Mark and Lard to leave Radio 1 and split

[weirdbeard]

BBC
DJs Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley, aka Mark and Lard, are to leave BBC Radio 1 for sister stations.
Mark Radcliffe will be joining Radio 2 later this year while Riley will join digital station 6 Music in April.

Radio 2 and 6 Music controller Lesley Douglas said: "I've been talking to them for a long time and I'm delighted to have secured their talents."

The Manchester duo, who hosted the breakfast show in 1997, built up a cult following with their brand of humour.

Well, that's goodbye to Radio 1 for me as well, nothing worth listening to now.  Have to boot up the Wavefinder next week and start recording some shows.

[TraceyQ]

They should have *fucking* left them alone on the *fucking* graveyard shift and none of this *fucking bollocks* would have happened.

Mind you, I only ever listen to Radio 2 or 6 music nowadays anyway, so no matter.

[Speciality meat product]

I thought it was their choice to leave the graveyard shift? Were they forced to move?

Apparently the 1-3pm slot will be filled by Scott Mills or Edith Bowman. Really, why would anyone bother tuning in to Radio 1?

I can't get Radio 6, my dial doesn't go up that high.

[fbb bastard]

methinks its for the best really.....they have jumped the shark on their combined shtick a good while back....the few times i tune into them i always detect radcliffe's barely concealed contempt for his sidesick/station/everybloody thing

biddily-biddly byeeeeeeeeee then........radio 2,xfm and (mostly) classic fm for me nowadays....only every listen to wun fm for steve lurpak and zan........whoops...enough of that...................

[Speciality meat product]

It's definitely for the best. Gets them both far far away from the constraints of the Radio 1 play list. Mark and Lard introduced me to a lot of the music that I still listen to now. It wouldn't have been the same if every other song was Christina Agraphobic and Daniel Be-ding-field.

Contempt for his sidekick? I doubt it.

[big dogs cock]

They should have gone before now, it just got to be irritating to hear them slag off the songs they were forced to play the last couple of years because I just thought 'well fucking LEAVE then, and then you can play stuff you want and be ace again'.

It's a shame they're splitting up, (surely they're still mates fbb?) I would have loved them to recreate the graveyard shift on 6music.  R1's absolutely laughable nowadays, I don't know anyone who actually likes music who can tolerate it for a second.

Looking forward to the new shows anyhow.

[Alberon]

I think they're still mates, the banter on the air never sounds forced to me. But I suppose this is the right move for Riley. I mean, they were a duo, but he's still effectively playing second banana to Radcliffe so it's understandable that he wants to head his own show.

This has been on the cards for months (and they've been heavily hinting at it on their shows for ages). I seem to remember that they quite heavy-handedly mentioned how great Radio 2 and 6Music were.

Ah well, it means I can dump Radio 1 which is a complete waste of time now and buy a digital radio.

[dan dirty ape]

Ahhhh, the graveyard shift.  'Billy Bollockchops', Mark Kermode's Cult Movies, regular plays of Possum Dixon, Pathelogical News, 'Lust For Tripe'.

I was always tired on school mornings thanks to those two. Remember 'Out On Blue Six' as well?

[The Plaque Goblin]

Did they replace or get replaced with Nicky Campbell who kept doing literary quizzes?

[dan dirty ape]

They replaced him.  I remember Campbell used to try and guess every callers' starsign, and played horrible Gary Davies style 'qualidee' music, which is why Mark and Lard were such a breath of fresh air for an insomniac teenager like myself.

[mwude]

The graveyard shift, fucking marvellous it was.  Introduced me to John Shuttleworth amongst other things.  Top music presented by a pair of mancs clearly up for laugh & getting paid for it.

As regards Radio 1 - the output after midnight is still pretty good.  Breezeblock, Rock Show, Gilles Peterson, 1 World, etc.  I don't like everything in those shows, but there's enough good stuff in each to make me think that Radio 1 still has a purpose.  As for daytime radio 1 there doesn't seem to be any difference any more between the shows they broadcast and every tin-pot local radio shite.  So what's the point in listening to music radio at all during the day time?

[The Plaque Goblin]

Ah yes, I remember when Campbell started getting in UFO researchers which must have been 1991, because it fuelled my interest in that stuff back then.

Radciffe would make a good replacement for John Peel when the time comes, or won't Radio1 bother?

[morgs]

Out On Blue Six was class....  I have just about given up on Radio 1 as it is (see my Brit Awards rant elsewhere)

[chand]

As regards Radio 1 - the output after midnight is still pretty good.  Breezeblock, Rock Show, Gilles Peterson, 1 World, etc.  I don't like everything in those shows, but there's enough good stuff in each to make me think that Radio 1 still has a purpose.  As for daytime radio 1 there doesn't seem to be any difference any more between the shows they broadcast and every tin-pot local radio shite.  So what's the point in listening to music radio at all during the day time?

I agree, compared to commercial radio, Radio 1 is still a wondrous thing, and you can add John Peel's show to the list of stuff that makes it worthwhile. I have great memories of listening to the Festive Fifty on my way to visit my girlfriend and hearing Asa-Chang & Junray's 'Hana' unexpectedly instead of the stuff that's on every other radio station.

Still, I never understood why Mark And Lard were forced to play so much playlist nonsense, Radio 1 shouldn't have to pander to record companies  at any time of day, being a public service broadcaster. I'm sure no-one would have complained if they let the boy Radcliffe dispense with playing Big Brovaz, and it's not like you can't hear Pink records anywhere else.

[Bogey]

There are few things I miss more that the old Graveyard shift.
It absolutely epitomises nostalgia for me. I think I was about seventeen when it croaked, but for those three short years it opened my eyes to the world... of buying CDs. All the vicarious visceral pleasures of the teenager/young adult beckoned, and then it went away, and none of it came true. It's been downhill ever since.
If he goes to Radio 2, do you think he'll have to play Dido?
I hope poetry corner comes back.

::s i g h::