Best shows on BBC6 Music

Sussex on Leith · Nov 8, 2013

Enjoying the direction the various music threads are taking at the moment, and I'm guessing there are a few fellow 6 Music devotees among those posting.

For regular listeners, what are your favourite shows on the network? I'm basically an ABL man (Anyone But Lamacq) - at least now the Edith Bowman experiment has been mercifully curtailed - but if I had to pick a top 5:

5. Cerys Matthews - incredibly wide range of music (most of which I've never heard but almost always enjoy), laid back style, perfect Sunday lie-in show
4. Lauren Laverne - v funny, warm & friendly manner, good session guests, broader range of music than Keaveny/RadMac, think I'm slightly in love with her
3. Tom Ravenscroft - perhaps the widest (most bonkers) range of music on the station, funny and self-deprecating style, worth staying in on Friday nights for
2. Gideon Coe - they don't call him the Guvnor for nothing. Deceptively bonkers (e.g. broadcasting live from his garden shed), hugely knowledgeable, extremely slick and professional but does a fine job of pretending not to be
1. Marc Riley - music taste usually right up my street (give or take the odd bit of ropey prog), very funny if slightly brusque on occasion, absolutely loves music, consistently amazing session guests clinch it for me

And that doesn't even leave room for several extremely good shows:

Jarvis (legend, much prefer it on rare occasions he broadcasts live rather than prerecorded)
Guy Garvey (semi-legend)
Shaun Keaveny (extremely funny, music taste a bit MOR for me)
RadMac (very entertaining but too much chat compared to music)
Freak/Freakier Zone (great concept, but inevitably contains the odd unlistenable song)
Craig Charles (he's a bit irritating but the music is just fantastic)
Mary Anne Hobbs (I'm rarely up before 10 on a weekend but a lovely listen if I am, love her sheer enthusiasm for music)

The list is a bit biased towards the evening/weekend shows as they're not restricted by the playlist, which could be worse but gets annoying for regular listeners. I do like that new McCartney song, but if I hear it again I might swing for someone.

Thoughts, fellow 6 Music geeks?

Goldstone1976 · Nov 8, 2013

Blimey; my top 5 would be the same people you have; different order though. 1. Cerys, 2. Gideon, 3. Lauren, 4. Marc, 5. Tom.

Really like Guy Garvey and Craig Charles, but, and I know I really shouldn't feel this way but I do, I think Cocker is one.

spring hall convert · Nov 8, 2013

Sussex on Leith said:
I'm basically an ABL man (Anyone But Lamacq)

I'm a ABLoK (Anyone but Lamacq or Keaveny.) To be fair I don't think it's either of their fault really, both shows are heavily playlisted and they don't have much room for manoeuver.

Really like Tom Ravenscroft & Gideon Coe.

Sussex on Leith · Nov 8, 2013

spring hall convert said:
I'm a ABLoK (Anyone but Lamacq or Keaveny.) To be fair I don't think it's either of their fault really, both shows are heavily playlisted and they don't have much room for manoeuver.

True - though that doesn't excuse some of Keaveny's selections, which really belong on a cassette of driving songs that people's dads listened to in the late '80s.

I actually don't mind most of the music Lamacq plays, I just find him incredibly irritating - a throwback to 80s DJs with "radio voices" who talk over every intro and outro.

And has there ever been a worse or more pointless radio feature than "good day/bad day"? Or his "replace a word in a song with something from your shopping basket" thing, which is annoying enough as a Twitter hashtag game, worse still on the wireless. I've managed to avoid the new "Rimmer's Dinners" cooking segment so far, and hope to continue to do so.

happypig · Nov 8, 2013

I don't care much for Keaveny, might be because he's trying to be a bit too "wacky morning DJ" and trying to be like Moyles (who I'd gladly drive a steam roller over). Lamacq - meh - listenable.

Like RadMac and Riley, Love Laverne and Cerys is great (true story, a few years ago I stayed in a converted barn which, before conversion was where Catatonia used to rehearse). Ravenscroft is good too, as is Coe.

Rarely listen to anything else these days, either via Dab or internet.

Nathan · Nov 8, 2013

Sussex on Leith said:
True - though that doesn't excuse some of Keaveny's selections, which really belong on a cassette of driving songs that people's dads listened to in the late '80s.

I actually don't mind most of the music Lamacq plays, I just find him incredibly irritating - a throwback to 80s DJs with "radio voices" who talk over every intro and outro.

And has there ever been a worse or more pointless radio feature than "good day/bad day"? Or his "replace a word in a song with something from your shopping basket" thing, which is annoying enough as a Twitter hashtag game, worse still on the wireless. I've managed to avoid the new "Rimmer's Dinners" cooking segment so far, and hope to continue to do so.

I actually like Lamacq, but agree about some of his 'fun' quiz games. I would also add to the list of shit features he does, its on around 5.30 where Ince has to guess the details of a caller. Its just shit and unfunny. I do like it when Lamacq talks about the music and the bands.

Monkey Man · Nov 8, 2013

Gideon Coe, Marc Riley, Cerys Mathews - all superb. Radcliffe & Maconie, Lauren Laverne, Craig Charles - pretty good. Lamacq, Keaveney, Jarvis - OK.

But I'm afraid I cannot stand Mary Ann Hobbs. Even her trailers make me punch the wall ("beautiful headspace ... going on a journey ... sonics and stories ... riding pillion ... B roads and coastal roads ... old oak table ... Michael Palin ..." AAARGHHHH).

Why does she talk in italics? Why is everything "beautiful"? Why does she do that annoying false laugh in every other link?

Oscar · Nov 8, 2013

And to think they almost closed 6 Music.

I like Laverne and Jarvis as I only really get to listen in the car during the day.

More than anything I miss Adam & Joe. I suspect they'll never be back now Joe has hit the big time as a director. Maybe he'll get Adam a job as Klingon in the next Star Trek movie as I see his is up as director on that.

Sussex on Leith · Nov 8, 2013

Oscar said:
And to think they almost closed 6 Music.

Quite - the argument being that Radio 2 did pretty much the same job. I'd have to quibble with that.

If they'd closed 6, I'd hardly ever listen to the radio at all, except for Test Match Special. As it is, my DAB radio is probably the most-used piece of electronics in my flat, more even than my PC or telly.

Albumen · Nov 8, 2013

1. Tom Ravenscroft - following in his fathers footsteps. He's more my type of music because . . .
2. Marc Riley - . . plays a bit too much folk but his love for all things Cardiacs makes up for it.
3. Cerys Matthews - new one for me. Intelligent, talented, and I almost fell in love with her the other week the way she said "cook book".
4. Freak Zone - Knows his stuff.
5. Keaveny - genuinely funny and he played Rats then Brassneck the other morning, what a way to wake up.

As much as I like (and rubs my knees at) Lauren I find her a little too annoying and the music is pretty shit.
Gideon is just outside the top 5.
I don't tend to listen to Jarvis but I love the man.

Huey Morgan is a fake **** and I'm so annoyed they replaced the awful namedropping Edith Bowman with him. Just play repeats of Adam and Joe and make the nation happy.

tinycowboy · Nov 8, 2013

Like: Gideon, Marc, Tom
Don't like: Cerys (sorry, but i cannot take every song being "incredible" or "astonishing", and the poetry bits make me cringe, even though I love poetry), Mary-Anne Hobbs (see Cerys re use of adjectives, her voice is so soft like tissue paper but it makes me want to veer off the road in search of danger), Huey (ego - big; music - not my thing)

Glad to see the back of Edith - send us your photos and texts! Brian in Portsmouth is loving that new Tom Vek single! Actually quite miss 'Tash from the weekend breakfast programme - embarrassing, but entertaining at least. Nemone - no thanks. Craig Charles - see "Huey".

I forgot - Adam and Joe!! The best - bring them back immediately - good music, and as for comedy value, well, nothing need be said about that apart from tear-inducingly hilarious. We miss them...

Sussex on Leith · Nov 8, 2013

tinycowboy said:
her voice is so soft like tissue paper but it makes me want to veer off the road in search of danger

New Carpet? · Nov 8, 2013

Granted, Keaveny can be samey and very reliant on the soundbites, but there's always a guaranteed laugh (which can be exactly what's required on a working morning).

Lauren Laverne's show is generally good, Marc Riley can be a great listen for the more under-the-radar stuff, whilst I also enjoyed Nemone's shows with her electro-led playlists. Hope Adam Buxton returns at some point as well (with or without Joe, but ideally without Edith).

I'd like to see Tom Ravenscroft take the reins on the late-afternoon slot on a full-time basis, he's really good when he deputises for Lamacq, who is just plain awful nowadays. His musical tastes are somewhat questionable -as a case in point, he had dedicated a show to Keane earlier this week

Skaville · Nov 8, 2013

There is hardly anything I don't love about 6music. The one thing I agree with is Mary Anne Hobbs and her constant name dropping in that daft voice. Her music taste is good though. One other thing that winds me up - the shameless play listing of shit songs in exchange for sessions (take Macca and the Manics recently)

Keaveney is MOR but I think he is hilarious. An absolute gem. Cerys is terrific to potter to on a Sunday. One show I've only caught once is Giles Peterson in a Saturday afternoon. It clashes with the football usually which is a shame because his.musical taste is sublime.

If you are a 6Music virgin, pop your cherry. If you like your music I doubt you'll ever go back to Radio 1, Radio 2, Juice etc.

1066familyman · Nov 8, 2013

Blimey!, it took 14 posts before Gilles Peterson finally gets a brief mention.

Shame on NSC! punish:

Spun Cuppa · Nov 9, 2013

Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ · Nov 9, 2013

The Huey Show is great.

Also a big fan of Craig Charle's show, although he can be so bloody irritating.

Was a big fan of the George Lamb Show back in the day. George & Marc :bowdown:

Former show dedicee

tinycowboy · Nov 9, 2013

Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ;6023794 said:
Was a big fan of the George Lamb Show back in the day.

He split the audience in two - some absolutely loathed him, some thought he was a breath of fresh air. We sit in different camps Zamora, but I think he brought quite a lot of publicity to 6 Music, and probably some new listeners too.

jemwillett · Nov 9, 2013

Mary Ann Hobbs. often plays a run of four or five outstanding records and is great to listen to in bed whilst drifting in and out of sleep. Marc Riley is almost unmissable. His first record is generally classic. Like tom ravenscroft, Gideon coe and guy Garvey. Not a lot to dislike.

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