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Radio programming; dear me, I must be getting old


New Year Bells - musically, how would you rather take them in?  

13 members have voted

  1. 1. New Year Bells - musically, how would you rather take them in?

    • Scottish Dance music / folk
      8
    • Pop / Rock music
      3
    • Heavy metal
      2
    • Blues / Jazz
      0


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My parents, sister and her boys were coming round to take in New Year with myself and my better-half, and as we dont' have TV in the house I put on Radio Scotland to help us get into the spirit of things. All started well, with Robbie Shepherd, a lively dance band and a good degree of "Whheeee-ooch!" - splendid. Well, at about nine or ten, Robbie was replaced with a couple of dull semi-soothmoothers who were intent on playing us some very middle-of-the-road Radio One music, who made it clear that they would be "taking us up to the bells" with their dirge of Mid-Atlantic mediocrity. AAARGH - all the other radio stations were playing exactly the same. Thank goodness for our Fustra CD, which took us up to the bells instead. We stuck our heads out of our living room window to listen for the Toon Hall clock at the appropriate moment, then thoroughly enjoyed an enthusiatic firework display, courtesy of our neighbours.

 

Why oh why, when every other station was playing middle-of-the-road pop music, did the programmers of Radio Scotland in their wisdom elect to follow suit? When surely New Year is all about whee-oooch and a nip of Whisky, no matter who you are?

 

Presumably they have done the Market Research and found that their main target group throughout Scotland find Scottish Dance Music abhorrent, that 90 per cent of their listeners are alco-pop drinking, mindless, herd-following, uninspired souls who tune out whenever they hear Scottish Dance music, and switch to Radio One. Especially at New Year - "no whee-ooch here, thank you, we prefer Averil Lavigne".

 

A bit of a disappointment for the minority who were hoping that Radio Scotland would have something to take them through the bells with something less drab than, well, that which the programmers decided to provide on New Years Eve, which was already basically being provided on every other bloody station. I mean, what's Radio Scotland there for? To reflect the programming of the USA and England? Surely not.

 

Or am I just getting old and grumpy? Should I calm it and clam it and count myself lucky that Robbie Shepherd was on at all that evening?

 

What do you think? Did you find the witterings of those two presenters (Edinburghoids??) "inspiring"?

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There's something about New Year that does require a bit of 'whee-hooch'. Same as a wedding I suppose (have you ever been to a sooth wedding when they have a disco. Hit's joost no right!)

 

I took in the bells at the legion with May & Mackie playing what I suppose could be described as, if I was to be cruel

Mid-Atlantic mediocrity
However, it was just the ticket, and at least it was live.

 

I've heard a few reports that the usualy quite good Hogmanay TV was a load of guff.

 

Oh god, I think you're right, we must be getting old :!: :wink:

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The TV programmes were drivel too. The "Live" one from Princess Street featured KT Tunstall taking in the bells, however, if you turned over to Jools Holland's "live" programme, she was also taking in the bells there....????

 

And why does everyone on these programmes insist on playing their slowest, wailiest songs? Is it just self-indulgence? Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham can play some fantastic reels and jigs, as we all know, but they were doing slow airs. We know they can play them well but we want something lively at New Year!

 

We do need the "whee-hooch" music at New Year. Lets petition the BBC!!!!

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Guest Anonymous

Well this is what i do - i put on my telly then go to sky page 955 this is BBC1 England not a drop of scotish drivel to be seen. The fireworks in London were fantastic.

 

Its nice to get a mix personally but the tv people always like to put the same old crap on year after year.

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  • 2 weeks later...
The fireworks in London were fantastic.

 

They weren't a patch on the Edinburgh ones, which seemed to consist of the castle being pulverised into a cloud of buzzing atoms by a massive nuclear assault.

 

I couldn't believe it was still there when the smoke cleared. Fantastic!

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Ha ha ha, me so smug. My run up to the bells was accompanied by no tv, instead i had the honour of sharing in live accordion, with accompaniment, courtesy of Drewie and Aimee Hawick.:lol:

 

And the annual westerloch fireworks may not have been a nuclear assault, but hey, i'm an animal sympathizer, they were loud enough.

 

So if you want a 'real' new year next time around, turn the tv off and get with the 'program', and petergear 'why oh why' were you not providing your own tunes, hmm?

 

Personally if i didn't have the honour of such an event, i would have the hogmanay bells mixing into "Hells Bells" by AC/DC or Hayseed Dixie, either way it would beat tv nonsense.

 

ALSO, i kinda lik KT Tunstall, leave her alone you fascists. :wink:

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