Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Monday, 27 September 2010
Chris Moyles is the new DLT
History finally came full circle this week when, as predicted over a dozen years ago, Chris Moyles of Radio 1 proved that he was the new DLT.
DLT, younger readers may not know, was Dave Lee Travis, a DJ on Radio 1. From being exciting, hip, fashionable and novel in the 1960s (he can be seen here introducing supergroup Cream), he became a Radio 1 star in the 70s and 80s, presenting the Breakfast Show for four years, appearing regularly on Top Of The Pops, and occupying for most of the 80s a popular show on Saturday and Sunday mornings. However by 1993 his cosy and avuncular style (here is a classic clip in happier times) was becoming out-dated and, when the new broom producer Matthew Bannister came in to shake up the station, DLT famously resigned on air.
"....and I really want to put the record straight at this point and I thought you ought to know - changes are being made here which go against my principles and I just cannot agree with them..." were his words, as he stopped the music, had a rant, and left the BBC. The clip is included in this excerpt.
A new wave of DJs came in, some more successful than others, and after a few years of ups and downs, during which Bannister experimented with high brow presenters such as Emma Freud & Nicky Campbell, marmite presenters like Danny Baker and Mark & Lard, and popular if volatile Chris Evans, things settled down by the end of the nineties with a line up of new popular faces, most popular of which was Chris Moyles.
John Peel famously described Moyles as a "DLT-in-waiting", to which Moyles called Peel a "Kenny Everett-in-waiting, because Kenny Everett’s dead and it’s only a matter of time before John pops his clogs".
Now it turns out John Peel was as right about this as he had been about so many other thing. Moyles rants on air for half an hour (here's enough of it to be getting with) about not getting paid. Not quite resigning on air, he does the next best thing, asking to be sacked.
I'm reminded of a very funny sketch, which I can't find on YouTube, from the early Channel 4 series of Armstrong & Miller, where an in-store DJ in a booth in a clothing store does the DLT speech.
In today's Guardian a number of commentators have been asked what they think Moyles should do. Few have been kind. Mark Lawson says "it's Peter Finch in Network", Mike Smith suggests "he has more than crossed the line ...it is a completely sackable offence", and Sybil Ruscoe observes "Chris seems to be suffering from BSS – Breakfast Show Syndrome. Too many 4am starts, dark circles under the eyes, a delusional belief in his own publicity" and recommends "the cure is usually a spell back on a local radio lunchtime show".
As someone who stopped listening to Radio 1 when Mark & Lard left and Chris Moyles took over the breakfast show, it's not my place to comment. But I've never found such self-indulgence and hubris to make good radio. As exemplified by Chris Evans' outburst against an unfortunate Scottish local radio journalist back in 1997 which, if it didn't lose him the Radio 1 Breakfast Show job, should have. (Which I can't find online, maybe someone else can)
DLT, younger readers may not know, was Dave Lee Travis, a DJ on Radio 1. From being exciting, hip, fashionable and novel in the 1960s (he can be seen here introducing supergroup Cream), he became a Radio 1 star in the 70s and 80s, presenting the Breakfast Show for four years, appearing regularly on Top Of The Pops, and occupying for most of the 80s a popular show on Saturday and Sunday mornings. However by 1993 his cosy and avuncular style (here is a classic clip in happier times) was becoming out-dated and, when the new broom producer Matthew Bannister came in to shake up the station, DLT famously resigned on air.
"....and I really want to put the record straight at this point and I thought you ought to know - changes are being made here which go against my principles and I just cannot agree with them..." were his words, as he stopped the music, had a rant, and left the BBC. The clip is included in this excerpt.
A new wave of DJs came in, some more successful than others, and after a few years of ups and downs, during which Bannister experimented with high brow presenters such as Emma Freud & Nicky Campbell, marmite presenters like Danny Baker and Mark & Lard, and popular if volatile Chris Evans, things settled down by the end of the nineties with a line up of new popular faces, most popular of which was Chris Moyles.
John Peel famously described Moyles as a "DLT-in-waiting", to which Moyles called Peel a "Kenny Everett-in-waiting, because Kenny Everett’s dead and it’s only a matter of time before John pops his clogs".
Now it turns out John Peel was as right about this as he had been about so many other thing. Moyles rants on air for half an hour (here's enough of it to be getting with) about not getting paid. Not quite resigning on air, he does the next best thing, asking to be sacked.
I'm reminded of a very funny sketch, which I can't find on YouTube, from the early Channel 4 series of Armstrong & Miller, where an in-store DJ in a booth in a clothing store does the DLT speech.
In today's Guardian a number of commentators have been asked what they think Moyles should do. Few have been kind. Mark Lawson says "it's Peter Finch in Network", Mike Smith suggests "he has more than crossed the line ...it is a completely sackable offence", and Sybil Ruscoe observes "Chris seems to be suffering from BSS – Breakfast Show Syndrome. Too many 4am starts, dark circles under the eyes, a delusional belief in his own publicity" and recommends "the cure is usually a spell back on a local radio lunchtime show".
As someone who stopped listening to Radio 1 when Mark & Lard left and Chris Moyles took over the breakfast show, it's not my place to comment. But I've never found such self-indulgence and hubris to make good radio. As exemplified by Chris Evans' outburst against an unfortunate Scottish local radio journalist back in 1997 which, if it didn't lose him the Radio 1 Breakfast Show job, should have. (Which I can't find online, maybe someone else can)
Robin Hood live in Nottingham - Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre
As part of our performance at the Nottingham Comedy Festival on Saturday, the Socks gave the first performance of a Robin Hood routine. Here, for your pleasure, is its studio version and its live version. It will be interesting to see which is the more popular:
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Kibworth, on the telly
Although everyone knows me as coming from Aberdeen, they're all aware of the fact that I lost my Scottish accent at a very young age. This is because I moved to Leicestershire at the age of three, and from the age of six lived in a village called Kibworth, which is where my parents still reside.
None of which is of the slightest interest to anyone, until tonight when Kibworth becomes the subject of a TV series on BBC4, and my Mum's in it. Hers is possibly not a major role, but the village's is. The show, by Michael Wood, looks at British history as it can be traced through the history of Kibworth itself.
Amazingly I get no mention, neither does our legendary rock band Walter Tottle - surely the greatest musicians ever to pass through Kibworth (except, maybe, Simon Parks who wrote the theme to Van Der Valk, and Gay Bykers On Acid, who did quite well back in the day).
Here, should you need reminding of our brilliance, is the fantastic Walter Tottle in our heyday. Details of the BBC show are here.
None of which is of the slightest interest to anyone, until tonight when Kibworth becomes the subject of a TV series on BBC4, and my Mum's in it. Hers is possibly not a major role, but the village's is. The show, by Michael Wood, looks at British history as it can be traced through the history of Kibworth itself.
Amazingly I get no mention, neither does our legendary rock band Walter Tottle - surely the greatest musicians ever to pass through Kibworth (except, maybe, Simon Parks who wrote the theme to Van Der Valk, and Gay Bykers On Acid, who did quite well back in the day).
Here, should you need reminding of our brilliance, is the fantastic Walter Tottle in our heyday. Details of the BBC show are here.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Socks on the Pope - Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre
A lighthearted tribute on the occasion of the papal visit.
Jools Later vs Old Grey Whistle Test
I'm watching last night's Later With Jools Holland. Following my blog last week about Top Of The Pops and how badly TV and the music business need it, I'm looking at this show in the light of how well it represents and promotes popular music. It has been compared to the Old Grey Whistle Test which was, in the 70s and 80s, the grown-up companion programme to the youth-oriented TOTP, but does it compare? Let's look at tonight's Later line-up
Jools Holland - Our host is an amiable musician who everyone loves. He had his biggest pop hits three decades ago. An OGWT equivalent from 1977 would be having the show presented by Perry Como or Bing Crosby.
Manic Street Preachers - Hit band who started 20 years ago and had biggest hits 15 years ago. OGWT 77 equivalent might be The Shadows, Adam Faith or Billy Fury.
Dawn French - Bursts out of 250th episode birthday cake. Rose to fame 25 years ago, comedy peak 10 to 20 years ago. OGWT 77 equivalent would be Joyce Grenfell.
Mark Ronson - Band look very silly (one appears to be challenging Janet Street Porter) but would otherwise not have been out of place on OGWT
Herb Alpert - MOR act & label boss, heyday 42 years ago. OGWT 77 match Al Bowlly/ Eddie Cantor
Queen Amelie - Never heard of her, would go fine on OGWT 77, as would...
Klaxons
Finally Phil Collins sings Blame It On The Sun, a Stevie Wonder hit from 1972 - Where do I start? In Old Grey Whistle Test terms this is Al Jolson singing We'll Meet Again.
In short Jools Holland's Later is largely a history programme, with only a passing relevance to modern popular music. In 1970s terms it bears no resemblance to the Old Grey Whistle Test. OGWT only featured new music, with the main difference between it and TOTP being that acts had to have an album out, rather than just a single. Later adds the criterion that an act's career has to have been over for at least a generation.
It is much closer to another show that some very old people may recall from the 70s, the George Shearing show. Google it. Guy plays piano along with every act, average age 70. Remember where you heard it first.
Jools Holland - Our host is an amiable musician who everyone loves. He had his biggest pop hits three decades ago. An OGWT equivalent from 1977 would be having the show presented by Perry Como or Bing Crosby.
Manic Street Preachers - Hit band who started 20 years ago and had biggest hits 15 years ago. OGWT 77 equivalent might be The Shadows, Adam Faith or Billy Fury.
Dawn French - Bursts out of 250th episode birthday cake. Rose to fame 25 years ago, comedy peak 10 to 20 years ago. OGWT 77 equivalent would be Joyce Grenfell.
Mark Ronson - Band look very silly (one appears to be challenging Janet Street Porter) but would otherwise not have been out of place on OGWT
Herb Alpert - MOR act & label boss, heyday 42 years ago. OGWT 77 match Al Bowlly/ Eddie Cantor
Queen Amelie - Never heard of her, would go fine on OGWT 77, as would...
Klaxons
Finally Phil Collins sings Blame It On The Sun, a Stevie Wonder hit from 1972 - Where do I start? In Old Grey Whistle Test terms this is Al Jolson singing We'll Meet Again.
In short Jools Holland's Later is largely a history programme, with only a passing relevance to modern popular music. In 1970s terms it bears no resemblance to the Old Grey Whistle Test. OGWT only featured new music, with the main difference between it and TOTP being that acts had to have an album out, rather than just a single. Later adds the criterion that an act's career has to have been over for at least a generation.
It is much closer to another show that some very old people may recall from the 70s, the George Shearing show. Google it. Guy plays piano along with every act, average age 70. Remember where you heard it first.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Socks comic now available from Blurb.com
The Socks first comic, excitingly named The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre Comic, first appeared in December 2008 and has sold well in limited edition print runs since. Now it is available to order from Print on Demand company Blurb.com
Full of comic strip adaptations of some favourite Socks sketches including Halloween, Romeo & Juliet, Torchwool, Primarkeval & Life On Mars, the 64 page paperback comic book costs just £3.99 a copy. You can even preview the first 15 pages online:
As an extra novelty, you can even order a hardback version of the book for £12.95 should you fancy a rare deluxe version. The comic is available to anyone, anywhere in the world, and postage rates are on the site. The one disadvantage of Blurb is that postage to the UK costs a flat rate of £3.99 for up to three comics, which makes one copy a little bit pricey (so why not buy three?)
Spread the word and happy reading everyone.
Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre
Full of comic strip adaptations of some favourite Socks sketches including Halloween, Romeo & Juliet, Torchwool, Primarkeval & Life On Mars, the 64 page paperback comic book costs just £3.99 a copy. You can even preview the first 15 pages online:
As an extra novelty, you can even order a hardback version of the book for £12.95 should you fancy a rare deluxe version. The comic is available to anyone, anywhere in the world, and postage rates are on the site. The one disadvantage of Blurb is that postage to the UK costs a flat rate of £3.99 for up to three comics, which makes one copy a little bit pricey (so why not buy three?)
Spread the word and happy reading everyone.
Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
