The Paranoid Squirrel ep 1088

Acweorna! This is a slightly different edition of The Paranoid Squirrel. In place of the usual Sunday repeat, I’m handing the keys to the Squirrel Dray over to the artists featured on the ‘Locals 2026’ compilation LP, collated by Bob Kitcher. Showcasing original music from Beckenham, Penge, Bromley and Sydenham, the album was made possible with support from Southey Brewing Co and Three Hounds Beer Company. Before tackling the record itself, Status Quo ease us into proceedings with a nod to their Beckenham connections. We then hear both sides of ‘Locals 2026’ in full: 01 Status Quo – Down Down 02 Zoe Webster – Captain in the Sea 03 The Zorbs – Space Invader 04 Duncan Farmer – Shattered 05 Erika Steenkamp – Julietta 06 The Unready – Narrows 07 Adam Croft – I Can’t Deny 08 Dead Beat Poets – Monster Rat 09 Matt Donovan – Never Far 10 Bob Kitcher – Playing in the Sun 11 The Ferrets – BR3 12 David Bowie – Memory of a Free Festival Along the way, there’s local musical interconnectedness, a Ukrainian refugee’s story, intergalactic shenanigans, a murderous rat and a suitably postcode-friendly finale. David Bowie then brings our tour of the area to an appropriately Beckenham conclusion. The ‘Locals 2026’ LP and CD can be purchased in person from The Bricklayers Arms or Southey Brewing Co. If they’re slightly outside your orbit, contact Bob Kitcher through social media or email robertkitcher@yahoo.com. Local musicians, local businesses and entirely original material—this is what the locals sound like in 2026.