You

All you need to do is tune in to the station on Thursday nights from Midnight. In one short hour you will be taken on a musical trip that will ultimately capture and invigorate your aural senses. The show is called The Spirit of Radio and the reason you need to listen to it is simple…no other stimulus attacks all five senses like music. Music can take you to place you have only in a memory, or a place only in your fantasy.

Me

My music influences came from the real era of radio in South Africa, crediting the likes of Chris Prior, Rafe Levin, Leon Economedis and Phil Wright as the professors of the golden music era. Along with their knowledge and a youthful passion and desire to know more and more about music, I landed up working my way into the music industry via music retail and then to Sony Music in the late 90’s, first in sales and later as Strategic Marketing Manager. Once the music bug enters your veins, you are infected and there is no turning back. Today I earn my living, still in the music industry and head up Sales and A&R for a little engine that could, called IRIS. IRIS is a music distributor for independent labels and is where the future of the local music business is.

So where was the turning point? It probably started with that little ole’ band from Texas, ZZ Top, which was the first band I ever idolised. It started with two albums they released in the 80’s (Eliminator and Afterburner) and then I discovered their 70’s stuff, which opened the doors to all the other sound of the 70’s and before both Rock, Jazz, Blues and others. Then I discovered Pink Floyd and everything changed. Many, many days were spent discovering and dissecting the music and the band. In the days before the internet, and during the 80’s when the flow of information in South Africa was seriously lacking due to the political situation, radio was one of the areas that was the bastion of information on music. During that era, great DJs like Chris Prior, Rafe Levin and Phil Wright made radio the solace of the disenfranchised and made music discovery a necessity.

And who are that bands that really matter? It all starts and ends with Pink Floyd, but interspersed with heavy duty Led Zeppelin, Rush, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and sprinkled with the likes of CCR, Taj Mahal, Dylan and topped off with some fresher sounds of Pearl Jam, Radiohead and Rage Against The Machine. The truth is that these bands are only one tiny portion of the music I have come to love and it spans, Jazz, Rock, Metal, Blue Grass, Punk, Reggae and everything in between and around. It would be difficult to box me, and the only way to stay on top of the music is to tune in and come for the ride.

I believe in the philosophy that music is an emotive thing. I liken it to an oil painting. Two people could walk past the same painting and one could think it is complete garbage while the other could think it is the most important image they have ever seen. Music is the only medium that demands an opinion. No one says they are indifferent to a song, they either love it, hate it, but never say it doesn’t matter. Everybody has an opinion on music, and I am no different.

The Powers That Be

The reason the show is called The Spirit Of Radio is partly inspired by the title of the Rush song, but it is more about the reality that the true spirit of radio lies with DJs who still have say over the music they play. A lot of them can be heard on the Rockfest and that is blessing. In this age of formatted radio even once great jocks have been reduced to mere radio announcers. On 1485 Radio Today, the Rockfest in particular, you will here real radio, warts and all. If you don’t like it, turn the dial.

What can you expect on the show? The shows are generally, vaguely themed, either by era, genre or some other criteria I may choose. Who can you expect to hear? Led Zep, John Hiatt, Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam, Counting Crows, Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Sting and The Police, Traffic, Taj Mahal, LKJ, Bruce Dickinson, Bruce Springsteen, no Meatloaf, The Waterboys, Keb Mo, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Modest Mouse, The Specials, Bauhuas, Ramases, Screaming Headless Torsos, Neil Young, The Clash, Johnny Cash, Alison Kraus and way too many to mention.

There is also the feature called I Haven’t Heard That Song In Ages, which is the part where I try and find rare tracks and songs people haven’t heard on the radio in a while, or more especially songs they may have forgotten or cannot find in their local record store.

And the small issue of some industry news from time to time, my sordid opinions on the state of the universe and why I hate Whitney Houston…

Every Thursday Midnight to 1am

The Spirit Of Radio supports responsible broadcasting. No brain damage, earache or heart failures will be accepted. Listeners must be prepared to rock.