If OfCOM raided them, it's surely to be on grounds of poor taste. I was equally thinking of third rate New Age stuff. Like Enya, but more bland and cheesier. Then again, some finger in the ear folk music from incompetent buskers, drunken rants from tramps and half-assed attempts at "World Music", only more shit.
John Battles said:
Probably some wretched , psuedo - tribal drek , played on horribly out of tune (Even to MY tin-ear.) acoustic guitars with a rhythmically challenged drum circle . A fertility theme would be in order , I think.....BUT , I THINK THEY DID THAT , ONCE.
Chris Henniker said:What really abysmal music would Malcolm, Cressida, Cordelia, Ashley, et al, play?
John Battles said:Chris , Yeah , Malcolm , that's his name . There you go ,you see it as clearly as I do.For all we know , he was based on Wimpering Boob Harris ! The idea of Malcolmdoing a terrible pirate radio station with unlistenable music , has me laughing, already.
Chris Henniker said:We still have Pirate radio in London, catering to the rave scene, Afro-Carribean and other ethnic minority sectors of the populaton. Rinse FM became a licenced community station, which is doing very well in publishing the latest dubstep and UK Funky to the masses. Not to mention that it does work with underprivilleged kids in Tower Hamlets, which I wish them the best of luck with.
The first commercial station in the UK was Capital Radio, which was very diverse. You had Charlie Gillett's world music show, an acclaimed soul and jazz show and a David Rodigan's reggae show. Now it's just a bland top 40 station, owned by the same company who own Heart, XFM (Which was a former pirate station that blanded out too) and Classic FM. Talk about true lack of choice, especially if it's all owned by 3-5 companies. That said, community radio is where the interesting stuff's happening, along with the pirates (at times).
As a Viz reader, the best strip is "The Modern Parents" (anything by John Fardell is brilliant). Yes, Malcolm does look like "Whispering" Bob Harris, and is a complete prick to boot. I've thought a pirate radio station would be a great story for "The Modern Parents", with their wooly mindedness and shoody thinking. Not that anyone would listen to it, because it would be dire. I bet Tarquin would be telling them it's illegal and no one would listen, either because it was boring and poorly concieved, or what they'll say makes them seem deluded.
John Battles said:As I understand it , the PIRATE STATIONS WERE TOLERATED AFTER A TIME , BECAUSE THEY WERE'NT OPERATING BY LAND. I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THEY LASTED UNTIL 1967 , BUT BRITAIN WAS DOWN ON COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TV FOR SO MANY YEARS.....AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS BAD , HERE , IN THE STATES - 3 MAJOR TV STATIONS , CHANNEL 11 (USUALLY LOCAL.) , CHANNEL 13 (USUALLY PBS.) AND MAYBE A COUPLE OF UHF STATIONS. WE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN PICKING UP SIGNALS FROM MARS COMPARED TO OUR POOR FRIENDS IN ENGLAND. A SCOTTISH GUY GAVE ME A TAPE OF "THE LAST DAYS OF PIRATE RADIO " , WHICH WAS SURPISINGLY ALL MAINSTREAM STUFF. BUT , THAT WAS ABOUT THE ONLY OUTLET FOR EVEN THAT. SCREAMING LORD SUTCH TRIED TO GET IN ON THE PIRATE RADIO CRAZE , AND FAILED , BUT , ALWAYS RALLIED FOR COMMERCIAL RADIO IN THE UK. THE POLITICIANS THAT PATTED THEMSELVES ON THE BACK WHEN IT BECAME REALITY DID'NT THANK HIM FOR TAKING A BULLET , SO THEY COULD GIVE THEMSELVES BONUSES. BOB HARRIS......BUGGERING , BUGGERING BOLLOCKS ! FANNY BATTERING HEDGEHOG ! I was just watching that Dolls clip . It's more ironic , his c***y comment , now , because they looked , acted , and played the part of a Rock'n'Roll band on a mission. We actually had Pirate Radio in Chicago , once , a few years back. I guested on a special program on Glam Rock. Against my better judgement , the host insisted on playing all of side two from Suzi Quatro's second album , which is GOOD , BUT I'D BROUGHT A SHITLOAD OF HOT WAX FOR HIM TO PLAY........YOU'VE READ , I TRUST , "THE MODERN PARENTS" in Viz comics , Andy? The Dad - Bob Harris !!!!!
Andy Climax said:get a room you lot, haha. Is this a Lennonesque love in here??? In Britain, we had Pirate radio. All the jocks who were anyone in the 60's and 70's cut their teeth there. A boat would be just out of British waters and have international clearance. If you were in the know, you knew the frequencies to listen on. The reception was sketchy at times and sometimes you would have half a record and half fuzz and interference, but we listened. Radio Luxembourg being a particular fave of mine. Then wonderful Auntie Beeb (BBC) thought lets get 'em on board (pardon the pun) and Radio One was born. Then you had Peel or Whisperin' Bob Harris (A total fanny). Peel won by a country mile. After what Harris said live on telly about the Dolls he became an even larger fanny or dare i say it 'A C**T! Peel played everything from Krautrack to Pyche to power pop and everything in between. Admittedly he played some absolute shite but for every show, i would always have a notebook and at least 15 new bands to check out. This was before the internet and downloading, of course, which meant a bus journey to town and a trip to ma fave record shops, Groucho's (stiil living) and Rockpile (now very sadly defunct). Them was the days. Now i can hear a band and within 10 minutes know their entire history, who they've slept with and favourite chocolate bar, and have their entire back catalogue at the push of an 'enter' button. It's taken the whole personality out of music collecting. The days when collecting meant physically speaking face to face with someone. I miss those days, but dem's da breaks. Peel's death was a national catastrophe and even if you think the last 10 were pants it was still better than watchin fuckin' MTV, let's face it. I'm gonna come down off ma soapbox now and get back to 'Rock'n'Roll Radio.' Keep it real and keep it live!