BBC presenters have the easiest job on earth; they don’t have to listen to loads of albums to select songs and they don’t have to talk sensibly on their shows (have you noticed how they all sound gay or like young children?) - any garbage will do as long as it encourages a load of mostly young people to spend their parents’ money to text in. Have you noticed how they only read out texts praising what’s been played? There seems to be a bottomless pit of money at Radio 1 making it capable of holding many (unnecessary) live events and almost daily ‘live lounges’ at the Maida Vale studios. I recently attended a BBC INTRODUCING show here in Wrexham which attracted an audience of around thirty people. There were five BBC INTRODUCING bands on show of which only one was passable.

BBC Radio 1 is a very bad joke that is contributing to the poor state of the UK music industry, through the lack of airplay given to some of the country’s best talent. Each week record company execs and radio pluggers plead with the BBC to play their artists’ singles which have no doubt been formulated (note: not created) to meet BBC R1’s pitiful quality criteria - the prospect of a song being played many times a day for weeks on end is just too good to ignore. But it’s also the reason why BBC executives have to drop the play-list policy which is killing great acts and music.

As for the current set of presenters, they should be made to really earn their high salaries and be finally judged on the quality of the music they select and play. This means of course that the current set of shit executives have to go to be replaced by people who recognise real talent and love great music. “Ah, but we found Ellie Goulding” I hear them cry. Precisely, I reply…

Shake Acts Of The Year

Time for the positive stuff and our acts of the year, specifically, acts that have produced the best albums combined with fabulous live performances that we’ve witnessed.

John Mclaughlin & The 4th Dimension

FOR THE ONE was one of McLaughlin’s finest ever releases and in this band, consisting of Mark Mondesir (drums), Gary Husband (keyboards) and Etienne M’Bappe (bass guitar), is young and supremely talented.
The album is heavily influenced by John Coltrane’s work and really came to vivid life during the band’s stupendous performance at the Liverpool Philharmonic.

Jonsi

The front-man of Sigur Ros released the most beautiful debut solo album that for a brief period went to the top of the album chart (without any help from the BBC). His live show was one of the most moving I can remember.

Beth Nielsen Chapman

A stunning, heartfelt album followed by an endearing sell-out live show in Llandudno, North Wales. In all proof positive that Beth Nielsen Chapman is one of the very finest singer/songwriters around.

Grinderman

Nick Cave and friends scored an excellent rock album which really came to life at their incendiary Manchester show.

Midlake

The band’s second album exceeded by some margin the quality of the first while live the band continues to be one of the best around.

The Pretty Reckless

We’ve radio-played every track from the band’s wonderful debut album, while their live show in Manchester proved that Momsen and Co are the genuine article with talent and passion that will take them far.