“I think Stirling is going to be another fabulous stop on the journey of Radio 2 in the Park.”
Radio 2 In The Park is rapidly approaching its Scottish debut in the shadow of Stirling Castle, to be watched over by the ghosts of ancient Scottish history who must surely have questions – why bring this festival to Stirling’s City Park? OJ Borg comes with answers.
Mary Queen of Scots may never have had the chance to listen to Chaka Khan, but BBC Radio 2 presenter OJ Borg most certainly has. Armed with two DJ sets in Stirling, an extensive and impressive radio career, and a love for tattie scones, OJ took the time to chat with Brig about all things Stirling, Scotland, and BBC Radio 2 In The Park.
“The idea of coming to Stirling, I think, is going to be wonderful because I have never been to Stirling,” OJ explained. “But what we’ve been doing on my show is…talking to local landmarks. What it sounds like is that Stirling is just a great place, and I cannot wait for Radio 2 to come up there.”
An optimistic start to a weekend in a small and often, wrongly overlooked city. Beyond the border, Stirling is hardly a household name, the giants of Edinburgh and Glasgow to the east and west casting shadows too dark for much to grow. Yet with a towering Wallace Monument, a vibrant community, and topped with a castle-shaped crown, Stirling is by far one of Scotland’s most significant cultural and historical hubs. With Radio 2 In The Park’s arrival, perhaps it has finally been rewarded with some national love.
Small Cities, Big Dreams for R2ITP
OJ, although slightly shattered from hosting his show in the earliest hours of the morning, summoned an inspiring amount of energy to share why Radio 2 In The Park has chosen this corner of the world.
“The great thing about Radio 2 In The Park is the fact that you go to a whole country,” he told us. “Radio 2 is a radio station for the United Kingdom, all parts of it, from top to bottom and from east to west. And we’ve done the Midlands, and we’ve done the North, and we’ve done some of the South. And yes, there are loads of other places to go…But I think Stirling is just a different place – I said this a lot with Leicester.”
OJ grew up in Leicester, which, much like Stirling, witnessed the great events of the area occurring in larger neighbouring cities – Birmingham and Nottingham – whilst the smaller town saw very little. At least, not until Radio 2 In The Park arrived in 2023.
“When Radio 2 in the Park came in, I was like, oh my god! And it happened in a park where I played basketball as a kid and saw no gigs. So, I think Stirling is a bit like that.
“It’s this place that lots of people know about, which probably doesn’t get something like this often. So, it’s the idea of bringing all these amazing artists together in a place and just going somewhere different. Yes, we could have gone to Glasgow. Yes, we could have gone to Edinburgh. They would have been wonderful; would have been fabulous. But the idea of going to Stirling, I think, is great, and it’s finding different places for this road show to roll into. It’s not just bringing a big old ‘thing’ in, but it’s being a part of what’s going on musically.”
So, what excites OJ the most about spending the festival in Stirling?
“Meeting everyone, being in Stirling, and having a full on Stirling experience,” he said. “I was in Scotland this weekend, and I ate a tattie scone. Now, I wasn’t totally sure what was in it – it came with a fried egg and brown sauce, and it was one of the greatest eating experiences of my life, so, coming and having a full on Stirling weekend…from the size of the sounds to the tattie scones.”
A Love for Scottish Music
It’s not just Texas being rolled out as the signature Scottish band – on Thursday 10 September, Jo Whiley will be presenting a special edition of her show from Stirling’s Tolbooth in collaboration with BBC Introducing. She will feature three up-and-coming Scottish artists, Alice Faye, Fright Years, and James Emmanuel, performing live on the show, giving them a foundation from which to propel their careers.
Naturally, we had to quiz OJ on his Scottish music preferences ahead of his DJ sets at Radio 2 In the Park.
“When it comes to Scottish music, I actually did a ceilidh for the first time last year…I had the greatest night,” OJ said, recalling his first Strip the Willow fondly. He continued;
“Over the years, the Scottish artists that I’ve listened to and I’ve interviewed have been wonderful.
“One of the greatest performances I always talk about is when KT Tunstall did Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” he said, referencing Tunstall’s powerful 2004 Jools Holland performance which helped to launch her career. “It was so raw and brilliant, and she stomped her way through, and as she says herself; she hadn’t really hit any heights, and then she got a last minute call up, and that changed her life.
“I think artists like that have just become so important to the UK music scene, and they’re just so idiosyncratically Scottish, and I think that’s great, and I think it’s wonderful. Every artist that has come out of Scotland, I’ve pretty much loved.”
The Brilliance of Radio
The conversation then took a natural turn when discussing iconic Scottish music – I’m sure anyone who’s ever witnessed my Spotify playlist will already know we’re talking about The Proclaimers.
“Every now and again, I will play Sunshine on Leith on the radio. I think if you want five minutes of everyone getting slightly emotional, that’s a great record,” OJ said, sharing the inevitable Proclaimer-passion.
“I’ve got this big thing about how brilliant radio is for the fact that everyone has a shared moment. So you play a record; it doesn’t matter if there’s 1000 people listening or a million people listening. All those people listening to the radio at that moment are listening to the same song, and I think if you set the song up right, and you get the right song, then it can be quite a beautiful thing. I think Sunshine on Leith for me is just such a great record.”
We’ll certainly be keeping our ears tuned across Stirling for the iconic track on OJ’s main stage set in just two short weeks. If the ghosts of Stirling Castle are listening, then I’m confident that they will be in for quite the treat.
“It’s not just about bringing a show; it’s being part of what Stirling is, and I think that’s what makes Radio 2 In The Park great,” concluded OJ, smiling. “I think that’s why Stirling will be a great location – because everyone will be up for it.”
“The fact you get to meet people, and you get to meet the people who listen to the radio, is always wonderful. I think Stirling is going to be another fabulous stop on the journey of Radio 2 in the Park.”
R2ITP: Dates, Tickets, and Lineup
OJ Borg will be appearing at BBC Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling, 11 to 13 September. Tickets are available now, and highlights will be available on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. You view the lineup here.
Featured Image Credit: BBC Radio 2