Conversations with a know-it-all: I wanna rock!

I don’t mind driving. I don’t even mind sitting in mild traffic every day – and not so mild traffic every other day. All thanks to my car radio. But then I was forced to go without my car radio for about two weeks when it was stolen. (GASP!)

So while I was driving in utter silence with just my random thoughts and that creepy guy in the car next to me to keep me company, I got to thinking about different radio stations.

I came to the realisation that apart from my chosen breakfast show, with Gareth Cliff, I usually just frantically flip through stations looking for the one that’s playing a bearable (or hopefully bop-along-to-the-beat) song at that exact moment. I can listen to Gareth’s conversations in the morning, because they’re interesting and he actually has something meaningful to add. And he has frequent musical intermissions.

But then you get those DJs who talk on forever and ever (to themselves essentially), about something that doesn’t really interest anyone. And you can just hear how much they love the sound of their own voice! And that, quite sadly, includes most DJs out in the world.

I read a profound status on Facebook the other day, “Listen to DJs who love music more than they love the sound of their own voice.” I agree with that. I would just add a part in there about listening to DJs who have valuable insights to pass on to you.

Then, while in silent traffic one day, I tried to imagine my perfect kind of radio station and I immediately thought of pirate stations. They’re illicit, fun and meaningful – you feel like you’re part of something big just by listening to them. We all have an inner rebel-child just waiting for the right opportunity to show face, right?

I guess there are different types of pirate stations, but when I think pirate radio station, I think of the movie “The Boat that Rocked” and I get this burning desire to be part of something like that. “Radio Rock” with its crew of quirky DJs captured my heart. As they broadcast from a ship floating in the international waters of the North Sea, the British government on their trail, trying to shut them down. And of course they’re in the 1960’s, so they’re playing the kind of music I enjoy thanks to my dad’s collection of tapes he recorded from an old record player.