Ignore yesterday’s blog about Neil Young’s decision not to play Glastonbury this year. Old Shakey confirmed today that it was all due to an “error in information” and actually he will be appearing on the Pyramid stage this year after all. Thank God for that. A proper rock God topping the bill instead of … oh maybe not go there. Only showing my age. And actually, don’t ignore all of it because I meant it all. For those of you who commented on my Facebook page, thank you for your views. I tried to get today, Friday 3rd January, off to a better start by listening to the music. That didn’t end well.
My radio station of choice is always BBC 6 Music. I listen all day, with the exception of the mid morning show hosted by Mary Ann Hobbs, who I simply cannot listen to. Even though breakfast presenter Lauren Laverne is off at the moment, recovering from cancer treatment, her replacement Djs Nick Grimshaw and Deb Grant have been fantastic. Craig Charles in the afternoon is always excellent, followed by Huw Stephens and his tea time show. Today’s line-up was good too, with Chris Hawkins sitting in for Craig, but what I hadn’t reckoned with was these stupid theme days 6 Music engages in from time to time. It was 80s Forever day.
Now, I am of the firm opinion that the 1980s was rock’s worst decade. While the 1970s had pretty well everything, the 80s lurched into the digital and electronic world. Not remotely innovative, but drearily clichéd and dull. Yes, there was light in the dark and a fair bit of it (Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince to name but three) rock completely lost its way. Tragically, the Live Aid benefit concert in 1985 restored the floundering fortunes of Queen, who had been reduced to playing to segregated audiences in Sun City, South Africa, despite the widespread cultural boycott of the apartheid nation. Their grim overdubbed harmonies made rock acceptable to old people. I could never forgive them for that. Live Aid gave temporary solace to starving Ethiopians but thanks to Queen, permanent misery to millions more.
I know that there is a lot of love for 80s music, mainly from the generation that followed mine and, as I am constantly told, there is no such thing as bad music. While I would like to say, let me be the judge of that, I cannot be bothered to argue about it. Anyway, the digital radio age has given us umpteen oldies stations where people can live to old music to their heart’s content. I am glad they are there because it saves me having to listen to it. Except not today or for the next few weeks.
I love 6 Music for the sheer variety. I get the best oldies, I get the best new stuff and everything else in between. Yesterday, for example, I got Harlem Shuffle by Bob and Earl, Brimful of Asha by Cornershop and It’s Your Thing by The Isley Brothers. But I also got Leon Bridges, Yazmin Lacey and Amyl and the Sniffers. Today it was all old stuff. Frankly, if I want old music all day, I’ll listen to Smooth, Greatest Hits Radio, Boom or one of the many heritage rock stations. Why the hell does 6 Music feel the need to give me the stuff I spend all day trying to avoid?
What I do want is a balance of music, from different eras and genres. I do not understand why this week it’s just 80s, then next Friday 90s and so on for the rest of the bloody month.
Of course, my partner of 35 years thought it was all fine and dandy to have the 80s on all day. That’s what she grew up, or as I like to say, “the crap she grew up with”, which always goes down like a cup of cold sick when I say it. I grew up on a diet of late sixties onwards music. She grew up with late 70s and 80s. The decade the music nearly died is when it came alive for her. It’s a wonder we still talk.
“You can always turn it off,” is what people have said to me when I have complained about some music show or other on TV and the radio. Today, I did just that. My day was all the more quiet for it but at least I didn’t spend the whole day cursing.
My final message to controller of 6 Music is simple. There are reasons why you are the most listened to digital only station in the land and one of them is that you are not a fucking oldies station. So, why pretend you are? Give me my Fridays back or I may have to do something useful instead.