Chatrooms: Are You Forum or Againstum?

I was on a train the other day and, as I started to doze off, my mind wandered:

  “I enjoy my Saturday nights, getting a chance to play the music I love to an audience of people who also share similar tastes.  It’s really quite gratifying, you know, sharing a tune or two with those of a like mind, maybe even opening the eyes, erm … ears, of the unconverted to a better musical way of life, to be the pioneer in a desolate and frozen environment of musical clichés ...”

  “How do you know, Dave?” you interrupt, as I start to get in my stride.  “How do you know there are people out there who like what you do?  After all, the radio is a simplex transmission at best.”

  “Eh?  Simplex?”  I reply, slightly bemused.

  “Ah,” you say, with a knowing nod.  “Simplex means it’s a single channel of communication, a one way thing, out from you and in to us at home on our radios, with no return path.  So, by its very dint, radio is a non feedback oriented environment, making it hard to tell exactly how many people are listening at any one time.” 

  I pause for a second to marshal my thoughts.

  “Which is where the ratings companies come into the picture,” I eventually manage. I hear you sigh. 

  “Using various extrapolation techniques, they can tell you how many people, within a given percentage of certainty, you are probably getting to listen to your station and, from there, it is also possible to extrapolate how many will be listening at any given moment.  You see, the figures show that Phoenix FM can get something like 25,000 people listening during a normal week via the radio.  Your show, Dave, as an example, could have about a thousand or so people in the local area tuning in of an evening, give or take.  But, and here’s the clincher, what they can’t tell you is what they think of the music you are playing.  Okay, I’ll be honest, it’s fair to assume that they may like it, but they may also just like you.” 

  I blush: “What, me?  Get outta here!”  A big sigh issues from you, again.

  “No, stupid, you may just fascinate people by the way you always burp your way through the final chorus of every song, making you the talk of the town amongst the belching classes.”

  “Oh.”

  “Or you may dress so funny that people only watch as they can’t believe that you’d wear green and brown at the same time!”

  “Oh.”  Note to self: ditch the brown and green Lycra all-in-one cat-suit, stick to the purple and orange spandex instead.  Sorted!  Us prog rockers, we’re hip and trendy, you know.

  “Yes, ‘oh’ indeed!  So you see, you don’t really know what people think of your show.”

  “Ah, well,” I can at last reply with a slight smug smile; no point in overdoing it, eh?  “We have a chatroom and people can join in with the show, whilst it’s happening.”

  “A chatroom?”

  “Uh huh, a chatroom.  If you go to the main page of Phoenix FM you’ll see a webcam feed of the studio.  Give the feed a double click and you’ll be able to enter a chatroom with other people who’ve done the same.  It’s good fun really.  People listen and watch, and also ask questions about the track being played as well as discussing what they think of it, or other things.”  No one mentioned my clothes though.  I’m tempted to bring this up but I think I’ll let it go.

  “But isn’t that what forums are for?” you ask.  “Places where fans can chat amongst themselves and exchange views about life, the universe and everything?”

  “Ah, funny you ask about that,” I reply, “as the Arjen Luccasson forum is just such a place.  But it’s also where some of the fans gather whilst listening to the show and have a general chat about things.  I like to join in, in fact, as they’re a good bunch and have a healthy enjoyment of prog in general.  It really does, for me at least, make the show a lot more interesting.  Forums are fun and you can really have a lot of silly things happening there.  Take Devin Townsend, master of prog and thrash metal.  Ever imagined him as a cheerleader, replete with pigtails and pompoms?”

  “Erm … no, can’t say that I have.”

  “There you go then, something to be said for a forum.  The only problem is that they aren’t updated automatically.  You have to refresh your screen’s browser page to see the latest entry.  Chatrooms, though, are great for real-time discussions.  As soon as you type and press enter, it appears in the little box for all to see.  You should try it sometime.  It gets quite busy and the conversations can get a little exotic.”

  At this point you slide out of the room and hope I don’t follow.  Ho hum.

I wake up and look for the person I was talking too but they aren’t there, though my station is so I have to leg it off the train before the doors shut.

Back to reality; what did I play on Saturday the 1^st of September?  Here, as usual, is the list:

Artist : Album : Track

Persephone's Dream : Pyre of Dreams : Aphrodite

Shadow Circus : Welcome to the Freakshow : Radio People

Porcupine Tree : Deadwing : Arriving Somewhere (but not here)

Touchstone : Discordant Dreams : Blacktide

Little Atlas : Wanderlust : Higher

Magic Pie : Circus of Life : Pointless Masquerade

Jadis : Fanatic : The Great outside

Devin Townsend : Biomech : Regulator

Devin Townsend : Biomech : Funeral

The Bearded Project : Hope-Omid : Hope

Talking about Forums, it was while I was taking part on the Arjen Luccasson forum that I happened to play some of Devin Townsend’s album Biomech.  I played Regulator as it’s a wonderful bit of Devvy music, a wall of sound with melodies interwoven like an aural tapestry.  It was then that a few fans asked what was I playing.  Of course a few more replied, knowing the album quite well, and asked me to play Funeral, so I did.  I don’t normally do requests, unless I’m asked, so it was a pleasure to play the track.  I was also able to play the Little Atlas track that I couldn’t last week so that was a bonus.  I was a little disappointed that the Siddhartha wouldn’t play, again, but that’s something I’m beginning to expect now.  It seems that the spirits of anti-prog are railing against me every now and then to try and tumble my show into chaos.  Well, it’s either that or my CD’s buggered!  I’ll let you decide.

If you’re a regular listener, you know how my show works.  I’ll play a wide range of different styles of progressive rock, and I don’t care how long they last by way of track duration.  So, it was a delight to play the Bearded Project’s track called Hope.  This is a real monster, lasting for something like 35 minutes.  But what a track!  I think I would like to hear more of the BP’s music so I hope that they consider doing something else in the (not too distant) future.

I couldn’t resist playing some more Porcupine Tree, with one of my favourite tracks of theirs being the one I played this night.  I just love the way it bounces along with a gentle drum and bass rhythm, before suddenly opening up in to a full-on metal onslaught that widens the eyes and raises the eyebrows.  Sheer delight.  And there’s Little Atlas.  What a wonder that album is.  It combines great melodies with excellent playing skills, along with a clear production to really enhance the offering.  I love this album and keep returning to it on my MP3 player.  I may play some more from this in another show sometime soon.

Anyway, time to sign off.  Next week’s show will have some Mostly Autumn, as well as The Third Ending, and a host of other great bands.  If you can join me I would be delighted with your company.  You can even join our chatroom, whether you are forum or againstum, you’ll be amongst friends!

All the best,

DaveO.

Article by Dave O'Neill, 11 Sep 2007
Posted in The Dave O Prog Rock Show

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