It's not a sausage*, it's my sizzle reel
A pause in programming for some light entertainment in which I name-drop a lot.
I have acquired a few more subscribers and even more regular “lurkers” in recent weeks since I increased the posting frequency here at Mister Brisbane.
The stats suggest my most popular recent posts are those about the media in general and radio in particular.
So, it’s a fair guess that Mister Brisbane has some appeal to people in the audio industry, and a lot of them will be asking: who does this bloke think he is?
A quick personal history: As a child in the 1960s and 70s, I would listen to Russ Walkington (with Gerald the Grasshopper) on 4BH, Mike Ahern on 4BC and, most memorably, Wayne Roberts on 4BK. I especially loved his Batman parody.
My father always had his ear to the radio. In the mornings, he would listen to the news and AM on 4QR (now ABC Brisbane), then Haydn Sergeant and Greg Cary on 4BC. On the weekends, he switched between Keith Noud on 4BK and Vince Curry on 4BC to listen to the races.
My brother and I used to make funny radio shows on a cassette recorder, often imitating local celebrities like Billy J Smith, Alf Shaw and footy callers George Doniger and Mick Veivers.
As a uni student, in the very late 1970s, I did some shifts at the newsroom of community broadcaster 4ZZZ, and as a consequence of my work in newspapers I was invited on to commercial radio and the ABC in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
As a journalist specialising in the arts and entertainment, I had long, regular stints as a contributor to shows on 4BC and 612ABC, especially with Anthony Frangi, Ian Maurice and John Miller (later Peter Dick) and Ross Davie at the former, and mostly with Spencer Howson (of whom more to follow) at the latter. Around the same time, I did segments for 4EB’s Spectrum program and was heard on ABC Sunshine and Gold Coast with Mary-Lou Stephens (who now writes popular books).
I also wrote a column about radio for The Courier-Mail in the late 1990s, before joining The Sunday Mail, where I spent a few years as entertainment editor and continued to be heard on the ABC and, for a while, B105.
I spent more than half of the past 17 years overseas and, in 2010, was heard on many Australian radio stations talking about the red-shirt uprising in Bangkok, where I was studying at the time. I also remember doing a spot for 4KQ on the sad fate of the Regent Theatre — while living in Shanghai.
I also spoke to Spencer from far-flung places, including Edinburgh, Minsk and Los Angeles.
For family reasons, I returned to Brisbane just before the pandemic was declared. I wrote a column for InQueensland for a while, and later worked at the newly relaunched 4BC for 15 months as producer for Spencer and Bill McDonald.
I now work part time for an organisation that has nothing at all to do with radio, this newsletter or the experimental videos I make, or anything else I do in my own time.
Anyway, thanks to Spencer finding the following audio, I have a sizzle reel of sorts. This is a package of highlights from my 2009 “gap year” in Australia between overseas assignments.
If you have just under four minutes to spare, have a listen to how I sounded on air on the ABC back then:
Among other things, it highlights my love of travel and demonstrates how prescient I was in 2009, predicting the demise of CDs and DVD rentals and the rise of digital audio formats.
I’ll soon be launching a new podcast — and by “soon”, I mean when it’s ready to go, which may be some time — so you can hear what I sound like now. If you want to collab, catch up or make me an offer, feel free to email me.
Anyway, enough of this self-centered nonsense; Mister Brisbane will be back to normal next time (whenever that may be in this fast-paced environment).
*I think it was Bert Bryant, the famous Melbourne radio race caller, who shared his wisdom about betting on horse races. The advice included “wet track, don’t back” (because previous form on a dry track is no guide), “odds on, look on” (too much risk for too little return), “don’t run up steps” (because you may have a heart attack) and “don’t eat sausages” (because you don’t know what’s in them).
RADIO NEWS UPDATE
As widely expected, Peter Fegan will host the 4BC Breakfast show until the end of the year before a permanent decision is made, and Gary Hardgrave will continue in the Drive shift recently vacated by Peter Gleeson. Congratulations to 4BC Drive producer Luke Cooper, who is moving to a position with the ABC (away from the cloud of uncertainty that hangs over his current workplace). More here.