6 Music and Lou Reed

Artrockers,
Let's get 6 Music out of the way first. As far back as 2002 I raved about 6 music in this very mailout, I exhorted you all to rush out and buy DABs so you could all enjoy this wonderful thing. By 2008 the romance was over. What were the factors that made this one time champion of 6 Music lose interest? Mainly it was the playlist, an old fashioned concept possibly suited to Radios 2 and 1 but totally out of place on a radio station catering for well informed music fans and total anathema to the 'new John Peels'. Can you imagine Peel sticking to a playlist? Isn't that what made his show so great? But it was the playlist that made day-time 6 music nigh on unlistenable, that and the 'personality' DJs. I've spent hours reading articles and subsequent comments about the closure, and one thing shines through, the praise is poured on the evening and weekend output, particularly Freak Zone, but there's very little defence of daytime. And they're right, Freakzone is possibly the best music programme anywhere right now - the problem is that ALL of 6 music could be as good as this if they a) dump the playlist b) get rid of the Celeb / Comedian presenters and employ presenters who actually have as much knowledge of the subject as the well informed listenership. Oh, and the other mistake they made was to lose my 7" Vinyl Chart from Marc Riley's show, it was all downhill from there!

Now then, the new issue of Artrocker Magazine is in the shops, you can see the cover somewhere around here. It's full of stuff, as you might imagine, the details of which can be found by giving it a little click.
As you'll see we have Lou Reed exclusive interview, talking about Metal Machine Music, he's over with his trio in April, don't miss it: *Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Trio plays the Cambridge Junction (April 17), Oxford O2 Academy (April 18) and London Royal Festival Hall’s Ether Festival (April 19). Reed will re-issue a newly re-mastered edition of the 1975 “Metal Machine Music” album on Monday April 19th. Further info: loureed.com