Until the 2012 National Student Radio Conference in Bradford
University of The West of England
Hub Radio, The University of the West of England's Student Radio Station, providing a diverse range of both music and chat to the city of Bristol. Hub...
Josie and The Liquid Lunch: Derailing the yuppie lifestyle sip by sip.
Inspired by a smattering of uninspiring presenters and shows on the airwaves today, and encouraged by friends insisting that I love the sound of my own voice and so do they, I approached the fabulous people at GU2 and asked them to take a chance on me. They kindly agreed, and I have now been a regular presenter on the station for five months.
The show that I host is a weekly two-hour lunchtime slot called ‘The Liquid Lunch.’ Having been born in the early Eighties to a yuppie father and a New Romantic mother, it seemed only right that I name the show after the occasion which preceded my conception. The concept of the liquid lunch - a meal which comprises entirely of intoxicating liquids and no sustenance - serves as a paradox to the concept for my show: a tantalising two-hour feast of meaty substance, delivered smooth and sweet like milk chocolate, complimented by crème pop music, with nothing stodgy or artificial whatsoever, and absolutely no fromage.
Each show includes two features which allow me to interact with my audience. For ‘The Lunch Meeting,’ listeners provide details of a fantasy lunchtime rendezvous: who with; why; where; and what? The possibilities are unlimited and submissions arrive every week from all over the world. ‘The Musical Cocktail’ allows an audience member or my studio guest to select two or three songs of their choice, which either compliment or contradict each other in some way. The songs are played in succession and listeners are invited to name the cocktail and provide an ingredients list for it. Recent cocktail names have included ‘Summer Sublime,’ ‘Every Time A River’ and ‘Bad Taste,’ and the ingredients have varied from banana juice to wheatgrass to raw egg.
I like to keep my listeners engaged by seasoning each show liberally with garnishes from my lucky dip of material. For example, ‘On This Day’ - provides tit bits of relevant and fun history, ‘Thought for the Day’ - allows me to indulge my love of philosophical quotations, and ‘Word of the Day’ - sets up a word challenge for myself and the listeners. I also have one focus topic per show - extreme sports, summer festivals, cheap holidays, etc. - which is discussed and aims to offer a little insight into the subject matter. In essence, every link and item of every show is intended to entertain, inform, tickle or inspire those that are tuned in. As a radio listener myself, I tend to play songs three-in-a-row, so as to allow for uninterrupted periods of music, followed by links of about three minutes.
To my surprise, my show became popular rather quickly, and the feedback has been rather phenomenal, considering that no money changed hands. People even left comments of their own free will.
“Loved the show and all you do to make it what it is.” Rob H, Guildford. “
Excellent show.” Zoe B, Dubai.
“Love it.” Verity, London.
“Fabulous DJ…gravelly witticisms.” Sarah Y, Boston, USA.
It is not an over-inflated ego that has me entering the Best Female category, but the belief that my show really offers a pleasant alternative to all the mediocrity on the airwaves. I am totally dedicated to providing optimum aural pleasure, encouraging people to tune in, rather than out.