The Really Bad Actor's Show

I'm really bad at interviews and roped Mavis Vermaak in to give me a hand. As always the show went well and I could not have done it without her help. Richard and Louis were great guests and their part time manager/sister/friend, Belinda popped round to help me make some coffee for the boys and feed them some of my home baking. My wife was there too and it was great seeing her involved. The Really Bad Actors brought along some great music and Mavis took care of the rest. They were great to interview and a band you really should be checking out. They have played many venues around town and and a jam packed schedule till the end of the year. 

1 - when the man comes around - johnny cash
2 - my darling sambo - jay munly
3 - new england - billy brag
4 - in liverpool - suzanne vega
5 - bottle of wine - the really bad actors
6 - funky funny - the really bad actors
7 - i grieve - peter gabriel
8 - iris - googoo dolls
9 - gabriels oboe - ennio morricone
10 - selling advertising - david bazan
11 - a day in the life - the beetles
12 - until it's time for you to go - buffy saint-marie
13 - ring them bells - bob dylan
14 - mexico - cake
15 - america - simon and garfunkel
16 - springbok nude girls
17 - ball of confusion - the temptations
18 - push - matchbox 20
19 - reachout - iron maiden
20 - death is not the end - nick cave and the bad seeds
21- smells like teen spirit - paul anka

The Alex Omega Show

Alex Omega was ons in-studio guest. Hy was fantasties - eerstens het hy in swart geklee opgedaag, in lyn met die Unhappy Hour se Man in Black worship
en ook omdat hy nou maar eenmaal die original Afrikaner Gothick Kid (die
title van een van sy beste songs) is. Dit was maar die eerste keer in 5 jaar
dat Alex uit sy vrywillige hiding in Stellenbosch na die Kaap toe uitgebreek
het - net die rit Kaap toe met die N1 was vir hom exhilarating. Hy het 'n
great song live gespeel - 'n ou song genaamd 'Lorelei' (dit het voorheen 'n
ander title gehad). Ons het lank met hom gesels en hy't ons vertel van die
verskillende tipe songs wat hy het - 'n Ginseng Psalm is een van hierdie
tipe songs. Dis hoekom sy songs meestal nie titels het nie, hulle pas net in
sekere genres wat hy self geskep het. Hy't ons ook vertel hoe dit Mark
Knopfler was wat hom laat besluit het om ook musikant te word. Verder was
daar staaltjies oor op plase werk in Engeland ("mens is nooit buite in
Engeland nie, selfs as jy buite is is jy nie buite nie"), laatnag 5FM
luister na Barney Simon en Chris Pryor ("dit was 'n lifeline") en die kuns
van die bedroom recording ("as ek nou een ding bemeester het, is dit die
Dictaphone - ek kan vir jou presies sê hoe pap die batterye moet wees om 'n
sekere tipe distortion te kry"). Die goeie nuus is dat Alex reken dat hy
teen die lente weer so paar live gigs gaan speel, so ons sal julle op hoogte
hou!

1. Bang Bang (Baby Shot Me Down) - Nancy Sinatra
2. If I were a carpenter - Johnny Cash
3. Gettysburg Address - Lambchop
4. Lonelier than this - Steve Earle
5. Where do you go to my lovely? - Peter Sarstedt
6. Lorelei (live) - Alex Omega
7. Ginseng Psalm - Alex Omega
8. Christian Sands - Tricky
9. Two Nations - The Streets
10. T.I.K. - Brasse Vannie Kaap
11. Letters - Marching Band
12. Deadends - Matthew van der Want & Chris Letcher
13. Harlequin Jack - Ella Joyce Buckley
14. Valley of the Snake - The Wild Eyes
15. Ons Land - Radio Kalahari Orkes
16. More Reward - David Kramer
17. Liars' Bar - The Beautiful South
18. Western World - Jim Neversink
19. Fortunate Son - Todd Snider

Now also on Facebook Show

According to my (probably not very reliable records) Sunday night, the
3rd of May, was my 59th Unhappy Hour. I can't believe there have been
that many – we've been on air for more that two years now – and on the
other hand it's hard to believe I ever got by without the Unhappy
Hour. Most of the things I thought would be great as a kid, like being
an adult or stoned, turned out to be rather deeply disappointing.
However, playing my favourite sad songs with friends to whoever wants
to listen (or maybe more accurately: to whoever wants to listen and is
strangely able to pick up Bush Radio) turned out better than I dared
dream. I still feel an undeniable, inexplicable sense of
accomplishment when we've put a great playlist together or a rare
beauty of a tune drifts out into the charged night-air. It feels like
sharing great wealth freely.

Sitting with Clive on Sunday night, drinking a cup of the excellent
Kenian coffee he brewed, while Paul Anka was playing his swing version
of The Cure's "Love Cats", I felt deeply content, happy actually.
Especially when Clive told me that he must've been born in a casino
between the one-armed bandits or in a hotel lobby, because, man, he
loves a good lounge singer. I was reminded of Raymond Carver's poem,
"Happiness", an old favourite:

Happiness
Raymond Carver

So early it's still almost dark out.
I'm near the window with coffee,
and the usual early morning stuff
that passes for thought.

When I see the boy and his friend
walking up the road
to deliver the newspaper.

They wear caps and sweaters,
and one boy has a bag over his shoulder.
They are so happy
they aren't saying anything, these boys.

I think if they could, they would take
each other's arm.
It's early in the morning,
and they are doing this thing together.

They come on, slowly.
The sky is taking on light,
though the moon still hangs pale over the water.

Such beauty that for a minute
death and ambition, even love,
doesn't enter into this.

Happiness. It comes on
unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,
any early morning talk about it.

Here is your playlist: