Simon Ibbotson / Live Presenter

Simon ‘Barnsley Sime’ Ibbotson joined HLR on 8th February 2022, for the first of his monthly ‘Scene Not Herd’ programmes (on the second Tuesday of the month). Sime is an experienced DJ/presenter who first worked with HLR Founder, Andy Mellett Brown almost 20 years ago on their first radio station together. He brings a wealth of radio-related experience with him. What Sime doesn’t know about (particularly) Modernist music isn’t worth knowing. On a personal note, Andy says “It’s good to be hooking up with my old pal Sime again. We had some great times together at SFR. He’s a top bloke and it’s going to be a lot of fun working with him again at HLR!”.

Sime says “Currently, I present a show on HLR once a month, ‘Friday Night Live’ every week and ‘Upstairs at Sime’s’ fortnightly on Barrelhouse Radio. I’m on sabbatical from presenting live, although I’m doing the May Day ‘Festival of Solidarity’ on 1st May 2022.  I’ve been trying to get a monthly event (with bands) at a local WMC and I’m playing Lindisfarne with The Rock n Roll Lounge later this year, with my mate. We did the Isolation Fest in 2020 which made almost £30,000 for We Shall Overcome and had Billy Bragg and Grace Petrie as headliners. I simulcast the whole 13hr shebang on SFR (Solid Front Radio).”

We’re well chuffed to have Barnsley Sime working with us at HLR. He’s a national treasure. Well, alright he’s a Yorkshire treasure at very least!