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Not Lovin the Show Steve

Started by Tony Tony Tony, July 01, 2022, 06:01:09 PM

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Tony Tony Tony

It seems Steve Wright is set to step down from his R2 show.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-62010156


Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Yes, he could be annoying, and yes, some of his old comedy characters haven't aged well, but you can't deny that Steve Wright clearly loves the entire art and craft of radio. He's an unabashed nerd, and I can't help liking him for that very reason.

Also, Phil Cornwell's early '90s stints in character as Keef, Mick and Bowie were brilliant. Wright would just sit back and let Cornwell extemporise for five minutes, his 'riffs' were genuinely funny and odd. Wright's obvious enjoyment of those segments was an integral part of the fun, his laughter wasn't performative.

So yeah, Steve Wright, he's alright.


Ballad of Ballard Berkley

The countdown to someone (quite rightly) posting that photograph of Wright climbing out of his car parked in its tiny garage starts NOW...

dr beat

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on July 01, 2022, 06:27:28 PMYes, he could be annoying, and yes, some of his old comedy characters haven't aged well, but you can't deny that Steve Wright clearly loves the entire art and craft of radio. He's an unabashed nerd, and I can't help liking him for that very reason.

Also, Phil Cornwell's early '90s stints in character as Keef, Mick and Bowie were brilliant. Wright would just sit back and let Cornwell extemporise for five minutes, his 'riffs' were genuinely funny and odd. Wright's obvious enjoyment of those segments was an integral part of the fun, his laughter wasn't performative.

So yeah, Steve Wright, he's alright.

As a kid home from comp school his afternoon show got me into comedy: YMMV but as the 80s gave way to the 90s he gave airtime in that slot to Jack Dee, Paul Merton, Emo Phillips, the US Steven Wright, and above all Lee and Herring, among others.  We take them for granted now but in the neighnties these were up and coming acts. He helped make me the CaBber I  am today.  And I have lots to be thankful about.

Jake Thingray

Really hated Wright on Radio 1 in the 80's, his afternoon show seemed aimed squarely at Sun readers, which made it all the more out of place when he'd reference Saturday Live and other then current alternative comedy shows, and have Ben Elton and so on as guests.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: Jake Thingray on July 01, 2022, 06:47:12 PMReally hated Wright on Radio 1 in the 80's, his afternoon show seemed aimed squarely at Sun readers, which made it all the more out of place when he'd reference Saturday Live and other then current alternative comedy shows, and have Ben Elton and so on as guests.

But as dr beat says, Wright genuinely liked all of those comedians, hence why he gave them airtime. I didn't listen to his show in the '80s, but obviously I'm aware of characters such as the oh so hilarious gay hairdresser. Dreadful stuff. However, by the time I started listening in the early '90s, all of that dubious material had gone.

By that point, his comedy writer was Richard Easter, a young NME and MM reader who was obsessed with the Manic Street Preachers. A man who presumably took a very dim view of The Sun.

I'm not suggesting that everything Easter wrote was comedy gold, but broadly speaking it was coming from the same place as The Mary Whitehouse Experience, Lee & Herring and Vic & Bob. Add Phil Cornwell into that mix, and you ended up with a sort of studenty alternative comedy show going out on Radio One every weekday afternoon.

Wright deserves credit for promoting that sort of comedy. And I daresay he's sincerely embarrassed about some of the 'different times' shtick he broadcast in the '80s.

Bennett Brauer

Agree with all that, and he seems to have been well-liked in the business, but where now for the Chinnywag Chapter?

Bennett Brauer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wright_(DJ)#Personal_life

Quote from: WikipediaLittle is known about Wright's personal life. He is allergic to feathers and penicillin.

Which explains why he played ELO's Don't Bring Me Down all the time.

Jake Thingray

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on July 01, 2022, 07:25:14 PMBut as dr beat says, Wright genuinely liked all of those comedians, hence why he gave them airtime. I didn't listen to his show in the '80s, but obviously I'm aware of characters such as the oh so hilarious gay hairdresser. Dreadful stuff. However, by the time I started listening in the early '90s, all of that dubious material had gone.

By that point, his comedy writer was Richard Easter, a young NME and MM reader who was obsessed with the Manic Street Preachers. A man who presumably took a very dim view of The Sun.

I'm not suggesting that everything Easter wrote was comedy gold, but broadly speaking it was coming from the same place as The Mary Whitehouse Experience, Lee & Herring and Vic & Bob. Add Phil Cornwell into that mix, and you ended up with a sort of studenty alternative comedy show going out on Radio One every weekday afternoon.

Wright deserves credit for promoting that sort of comedy. And I daresay he's sincerely embarrassed about some of the 'different times' shtick he broadcast in the '80s.


He still played too much Stock-Aitken-Waterman stuff in the 80's, though.

boki


Ballad of Ballard Berkley


Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: Jake Thingray on July 01, 2022, 07:47:26 PMHe still played too much Stock-Aitken-Waterman stuff in the 80's, though.

He was a Radio One afternoon DJ in the '80s, so of course he played loads of SAW guff. He wasn't John Peel. Wright would probably be the first to admit that.

shiftwork2


Ballad of Ballard Berkley

105 minutes since the start of the countdown. You're slipping, CAB, you really are.

shiftwork2


Ballad of Ballard Berkley

You delivered, that's the main thing.

Jake Thingray

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on July 01, 2022, 07:25:14 PMby the time I started listening in the early '90s,

By that time, I'd realised Radio 4 was a much better station for comedy, and for much else.

Rizla

Quote from: Bennett Brauer on July 01, 2022, 07:35:33 PMAgree with all that, and he seems to have been well-liked in the business, but where now for the Chinnywag Chapter?
Barking Boy's moved over to LBC years ago, changed his name to James something or other!!!

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: Jake Thingray on July 01, 2022, 08:49:43 PMBy that time, I'd realised Radio 4 was a much better station for comedy, and for much else.

Well, yes. But we were discussing early '90s Steve Wright in the Afternoon, and why it was good for various reasons. We're all aware that On the Hour and Just a Minute were infinitely better. They're not comparable.

dissolute ocelot

I'm not a fan of zoo radio, all the shouting (and usually bullying), but compared to the rest of 80s daytime Radio One he was a million miles ahead. Radio 1 employed Jimmy Savile until 1987, and Simon Bates till 1993 (although Our Song was great, the idea of a music show for housewives!?).

He really needs to lose the goatee and stop dyeing his hair now.

Pranet

#22
Anyone remember the expose the Mirror did on him a few years back, which revealed that after doing his show he went to the supermarket to pick up some bits and visited his mother on his way home.

non capisco

Without Steve Wright In The Afternoon you wouldn't have had "let's say hello to my new comedy character Camp David", the best bit in I'm Alan Partridge, so there's that.

But you also wouldn't have had "I'll Be Back" by Arnee and The Terminators, a serious contender for the most unpleasant sounding UK top 40 single of all time.

I'll spare Steve Wright from mauling by lion in my imaginary colosseum of ultimate judgment purely because Steve Wright In The Afternoon was the sound of being driven home from school, a comforting memory associated with your time becoming yours again to do what you wished with it. And I'll go to my grave still remembering "Llamaman, Llamaman. Does everything that a llama can. He can bleat, he can trot. He's got everything that a llama's got."


non capisco

Quote from: Pranet on July 02, 2022, 08:06:50 PMAnyone remember the expose the Mirror did on him a few year back, which revealed that after doing his show he went to the supermarket to pick up some bits and visited his mother on his way home.

I take back what I just said, the man's a cunt.

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on July 01, 2022, 08:08:12 PMHe was a Radio One afternoon DJ in the '80s, so of course he played loads of SAW guff. He wasn't John Peel. Wright would probably be the first to admit that.

John Peel would probably be quicker to put distance between them, if he were alive.

Norton Canes

Always remember he had a big thing against Depeche Mode c.'86, would always give them a real slating for being depressing, or downbeat or whatever, before playing their singles (which I presume he was obliged to do if they were on the R1 playlist).

Anyway yeah his comedy did get a bit more sophisticated towards the end of his R1 stint I'm sure, if you can call Captain Fishy and his Fishy Fingers sophisticated. Don't suppose anyone can find a link to his comedy version of the Cure's Friday I'm In Love?

shiftwork2

Does anyone else remember his seemingly personal obsessive interest in promoting Eastenders when it started?  I wonder what was behind that.

"Don't watch Coronation St, all the good characters have gone.  Watch Eastenders instead it's really good.  Anyway here's Mr Angry throwing the phone down"

Alright cheers Steve

Quote from: shiftwork2 on July 02, 2022, 10:14:32 PMhere's Mr Angry throwing the phone down"

Alright cheers Steve

Mr Angry in 2022: 'I'm so angry I could end the call silently by pressing my touchpad!'

Alberon

Quote from: Jake Thingray on July 01, 2022, 07:47:26 PMHe still played too much Stock-Aitken-Waterman stuff in the 80's, though.

In his defence daytime DJs have far less choice on what they play. Most of the time they have to pick from the Radio 1 playlist.

Hence why Mark and Lard in the afternoon had a jingle that said something along the lines of 'at least two good songs an hour', because that was all the off-playlist tracks they were allowed.