Topic: Minor 6 Music Shake-Up

[holyzombiejesus]

Adam & Joe about 10 years ago aside, I have never listened to 6 Music. I'd really like to but my DAB radio can't get a reception where I live now . Is it only people who listen on phones and laptops that hear this stuff?

[crankshaft]

Does anyone here like the current daytime weekday schedule? I find Shaun Keaveny utterly annoying in the afternoon and I don't really have much time for Mary Ann Hobbs anymore either. We have 6 music on all day at work and Mary Anne Hobbs is by far the most likely DJ to get turned off. I know Radcliffe and Maconie annoyed some people but I really miss them in the afternoon now. They did great interviews and when the banter was good they could be really funny.

No, can't stand them. Laverne is a great broadcaster saddled with doing Pitchfork New Music On The Radio over breakfast, which doesn't work. Mary Anne Hobbs playing club bangers in the AM is death. Keavney, who I like, sounds lost in the afternoon. Then it's Landfill Indie Fest For 50+ White Men with Lamacq. No thank you.

Weekends aren't much better; the "divorced dads at sports day" forced grinning of Radcliffe & Maconie is, once again, death. They're a duo consisting of one great, capable broadcaster and one Stuart Maconie, and it's shit. Break it up with unfunny novelty features ("Crisps On The Radio"! My sides!) and snippets of old TV themes and you get Radio Dignitas. Kershaw's departure can't come soon enough, either - awful broadcaster presenting a true smorgasbord of awkwardness on air, even before you read up on what she's like behind the scenes.

6 Music has bit too cosy. Loads of cosy muso mates getting shows on the air but also mysteriously making the playlist. A sense of "well hello there fellow kids" by having a desperate, see-what-sticks mishmash of new music with no throughline. Meanwhile there's wall-to-wall Idles clones from Lamacq. All mixed up with the occasional indie hit from pre-2000 so that 6 Music 50+ Dad Crew doesn't throw a wobbly. The whole thing needs a Bannister / Dann enema.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Adam & Joe about 10 years ago aside, I have never listened to 6 Music. I'd really like to but my DAB radio can't get a reception where I live now . Is it only people who listen on phones and laptops that hear this stuff?

It's on freeview (and satellite/cable) as well if that helps.

[Norton Canes]

the "divorced dads at sports day" forced grinning of Radcliffe & Maconie is, once again, death. They're a duo consisting of one great, capable broadcaster and one Stuart Maconie

As always when people slate Maconie I have to say I broadly agree, but he is brilliant on The Freak Zone.

[crankshaft]

As always when people slate Maconie I have to say I broadly agree, but he is brilliant on The Freak Zone.

Yeah, he's got good taste on Freak Zone, but his presenting style is awful, and I didn't appreciate him suddenly being all "actually I should have been nice about Cardiacs" 35 years too late when Tim Smith died. And I'm not even a fan.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I'm also not really keen on Maconie and when paired with Radcliffe (who I don't mind) I agree it's like a more mature and slightly more learned smashy and nicey.

Another mildly annoying thing about 6 is they sometimes get interesting people to sit in, and then you never really hear from them again. It would be amazing if they gave someone like Pauline Black a residency, and Leila Moss was pretty amazing too

[Norton Canes]

Oh, forgot Riley. Biggest obstacle to liking him is that teeth-grindingly fucking awful jingle he always kicks off his show with: "MAAARK MARK MARK MARK MARK MARK, MARK MAAARK! MARK MARK MARK MARK"

Pulling skin off face just thinking about it

[Head Gardener]

I find Mary err.. Anne umm.. Hobbs hard work to listen to especially her insistence to shoe horn bloody station checks on just about every link, which may be some law she has to abide too but makes me change over to Radio 5 for a bit of respite and her 'I'm doing this a bit stoned' shtick is wearying. I bumped into/bought off Liz Kershaw several times over the years flogging her promo cd's at Milton Keynes car boots. It always surprised me that she was getting rid of stuff like Nick Cave and Tom Waits as many of the discs were still sealed like she never had any intention of playing them out and just turned them over for cash, pretty mercenary really. I always assumed she never played good stuff on her show anyway, though I never listened as her voice just got on my wick tbh.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Oh, forgot Riley. Biggest obstacle to liking him is that teeth-grindingly fucking awful jingle he always kicks off his show with: "MAAARK MARK MARK MARK MARK MARK, MARK MAAARK! MARK MARK MARK MARK"

Pulling skin off face just thinking about it

He never used to burble and stumble over his words like he does with Maconie when he was with Riley did he?

[shiftwork2]

Terrific news about Liz Kershaw.  She was a dog egg in a pretty good Saturday line up.  Still listen to Peterson and I’ve had a longstanding soft spot for Craig Charles.

During the week it’s not quite right.  Laverne doesn’t work at breakfast, Hobbs is unlistenable to me and Steve Lamacq is an unfathomable mystery with his dull taste, voice and anecdotes.  Keaveney is less bad in his current slot.  Have to confess I quite like Chris Hawkins.

[homesickalien]

Not alot to add but as Keaveney seems to get a bit of stick I just wanted to say I like him. 

He has a good rapport and is sharp with people who phone in and guests.

I like Matt Everitt.

I've listened when there's some pretty depressing news stories going on and he has a good heart and his show has certainly lifted my spirits in those times.

His show is repetitive but I genuinely enjoy it. 

[lankyguy95]

Mary Anne Hobbs frustrates me in that I frequently really like her musical choices but her voice is so cloying that I can't get through it.

[shiftwork2]

It’s not even the actual voice, it’s her presenting style.  Everything’s the most amazing thing ever and it’s exhausting to listen to.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

The time must rapidly be approaching when Radio 2 will cater to the over 50 indie dad crowd. What will 6 Music be then?

[shiftwork2]

Radio 2 Extra, which it should have been called from outset.

[Malcy]

Mary Anne Hobbs frustrates me in that I frequently really like her musical choices but her voice is so cloying that I can't get through it.

I regularly shout at her to shut the fuck up and flick over to R2. She just drones on and on. " this is the latest release from an unknown Slovakian label with 2 members of staff who get their artists to record their tracks in an old cave in the hills of.." oh shut the fuck up!

The time must rapidly be approaching when Radio 2 will cater to the over 50 indie dad crowd. What will 6 Music be then?

I don't know about that. Increasing amounts of chart shite. You can hear the absolute boredom in Ken Bruce's voice as he tries to sound like what he has just played is any good.

[lankyguy95]

It’s not even the actual voice, it’s her presenting style.  Everything’s the most amazing thing ever and it’s exhausting to listen to.

Yeah but it's also the actual voice.

[Phil_A]

Hawkins has had an impressively long career at the station given his evident mediocrity. I guess being the guy who's willing to do all the shitty early slots counts for a lot.

Regardless of the individual DJs, the biggest problem with 6 during weekdays, and this is definitely something that becomes apparent when you're listening all day, is that the playlist gives everything a stultifying, suffocating uniformity. You know you're going to be hearing the same few tunes played over and over again regardless of who's hosting, and it's clear that element of the station's music policy overrides everything else. I don't know how many times I've heard that one song by Dry Cleaning and I'm not sure I could actually tell you how it goes. Everything has to be "on message" all the time

My feeling is that, having narrowly avoided getting shut-down a decade ago, once the station finally established a schedule that was actually growing an audience, they've been unwilling to make any dramatic changes to the existing line-up. When they did the last big schedule reshuffle a couple of years back there was the opportunity to get some new talent in but instead it was like musical chairs but they forgot to take any of the chairs away.

It's notable that there are no comedians hosting now, no equivalent to what Adam & Joe used to do. I think the last attempt at that was Peter Serafinowicz's sadly short-lived weekend show - nine years ago! I also really miss Jarvis's Sunday Service.

[Tokyo van Ramming]

Is Hawkins the Welsh guy? I think I've heard him sit in on some other shows and it was a bit dull.

He isn't Welsh. You're probably thinking of Huw Stephens.

[Jockice]

Just to defend Lamacq he's of the same age group as me (just checked. He's nearly a year older) and obviously grew up listening to the same music as I did. His show does contain quite a bit of landfill but occasionally he plays an absolute gem that I'd forgotten about.

(Suppose you're wanting my 'meeting Lamacq' story. It was at a concert circa 1991, which he was reviewing for the NME but they hadn't supplied him with a hotel room, so he had nowhere to stay. So in a fit of kindness (and because the woman I was with that night was an NME freelancer, which is how I ended up speaking to him) I said he could stay at my parents' place. They wouldn't have minded. They were okay about that sort of thing. Mum would even have made breakfast for him. (Un)fortunately I managed to lose him before the end of the night, haven't a clue where he stayed and have never met him since. He was also at journalism college with a mate of mine but they never stayed in touch.)

I don't usually have Six Music on until the afternoon during the week anyway. Mornings are TV news then a bit of Five Live, usually till 1pm. So it's Keaveney and Lamacq for me, then it's back to the telly. Saturdays I usually have a bit of Radcliffe and Maconie, then Huey Morgan and I then switch over to Gambaccini on Radio Two and usually leave it on that channel because despite myself I quite like Rylan and I find Gilles Peterson's show incredibly boring. If I still have the radio on I usually go back to Six for Craig Charles, who I like.

Sundays are the only days I ever have Six Music on all day (and that's only very occasional) but I'm going to say something controversial here. Amy Lame's show is much better than Jarvis Cocker's ever was. And yes, I know I know him and all that, but I found his show very hard work. It may just have been me but after a few weeks of trying very hard to convince myself I liked it I just gave up.

[OnlyRegisteredSoICanRead]

The time must rapidly be approaching when Radio 2 will cater to the over 50 indie dad crowd. What will 6 Music be then?

I still feel a bit sorry for the fans of old Radio 2, no one else is playing that indescribably boring Perry Como or whatever it was they used to play back in the day.

Ah, the good old days of playing Elite till 3 in the morning, when Radio 2 was the only channel on FM radio. Tell the kids of today that, and blah blah.

[Jockice]

Anyone heard Chris Hawkins, the guy on before Laverne? He's really awful. Like, you are surprised a national radio station employed someone so bad.

I'm a bit of an insomniac so sometimes have him on. He's unremarkable.

[The Mollusk]

I still think Marc Riley is one of the best in terms of musical content, he’s got such good taste, but as mentioned above the constant rotation of the same small handful of jingles is annoying as fuck. He is generally very cute and loveable but his shtick is pretty repetitive on the whole.

[Brundle-Fly]

No, can't stand them. Laverne is a great broadcaster saddled with doing Pitchfork New Music On The Radio over breakfast, which doesn't work. Mary Anne Hobbs playing club bangers in the AM is death. Keavney, who I like, sounds lost in the afternoon. Then it's Landfill Indie Fest For 50+ White Men with Lamacq. No thank you.

Weekends aren't much better; the "divorced dads at sports day" forced grinning of Radcliffe & Maconie is, once again, death. They're a duo consisting of one great, capable broadcaster and one Stuart Maconie, and it's shit. Break it up with unfunny novelty features ("Crisps On The Radio"! My sides!) and snippets of old TV themes and you get Radio Dignitas. Kershaw's departure can't come soon enough, either - awful broadcaster presenting a true smorgasbord of awkwardness on air, even before you read up on what she's like behind the scenes.

6 Music has bit too cosy. Loads of cosy muso mates getting shows on the air but also mysteriously making the playlist. A sense of "well hello there fellow kids" by having a desperate, see-what-sticks mishmash of new music with no throughline. Meanwhile there's wall-to-wall Idles clones from Lamacq. All mixed up with the occasional indie hit from pre-2000 so that 6 Music 50+ Dad Crew doesn't throw a wobbly. The whole thing needs a Bannister / Dann enema.

You pretty much have nailed it for me. I've warmed to Keavney, I have to say. Sometimes wish he'd drop some of the deadpan schtick. It's alright for a bit but it lacks sincerity if everything is couched in inverted commas. I wish they'd get the Chart Music Podcast gang on as DJs or even at the very least give Al Needham a slot. He'd be mint and skill.

[jobotic]

Does Kershaw mention how refugees risking their lives are affecting house prices in Kingsdown ever? She should be on Times radio.

[Norton Canes]

I wish they'd get the Chart Music Podcast gang on as DJs or even at the very least give Al Needham a slot. He'd be mint and skill.

I think I posited this on another thread recently, but there's definitely an alternative universe where the Melody Maker journos (Stubbs, Parkes, Price etc.) ended up with all the plum radio presenting jobs and the NME crew skulk around making (relatively) obscure podcasts.

[Chicory]

I still think Marc Riley is one of the best in terms of musical content, he’s got such good taste, but as mentioned above the constant rotation of the same small handful of jingles is annoying as fuck.

Those jingles are irritating as hell. In particular - "Something something chips on radio 6" and the "we doobie-doobie-do" one by that vocal group who sound like they need to sack a couple of members.

[Camp Tramp]

You pretty much have nailed it for me. I've warmed to Keavney, I have to say. Sometimes wish he'd drop some of the deadpan schtick. It's alright for a bit but it lacks sincerity if everything is couched in inverted commas. I wish they'd get the Chart Music Podcast gang on as DJs or even at the very least give Al Needham a slot. He'd be mint and skill.

Taylor Parkes did have the occasional segment on Jarvis's show.

[homesickalien]

Regardless of the individual DJs, the biggest problem with 6 during weekdays, and this is definitely something that becomes apparent when you're listening all day, is that the playlist gives everything a stultifying, suffocating uniformity. You know you're going to be hearing the same few tunes played over and over again regardless of who's hosting, and it's clear that element of the station's music policy overrides everything else. I don't know how many times I've heard that one song by Dry Cleaning and I'm not sure I could actually tell you how it goes. Everything has to be "on message" all the time

I agree - the playlist is probably the most annoying thing for me.

Spot on and funny observations in this thread - I love 6Music but its certainly a frustrating listening experience where I have to turn over to Radio 2 or whatever quite regularly.

I'm also with the poster who said for music content they like Marc Riley's show the best - I can't wait for him to get live bands on again.  I'd much rather hear that than repeats of the A-Z of punk or whatever (good as that is)

[Brundle-Fly]

I think I posited this on another thread recently, but there's definitely an alternative universe where the Melody Maker journos (Stubbs, Parkes, Price etc.) ended up with all the plum radio presenting jobs and the NME crew skulk around making (relatively) obscure podcasts.

Yes, it's funny how the NME launched all those presenting careers but MM did not. I wonder if Marijne van der Vlugt out of Britpop also rans, Salad feels the same injustice about Lauren Laverne.