An Interview with Gary Davies
By Steve Crabtree, August 2026
For those of us who grew up on ’80s music, there are plenty of names and faces you instantly associate with the era of leg warmers, cassette tapes, and unmistakable synth-pop. But when it comes to the voices that soundtracked our youth, few hold quite as special a place in the nation’s musical memories as Gary Davies.
From his defining days on BBC Radio 1 and fronting Top of the Pops on Thursday nights to helming the brilliant Sounds of the 80s on Radio 2 today, he remains synonymous with that golden decade. Now, he’s taking that energy on the road, bringing the ultimate feel-good party of Discos for Grown Ups to Bradford and Bridlington over the coming weeks. Ahead of the tour, we caught up with Gary to chat about his career, how broadcasting has evolved over the past 40 years, and why these upcoming Yorkshire nights are set to be pure, unadulterated fun…
Steve Crabtree: Gary, thanks for joining me and spending a few minutes ahead of your Discos for Grown Ups shows in Bradford next month and Bridlington in October. I’ll be at the Bradford show, and I can’t wait. But let’s start with you. I think it was 1982 when you started at Radio 1 and before that, you were across the Pennines from us at Piccadilly Radio. How was that jump from local radio to the BBC, to the biggest national station going at the time, and Top of the Pops?
Gary Davies: The jump was just ginormous. I still think today, if anyone said, “What was the most elated that you’ve ever been?” it would be when I found out that I got a job at Radio 1. Albeit initially just on a three-month contract at £60 a week! There were no guarantees beyond that, but it had always been my dream to work for Radio 1. When I got the opportunity, I just leapt at the chance. I still remember the day that my agent called me and said, “You’ve got Radio 1,” and I was just like—wow! Because it was the station that I’d always listened to and loved. My hero DJs were all working there. And then when you get there, suddenly they turn around and say, “Well, how would you like to do Top of the Pops?” A show that I’d been watching as a kid, dreaming of just being in the audience, let alone hosting the damn thing! It was a really, really special time of my life.
I was born in ’78, so my growing-up period was Radio 1 on before school every morning, my dad’s tapes in the car, and watching Top of the Pops every Thursday without fail. You’re one of the icons of that era, but how has radio changed nowadays from what it was like back then, and how do you have to change your presenting style?
Well, radio is still radio. As a means of communication, it’s still the same. Obviously, technology-wise, it’s come on leaps and bounds. I’m not playing 7-inch vinyl records anymore or 12-inch albums; everything is digital. But the mechanics are pretty much the same, and the way that you communicate is pretty much the same. I think you have to be a little bit more careful what you do and don’t say on air nowadays than you did back then! But it’s still just brilliant to do. I had a 25-year break in between Radio 1 and Radio 2 where I went off and did other things and wasn’t really expecting to come back into radio. Then a series of happy coincidences brought me back eight years ago. Since I’ve been back, I’m loving it just as much now as I did then. To me, Radio 2—albeit not quite as big as what Radio 1 was back then—feels like Radio 1 used to feel. It’s just a wonderful place to be. I love my colleagues, and I’m just having a brilliant time.
“A joyous show”
When I listen to Sounds of the 80s, it’s a bit of an institution. You flick onto X and Facebook and everybody’s commenting on it. They love the show, but they love you as well, putting you in that bracket with legends like Steve Wright, Tony Blackburn, and Ken Bruce. How does that feel?
Well, I don’t think I am! I’m just me, and I just do what I’ve always done. I don’t really feel like I’m like that or that I deserve that. But I just do what I do, and clearly it comes across that I’m enjoying myself. Sounds of the 80s is just such a joyous show to do on the radio. We have so much fun every week playing some amazing ’80s music. We play quite a bit of the pop stuff, but we also get a chance to delve quite deep into what was a brilliant decade for music, playing stuff that normal ’80s stations won’t play. We’re really sparking a lot of memories for people, and that’s what it’s all about. With the chat on X or the Facebook group, they chat along as we do the show and it’s like instant feedback. Then people message in telling us what they’re up to or what a song means to them. It’s a really nice feeling.
I try to get involved in the chat, though listening on a smart speaker puts me two minutes behind! But seeing the community and meet-ups come out of your show on social media is fantastic. Moving on to Discos for Grown Ups—I’m guessing this is the ultimate ’80s party? But is there one ’80s song that you love and think is an absolute banger, but you can’t play because it would clear the dancefloor or nobody would get it?
Well, I’d love to play Lil Louis’ ‘French Kiss’! But I think it might be pushing it a bit too far. I haven’t tried it yet, but maybe I will at some point! When I do these shows, I really feed off the crowd that’s there. Crowds do change from gig to gig, from town to town. If I felt like it was quite a progressive crowd, then I might slip it in. But sometimes you get to venues where you go, “I don’t think this is the right ’80s song for them.” I mix it up depending on what the vibe is and what the audience is like. At the end of the day, my job is just to make sure everybody has a brilliant time, doesn’t stop dancing for an hour and a half, and goes away knackered, exhausted, sweaty, but just having had the best night.
“Discos for Grown Ups”
How did you get involved with the Discos for Grown Ups events in the first place?
It’s a really interesting story. During my 25-year break from radio, I set up a marketing company with a partner, a lovely guy called Simon. We used to make all the free cover-mount CDs you’d get in newspapers and magazines like the Mail, the Express, Q, and Mojo. When that business finished because CDs died out, Simon ended up starting this brand called Discos for Grown Ups during the pandemic, doing video discos on Facebook. It developed from there into booking out venues. He’s a great buddy of mine, and earlier in the year he said, “Why don’t we do some special ’80s Discos for Grown Ups shows together?” The chance to work with him again, I just went, “Yeah,” because I love him! The parties are just fantastic. When you go into the venue, there is so much colour and vibe—glow sticks, confetti, mirror balls. It is joyous even before you play the first record.
It sounds fantastic. Will I need to get dressed up?
A lot of people do dress up! I always think the most important thing is that you come down and have a great time. But if you want to dress up, great—you won’t be alone, most people will be. And if you don’t want to, it’ll be fine as well. The most important part is just to come and have fun.
Well, you’ve given me the excuse to dress up anyway! What else happens on the night? Do we get a ‘Little Bit In The Middle’, or a ‘Non-stop Half Hour’?
No, on these shows, it’s just me playing a load of banging tunes! We’ve got a couple of great dancers as well. It’s just party time, non-stop.
Steve Crabtree: Well, I can’t wait. If I enjoy Bradford, I might even make it across to North Yorkshire and do Bridlington as well! Thank you so much for having a chat with me, Gary, and all the best for the shows.
Gary Davies: I’ll see you there, Steve. Come say hi!
Gary Davies brings ‘Discos for Grown Ups’ to St George’s Hall, Bradford on Friday 4th September, and Bridlington Spa on Friday 9th October 2026. For tickets and info, visit bradford-theatres.co.uk and bridspa.com
You can listen to Gary Davies on ‘Sounds of the 80s’ every Saturday night on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.
Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel… and he’s a happy man. He’s been writing professionally since 2003, turning to journalism in 2017 when it offered him the chance to enjoy a lot of his existing passions, and learn some new ones at the same time. Steve can be found spending many of his summer nights watching bands at The Piece Hall in his hometown of Halifax, or enjoying a bite to eat and a drink with his wife anywhere in Yorkshire at any time of year. Random fact: He does the best impression of Zippy and George from Rainbow that anyone has ever heard.
