So 2011 is almost done and what a strange year it’s been in some ways for yours truly – mostly in a musical sense! Having to leave the ultimate tribute band (Dressed To Kill natch), helping out 2 others and now, as the year draws to a close I’m finally getting the chance to be at my most musically creative – namely, to record my own album of original material.
Just by chance whilst channel hopping the other night, I stumbled across Later With Jools Holland on BBC2 and in particular a performance that he was introducing from Metallica and Lou Reed – together at last, eh? Not bloody likely.
I am just one of countless broadcasters (especially in the sporting field) who is asked one question more than any other – namely “How did you get into radio?” or sometimes, as it was asked by a chap who met me at Gems TV once “How the hell did YOU get into radio?” Seriously, it has been asked in that way without the slightest concern over my reaction to the tone of it. Charming.
Arsenal win 5-3? at Chelsea? Man City win 6-1 at United? United thump Arsenal 8-2? What the Dickens is going on in English football? Freak results come along of course...Spurs thumping Wigan 9-1 at the Lane 2 years ago for example - but we're barely a quarter of the way into the season and those 25 goals in 3 games between Champions League sides have rightly raised questions about the balance English sides are trying to strike between offensive ideals and defensive solidity.
I do love my rock biography films.
Thanks to the recent ‘Back and Forth’ DVD I’ve been playing Foo Fighters stuff constantly on my iPod and subconsciously wishing I was Dave Grohl.
It’s not often you get to meet one of your heroes, never mind act as his personal shreeve for a weekend and introduce him to the delights of the Balti. But that’s what happened when I met a total hero of mine in 1996.
It’s coming up for a decade since the most terrifying day of my life. Not a week goes by when I’m not reminded of the morning when I was carjacked/kidnapped in broad daylight in the centre of Birmingham.
The day had started like so many in 2001. I was presenting 4-7pm Drivetime at BRMB Radio with my ‘Barmy Brummies’ show, but in order to prepare all the sketches and songs we wrote every day to keep the programme fresh, it meant coming into work at around 10am to do stuff with my co-writer Sean and record it all from lunchtime into the early afternoon.
I have more in common with Dave Grohl than I first thought.
Not only am I a drummer who plays guitar and sings his own songs, but having watched the brilliant ‘Back & Forth’ Foo Fighters DVD documentary the other day, one of the first things he said was about the recurring dream he used to have as a kid where he’d be at a concert and the announcement comes over the PA saying “I’m afraid the gig is cancelled as the drummer tonight has broken his arm…unless there’s a drummer in the house who can play the songs…?”
Been a while since my last blog and a fair amount has been happening to be fair – new band, eventful holiday (I shan’t bore you with the detail on that one – suffice to say that Carry On Abroad was actually a documentary) and a new show time for me on talkSPORT.
Jeremy Kyle is, oddly enough, someone I can call a good friend. I say oddly because you may not be aware that we worked together twice in my radio life and first time round was when he was nowhere near settling rows between warring factions of families happy to air their dirty laundry to ever-increasing audience figures.
