The Joy of Six

Usually when The Sun breaks a clearly sensational and fabricated story I become annoyed; bored with the "bloody immigrants", "back our boys" or "Britains got talent" nonsense. However last week I fleetingly rejoiced when " The Voice of Britain" broke the news that Chris Moyles was finally leaving Radio 1. Such joy was not due to listening or caring about Moyles and his team of brainless sycophants and was instead mainly some schadenfreude at seeing such an odious idiot finally leave the airwaves.

My frustration with the burp in mike, talk about women as if meat crudity pionereed as entertainment by Moyles led to a transferral of listening allegiances along time ago as drag myself from bed every morning. My frustration with adverts and the Paolo Nutini informed content of Virginesque commercial stations left limited scope for where to go next. Then I tuned in to 6music.

6music is a digital radio station from the BBC that plays an eclectic mix of music mainly informed by contemporary indie and classic punk, rock and anything inbetween. In short it is heaven, a musical utopia far removed from the Duffy dominated shit play lists flogged to within a inch of their lives day in day out by Radio 1. Because I am a boring pedant I put a comparison together highlight the brilliance of six and the utter triviality of Radio 1's output. Last Wednesday upon waking up I was treated to the incredible :

The Rolling Stones - She's like a Rainbow

Green Day - Know Your Enemy

Gomez - Whippin Picallily

Peter, Bjorn and John - Young Folks

George Harrison - My sweet lord

Silversun Pickups - Theres no Secrets this Year; and the best of the lot...

Snoop Dogg - Whats my Name

At the same time Radio 1 listeners of Radio 1 would have been treated to a selection of songs picked on the basis of their performance in "focus groups" comprised of idiots. The current songs set for the equivalent of a PRS anal rape include such musical luminaries as Alesha Dixon, Britney Spears, Girls Aloud, Pink and Tinchy Strider. Case closed.

Not only is the music infinitley better on 6 the DJ's are also quality. Sean Keaveney in the mornings is an eloquent northener with a healthy distate for the celebrity culture so adored by R1 who is unafraid of having a vocabulary and intelligence. His guests are invaribly interesting, funny and not restricted to those that have a book out that week. Instead of the self obsessed chatter employed constantly by Moyles ( " I was out the other day and the paparazzi wanted to take pictures of me because I am famous! Gutter" ) Keaveney actually has legitimate features that excite each day. The constantly fascinating Ear Worm is a track designed to stick in your head and suggested by a listener every morning and gets played at 8. It works. Wichita Lineman by Glenn Campbell was played around 3 months ago and I haven't been able to dislodge it since.

Keaveney's brilliance is matched in the weekend morning slots by Adam and Joe on staurdays, the channel four comedy duo (apparently) from the days of yore and Jon Richardson an up and coming stand up and former radio partner to Russell Howard. Most importantly they are all original and unafraid of being a bit intelligent. Whereas Moyles steadfastly is self righteous in his stupidity 6music instead encourages maybe just a small amount of thinking. It's not exactly the Today Program and it isnt designed to look down on anyone - it just doesnt think being stupid is cool. And that is the joy of 6.