Madonna, Jackson, FGTH; The 80s Music TV show The Tube, and its Executive Producer Malcolm Gerrie;

Madonna’s UK record company wouldn’t help with the booking. The Tube’s team went ahead anyway. Executive producer Malcolm Gerrie tells Steve Blame how it happened—and recalls the performance that prompted a phone call from Trevor Horn about Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

Malcolm takes us inside The Tube: the live performances, unpredictable presenters, creative freedom and team of music obsessives who helped make Newcastle the centre of Friday-night music television.

His own journey began in teaching. He recalls staging The Who’s “Tommy” with schoolchildren, receiving the original orchestral score through Pete Townshend, and the school production of “Stardust” that brought David Puttnam and Ray Connolly into his life.

We also discuss The White Room, the BRIT Awards, and Malcolm’s extraordinary account of meeting Michael Jackson in an edit suite after Jarvis Cocker’s stage intervention. Finally, he reflects on interviewing artists for Talks Music—including persuading Jeff Beck to bring a guitar.

There’s a personal connection, too: Steve remembers travelling to Newcastle without an appointment to ask Malcolm for a chance—and subsequently bringing coachloads of London clubgoers to The Tube.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and interview highlights
02:24 Growing up in Newcastle and Peterlee
05:39 His father’s music and the records that shaped him
09:32 Becoming a teacher and questioning education
13:36 Why disruption mattered
14:50 Staging The Who’s “Tommy” at school
18:55 Returning the original score to Pete Townshend
21:59 What teaching taught him about working with artists
26:16 His first interview: nerves with Paul McCartney
27:07 “Stardust” and the call from David Puttnam
33:48 Being urged to leave teaching
34:54 Giving local children a story of their own
37:43 Breaking into Tyne Tees Television
42:40 “Alright Now” and the idea that became The Tube
44:30 Channel 4’s unexpected commission
48:01 Building The Tube’s team of mavericks
51:35 Breaking the rules of music television
58:05 Steve’s unannounced visit and the audience coaches
1:01:46 The team, inclusion and creative freedom
1:03:35 Presenters and the chemistry of the show
1:04:31 Live sound and letting artists choose their songs
1:08:28 Meeting Madonna and trying to book her
1:11:56 The label refuses—and The Tube goes ahead
1:14:10 Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the backlash
1:17:22 Trevor Horn’s phone call
1:18:36 The Tube’s ending and Newcastle’s farewell
1:22:31 Life after The Tube
1:23:55 Creating The White Room
1:25:17 Jarvis Cocker, Michael Jackson and the BRIT Awards
1:28:14 Becoming the host of Talks Music
1:32:20 Giving artists time to talk
1:33:45 Jeff Beck’s unrehearsed guitar moment
1:35:29 Trust, creativity and Malcolm’s contribution
1:37:29 More interviews and subscribe

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