TLOBF Interview :: Steve Lamacq

Formerly of BBC Radio 1 and now heard prominently on both 6Music and Radio 2, Lamacq is a longtime champion of new and interesting music. To link in with his contribution to Ja Ja Ja, we sent a bunch of questions over to Steve, who kindly told us a bit about his relationship with Nordic music, his feelings about the curation, and his fascinating career on the airwaves.

Hi Steve, how are you today?
Still reeling from the BBC’s proposals to close 6Music, but there’s a long way to go yet. Otherwise, actively busy, wading through a sack of mail.

Where did you first hear of Ja Ja Ja?
Sean Adams from Drowned In Sound mentioned it and then Simon Raymonde from Bella Union Records was raving about his night.

How excited are you at the prospect of curating a Ja Ja Ja show?
I’m hoping it’ll be really good. It has a lot to live up to though doesn’t it, considering the success of the gigs so far. I think I’ll be more excited on the night when some people turn up, otherwise I’ll just be loitering by the door like someone who’s thrown a party and is waiting for guests to arrive. The bands are good though.

When would you say you first realised the quality of Nordic music – are you a long-standing fan?
I don’t suppose I took much notice in my teens, but certainly there was a lot of good stuff starting to emerge in the 90s. Then I was involved in the Access All Areas event in Sweden for a couple of years which was an eye-opening experience, because it really showed the depth of music out there. I went one year with former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McClaren who ended up having his picture taken in front of a portrait of the Queen in the British Embassy. Very surreal.

What’s your connection to Nordic music? Do you have any particular favourite bands?
Well a while back it was Jakobinarina. I still listen to their album every now and again, but more recently Ida Maria is one of my favourites. A friend of mine e-mailed me some links for her demos and we started following her from there. We sorted out a session for Radio 1 straight away and we still swap e-mails. She’s been working on new material, but won’t let us hear anything till it’s properly finished. And there’s that band jj. Haven’t heard the new album, but the last one was good. I think they could do very well, especially if they’re landing support slots with people like The xx.

Do you think there’s something distinctive about the musical output of countries like Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden?
I think the Swedes are great at straight down the line pop music. But really bold, colourful, hooky pop music which doesn’t leave a bad taste in the mouth. And the music I’ve heard from Iceland is either really angry or really atmospheric (or in some cases both).

Would you agree that countries like these “punch above their weight” musically?
I used to think that in a way, because of the size of the population and the comparatively small music infrastructure when you compare it to the US and the UK…but I think people’s perception of Nordic music has improved a lot in the past 15 years, so even though it’s hard to break out of a small scene, it’s a little easier now. But yes, I see the point.

What are your thoughts about the state of British music radio in 2010?
Well, as always there’s good and bad. I’ve been disappointed that Radio 1 has simply followed rather than led trends for most of the day. I think it plays it quite safe a lot of the time. And they’ve pushed a lot of the interesting shows further back into the evening. But Huw Stephens is good, Jon Kennedy on XFM…. 6Music, even my one hour on Radio 2 on a Wednesday night….there are good shows if you look for them.

You’ve been a follower of student radio for many years, can you see that playing a bigger part in the future?
Well it’s come an awfully long way in the past 20 years. I’m not saying it’s in any way as influential as some of the college rock stations in America, but one thing it does do tremendously well is giving people access to start experimenting with the format. There’s some really quite mad shows out there at the moment; really quite innovative stuff which you don’t hear anywhere else. Musically its all over the place, depending where you are in the country, but most stations have shows which champion their local scenes – and interestingly there’s a lot of programmes covering music outside of the mainstream – be it hardcore dubstep or jazz or world music. Let it begin…

Moving on to your own career, how does it feel to look back on your years of radio work?
Quite scary. One magazine described me as a veteran the other day. When do you become a veteran these days?

Are there any particular highlights that you think will always stick with you?
There’s hundreds probably, but the one thing I’m proud of is giving a few bands their first break; people like Bloc Party who gave me their demo at the ICA one night and Coldplay of course who I saw in a pub. But in terms of actual radio, broadcasting from the Verve gig at Haigh Hall, that was pretty special and interviewing Radiohead in Paris around the time of OK Computer was quite a moment. Thom Yorke ate chinese all the way through the interview I seem to remember.

Are there any other radio presenters, past or present, that you look up to and admire?
John Peel, obviously. I visibly shook the first time I met him. But there’s a guy called Peter Young who used to present a chart show on Capital back in the late 70s, who was quite inspirational as well. He once said: “Listeners can tell if you’ve not put any work into a show” and it’s a good point. It’s haunted me ever since.

You have a segment on your BBC 6 Music show these days called the “Rock Manifesto”. Can you tell us a bit about that?
It’s similar to Mark Thomas’ Manifesto, but it’s to do with music. It’s trying to find daft laws we could implement to improve our musical experience. Like shaming people who talk on mobile phones through the quiet bit in a gig. What should be their punishment? One person who complained about tall people barging in front of you at a gig, suggested that if they did it just as the band came on, they should be forced to watch the rest of the gig on their knees.

On 6 Music you play a blend of new music and old – but imagining you could have only play one or the other, which would you choose?
New. All the time. Imagine what you’d miss if you stopped buying records now. I like the element of surprise. I like the fact that, in this mail I’m sifting through, there might be a track which is going to be someone’s favourite record of the year.

Besides your radio work, one of your claims to fame is your role in the Richey Edwards self-harm incident of 1991. How did it feel to hear Edwards’ posthumous lyrics being used on the Manic Street Preachers album Journal for Plague Lovers last year?
I’m not sure if that’s a claim to fame. I was quite troubled by it at the time, especially after he phoned up to apologise. But he seemed like such a lovely human being, with so much conviction, but so many demons. I think that comes through in the lyrics. I’m not sure if he ever found the answers to all the questions in his head.

I understand you were in attendance at the last ILL FIT show at The Social (TLOBF’s Club Night), featuring Fitness Club Fiasco among others. Enjoy the night?
I only saw Fitness Club because I had to go to another gig down at White Heat, but they were good, even stripped down to just two of them. It’s sort of winsome without being sickly.

I always ask bands this, but you ought to be at least as knowledgeable as them! Do you have any music recommendations for TLOBF readers, any personal discoveries you’ve been keeping off the radio?
No, I can’t keep anything to myself. As soon as I find a band I have to play them. But at the moment… I’m listening to the Goldheart Assembly album a lot, the Zip It Up EP on Fierce Panda which has the Crookes and The Hoodlums and the Heartbreaks on… and the new White Hinterland album… oh and The Neat from Hull.

Besides JaJaJa, do you have any other exciting projects in the pipeline, on air or off?
There’s loads going at 6Music, but it’s not all set in stone at the moment, but one or two big American alt-rock bands will be putting in an appearance soon… and off air I’ve just started a website, so I can do some more writing – www.goingdeafforaliving.com.