Another day.....

And still no news. Is this ever going to happen? I guess so, it's just odd being in a position where you can't really envisage any other way than how things are now. anyway, I'm sitting here, having wrapped up the downloads for today, listening to the total GENIUS that is "Double Nickels On The Dime", and breathing in the subtle smell of curry in the air (made a coconut lamb curry last night) It's making me hungry, and I've only just finished my breakfast!
And what do you think of my new Xfm poster campaign?

It's been rather busy on the gig front (for once)

Which means I've been living the rock'n'roll lifestyle once again, so please forgive the lack of updates. Last weekend was the Wireless festival in Hyde Park, which is always a pleasure to attend. When I worked for Xfm, we were instrumental in the launch process for Wireless (we were one of the launch partners, and it was I who announced the festival to the press at a photocall in the Islington Academy). I was the first DJ to go onstage an announce one of the bands (the Rakes, on the main stage, IIRC) so there's always a place in my heart for Wireless. It was great to be back there as part of a new, confident, forward-thinking radio team, but slightly sad to meet some of my old work mates and see how things have fallen away at Xfm. Here's a station which, from it's position as sole broadcaster from the site, was now relegated to selectively highlighting parts of the festival, and no longer had a dedicated "stage" either. I still hope that any new management structure will sweep away the last vestiges of the idiotic middle management cronies from GWR who placed Xfm in such a parlous state.
The actual gigs? Well, I saw......fragments of bands, as I was somewhat occupied in clebrating the end of a truly successfull week at NME Radio. Here's to many, many more. However, I would say: turn it up a bit. Fatboy Slim was WAY too quiet. Pah.

Last night saw the completely welcome return of Lowgold to London, for another Islington show. They dedicated "Let Me Into Yours" to me, which flabbergasted me; though not as much as the actual song itself, which was the best i've ever seen them play it. I was left, just like last time, with a tear in my eye. They're still the best band of the last 10 years for me, and in an ideal world, they'd be much bigger than they currently are.

More glum faces at Xfm....

As they've now reduced their weekly quota of local programming across the network by 25%. It makes me particularly sad, as I was one of the people who tried hard to put across how useful we'd be on a local level ( I'm thinking specifically of the work I did around the South Wales RSL) It's galling to see Xfm renege on its promises, but I suspect this process of harrying ofcom into accepting less and less of what Xfm actually set out to do, will continue, and may actually accelerate.

Well, don't say I didn't tell you.....

Far be it for me to claim to be some sort of visionary (let's face it, anyone could see it coming)
But here's what I predicted: Xfm's audience collapsing.
The station is now in serious trouble, and I wouldn't put it past their new owners to be thinking long and hard about some fairly drastic measures (rebrand? close it down? wholesale redundancies?) when they finally take over. It's coming up to noon, which means the staff at 30 Leicester Square will be gathering for a RAJAR debriefing. There will be some long faces, a lot of shuffling feet, and some VERY frightened people in that meeting- oh, to be a fly on the wall!
My hope, is as ever, that the good people there can be given time to show their true potential, and that the morons responsible for the sorry decline of a once-proud station are summarily despatched to the Job Centre.

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha

I shouldn't laugh really, but it's such a wonderful feeling to be proved right.
Xfm returns DJ's to its daytime schedule.
So, the "revolutionary experiment" is over. And for those of you out there who bought Xfm's excuse that it was all about giving power back to the listener, finding a new and exciting way to engage with the audience, all of that claptrap.....let me just tell you this: I can tell you, for a fact, that it was only done to save money. They did all of that, they destroyed the sound and the credibility of the station I loved so much, just to cut corners and save cash. May they rot in hell!
Actually, 2 of the people responsible for the disastrous XU have already found themselves redundant, so once the remaining culprits go as well....then I'll finally open that bottle of champagne and toast their departure. So long, suckers.

Morning all.......

Today, this story has been making me smile, and the headline is just GENIUS :)
It was another one of those Monday journeys into London; and it's always the same once I reach Victoria- the station and Tube is awash with idiot tourists dragging the world's BIGGEST suitcases behind them. Seriously, what's up with the huge cases? Why? Why?
These morons seem intent on dislocating their own shoulders dragging these behemoths behind them, risking heart attacks as they clatter down the stairs into the tube...
what can they be carrying in these cases? This morning, three women were carrying a case the size of a small CAR down to the Victoria line :(