Stuart Maconie
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Stuart John Maconie (born 13 August 1960 in Whiston, Merseyside) is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, critic and champion of pop music and popular culture. He is currently active on BBC Radio 2, co-hosting the Radcliffe and Maconie show from 8-10 pm Monday to Thursday and he also presented his own solo show on Saturday afternoons from April,2006 until March 29,2008 . He is also a frequent stand-in for holidaying presenters, most notably Chris Evans on the drivetime 5-7 pm slot.
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[edit] Musical career
While still at school in the 6th Form Maconie formed a band named (after several iterations) "Les Flirts", featuring Maconie on guitar/vocals, Nigel Power (bass) - pictured, with Maconie c.1979 - and Jem Bretherton (drums). They performed at 'noted' Wigan venues like the BierKellar and 'Trucks'. Performance style was influenced by the Early Elvis Costello school of delivery. Set highlights included the self-penned "Little Flirts" and a crowd-pleasing cover of "Satellite of Love".
[edit] Writing career
In his career as a writer and journalist he has written for Q, Word Magazine, Elle, The Times, The Guardian, the Evening Standard, the Daily Express, Select, Mojo, Country Walking, Deluxe and was an assistant editor for the NME. Maconie previously worked as an English and sociology teacher at Skelmersdale College, Lancashire for one year in 1985-86.
He has written screenplays for television and films. He is also the author of Cider With Roadies, an autobiography of his experiences as a music journalist. Pies and Prejudice: In Search of the North, a humorous book that discusses the modern reality of the North of England (as opposed to the popular myths), was published in February 2007. Maconie, himself a 'northerner', uses his own childhood experiences alongside anecdotes from recent visits to illuminate the book.
Maconie also is credited with starting the urban legend that Bob Holness, UK host of the game show Blockbusters, played the sax solo on Gerry Rafferty's hit single "Baker Street". The rumour first appeared as a blatant joke in a spoof NME 'Believe It or Not' feature but has since been repeated elsewhere as if it were true. He also coined the well used phrase 'Britpop' in the 1990s.[citation needed]
[edit] Broadcasting career
[edit] Radio 1
He was a music reporter for Mark Goodier's Evening Session on BBC Radio 1, alongside Andrew Collins. Also on Radio 1, from 1995- 1997, Maconie joined forces with Collins presenting a music review called Collins & Maconie's Hit Parade, which originally went out on Monday nights from 9-10 pm and then on Sunday afternoons from 3-4 pm. From 1994 to 2001, he presented the satirical news review The Treatment, on BBC Radio 5 Live.
In addition to this, in October 1996, Maconie took over a weekly album show on Radio 1 on Sunday nights, until late 1997.
[edit] Radio 2
Maconie joined BBC Radio 2 in 1998, with shows such as All Singing, All Dancing, All Night, a northern soul music show and Stuart Maconie's Critical List, every Saturday evening. He also presents documentaries and deputised for Johnnie Walker on Radio 2's Drivetime programme.
He took over a three-hour Saturday afternoon show vacated by Chris Evans for BBC Radio 2 from 2-5 pm in April 2006 and the show then went out from 2-4.30 pm.The last show was broadcast on March 29,2008.
In addition to his Saturday show, on 16 April 2007, Maconie joined forces with Mark Radcliffe to present a new show on BBC Radio 2 every Monday - Thursday from 8-10 pm.
[edit] BBC 6 Music
He also joined BBC 6 Music from its incarnation in 2002, where he presents the Freak Zone radio show. It is described as "the weird, the wonderful and all that's in between", and is very diverse in musical content. The fact that it is recorded means that there are points in which it sometimes grinds to a halt with endings on records cut short and trails that don't fit. This show is broadcast every Sunday from 5-8 pm.
Maconie has also presented musical specialities for BBC Radio 4, appeared on television and in films. In 2007 he presented Stuart Maconie's TV Towns on ITV3: 6 x 1 hour shows about TV and film locations in Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Liverpool and London.
[edit] Other projects
Maconie had his Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2001, collaborating with fellow BBC 6 Music presenter Andrew Collins, and with writer and pundit David Quantick, in Lloyd Cole Knew my Father, which has also been re-broadcast on BBC Radio 2. The two also collaborated on the late night movie review television series Collins & Maconie's Movie Club in 1996 for ITV.
He wrote Folklore, the official biography of long-standing Manchester band James, and 3862 Days, the official biography of Blur.
In 2001, Stuart was the winner of the Sony Radio Academy Award for Music Broadcaster of the Year. He also won a silver Sony Award 2007 for the Freak Zone.
He also guest starred in Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights as the presenter of a spoof version of Crimewatch called 'Crimetime'.
Maconie also appeared as himself in Monkey Dust, becoming a victim of retro-obsessed serial killer Ivan Dobsky.
Stuart is also a keen fellwalker, having completed, at March 2008, 211 out of the 214 Wainwrights (in the county of Cumbria). He is an honorary member of the Wainwright Society, and gave their Memorial Lecture in 2006.
[edit] Bibliography
- Maconie, Stuart (April 2005). Cider with Roadies. Ebury Press. ISBN 9780091897451.
- Maconie, Stuart (February 2007). Pies and Prejudice. Ebury Press. ISBN 9780091910228.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone BBC 6 Music radio Show
- Stuart Maconie on BBC Radio 2
- Mark Radcliffe & Stuart Maconie's show on BBC Radio 2
- Wainwright Society Memorial Lecture 2006
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