.2005 – Ten
03.12.2005 – Deferred Sucess
03.12.2005 – The Release
03.12.2005 – Crosstown Traffic
03.12.2005 – Chauffeur Driven Aviator