I appeared on the radio this week, returning to the airwaves in Gloucestershire for the first time in about 20 years.
Actually, I don’t think my last appearance on the radio in this part of the world can be considered countywide. Because it was hospital radio and I’m fairly sure that the signal didn’t go beyond the car park. I’m also fairly sure that no one used to listen. It’s not my first appearance on the radio in 20 years though, because I appeared as a guest on Radio Perth when I was performing shows in Australia.
I was on Radio Gloucestershire, which brings back memories of two things. Firstly, it was my go-to station when it snowed as they would announce the school closures. That was always filled with excitement.
And secondly, when I was 12 or 13 in the summer of 1997. My idol was Chris Evans and I was obsessed with radio. Most evenings and weekends, I would switch between Radio Gloucestershire and Severn Sound, trying to find someone playing Robbie Williams: Old Before I Die. It was in the days when I believed that to have a good summer, you needed an anthem and that was the song I’d decided it to be that year. Neither the summer, song nor idol that year turned out particularly well.
Anyway, my appearance this week came off the back of my spot at the 2000 Trees Festival. I tweeted about performing there and one of the radio presenters got in touch and asked if I’d like to appear on the evening show.
It was good fun. I enjoyed chatting with the presenter. I was hoping I’d get to pick the songs to play, but that’s not quite how it works. Most stations have a set playlist, So, I was asked to introduce three songs from that. Admittedly, I didn’t know any of them. I recognised some of the singers but had never heard the songs. Regardless, my old hospital radio show muscle memory – that definitely doesn’t sound weird – kicked in and introduced them as best I could.
And it was agreed on air that the first performance of Ross Kemp: The Musical will happen on 25 July 2023. If the pressure of a deadline agreed on local radio doesn’t get me working, nothing will.