John Peel Dead

stuff like this doesn't usually upset me.

I first heard John (1978)

My granny gave me a small orange portable radio for what must have been my seventh or eighth birthday. I used to listen to it every night as I fell asleep (I didn't grow up with enforced bedtimes), and without realising listened to the birth of Punk. I liked the song "I hate babysitters" - which spoke passionately to a matter of import for my 7 year old heart, but mostly it passed me by, although it was definitely better than Radio Luxembourg.

Roll forward ten years (1988)

John Peel, one night, after school, plays the record that changes my life. Right there, "Stakker Humanoid", by Humanoid, more or less destroys my interest in all the records I own already, at a stroke. What was that?

Roll forward sixteen more years (2004)

Heard him DJ at the Big Chill this year. As an antidote to all the soporific Zero-7 dross everywhere else (the Big Chill is a lovely way to spend a weekend, but not for the music), he plays the hardest set I've heard in years.

Ending, of course, with Teenage Kicks.

Which I expect will be number 1 next week.

(footnote: Radio 1 is playing its equivalent of Mourning Music. They've played Teenage Kicks twice in 30 minutes, and then the rest is shoegazing bland miserable indie wank shite. Anyone SERIOUSLY think this is what he would have played? can we have some diversity please?)