Resonance FM Blog

Well having spent almost a week at the Freize here is a round up of my best bits. The first day was quiet. We were picked up from Resonance HQ by a bloke named Jay. A salt of the earth young cab driver, who banged on about driving Ferrari’s at track days. We heard the news that a hot water tank full of boiling water had exploded on top of St. Eligius hospital. This took out the Resonance FM transmitter. Still the show must go on and MP3 streams were not affected.
The next day was the opening. although we were not due to start broadcasting till the following day. We were all there, and what is more there is a party. I had called into to HQ to take some equipment over and everything was fine. I get to the fair and realize I need a couple of 9v batteries. I put my jacket on and head to the exit. I arrive at the exit at the same time as Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson. It was also when the rain came down in much the same proportions as in the Nick Cave song ‘The Carnie’. Chuck got his man to drive up to the exit so he wouldn’t get wet. I went back to the res fm booth and phoned HQ. Which was now flooded. On the way back to the booth I politely nodded and said hello to one of the chaps from Project who were working with Resonance as he walked past. Claudia Schiffer thought I was talking to her and faked knowing me, which isn’t so bad. Back at the booth one half of every red tops favorite addict couple Kate Moss was looking blankly at one of Bob and Roberta Smith’s signs. The party started and Richard Thomas appeared at Freize for the first time, along with Ed Baxter and Ben Drew.

The first day of broadcasting went well, the fish bowl nature of the booth meant that people would stair and make faces. On Friday morning Kris Marshall (from the oh so touching and funny BT ad’s and ‘My Family’) even did a Bart Simpson style lip press on the glass. Sadly I’d not had my coffee and didn’t realize who he was till after he’d gone. The same day Nicky Wire waved, but I was to busy engineering Cecilia Wee’s show to get him on air. I later sent our own Welsh Mr T out to get an interview, but had gone. Alfredo Genovesi turned the clock back and did some wonderful vox pops from around the fair. He was joined in this by Glue Peters Michael Garrad. Over the weekend Joanna Callaghan and Russell Martin hosted some great shows. More people came into the booth. Although David, sorry Dave Cameron walked past at a rate of knots. Sunday was more chilled out. Okay so we were all cream crackerd (and I hadn’t been drinking the night before) we de rigged and I had to give Bob Smith receipts for his own work so he could get it out of the building. Who says bureaucracy is dead?

Let’s hope that Resonance will return to the Freize again next year, and that the whole fair doesn’t move up the M1 to the city that gave us Ozzy and Howard. It is always good meet the listeners, as with out listeners Resonance wouldn’t be anything. A good time was had by all, even if the water situation was a bit much!

After our late summer break, the Bike Show is back on air, usual time:

Mondays 6.30pm-7pm.

This week’s show was about a long, long ride from Fargo, North Dakota to New Orleans, Louisiana following the Mississippi River. Kieron Yates made this journey over the summer on a fixed wheel bike with just a saddlebag for all his worldly possessions, which included a microphone and a recorder. Safely back home, he joins me in in conversation and we play music and interviews from along the way. The journey took in frozen Mormons, naked yoga, Klan-survivors, sweat and heat, roadkill, cheap motels and plenty of down home blues. Second half next Monday the 9th October. Listen to the first half on the player below (if some kind soul / blog administrator would install the Wordpress audio player plugin!).

And we have some tickets to give away to the Cycle Show 2006, on this weekend down at the Docklands ExCel centre. Price is normally £10. Eddy Merckx is rumoured to be putting in an appearance on Saturday. You heard it here first.  Just send an email to bikeshow@gmail.com or give me a call 07973 155 278. First come first served.

Chapeaux!

Jack & l’équipe vélo club de Resonance

After a 3 month hiatus the deXter Bentley Hello Goodbye show returns to Resonance FM from Saturday 7th October.
Tune in for regular gig listings and a deluge of LIVE music!

Saturday 7th October, noon - 1.30pm

Joining deXter Bentley on the Hello Goodbye show this afternoon are both Victoria Yeulet & Benjamin Prosser, who together make songs that draw from their mutual loves of old-time, blues, country, folk, gospel, r’n'b and rockabilly, which they practice on wooden floors with tape players, voices, pedals and tea. Victoria Yeulet currently sings with the Television Personalities and has toured providing backing vocal’s with San Francisco’s The Husbands,as well as working on her own solo vocal projects. Benjamin Prosser has been writing and recording songs for many years, self releasing his tunes and also having released a solo LP ‘Blues for Harpo’ on Sexton Ming’s ‘Rim’ label. Most recently he released a 7″ on the Fitzrovian Phonographic label, one side featuring his current band The Tap Collective.
www.myspace.com/victoriayeuletandbenjaminprosser

Also live in session is the French chanteuse Vale Poher of whom it has been said, ‘strikes her guitar with a passion verging on the vitriolic’. VP is currently touring her debut LP ‘Mute’ throughout the UK.
www.myspace.com/valepoher

Saturday 14th October, noon - 1.30pm

NO HELLO GOODBYE SHOW DUE TO OUTSIDE BROADCAST FROM THE FRIEZE ART FAIR!

Saturday 21st October, noon - 1.30pm

Performing LIVE in session on the show today with his folk-punk quintet is Sergeant Buzfuz, whose sharp edged songs of modern life are finely embellished with the aid of blanging guitars, soaring strings and ethereal dulcimer. Sergeant Buzfuz is one of the leading lights of the British Anti-Folk scene and runs his own monthly gig night ‘BLANG!’ where over the past few years he has helped to nurture many other like minded artists.
www.myspace.com/sergeantbuzfuz

Also live in session is A-Line who are Gemma Tortella, Caryl Mann and Sam Barton. The songs are written by Gemma who has recently acquired a ukulele and has found some blues and psychedlia in its (black) strings. With flutes and trumpets, harps and harmonies A-Line are a bit like Nancy Sinatra, Coco Rosie and Tom Waits. They wear matching outfits whenever possible. They are all Welsh. Gemma is also in Burly Q, London’s best in every way burlesque troupe. She is also know as Miss Anna Kronist, everyone’s favourite 1930’s country singer.
www.myspace.com/alinemusic

Saturday 28th October, noon - 1.30pm

LIVE in session this afternoon is 4tRECK (AKA Sam Callow). Utilising piano, guitar, violin, accordion, percussion and voice (along with some idiosyncratic home-made stringed instruments), 4tRECK creates music of an essentially melancholic nature. Born out of spontaneous improvisation and chance, his compositions can at times sound a little illogical but are always inventive and most importantly entertaining.
www.myspace.com/4treck

Also putting in an appearance with his ‘dark, cabaret, blues’ will be Thee Intolerable Kidd. Performing a set of songs taken from his eponymous debut LP (this hot off the press 9track album is FREE OF CHARGE! if you e-mail your address to: theeintolerablekidd@googlemail.com)
www.myspace.com/theeintolerablekidd
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www.dexterbentley.com