Stephen Doyle, the Salford DJ , Sonic Diarist and Native Legend, died on 13 December 2024. His funeral will probably be held at Agecroft Cemetery & Crematorium, Swinton, Salford on Tuesday 14 January at 10.20am and afterwards on the Robin Hood in Clifton.
Right here, a few of his buddies and native musicians pay tribute to the good man who when Louder Than Conflict interviewed him again in 2017 stated… “There’s a great deal of nice bands enjoying in bars, golf equipment and pubs – 1,000,000 occasions higher than bands which can be filling the arenas … There’s a lot extra thrilling stuff on the market to find.”
Stephen Doyle 1961 – 2024 (by his pal Ian Moss)
Steve or SD as he was generally recognized was a folks individual full of heat and a want to unfold a little bit love wherever and at any time when he might. He was additionally, I’m proud to say, one of many closest buddies I’ve had in a lifetime the place I’ve been blessed with many friendships. He was steadfast in his loyalty, trusting, reliable and sincere. What extra might anybody ask? Add to those qualities his mischievous humour and boundless enthusiasm for music primarily but in addition Movie, Comedy and Manchester United and it’s little shock that we bonded so nicely.
Steve was passionate in regards to the issues he liked. Household and buddies got here first in his priorities. He was a bodily massive man and not using a trace of aggression in his coronary heart. A person unafraid of showing his feelings, he would cry unashamedly when touched by a track as an example. I’d tease him relentlessly till he rewarded me along with his big smile.
He was born in Hulme however relocated to Salford as an toddler the place he remained for the remainder of his days. His dad and mom Tess and Jim have been of stable hardworking inventory and instilled in Steve the values of decency and integrity that have been the cornerstone of his being. He was a vibrant boy though it’s honest to say simply distracted and his fundamental distraction was music. By his early teenagers he had grow to be besotted by the sounds of Slade, Skinny Lizzy and Standing Quo however by his mid teenagers he discovered himself swept up within the tide of Punk Rock that was rising. He devoured the music as an integral part of his being, shopping for data and regardless of his youth attending a number of gigs at venues giant and small. He liked Pleasure Division, The Distractions, The Freshies, Buzzcocks, Armed Pressure and a bunch of Mancunian bands in addition to these from additional afield, most notably The Conflict who not solely excited him however mirrored and reaffirmed his values. Justice for the downtrodden in society and no persecution of minorities being central to that.
Steve was no fan of Margaret Thatcher and her depraved assault on the working courses and his tastes and opinions have been shared by way of letters to the good Manchester fanzine Metropolis Enjoyable. As issues moved on Steve embraced the publish punk sounds but in addition Disco and Reggae – he was true to his tastes and by no means merely jumped on the following bandwagon. As a person he met and married his nice love Yvonne and have become the daddy to her three kids. A shared ardour for the music of Kate Bush and The Smiths in addition to a vegetarian food plan made them excellent companions, soulmates the truth is.
An opportunity encounter with Tony Thornborough and a visitor look on Tony’s radio program led to Steve starting his close to legendary radio exhibits on Salford Metropolis radio. He and I had crossed paths throughout the years as we adopted Manchester United and Steve would enthuse about my punk period band The Hamsters: now he invited me to visitor on his programme and a friendship between us flourished. He championed a number of acts on his present who had beforehand obtained scant encouragement or airplay though by no means ploughed them into an obscurist area of interest. Their music rubbed shoulders with the likes of The Beatles, ABBA, Stevie Marvel on his present , no limitations , as he stated usually , ‘ if I prefer it I’ll play it ” . I’m happy to say he performed numerous my music, he attended numerous my performances usually appearing as DJ and MC for the night, he even received to document and launch music on The German Shepherd Data label that Bob Osborne and that i ran he was there for me all through my well being struggles all the time displaying real concern and providing encouragement. I attempted to reciprocate when his beloved Yvonne handed away in tragic circumstances. Steve by no means recovered from that blow though he tried to current to the world a cheerful courageous face his damage was evident to those that actually knew and liked him. For a decade or extra I’ve been blessed when not in his firm to obtain virtually day by day phone calls that might run for an hour or extra. ‘I ought to document these as radio exhibits’ he would say as our conversations pinballed from topic to topic. Now there will probably be no extra calls.
I’ve misplaced my pricey candy pal as have many others touched by this lovely soul and gigantic presence. We salute you SD: Punk Zelig, Teenage Propshaft, you permit an enormous sized gap in our lives. (Ian Moss 15/12/2024)
Tony Thornborough writes… 
It was a Saturday afternoon in early 2009 once I walked right into a Swinton pub and heard my title being known as out as I used to be ordering a pint. Earlier than I rotated to see who it was I already knew. How might I not! I’d not heard that voice in years, nevertheless it was a voice I knew nicely, an excited, barely excessive pitched voice for a giant man. At that second I knew I wouldn’t be ‘simply having the one’ as I’d deliberate. “Good to see you pal, what you having? I’ll get this, that is Yvonne, Yvonne that is Tony an previous mucker of mine, I’ve not seen him in ages, what you as much as mate? Come and sit down, how’s your good woman? are you out for a sesh? We’re simply having a pair, been doing the purchasing, having a little bit of a moist lip, you understand how it’s, sit down lad”
And that’s how SD unknowingly auditioned for Salford Metropolis Radio.
I’d been on the station for about six months and I knew that presenters got here and left after a short while. I wasn’t in any place to recruit him myself, however I might positively put a phrase in for him if he was . Which he wasn’t but, however that was about to vary within the subsequent jiffy.
As we sat consuming and rekindling our 25 yr friendship the dialog finally got here round to what I used to be as much as. “I’m on Salford Metropolis Radio” and after one other 20 query I received to say “Sure, I’ll put a phrase in for you, I feel you’d be nice since you by no means shut the fuck up and silence is your enemy when doing radio” And that’s how the story begins.
The way it ends, is why your studying this now…..or is it?
Stephen “Sonic Diary” Doyle will reside on so long as folks take heed to his exhibits. He was a tremendous radio persona with a lot charisma. I assumed I knew lots about data and music, however I might all the time study extra by listening to SD. I like many others, will dearly miss him, however he’s left a lot for us. So, I’d wish to ask you all, particularly in case you’ve by no means heard him earlier than. Please test him out on Mixcloud. You would possibly simply study one thing and you’ll most definitely be entertained.
Might he relaxation in peace, however hold making noise. (Tony Thornborough)
Bob Osborne of Half Edge Data paid his tribute to Stephen Doyle on his Totally different Noises Substack. Right here is an extract.
It’s protected to say that German Shepherd Data and subsequently Half Edge Data wouldn’t have existed with out the help and intervention of Stephen Doyle. Stephen handed away all of a sudden, at far too younger an age, yesterday and I needed to acknowledge his contribution to the Salford Music Scene and to all the things we have now achieved as a label through the years….
Stephen was a beneficiant, humorous and type colleague with an abiding love for the punk rock period, particularly The Conflict, and had an encyclopaedic data of bands, with related anecdotes from throughout the musical spectrum. He was additionally an avid gig goer and notably was well-known on the native scene for his rallying cry “I Was A Teenage Propshaft” at gigs. He additionally was eager to have his {photograph} taken with the good and the great of the punk period and past and developed a fame because the Punk Zelig. (Bob Osborne)
Matt Davies & Susan O’Shea from the band Manufacturing facility Acts
Manufacturing facility Acts are shocked and saddened to listen to of the passing of our nice pal Stephen Doyle. We frequently referred to him because the John Peel of Salford / Manchester, due to his absolute dedication to selling new music on his many radio exhibits – most notably for Salford Metropolis Radio – and his encyclopaedic data of punk, post-punk and pop on which he appeared to have an limitless retailer of data. Ever since Manufacturing facility Acts began gigging he was a part of the furnishings both as a punter or DJ at lots of our favorite haunts – The Crescent (now sadly closed), The Peer Hat, The Citadel, Gullivers, The Eagle Inn, and plenty of others. We knew we’d managed to tickle his musical tastebuds when he made considered one of our songs Quantity One in his annual high 50 tracks. However, after all you knew you’d actually made it when the cry of “I used to be a teenage propshaft” rang out in between your songs at reside exhibits – a badge of honour! And he was accountable for considerably boosting our CD gross sales at gigs. His endless enthusiasm for and open-mindedness about music was infectious, enjoying and waxing lyrical about something from Abba to Zappa and all in between, disregarding music snobbery and tribal attitudes to genres. We frolicked with him on the Revolt punk competition in Blackpool in 2022 the place he would sit exterior the Rose and Crown pub in between units and be welcomed by a cavalcade of previous punks who couldn’t wait to speak and have their picture taken with him.
He would usually cellphone us out of the blue to ask for recommendation or simply natter about all issues musical. Our final contact with Stephen was a few weeks in the past, when he phoned for a “fast chat” to ask Matt “what’s your favorite Fall album?”, a dialog that was by no means going to final a few minutes. And that’s how we’d like to recollect him – as an awfully passionate, extraordinarily articulate working-class bloke blessed with the reward of the gab whose tireless championing of recent music won’t ever be matched. (Matt Davies & Susan O’Shea from the band Manufacturing facility Acts)
Singer, songwriter & musician Tim Lyons
Steve Doyle knew me earlier than I knew him, appears odd? Effectively he advised me he used to see me on the Russell Membership with John The Postman, amongst others. it opened in could 1978, Steve was 17. He additionally stated he was too shy to talk to me, although he lived across the nook from me in Ordsall Salford! We received the identical bus he stated. He was a fan of the band I used to be in in 1979..The Issues. Nonetheless, I didn’t get to know him till he got here to see one other band I’m in.. The Sandells. I feel that was in all probability early 2000’s. We performed on the Crescent pub in Salford. He was a DJ with Salford metropolis radio and the SCR DJ,s used to have conferences on the Crescent and likewise promote gigs there.
Steve used to speak in regards to the previous days of Punk and the venues and the bands we’d each seen and we turned buddies. His enthusiasm for music was boundless and utterly addictive and loving! However it was the best way he made me really feel like I used to be simply speaking to a great pal that was endearing about him.
Steve suffered an enormous bereavement when his spouse Yvonne handed and it affected him profoundly! However his love and assist for native artists and music typically appeared to assist him. He would ring me occasionally and communicate in a really private manner, the one manner I can describe it was virtually brotherly and I really feel privileged to have these recollections. It was a high quality I sense that Steve shared with lots of his buddies and it was lovely and distinctive to him.
Steve had an sincere manner about him which allowed most individuals and naturally inventive varieties to open up.
He did lots to assist artists by enjoying their music on his sonic dairy exhibits, his solely proviso “If I prefer it, I’ll play it”. Sandells are privileged to have a track featured on Steve’s final Sonic Diary!
I’ll miss his onstage intros for me and his rock stable sincere assist however principally I’ll miss the gorgeous soul that Stephen Doyle was RIP my pal x (Tim Lyons)
Ged Babey (Louder Than Conflict author)
Steven Doyle was a pal I by no means met in individual, however because of the web, I felt like I knew him. We shared a ardour for the music and for telling anybody who’d hear how sensible it was. I write, he DJ-ed. In later life we turned ‘energetic’ individuals within the music scene. Evangelists. Obsessives. And the very best feeling on the earth is when somebody says: I purchased that album. You have been spot-on, it’s superb. Thanks. We discovered our position and met like-minded folks and funky folks in bands needed to shake our palms. Despite the fact that I by no means met him I’ll miss his on-line presence.
On this video under, (58 minutes in) he asks our hero Pete Shelley the query all true followers needed to ask. Politely, tentatively so to not trigger any upset…. Beginning with ‘the final time I met you was on the 37 bus….’. Pure magic and I’d say, his best second. God Bless You SD. (Ged Babey)
Love and condolences to Stephens shut family and friends. He gained’t be forgotten.
Stephen Doyle’s SonicDiary and Noize Annoize podcasts are archived on Mixcloud HERE
Compiled by Ged Babey for LTW
Images taken from SD’s Fb. Photographers credited on request.
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