How We Listened To John Peel
For the exhibition i wanted to pay homage to the wonderful John Peel, and such is his influence i ended doing two paintings for the show! ‘How we listen to John Peel’ focuses on the shared experience we had listening to the show from our bedrooms across the nation, no matter what our musical taste were. There was always a gem on the show that was worth saving for posterity on a c90 cassette tape. I’d love to to know in what way John influenced your musical taste and if you found your favorite band by listening to his show.
Comments
First time I remember listening to Uncle Johnny Plee was under the covers, with my Radio Shock transistor radio turned dright down so mum and dad couldn't tell I was still awake. I can remember it was Stiff Little Fingers, but the memories have faded now so not sure whether it was Alternative Ulster or Suspect Device. Hooked from then on. Without him I'd never have heard The Higsons, Birthday Party, Ivor Cutler, Young Marble Giants, etc etc etc, and I wouldn't have had the courage to admit in public to liking Joan of Arc by OMD when all around me were stuck listening to Punk or Ska - not that there's anything wrong with listening to Punk or Ska - I think the nicest name I was called was "futurist"!! He taught me to think for myself, to welcome the new and "different" with open arms and an open mind. As much as I'm sure he would have hated it, a hero to me and so many others.
Thanks John, we miss you
I listened almost exclusively in whichever was my bedroom at the time with a c90 on record. John introduced me to The Orb; the first time I heard them was on their Peel Session. For me "A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld" always ends after twenty-odd minutes with the unmistakable, matter-of-fact Peel inflection saying simply "The Orb" before I managed to stab at the pause button.
Also, I remember him reading out a listener's letter saying "DJs don't die, they just move to Ghost FM". Quite.