Games People Play

For a few weeks now things have been so busy dashing around for work at Key, squeeeeeezing in uni work, recording some demo radio shows and excitingly, purchasing a new car. The new vehicle is spacious, sleek, modern and has excessive boot space. Say hola to the Seat Leon. A magnificent beast that dwarfs my old Vauxhall Corsa. Took her for a countryside drive when I went home last weekend, the summer country sun brings out my melancholy side like a bitter ale and a bowl of chips.
Having said that, my friend the other day confessed to me on a night-drive to Sainsburys: "at least it's dark, nobody's going to see me in it". Rude.

If I'm being honest, I can't decide what gender the car is yet. If you've been reading intently to the first few lines of this blog you'll notice I've referred to the generic car as a 'her', which is in built habit from my Corsa days, she was definitely a girl. On the flip side though, this Leon is a bit more of a bloke than my dextrous old Vauxhall.

My rationale for a fresher student buying a new car is that for my DJing, I have to toil away with the ridiculously big rigging trying to fit it in the Corsa's boot, it makes logistics a nightmare, whereas in the new Leon, it's very very simple.

The culmination of various other things consuming my time and the aforementioned radio and vehicular fun means that my new music radar is become somewhat detached. This is incredibly sad, my new music is one of my biggest passions, it's almost a hobby. So for it to be so neglected is poor. Fortunately I have designed this weekend with time in mind, and I'm hoping to get the high-quality cans on the go for a blast of a few new musicians filtering through my musical framework:

• Tall Ships
• Michael Kiwanuka's new album- heard some full, band based stuff from him the other day and it really stoked the fire I have for this guy, so I do need to give the album more of a listen.
• Sound of Guns -interviewed these fellas recently for The Source, top people.
• Volcano Choir
• Johnny Flynn
• Morning Parade
• The Shins
• Laura Veirs
• Lissie's new material... her sound is sentimental for me, the new track of hers Games People Play (title of this blog) is outstanding, especially in the sunshine at the moment. Have you heard her Fleetwood Mac cover yet?

Whether those guys are completely fresh and new, or just new to me, either way - I have some listening to do. Hardly a chore. The full playlist of music I have to catch up with is over 900 songs strong, but that goes back a long way and most of it I have listened to, but I don't know it yet, I like to be totally familiar with the songs so I can call on them again.

Having said that, there's loads of new promos filtering through my email inbox which means The Source on Shock Radio podcast will continue to flourish, we've just released a new edition actually. This time round features the Sound of Guns, Nijinxky & Frances Mitson, Katzenjammer and Bogdana Chivas. Lots of talent there.

Indeed, I keep chatting to the people making the new music and they're in for sessions at our studios nice and regularly. 

This keeps the ball rolling for another thought process in my life box. Happily, it's one of the most enjoyable things I do in my little world here, interviewing. That's why I've created a full demo of best bits from my interviews to try and promote what I consider to be one of my biggest strengths along side presenting... so this I think is a good way to hone in on the new music feature side of radio that I am striving for so relentlessly!

Pulling out all the stops for the cause

For the last weeks weeks I've witnessed the agonising, exciting and relentless prep for Cash For Kids week in aid of Clic Sargent on Key 103. My role in the process was relatively small compared to the ridiculously hard work some people have done, yet it's a thrill to be involved in a huge fund-raising extravaganza!

Internal emails have been flying round as each department have been putting on their own small fund-raiser, and the amazing Key listeners in Manchester have got behind the big push to raise over £50k. Throughout the week some really moving and emphatic stories from genuine people affected by cancer have refocussed everybody on the ultimate goal, to raise enough money to make a difference in the ongoing battle against a disease that for too long now has been the fear of everybody. I work on the OJ Borg's Hometime show, we had a big BBQ to cap off the week and OJ revealed the grand total at the end. Some touching radio. 

So what a privilege then, to be a part of a team who have helped raise over £80k for the charity. 

Days and Nights

Busy day today, been in the Key 103 office all day working hard some some show bits- got to interview Shayne Ward as well! Ha!- lucky me.

Drove home, with my car practically overheating in the perilous Mancunian rush hour traffic, to make a very 1min quick curry, throw it in some trusty tuppaware ready to eat on the tram some 20mins later. That brings us to now where I've found 5 mins to kick back and let that little thing called digestion happen. I'm sat on a bench at Picadilly Gardens.

I'm rushing around tonight to first interview Sound Of Guns in the Northern Quarter's Roadhouse venue. Then I'm heading down to Oxford Road, the other end of town, to interview Dog Is Dead, an hour later!

At the moment this constant hustle, bustle and relentless living is my norm. I'm finding it hard to switch off from the intrinsic motivation for why I'm doing all this hard graft. Tomorrow I'm up at 4:30 to go and help with some production bits on the Key 103 breakfast show- OJ is covering this week- really excited! My first taste of brekkie radio, I hear it's a grim but eccentric world...we'll see!

Either way, I'm connecting with (some of) the lyrics to this song...Days & Nights by Devlin. I can identify with the relentless non-stop nature of the lyrics but it's a far removed vibe to my life!..I'm having a ball! I gave his album Bud, Sweat and Beers a listen again the other day, reminded me how much I love it..and this stand-out song in particular:

" I've been up for nights and days
And my eyes remain wide awake
Because more than my life's at steak
So I ain't got time for blinkin
All the time I'm thinkin
If this ain't hell it's one firey place
Metallic projectiles fly in ya face
And leave you like human garbarge lyin in drains
I gotta keep my eyeballs open
The only thing thatll minus the pain like ibuprofen is 9milli and k on the case
I don't feel in control like pilots in planes
I'm trapped in this winding maze
I'm an insomniac I'm insane

I've been up for days and nights throguh this crazy life but
I'll sleep when I'm dead
Until they pay me right
My eyes are open wide but
I'll sleep when I'm dead

When everything on my to do list is ticked off,
Then maybe I can drift off,
Until then I'm wide awake, lyin in a daze,
My eyeballs gaze.
Hypnotised by the sound of my wrist watch,
Clickin tick tock.
I'm incharge of the Underground just like Brick Top
So I can't sleep I'd be wrong if I did stop
If I'm focused on writing a verse
You couldn't put me to sleep with a thousand and nine bottles of night nurse
It's likely I'll put ya lights out first
So I'll sleep when I'm restin in peace
Until then I've gotta bless these beats
Till I conquer the streets
If I'm conscious I can't get lost in a dream

I've been up for days and nights throguh this crazy life but
I'll sleep when I'm dead
Until they pay me right
My eyes are open wide but
I'll sleep when I'm dead

If you're drowsy remain in a slumber
My metaphors flow over ya head like a buttonless jumper
I can't sleep till I'm in the sky like lightning and thunder
Sometimes at night I wonder
Is pursuein this dream a blunder
Or the best thing that I ever did
I can't sleep or slip till I'm 6 feet under
Hence the song I'll sleep when I'm dead
You might only need money to survive
But my life relies on a needle instead
I wanna eat steak meals everyday
I'm sick and tired of livin on a diet of beans and bread
So believe what I said
I'll sleep when I'm where
I'll sleep when I'm what
I'll sleep when I'm dead

I've been up for days and nights throguh this crazy life but
I'll sleep when I'm dead
Until they pay me right
My eyes are open wide but
I'll sleep when I'm dead "

Hospital Remedy

I'm not on a hospital bed, I'm actually (and if you click the title of this blog, you can join me) listening to the latest Hospital Records podcast. Some raw drum&bass making a change from the M83, Elbow and Gotye that has been occupying my headphones over the last couple of days. I've currently got the hots for some drum&bass, it's one of the purest forms of high-intensity dance music. I find the majority of the current dubstep repertoire way too computer generated. The same goes for house and club music and indeed a large portion of the Top 40, I'm not slating it, it sounds good enough and it's immensely popular, but the lack of real instruments leaves a gaping hole that some really good drum&bass can fulfil.
That's why I like bands like Chase & Status and Pendulum, some real musicianship to accompany the intensity of the sound.

I'm also becoming more and more of a stickler for the sound of music. I'm doing a documentary with a lecturer in audio tech and acoustics on Tuesday this week and the subject matter is driving me further and further into the realm of high-quality sounds. This sounds snobbish, but the days of mp3 are over for me. 128kbps is devil's lair and 320kbps is the minimum grade I can manage these day. Such an audio slag.

I do hope CDs continue to live on strong, providing a lossless format for listening to music where with a good pair of headphones, the true sound can be appreciated. I was in HMV yesterday at the Trafford Centre, Connor and I both at the headphone testing stations giving some fat ass Denons a little tester. Coldplay's new album is a brilliant one for testing some headphones out. Especially Every Tear!

Alright, geek out.

I have been loving my time at Key 103 recently. Things are consistently busy with lots of things to occupy my self with around the office. I also enjoy finding things to do on a slow day, there's plenty to get along with, and this week I've been working hard on a Bear Grylls interview - really pleased with the outcome! http://www.key103.co.uk/oj-borg-bear-grylls/

In terms of live music, there's been a lot of it in my world recently. The other week I took my girlfriend along to see Benjamin Frances Leftwich (The Source podcast - with Ben on) - which was an amazing gig. The second time I've seen Benjamin live now, the first was almost a year ago to the day at The Borderline in London with some close friends. It's almost marks a year of life for this blog as well... this is the link to the blog I did after last year's Leftwich gig... 'Rest is underrated like 2nd gear'

It's really weird to revisit the words I wrote a year ago... strange nostalgia. It was a different lifestyle!

Ben was cracking this time round. A year ago he stood on stage with nothing but a guitar and a mic, and even at times he stepped away from the mic to perform unplugged. The unplugged component was still present a year down the line in Manchester, a real humbling element of the show. The songs sounded a lot fuller with the band presence too. A sweet gig, where the support from Ren Harvieu was incredible! She really did blow me away, I wasn't expecting to see her yet she's been on my radar as somebody to watch out for since November time... A tantalising performance from her, she has such a dominating presence on stage and delivers her vocals with a pure emotive intensity. Vocals to dust off anybody's cobwebs. Her Roy Orbison cover gave me goosebumps, live it has 100x the power

Very impressive, watch out for her.