Balley TV: Virtual Talkshow with Joe Talbot
Johnny James, Managing Editor
In the lull prior to lift-off of Idles’ third album, frontman Joe Talbot is hosting a new virtual talk show.
Filmed in isolation and beamed into the ether every other week, BALLEY TV is billed as a cross between a virtual pub and free therapy. Its pilot launched last month and featured Mike Skinner (The Streets) and Nadya Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot).
Expectedly, this ain’t no Graham Norton. It’s an unscripted chat between Talbot and his mates, with conversation naturally veering towards the oddity of current life.
The pilot was genuinely entertaining and cathartic, with Talbot and co discussing the state of lockdown life in the same way that you would with your best mates – Talbot’s mates just happen to be rock stars.
Planning to continue the show throughout the summer, Talbot has some great guests lined up for the next episode. On the 17th July, he’ll be chatting with Kate Tempest, who as a performer is just as ferocious as the Idles frontman himself. She also shares his knack for absorbing the uncertainty and anger of our times, before channelling it into something that feels healing.
In the same episode, we’ll hear from Kenny Beats, the American record producer and songwriter with whom Idles have made their upcoming record, Ultra Mono. Kenny is one of the world’s most in-demand hip hop producers, having previously produced tracks for the likes of Vince Staples, Freddie Gibbs, Gucci Mane, JPEG Mafia and Rico Nasty. His pairing with Idles is a big surprise, and we’re intrigued to hear the two – plus the great Kate Tempest – in conversation ahead of the release of Ultra Mono on 25th September.
