PunBB

So I'm listening to the Buffalo radio premiere of IVL, suffering through the idiotic questions and boring banter to hear just the great renditions of the songs, and just as the radio hosts and audience have pushed me to wit's end, what occurs but the radio host who - for an HOUR - has been claiming to be in awe of the band, a huge fan, saying good bye to the band, mentioning each by name, including PAUL LAN-GLOY on guitar!!!

So I had to register my disgust throughout the universe through this medium. I hate radio shows. Does anybody else hate them as much as I do? I usually download and burn them with only the songs - only 45 minutes of material, but I just can't stand the talking.

Also on this Buffalo radio show come some of the very worst audience questions I have ever heard. I have ALWAYS cringed in embarassment for either the person asking the question or the band member answering it...in ANY radio show. But this one really takes the cake:

girl: "In the song Escape Is At Hand For the Travellin' Man", what band are you talking about? Who are they?"
Gord: "Uh... ... ... I think... they're called Escape Is At Hand For the Travellin' Man."
girl: "nooooooooo! nooooooooo! noooooooooooooooo!"
audience: heckling and laughing

2nd question: "Gord, have you ever considered offering dance lessons?"
me: WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT TO ASK THIS ARTIST!!!!!!!!
Gord: *silence* "Uh...I'll...uh...try and be suave and say yes."

and then, of course, from the Detroit radio premiere of some album, the band was asked (from the audience, naturally) "What does Wheat Kings mean?" My jaw hit the floor. I was like "Have you ever been to a SINGLE Hip website?!?! Have you ever met a SINGLE other fan?! What are you even doing in the audience?!"

In my opinion, radio hosts should NEVER, EVER turn the mic over to the audience. Hosts aren't fans of the bands, they're just pretending to be excited and reading questions they're told to be people who have looked into the bands a little bit. That sucks, but at the very least you know the question isn't going to be a complete waste of time and humiliation of the band and their artistry.

Or maybe all the intellectual Hip fans are shy about asking a question on the record. Either way, audience members should never be allowed to ask questions! It makes me wonder if the guys get super stoned before every radio show just so they don't get mad. Having the band perform for these numbskulls is like giving a PHD thesis defense in front of a kindergarten class.

I agree, Grooveless. Although I wonder if this topic could've actually made it into the Hip Discussion... "Venting about crappy radio interviewers who know shit-all about music EVEN THOUGH IT'S THEIR JOB TO!"? or is it "Venting about the non-hip fans that somehow think it'd be a cool idea to go to a radio performance and ask the stupidest questions!"?... Regardless, I cringe everytime I hear someone with a chance to ask the Hip a question, ANY question they possibly could, and go with some mediocre, "How did you guys get together?" or "What's your favourite band out now?" If I ever had the chance to ask the Hip a question, I'd be try to go with something that hasn't been asked yet... not all "what's this song about?" and "what's that song about?"...

But brazle, when you ask them a question they aren't expecting, they get dumbfounded, and double up on the "uh's, ah's" and so on. For instance, i'll take you back to the muchmusic I&I when my friend asked gord if he's ever like to preform on the tom green show. Stupid question...right? well I blame the person in charge of questions for letting it through, and giving us a better spot to stand because of the said stupid question.

All in all...Paul langloy is cool. :lol:

What I can't stand is that after all these years, people...reporters no less,..are still asking where their name came from.

:roll:

If I had the best job in the world - AKA being paid good money to talk to musicians - I'd spend hours a day researching my stuff online. My friend in BC writes freelance and before he interviewed some people by phone (including George Thorogood) he actually researched him, adding to his already fairly good knowledge, and listened to every Thorogood CD he could find. He didn't embarass himself or his interview subjects with questions.

It seems like these radio people only know as much as they're told...like they've been handed a few snippets of information and regurgitate ever word of it to act like they know something. If they actually read up a bit, chose to educate themselves and not act like freewheeling losers, they would know the difference between a good question and a shameful, obvious, dumb-as-shit-and-twice-as-fragrant question and they WOULDN'T GIVE THAT PERSON THE MIC!!!

I fail to understand how a job that easy and fun could POSSIBLY be done so badly.

The answer to that is easy.....

After all, it's not what you know or who you know-----it's who you bl**....

Seriously though, it no longer matters if you have a working brain cell in your head as long as you look good. The only place that requires most on air talent to have,.... well, talent.... or a degree in journalism is CBC. Most other outlets are happy to draw names out of hat when it comes to reporting. Why, you ask? Simple. $$$

If an on-air personality is attractive enough peope will tune in.

Viewers=more money

Now, that personality doesn't have to be paid for their credentials, because frankly, they don't have any.

Low pay=more money

Do you see where I'm going with this?

As long as they can jiggle and giggle and smile pretty, then little, if anything, else matters. If they are hot people will watch and that media outlet will make money. Any questions? Just tune in to any station with good ol' Moses Z's name attached to it.....

grooveless touque Wrote:It seems like these radio people only know as much as they're told...like they've been handed a few snippets of information and regurgitate ever word of it to act like they know something. If they actually read up a bit, chose to educate themselves and not act like freewheeling losers, they would know the difference between a good question and a shameful, obvious, dumb-as-shit-and-twice-as-fragrant question and they WOULDN'T GIVE THAT PERSON THE MIC!!!

I fail to understand how a job that easy and fun could POSSIBLY be done so badly.

first of all, as a person in the "biz", let me say that yes..it's a great job, most days don't feel like work, but it isn't easy...i admit there's a lot of shitty people in high profile jobs, and some interviews are terrible..but don't lump us all together!!!

Well, I didn't really, I talked about my friend who put effort into it...I know there are people like him and, from the tone of your wording, you as well who care about doing it right.

The fact that I saw him "reading up" and listening to CDs of people he was to interview - and having a lot of fun while doing it, along the lines of "hey, I didn't know this!" and "did you know...?" - made me wonder why anyone wouldn't. It didn't even look like work! The effort was limited to typing and looking, and the information was both useful and entertaining. Why would anyone do it half-ass when doing it right is so interesting and eye-opening (not to mention it doesn't take much time or effort)?

yeah..your buddy sounds like a rare breed in the biz...good on him..what's his name anyhow? i may have read some of his stuff..i do have to say..this is the greatest job most days, but others you realize you're just fighting the "suits", and it feels like a losing battle..but i try!!