John Peel

Thought some people might be interested in this.

16 December is John Peel Night on BBC Radio 1. BBC Radio 1 has announced that it will pay tribute to the late John Peel through a night of live music to be broadcast on 16 December from 7.00pm. The night will be hosted by Steve Lamacq and come from the world famous BBC Maida Vale studios, the scene of many a Peel Session. Throughout the evening every studio at Maida Vale will be taken over as a whole host of bands perform and talk about John and the music he loved.

Steve Lamacq said: "It should be a really special night, for friends and family. Many of the bands and DJs who are coming down are part of Peel's extended musical family - and everyone's been terrifically helpful and enthusiastic in organising the show. I'll be anchoring the night but there will be guest DJs crashing the decks and people wandering in and out. We want it to be pretty spontaneous in honour of the Great Man."

 

That sounds pretty good. One thing that slightly annoys me about all the Peel tributes is that all the music that gets played is by groups that are recognised as having 'made it'. What about all the unknowns Peel championed, all the obscurities which he tirelessly sought and played? If I hear 'Teenage Kicks' one more time I think I'll scream...the repetiton of this track (not the track itself) kind of goes against what Peel was about in some ways, seeking out the new and unheard.

RIP John Peel, but hopefully not RIP musical diversity.

 

note to self

buy more minidiscs and get this night recorded