Riley, Marc 1961

Marc Riley is a British broadcaster, musician and popular music critic.

Riley was born in Manchester in 1961 and began playing in bands in his teenage years. After starting out as a roadie for The Fall, he joined the band as a bass player in May 1978. He went on to play guitar and keyboard for the group, before being kicked out in 1982 by Mark E. Smith. Riley then formed Mark Riley and The Creepers (later The Creepers), going on to record seven albums. After The Creepers disbanded in 1987, Riley formed The Lost Soul Crusaders, but the outfit was short-lived.

Riley co-owned the In-Tape record label with Jim Khambatta, and managed the label between 1983 and 1986. In-Tape folded in 1991.

Marc Riley is best known for his partnership with the broadcaster Mark Radcliffe. Together they presented "Hit the North" on BBC Radio 5. Under the name ‘Mark and Lard’ they moved to BBC Radio 1, successfully establishing themselves as a fixture of the station’s afternoon schedule. The show ran until March, 2004.

In the 1990s Riley and Radcliffe also formed a parody band, Shirehorses, with which they recorded two albums.

After 'Mark and Lard' finished, Riley’s next move was to BBC Radio 6 Music, where he presents a show with guests he selects. In February 2015 he also made the leap into the world of streaming, with a made-for BBC iPlayer music show, All Shook Up, again featuring live performances from musicians chosen by Riley. Riley has embraced podcasting, creating series about Punk and New Wave, and David Bowie.