John Peel Day: Joyful and Triumphant

• 8th Oct 2005

This Wednesday and Thursday we will be looking back at the life of one of the country’s most influential characters in music, John Peel. It is easy to read all the reviews and talk about John but having never known him who am I to start talking like I knew him. Well, it was John’s gentle and polite presence on our air waves that made it fell like we all knew him. Alone in our bedrooms listening to a mad bunch of exciting Peel discoveries made us feel like we were in on a special secret. Peelo gave us ambition and let our minds think creatively, to accept abnormalities and teaching us manners. Witnessing an hour of noise at Liverpool’s Barfly when John sadly passed burst many into tears but it was tears of joy that streamed from people’s faces as we jumped to teenage kicks. Has ever such a man influenced the youth of a generation to provide such feelings towards music.

Fitting this week we celebrate John’s life with gigs all over the country, Radio One have various items on their show but it would have been nice to listen to John’s shows once more all day long.

So we come into Leeds on Thursday and personally I look forward to celebrating all together and checking out live bands without any expectations. Thursday get yourselves out to the Faversham on Springfield Mount where we have: The VC’s, The Unexploded Shells, Napolon IIIrd, Bam Bam Francs, The Acutes, Buen Chico. Surely a night not to be missed and after the bands expect to dance around to some of John’s fave tunes. Also on that night we have ‘The Fight’ at Joseph’s Well, Hanover Walk.

But wherever you are in the country on Peel Day take a minute in the music to imagine's John's presence in the room, as cities shake hands we all unite.

‘So there you go’