As Danny Baker prepares to enjoy a month off from his BBC London afternoon show the station have prepared a whole host of guests to take over the big man's chair. Broadcasting on 94.9FM across London, the station has always had it's fair share of celebs and is now grooming them to co-host the show with London music guru Gary Crowley. Kicking off on 18 August, Gary will be joined by Apprentice troublemaker Lucinda......

Boris Johnson enjoyed the backing of some heavyweight characters during his electoral campaign: the likes of Andrew Gilligan and James Whale were only to happy to heft their corpulent frames onto the Back Boris bandwagon, with Whale losing his radio show as punishment. A less sturdy source of support - an M&S trainer to the Wonderbras of Gilligan and Whale - came from Eighties pop crooner and ex-Kylie beau Jason Donovan. On April 27th,......

Tired of pottering about the garden, watching daytime telly and staring folornly at City Hall, Ken Livingstone has found himself a retirement job: hosting a phone-in on London's LBC 97.3 radio. Like a Frasier for London, Ken will apply his knowledge of the City gleaned from many years in office to debate with, educate and probably rant at callers to the show. How London's cabbies (who seem to have LBC hard-wired into their radios)......

You may have noticed that not every element of London's media was truly fair and balanced in their coverage of the Race for City Hall. Chickens, you may commence roosting: one of Boris' bandwagon-jumpers has been given his marching orders for encouraging people to vote for our new Conservative chieftain. Talksport's James Whale has been sacked after breaching Ofcom rules that ban presenters from showing bias towards a political party prior to an election.......

Hooray for 4 day weeks! And hooray for many seasonal celebrations. If only it would stop raining we'd be radiant with joy. This week we definitely can't afford to see the glorious New York City Ballet at the Coliseum (up to £95 a ticket!) so we made do with the reviews. Neither can we cover the costs of a bank holiday break away from the city but, hell - why would we want to......

Clocks sprung onto our radar early this year when we got very excited by the incorrect idea that 90s dance 'pioneers' Clock had reformed. Instead we were presented with a fun, new poppy indie band from Epson making the type of music that puts a spring in your step and a summery smile on your face. Genuinely feelgood - we went to check what they were all about. Have a look at the video......

It sounds like an April Fool, but Radiohead have announced that they're playing yet another small gig before they hit Victoria Park this summer. This time it's for the BBC, will be held at the intimate BBC Radio Theatre and takes place on Tuesday 1 April. Tickets are not going to be easy to come by. While Radio 2 will be offering ticket competitions on air, there are also 75 pairs of tickets to......

Here’s what we’ve learned this weekend whilst you’ve been taking tea with mother… Greed, stupidity and a gambling addiction are not a good combination: a council housing official is duly jailed. Aspiring immigrant mini-cabbies are to be asked to obtain a ’certificate of good conduct’ from their country of origin. Yeah, like this is really going to work. Did Lucy really want to marry Mike, or did she just want to be on Capital......

Remember when indie bands had a want to succeed? A desire to achieve? Not many bands have it in this corporate day and age, towing the line, saying what they’re told (yes, Scouting For Girls, we’re looking at you), however one band seems like they may just be able to break the mainstream, and still have the desire to achieve massive things. Their name? Parka. This Glasgow via London quintet played the “Bollocks to Poverty”......

Bourne And Hollingsworth, an erstwhile department store on Oxford Street, has been recalled to life as a snug basement speakeasy at the foot of Charlotte Street. Why? Who cares. It's one of those word-of-mouth Narnia places that would normally only exist if you weren't looking for it. Last night, hundreds of people were looking for it. The powers of Facebook had conjured up a crowd to witness the first Fitzrovia Radio Hour. The idea......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 4th February 1915: Norman Wisdom is born in Marylebone. He would become a very successful entertainer, as well as (bizarrely) a cult film icon in Albania. Tuesday – 5th February 1924: The Greenwich Time Signal pips are broadcast on BBC Radio for the first time. (Lots more geeky detail on this is available in our post from this time last year.) Wednesday – 6th February 1875: The......

Nu-metal stars Linkin Park are the main draw on Monday night, with support coming from the mighty Biffy Clyro as they play the first of two consecutive nights at the O2, and whilst tickets are all sold out, there are a few floating around on Scarlet Mist and such like. Stephen Fretwell plays a sold out show at The Troubadour, and reggae star Finley Quaye plays the first of a three night stay at the......

SFist saw Christmas Day turn tragic after a Siberian tiger escaped from her pen at the San Francisco Zoo, killing a visitor and mauling two others. Phillyist counted down the top ten items on Philadelphia's New Year's wish list. Gothamist looked at the wooden bikes being offered for NYC's first bike share program on Governors Island. LAist received a Christmas present in the form of a drunk Santa Claus in a g-string. Bostonist launched......

Formally half of the much loved and missed Arab Strap, Malcolm Middleton's solo career revealed unexpected pop sensibilities. Sure, he's no happier, and he's just as foul mouthed, but this time he does it with added melody and pop hooks. Tonight's show at the Scala comes a week ahead of his unexpected stab at the Christmas number 1 with his typically jovial "We're All Going To Die". Originally the gesture started as a joke,......

So this week, we spent all our money on cold remedies and extra balmy tissues for our beleaguered noses. The plan is to be back and fighting fit by Monday so here are some of the things we could all get up to this week for very little wonga. Monday: Call the BBC Ticket Line on 0870 901 1227 and get free tickets for the recording of Clare in the Community - the radio......

It’s probably fair to say that the couple of hundred people who wandered up to the Union Chapel in Islington last Friday were expecting a fairly low-key affair. Arguably the biggest name at the Little Noise Sessions gig in aid of Mencap was to be the compere, Radio 1’s Jo Whiley, although we accept that a few of the audience may have been a bit excited about US indie rockers We Are Scientists. Not......

It may be 40 years since the Abortion Act legalised terminations but a BBC Radio 5 Live investigation suggests that modern day "back street abortions" are easily found in London. Thankfully, we're not talking struck off doctors and knitting needles but Chinese herbal remedies from shops in Dalston and illegally obtained abortion drugs: an undercover investigator was able to get their hands on 14 abortion pills for £30 from an entirely unqualified bloke in......

Isn’t it too early for winter? You’ll risk hypothermia if you’re outside this week, so stay in and watch the telly. Isn’t that really the best option? On TV, Londonist likes: Tuesday, 20 November & Wednesday, 21 November The Eight Hundred Million Pound Railway Station (BBC2, 22:00-22:30) The next two parts of this series on the brand spanking new St. Pancras station look at the race to finish the station on time. Apparently, the......

Media regulators Ofcom have finally come to a conclusion about one of George Galloway's inappropriate outbursts on radio station TalkSport. As a sitting MP and representative of Bethnal Green and Bow, it was not acceptable for him to have hijacked the morning show for promoting himself as a better candidate for Poplar and Limehouse. Called to stand-in for regular hosts on the morning of 10 August, Galloway proceeded to outline his plan to pitch......

Former Met man Paddick up against Livingstone and Johnson for Mayor. Experience of London policing probably a better qualification for challenging Ken than getting a book of crap poems about family life published. Listed, Georgian, Angel Cottage illegally and devilishly demolished in Newham. London gets 24-hour Polish radio station Ken announces fleet of 10 non-polluting, hydrogen fuelled buses to hit the streets by 2010. Boy George accused of imprisoning a man in his Hackney......

It’s cold outside this week, so it seems like the best plan is to cozy up on the couch and watch some telly. Why would you want to risk frostbite? On TV, Londonist likes: Monday, 12 November I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here (ITV1, 21:00-22:30) It’s off to the jungle yet again with Ant & Dec as they guide a new group of “celebs” through as many disgusting tasks as you’d......

Londonist spent all of its money this week getting drunk at its 3rd birthday party. Hopefully, you were one of the many people who decided to join us. As a thank you, London On The Cheap is back (hurrah!) showing you what fun and fabulous free stuff you can entertain yourselves with next week: Sunday: We had an extra hour today so you get an extra day of news from us. Out to Lunch......

I have to be honest, I never listen to London pirate radio... it's not that I don't approve; it's just not how I access my music. I guess I’m more of a Pandora.com and Last.FM type of guy. I do approve of pirate radio though, people getting together playing music for themselves and their friends has to be good right? So... londonpirates.co.uk is a site worth a look, I love the gallery section with......

After a brief hiatus, we’re back with lots of fun things to do this week from the comfort of your own home. Get cozy on the couch with a cup of tea, because there are lots of things to watch this week. On TV, Londonist likes: Tuesday, 16 October Britain's Biggest Storm (ITV1, 21:00-22:30) If your interest was piqued by this week’s Monday Miscellanea, you’ll want to catch this documentary on the 20th anniversary......

22. The Thornton Heath Happening During the 1930s and 1970s several ghosts besieged residents of Thornton Heath, Croydon. The case was investigated in 1938 by researcher Nandor Fodor, who claimed that the victim of the poltergeist was in a sense possessed by the spirit of a murderer, stating that the visions and nightmares she’d been having were in fact memories of something akin to a past life. The case was never solved, as various......

As we come to the end of the Jewish High Holy day season, London will be celebrating all things Jewish this Sunday (14 Oct) with the 2nd Simcha on the Square. Designed as a showcase for the UK's Jewish culture and supported by the Mayor of London, Trafalagar Square will be transformed with performances, stalls and lots of really good food from 12 till 6pm. The Jewish Museum will also be on hand with......

A night of clubbing is as much about the music you want to hear as it is the experience you hope to get out of it. Whilst there are endless opportunities to don your best threads and brave the night buses to see and be seen, we prefer to come as we are, get sweaty and get down. With their irresistible selection of post-punk and electro classics and obscurities, Our Disco ticks all our......

Anarchists, nihilists, thorns in the establishment's side, punks, poets, property developers, reality tv stars, radio show hosts; if nothing else the Sex Pistols are a contrary bunch. So whether the 30th anniversary bollocks celebration/reunion tour is a final nail in the coffin or breath of life to that ephemeral thing they call Punk attitude, only history, possibly as written by the NME, will tell. Either way their initial batch of Brixton dates sold out......

Autumn is tussling with the tail end of summer. It's nearly time to start closing the curtains early, sticking the central heating on timer and making soups and stews. Bed socks on! Here’s your London related home based media entertainment for the week. On TV, Londonist likes: Monday, 24 September Withnail and I (C4, 01.30-03.25) Drink, drugs, debauchery and dirt in Camden Town. Need we say more. (Actually, just to confirm, that's 01.30 on......

One Night Only are a new band who are causing rather a lot of fuss on the radio with Zane Lowe declaring them one of the hottest new bands out there. Despite starting out as a teenage Beatles Cover Act and growing up in the middle of nowhere, One Night Only signed with Vertigo Records earlier this year and are now getting ready to release their first single "You And Me" They're playing what......