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Monday 27 February 2012

Pork Pies, Boiler Maintenance And Happy Birthday Johnny Cash

For some reason, we forgot to do a photo with Jake Morley after he performed in the studio with us. So here is a cheeky picture of him setting up.

We were on excellent form tonight, and it is a scandal that BBC 6Music haven't yet given us the Saturday 10am-1pm slot. Maybe the listeners should refuse to pay their TV Licence until they see sense. It isn't like they aren't informed about the show, this is just ignorance on their part.

Jake Morley joined us in the studio, which was a session that I have particularly been looking forward to. Not that I don't enjoy the live acts, but Jake is the founding member of my 'I played them before 6Music' club.

We inadvertently became pork pie experts, based on the fact that I brought in a cheap nasty packet of the things from Asda. This was quite a good thread that I'm hoping to carry on with, if 6Music don't want us, then we could go on This Morning with pork pie analysis. Erik told a rather sad pork pie related story, we touched on boiler trouble, I accidentally made a wanking reference, and much much more!

The mid-range Asda pork pie was okay. The meat had a reasonable texture although the overall pie was very peppery.

We played the usual high quality mix of musical delights.

Bernard Bresslaw 'You Need Feet'
Johnny Cash 'The Ways Of A Woman In Love'
Stereo MCs 'Connected'
Johnny Cash 'Sunday Morning Coming Down'
Choking Susan 'Liar Liar'
Damn Vandals 'Can't Go Dancing When You're Gone' (another member of the 'I played them before 6Music' club)
Breadchasers 'Hold 'Em High'

Jake Morley 'Freddie Laid The Smackdown'
'The Light' (performed live in session, watch the video here)
'Sideline' (performed live in session, watch the video here)
'Feet Don't Fail Me Now'

The Baron Knights 'Then He Kicked Me'
Blur 'Coffee and TV'
The Frank And Walters 'Funky Cold Medina'
Johnny Cash 'A Boy Named Sue'
Johnny Cash 'Hurt'
Status Quo ' Rocking All Over The World' (this week's 'dad rock' classic)

Sunday 19 February 2012

Just Me

I was flying solo tonight, Erik putting his commitment to The Evening Post, (as I still call it) first. It was a bit of a blow as when BBC6Music listen, (and Elizabeth Mahoney, the radio critic from The Guardian), they won’t experience the full potential of the show. Our suitability for the 6Music Saturday 10am-1pm slot is based on our double act, as that time slot is very much the comedy slot, having been presented by Adam and Joe, and Richard Herring and Andrew Collins, Andrew Collins and Josie Long and now Peter Serefinowic for six weeks.
Erik will be back next week, and we are also plotting to start a series of podcasts independent of Trent Sound.

I wasn’t totally alone however, as I had a live session guest, Nottingham singer/songwriter Will Jeffery.

As with my solo shows, there was a heavier emphasis on music. I tend to slip back into my John Peel mode when I’m on my own.

Stanley Holloway ‘Any Old Iron’
Sultans Of Ping FC ‘I’m In Love With A Football Hooligan’
Jesus Jones ‘The Devil You Know’
The Pointed Sticks ‘Out Of Luck’
The Specials ‘Gangsters’
The Barnum Meserve ‘Broken Window’
Jake Morley ‘Many Fish To Fry’

Will Jeffery ‘The Day Off’
‘Dance Hall’ (performed live, watch the video here)
‘Dorothy Jean’ (performed live, watch the video here)
‘Bucket And Spade’

Guns n’ Roses ‘Dust and Bones’
Emily Needs ‘Joy Of Hearts’
Judge Dread ‘Rudy (A Message To You)’

Trevor And Simon ‘I Love My Shirt’ (top of the hour comedy song)
The Fall ‘Blindness’
Eddie And The Hot Rods ‘Teenage Depression’
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine ‘Lean On Me I Won’t Fall Over’
Calling All Astronauts ‘Someone Like You’
Marc Reeves ‘Nightmare’
Motorhead ‘Ace Of Spades’
George Formby ‘Ace Of Spades’ (original version of the Motorhead classic from the 1930s, or was it?)
Long Dead Signal ‘Asleep At The Wheel’
BreadChasers ‘This Will Be Better’
Ghosts Wear Clothes ‘Stay Indoors And Watch The Buildings Burn’
The Cult Of Dom Keller ‘Beyond Burning Skies’
Rainbow ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ (new feature, every show ends with a dad rock classic)

Sunday 12 February 2012

Rest In Peace Our Not Really Dead Friend

Erik was back with a vengeance tonight, and the show rolled along on fine comedy form. We have really established a fine double act now that I hope continues. The BBC are still dragging their heels over offering us the Saturday 10am-1pm slot on 6Music, having just given the comedian Peter Serafinowicz six week run. I assume that we’ll be taking over from him.

Sadly, the booked turn, The Barnum Meserve had to cancel due to flu, but we still provided a solid gold two hours. We have such a stream of subjects to riff on that I can barely remember everything about it, but we mentioned myspace, face book, accordions, Whoopee John, (two interlinked recurring themes of the show) and even returned to the Bobbersmill Transport Cafe. The big topic of the night was our attempt to start the rumour that my old co-presenter Chris Underwood had been killed, overshadowing, (for us) the death today of Whitney Houston.

Chris Underwood is not dead.

Yes he is.

No he isn’t.

My daughter was listening tonight, as she is staying with us for half term, and as the show is on a school night she doesn’t often get to hear it. She seems to think that all we talk about is dead people, and given that we opened with Whoopee John, and killed a friend (albeit fictitiously), she had a point. For some reason, Betty White came into our conversation. We had already pointed out that everyone we mention dies, so went to great lengths not to suggest she was dead. The last remaining Golden Girl is very much alive, and especially as she is more likely to sue us that Chris. The whole Internet rumour riff gave me yet another chance to air my now legendary Adam West story, which I am still very proud of. I also made a comment about September 11th being the date of the first show I did on Trent Sound, and that being what September 11th will be remembered for. It’s funny because it isn’t the only reason.

Believe it or not, we managed to play some music too:

Max Miller ‘Let’s Have A Ride On Your Bicycle’
Nine Inch Nails ‘Head Like A Hole’
‘Entry Of The Gladiator’ (otherwise known as ‘the circus music’, which we have taken as our theme tune)
The Whoopee John Orchestra ‘In Heaven There Is No Beer’
Yunioshi ‘CTRL’
Alanis Morrisette ‘Ironic’ (played for Mandi as a birthday present)
Altered Images ‘Happy Birthday’
The Barnum Meserve ‘Autumn Park’
‘If You Had A Heart It Would Be Made Of Glass’
Terry Scott ‘My Brother’ (I always top the hour with a comedy tune)
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine ‘This Is How It Feels’
Coldplay ‘Paradise’ (played for my daughter, it was either this or Wand Erection. As much as I hate Coldplay, this seemed the better choice)
In The North Wood ‘For What It Is’
The Highliners ‘The Benny Hill Boogie’
Theme from The Muppet Show
(both the above played as the most inappropriate tributes to our dead/not really dead friend Chris Underwood)
Prince ‘Kiss’
The Toy Dolls ‘The Devil Went Down To Scunthorpe’
Rebel Territory ‘On The Rock And Roll’
Pop Will Eat Itself ‘Can You Dig It?’

Monday 6 February 2012

Snowed In Band And A Poorly Co-host

The band were travelling to Nottingham from Manchester, so understandably postponed due to the snow. Erik was off sick with the flu, so less comedy banter and more music was the order of the day.

Charles Penrose 'The Laughing Policeman'
Sex Pistols 'Holidays In The Sun'
The Smiths 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now'
8mm Orchestra 'One Small Step'
Dubwiser 'Bang Up'
Sapphire Lane 'Huntdown'
'Outcast'
Skin The Pig 'Room 121'
Talk To Angels 'Hickory Dickory'
'Off The Radar'
The Golden Troubadours 'I See Your Face'
Damn Vandals 'Can't Go Dancing When You're Gone'
Will Jefferey 'Heavy Hearted Man'
Johnny Cash 'Cats In The Cradle'
Jasper Carrot 'Funky Moped'
The Who 'Won't Get Fooled Again'
The Barnum Meserve 'Autumn Park'
Long Dead Signal 'Black Waltz'
Choking Susan 'Smeared Lipstick'
'Someone Else's Face'
Forever Never 'Scared To Scarred'
Inspiral Carpets 'This Is How It Feels'
Black Sabbath 'War Pigs'
The Lemonheads 'Mrs Robinson'
Jesus Jones 'The Devil You Know'
Dinasaur Jnr 'Start Chopping'