Warning!!! What follows is a boring and self-indulgent post. If you are not South African, never listened to 5fm, weren't alive in the 90's, or just don't care, then I apologise. Come back next week, there will be fresh brownies.
After intensive research I have calculated statistically via the ANOVA F-distribution analysis (I made that up) that people are less likely to read blogs on Fridays, so I figure I can get away with it.
I am in a reminiscing mood today. For some reason I have turned out to be one of those people that look upon my youth as this wondrous paragon of halcyon idyll, and other big words as well (I don't know what they mean). Which is ironic because I am sure I remember thinking at the time I was actually youthful, "This hell, when shall it end?"
Today I am reminiscing about the good ole days of 5fm. In the 90's 5fm was the soundtrack to my life. I listened to it day and night. I was so not an East Coast Radio girl, that shit was for old people.
Who remembers Tony Murrel? His intro went something like: "he's really rather pretty for an antelope". He was so funny. And mad. I think he was English. Which may explain things.
And Alex Jay, what a legend. It was through his comedy half hour that I first discovered Eddie Izzard, my favourite executive transvestite.
Then there were Ian F and Sasha Martinengo, what a pair of numpties. They had such a good repartee. I loved their prank calls, and that atrocious dance single that they released.
And Darren Scott (who I see has gone over to the dark side of East Coast Radio) with John Walland and the news reader Leanne. I loved the way Darren ripped off John, although deep down I was still too naive to work out whether he really meant it or if it was all for show. Darren, what a biscuit.
And what about Barney Simon's Night Zoo? How legend was that show? That guy was at the forefront of promoting South African music. He played stuff you would never hear anywhere else. When he had to start playing crap like Dario G's sunchyme to increase the ratings I wanted to cry. Remember, "Look everyone, he's coming through the doors... brilliant, he didnt even open them, he's here!" And one time (at band camp) he played my song list, which made my week!
Remember the UK top 40 and how it was treated as the holy grail of music? "Based on sales and only sales". No kidding it was based only on sales, which is why songs like Bob the builder and the tweenies were at number one for 100 straight years. Help. me.
All those guys stood out as individuals; they had banter, they had some control over what they played. 5fm seems so bland now. The DJ's just aren't funny, and the music... well I won't say anything about the music in case I reveal myself as an old whingeing crone.
Suffice it to say that when G and I visited this year we ended up going over to the dark side. Yes, we switched to East Coast radio. They had good load-shedding traffic light updates at least.
