Tommo, our Proggy Disco Queen.

It’s quite strange, really.  Two people, situated a reasonable distance apart, thinking along the same lines, with only a slight divergence in thinking to differentiate them. 

I’ll explain.  On the last show I had Tommo in as a special guest.  Tommo is the number one fan of Magenta and of prog rock in general.  In fact, he loves the music so much he’s also a bit of a promoter and will be booking bands during the course of next year to play in a venue called Club Riga, Southend.  I know this venue of old as I have seen Magenta in this very same place, and The Tangent also recorded their live DVD here as well.  Anyway, I digress.  When Tommo turned up at my house in preparation for the show, clutching two bundles of CDs held together with elastic bands, I knew it was going to be an interesting evening.  It was also a bit of a relief as I can never be sure if any guest will have enough material to fill a two hour slot, and make it interesting and diverse, or as diverse as a prog rock radio show can get.  So, to this end, I prepared a mini playlist of suitable material just in case.  I had chosen some T, from the album Voices, some Heart of Sun from album of the same name and some Pain of Salvation. Anyway, to cut a long story short (a first for me, eh?), Tommo read out his selection with me being suitably impressed.  When he got to the last track he had a very sheepish look on his face.  He started to explain about how this was one of the best albums he’d heard this year and so on.  So I asked who it was.  Pain of Salvation, came Tommo’s reply.  Hmmmm, I thought.  Would that be Scarsick, I asked?  It was, he said.   Hmmm, I thought again.  You can probably work out where this is going, eh?   Okay, would that be Disco Queen, I asked him?  And, with a pleased laugh, he admitted it was.  It just goes to show how sometimes you can see another person’s thoughts.  You know, I would never have thought of Tommo as a disco diva, but give him some spandex, sequins and a mirror ball to light his way and I could see him dancing the night away!

So what did Tommo choose for us to listen too?  Okay, here’s his play list for Saturday the 8^th of December.

Artist : Album : Track

The Strawbs : Hero And Heroine : Autumn

Autumn : My New Time : Satellites

Jebo : Jebo : 7th Day

The Merlin Bird : Rhyme And Reason : Rhyme To Reason

Secret Machines : Ten Silver Drops : Alone Jealous And Stoned

Cherry Five : Cherry Five : Country Grave-Yard

Threshold : Dead Reckoning : Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams

Tinyfish : Tinyfish : All Hands Lost

Circa : Circa:2007 : Brotherhood Of Man

Witchcraft : The Alchemist : The Alchemist

Pain Of Salvation : Scarsick : Disco Queen

This was a great mix of music and I enjoyed every track played.  I was especially taken with Secret Machines.  They are a 3 piece band and have an incredible sound.  I often wonder with bands like that if they can pull it off live, but Tommo said he’s seen them and yes they can.   This is an album I must get, and get soon!

The rest of the playlist was captivating for me.  Tommo managed to instinctively understand one of the golden rules of radio shows.  Mix it up a bit and play contrasting tracks.  This makes it so much more interesting for everyone listening and don't know what's coming up next.  And, for once, that included me.  Cheers for that Tommo.  I’ll have to have a rummage through your collection some day soon.

Anyway, just to let you know, I won’t be here next Saturday as it’s my birthday on Thursday the 13^th of December and I am being treated to a trip to Wales on the weekend.  However, I have the wonderful Coogie sitting in for me and he’s promised a Genesis Special for that night.  If I wasn’t going away it would be a program I would love to listen too myself.  Make sure you tune in and give him some support for the night and make him feel as welcome as you make me feel. Cheers for doing the show by the way, Coogie.  You’re a gentleman.

So, until the week after next, it’s bye from me.

All the best,

DaveO

Making Saturday night worth staying in for.

www.myspace.com/daveoprogshow