XIII Oceans

No Chris?

January 3, 2008 at 1:50 pm | Posted in radio | Leave a comment

Talk about gutted.  I was driving home yesterday from work, the first time I’ve been in since Christmas Eve and who was on Drive Time on Radio 2?  Not Chris Evans!  After being put off listening to Radio 4 by the increasing tabloid style, points scoring approach that the Today programme has developed I’d sunk into a pit of listening to Chris Evans eulogising about everybody who comes on his show.  The words genius and legend are overused by people under the age of 30 on a regular basis these days so I take it as a generational insult against the Madchester/Slacker/Britpop legends when he throws around such comments without any discernment.

Travelling home last night was a refreshing change and it made things feel like it was a different time of year and it wasn’t the usual drudgery that the end of a day can bring.  Chatting away was none other than Bob Harris, a man who is a legend and can carry the label of DJ, unlike Evans who is merely a Prozac Nation broadcaster. 

It’s not that I hate Chris Evans, sure he swallowed his own ego for a bit during the 90s but generally I quite enjoyed his television output.  It was entertaining, TFI had some interesting guests and a mixture of bands, Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush was different, however I’m a bit sick of his “Everything Must Be Happy” approach.  Occasionally he’ll hint at cynicism and I know what he’s trying to do with the radio show, lifting people up after a shitty day at work.  Unfortunately there’s lifting people up and there’s putting Queen on every single show, or so it feels. 

They should never have let Johnnie Walker get ill.