Mrs. Toad on Fresh Air!
This evening is my last show of the term on Fresh Air, and I’ve managed to persuade Mrs. Toad to join in with me. So we will be co-presenting a selection of choices, mostly by her, from 8.30pm-10pm (BST). I haven’t managed to get myself thrown off the station by myself, so let’s see if my little nightmare can do it for me, eh?
Here, in no particular order, are a couple of songs that, althought they aren’t on the playlist, give a flavour of what might be. To listen to the show itself, just go to freshair.org.uk and click on the big green Listen Live button on the right hand side. Easy peasy!
Me First & the Gimme Gimmes – Rocket Man
The Clash – I’m So Bored With the USA
Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 (Don’t ask!)
Radio? piece of piss.
Of Course it is, Mrs Toad. Of course it is.
All you have to do is turn up, point your painted chops at a microphone & sound sarcastically indifferent between songs what are cued up & released at a press of a button.
Whereas the real work, the proper ‘radio’ stuff, is all done way before such piss easy sat on arse endeavours take place – the acquiring of music permissions through contacts with bands/management/labels/PR/A&R etc.; the construction of the playlist – & that doesn’t just ‘happen’, it’s all about getting the right tune following the right tune (not just on a ‘I like that’ basis, but more on a logical musically progressing basis i.e. rhythm, key/pitch/tone/etc., juxtapositioning, & so on); the cuing of jingles/links/adverts/PSAs/etc. &, in most cases, scripts to be written/rehearsed/timed, etc.
Some people do this daily (with the invaluable assistance of researchers & their ilk), some (like TWR weekly) – either way it’s no simple task. It can take forever on occasion.
‘course, Fresh Air’s all a bit automated, so I can see why it could be naively mistaken as such.
Not a rant. Not a pick on job. Just being acutely aware of the whole painstaking process as I’m pre-recording 6 shows to cover my absence during the whole of June (it doesn’t help deciding to throw in 3hr specials every other week either). Which reminds me. S.bT slots, Toadicles? Hmm? Those there interviews & sessions, as I sayed, would be fine additions if you want me to edit them to save you the hassle. I need the things (in whatever shape or style) by this weekend at the latest as I then have to pound out the shows throughout the whole of the bank holiday weekend. Piss easy, indeed.
Erm, lay off the missus mate, or you’re right back in the spam queue.
Phew. Can you tell I’ve had a fucking shit biscuit of a week?
I’ve been learning to fly UAVs (spy planes) for the past three days &, as maddeningly cool/scary as fuck as that may sound, it has done my fuckign head in. I thought I was ok at controlling computer games & such – hand eye co-ordination down pat & all, but ewwww no. It’s all about left hand/right hand co-ordination &, as I’ve oft said, because I can’t even get my left hand to change chords without throwing a Joey, there was no fucking easy route to me not crashing 30 grand’s worth of kit with my first “why’s it nose-diving” action of the day.
So, anyways, apologies – as I said (probably not so clear in retroread) not aimed, just an opportunistic vent for that headwound pent-upness.
Better now.
UAVs? piece of piss
Do you actually do any work, woman? Or do you just hang about being Scottish?
If she does, I’ve yet to notice. Gets paid handsomely for three parts of fuck all though.
Now, DC.
I don’t wish to sound churlish, but being in control of anything that flies is inherently cool. Ray Ban didn’t pick the word Aviator just because it rhymes with radiator.
If it gets stressful, just remember: you don’t have time to think up there. If you think, you’re dead.
Come back and tell me when you’ve had that thing in a 4G negative dive, then we’ll talk about stress…
Dylan, UAVs are unmanned. They’re remotely operated. & they cost a fucking bundle.
If I were “up there”, though, I doubt I would be thinking about stressing about breaking the thing so much as I would be about ending it all in a wonderful tailspin of an airshow disaster nose flop because I done gone & pressed the button I was told specifically to avoid pressing.