Well, after my initial foray into co-presenting on Dublin City's Retrospective Perspective, I've now sat in the squeaky chair opposite Alf another 4 times. I really enjoy doing it - although I flatter myself by suggesting it's co-presenting. It's no such thing. Alf runs the show, calls the shots and does the responsible things like cueing the music, talking to the guests and keeping an eye on time. Usually all at once. I, on the other hand, have the slightly less challenging role of keeping my trap shut until I'm asked something and then waffling on for an indeterminate length of time, ending either when I run out of something to say or Alf gives me a look that tells me to wrap it up pronto!
It looks like Liz who normally hosts the show is going to be taking a bit of a back swat for a while and Alf asked me last week if I fancied doing it on a more regular basis. Do I?! Obviously I said yes, but I think in a strange way if affected the show on Saturday. For one thing I was only drafted in at the last minute to replace Liz on Saturday's show but for another I'm beginning to realise that while it's fun and games to come on for an hour, joke about the news, spar a little with the guests and go home, there's actually a lot more to it that I need to start thinking about. I guess you'd say there's an amount of discipline required and at the moment I'm extremely rough around the edges. Which is fine - rough around the edges has gotten me this far but I began to to notice a week ago that I was winging it too much and if anybody was listening this week I think it would have been clear to them too.. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail and all that stuff..
On a whole other level, last week Simon Mayo won a Sony Award for his 5Live show. I listen to his show most days and he really is terrific. I know he probably has fabulous researchers who are doing a lot of work for him, but he really seems to be engaged and prepared for whatever or whoever is pout in front of him. David Hepworth, on his blog last week, described how Mayo can interview anyone from a prime minister to an actor or musician to, well, anybody and let the interviewee be the story. In Hepworth's words, he doesn't try to make himself the centre of everything. Even when Mark kermode is on doing the film reviews on a Friday, he never responds to Kermode's frequents rants and goading. It might be good to remember that! Actually perhaps that's what Alf is doing when she lets me off the leash once in a while to rage about some burning topic like chickflicks or Brian Cowen's public relations people.. I'm the fool standing proud on high ground and she's the smart one keeping it all together.
Anyway, hopefully this will lead to more frequent and better appearances on Saturday mornings. I realise it's not exactly Terry Gross on npr but with Alf behind the wheel and me (hopefully) learning when to speak and when to shut up who knows what might happen!
1 comment:
'Cue' the music, it's 'cue' the music. Isn't it?
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