Viva La 6Music

Earlier this year we asked you to get on board the Save 6Music bandwagon by submitting your opinions to the BBC Trust Strategy Review.

This week the Trust has published the review's initial conclusions:

The Trust does not think a convincing case has been made, as presented, for the closure of 6 Music. The Trust does not agree that there is a consistent strategic rationale for closure on grounds either of promoting digital development or market impact.

Hooray, The best way to celebrate would have to be by Listening to 6Music.

God Save 6Music

This morning The Times reported that two of the BBC’s digital radio stations 6Music and The Asian Network will be shut down as part of corporation wide cut backs.

Scriptwriter, journalist, broadcaster and sometimes 6Music DJ Andrew Collins put together this great piece covering the reasons behind any closure and why the loss of 6Music (and The Asian Network) is bad news for everyone.

Just some of what we will all be missing if 6Music were to close down.

• Little Boots and Gary Numan
• The Adam and Joe Podcast
• Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Service, and
  
• the most diverse playlist of any station anywhere (listen online)
  

Heavy Metal World Cup – Drinking From the Goblet

After a week of demon summoning death growls, face melting guitar solos, whiplash inducing hair windmills and reversed satanic verses the 6Music Heavy Metal World Cup has come down to Black Sabbath vs Iron Maiden.

Two UK giants: one invented the genre, the other continues to define it.

With their 30+ year career, skeletal mascot, massive live show and refusal to die, the winner of the Heavy Metal World Cup is Iron Maiden.

Get a full run down of the results on the updated Heavy Metal World Cup wall chart.

Horns Up \m/

PS: Do watch the video’s linked above, if nothing else metal is always funny.

Heavy Metal World Cup – The Group of Death

Today BBC 6Music’s Steve Lamacq announced the 16 bands that have qualified for the first round of the Heavy Metal World Cup.

The 16 bands and their first round fixtures are:

Slayer vs Van Halen
Black Sabbath vs Metallica
Judas Priest vs Def Leppard
Rainbow vs Saxon
Iron Maiden vs UFO
Kiss vs AC/DC
Deep Purple vs Anthrax
Motorhead vs Led Zeppelin

So some big first round clashes, hear Bruce Dickson's (of Iron Maiden) analysis of the first round fixtures on Listen Again.

You can follow the progress on the Heavy Metal World Cup Wall chart, or by tuning into 6Music from 5pm (GMT) every day this week. Listen Live.

Possibly the best radio station ever?

BBC - 6 Music, a digital radio station, funded by my TV license.

The target audience is certainly older than that of my old haunt triple j, which I still turn on and turn up for the Saturday night (morning) house party.

I was tipped off to the existence and philosophy of 6Music by an opinion piece in The Word, where over two thirds of a page Lynsey Hanley expressed her disappointment in the station and its directors for appointing a new young mainstream presenter.

While I wasn't looking for a young catch phase dispensing presenter I was interested in the rest of the station, and must say I have been rewarded since tuning in.

Like every other station 6Music has a high rotation playlist, between these tracks the DJs play and talk about whatever they like. Their passion for the music they play is undeniable making the station addictive listening.

The weeks two most played artists are The Cure (20 times) and Hot Chip (19) with CSS and Justice also in the top ten list it is hard to see how it took me and the Bawley crew so long to find this internet radio gem.

As I write this piece I am listening to the last ever episode or Marc Riley's Brain Surgery, playlist

The Bromhead Jackets - Speaker Box
The Bromhead Jackets - Clear To Me
Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Radiohead - Bodysnatchers
Scarlett Johansson feat David Bowie - Falling Down
Robert Forster - Deamon Days
Bearsuit - Minerals Made Me
Roy Obison - Domino
David Cronenbergs Wife - Runaway Pram
The Bromheads Jackets - These Boots Are Made For Walking
The Bromheads Jackets - She'll Wrap Her Arms
Micha P Hinson - The Fire Came Up to My Knees
Can - Mushrooms
Super Fury Animals - Ice Hockey Hair
Cate Le Bon - Sailing In Sick
Restless List - Buttlin Breaks
Rufus Wainwright & The Propellorheads - In With The Ladies
Bearsuit - Stop What You're Doing What You're Doing Is Wrong
Winston Samuels - Be Prepared

Coming up after the news Wire, The Fall and then at 9pm it is Radio Hour with Bob Dylan. (yes that Bob Dylan) followed by Bruce Dickinson's Rock Show (yes that Bruce Dickinson)

Listen on-line here http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/

My TV licence: £150 well spent.