The Wizard and the Frog: an Ode to Tailenders
'Would you take the gamble?'
James Anderson and Matt Horan sit together on a Zoom call. A Bristolian roll-up shoe salesman and England's greatest ever bowler are an unlikely pairing, but a pairing nonetheless. Also on the call are BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James, and international rockstar Felix White of 'The Maccabees' fame. Across the world, thousands are hanging on their every word, desperate to know if Jimmy Anderson is content with his life, or whether he would risk it all to accept an offer from a wizard to be incredibly rich and have everlasting success, but spend the rest of his life being tracked down and hunted by a murderous frog.
The following week, Anderson would play his role as England's frontline bowler in the Headingley test of the India series; the next week, it would be the test at the Oval. Much to the dismay of those who consider cricket a 'Proper' game, groups of people in fancy dress have infiltrated cricket audiences en masse in recent years. The costumes are often colourful and diverse, featuring a collective of well-loved characters, whether they be a group of Jack Leaches or the cast of the Super Mario Bros. Suddenly, there are frogs. There are a handful at Headingley, and the amount doubles for the Oval. By the time the test-that-never-was rolls around at Old Trafford, there is an army of frogs travelling back across the country to their respective homes. At a Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy game nearby in Sale, the frogs and the wizard pitch up, in a magical amphibian Pied Piper style visual. To those who aren't aware of the BBC's Tailenders podcast, this is nothing more than an amusing anecdote. For some, it is something to shake their fists at and groan 'Those bloody kids!'. But for so many, for the Tailenders, this is a sign of community.
The BBC podcast has been running since 2017 when it was intended to be just a few episodes covering the Australian Ashes. It was extended at the end of the series, and currently has 132 episodes. In 2019 the show had at least 2.5 million listeners which has only grown since, and the show has picked up various awards as a result of its popularity. Tailenders has been a source of joy and companionship for millions, particularly during the pandemic when so many felt alone. It has generated friendships, relationships, and inspired so many to get involved with cricket; my own life is proof of that.
This month the four hosts set out on their tour across Britain, where they were set to play live shows in Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Portsmouth, London and Newcastle. My friend Rhiannon (who I met through both being fans of the podcast) and I purchased our tickets back in December 2020 and sat patiently, waiting for something to go wrong; in a year where so many things had been cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic, it seemed only inevitable. As the performance crept closer, my certainty that something bad was going to happen grew. I was going to get COVID, or the boys would get COVID, or their tour bus would run out of petrol and never make it to Sheffield. Instead, things went perfectly.
The phrase 'cult following' is a complete understatement for Tailenders. Earlier in the year Rhiannon and I had purchased jumpers for the show with chilli peppers on the front and the word 'spicy' plastered across the back, in a thinly veiled reference to a meal Michael Vaughan once had. As we sat at the bar at Sheffield City Hall, we watched as the room became full of chillies, mangoes, frogs and wizards. Someone shouted 'go well' and at least twenty people immediately followed with 'cheers' in an almost brainwashed level of commitment.
I don't really know how to describe the show itself, other than that it was clear that we were watching something very special. It felt like a reunion of a thousand friends who had never actually met before. With Tailenders I often feel like it's a special secret that only a select few know about, and one that feels foolish to talk about out loud - the member of staff at Sheffield City Hall asking Rhiannon and I 'what are the chillies for' made me only too aware of this - but that night we were all in on it together. We sang, we laughed, we called an international captain a wanker: we were Tailenders.
In my eyes, Tailenders has changed the face of English cricket for the next generation. Each new episode gives so many people something to look forward to, and it has connected so many to the game of cricket. Now, for each old man and his dog in the crowd, there will be a frog right there alongside them. It can never be stressed enough what a special show it is for so many across the world, and it was a privilege to be a part of it on Saturday night.
Go well + cheers x
left to right: Abi Slade, Greg James, Matt Horan (up), James Anderson, Felix White, Sandra Bullock (up), Rhiannon Blake
Perfectly penned. Tailenders is the biggest source of happiness for me since the past year and half. Loved this. Go well, Cheers.
ReplyDeleteWell put Abi. Tailenders got me laughing out loud through the pandemic.
ReplyDeleteSo well written. Love this
ReplyDeleteGreat. Lets check out sportifies.com
ReplyDelete