XFM documentary - anyone see it?

[Wandering Yellow]

I recently watched "Kick Out the Jams: The Story of XFM" did anyone else see this?

As someone who missed out on the 1990's, highly enjoyable viewing for me. I think we have some on here from the radio world, were any of you around the time this popped up/ remember listening to it in the early days?

Sounds like it was quite anarchic, I grew up listening to old XFM podcasts with Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington, I still listen and enjoy to them today even though I've heard them 100 times. The Radio seemed to focus on Britpop so I'm sure I'd have been tuning in if it was more my era.

Was eventually bought out by Capital and became another mainstream radio station, bit of a shame, sounds like an amazing place in time.

Edit: Free to watch if you have Amazon Prime.

 

[SteMerritt]

Not seen it advertised, thanks for the heads up, Mrs M and I will be well into this.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Not seen it advertised, thanks for the heads up, Mrs M and I will be well into this.

It's possibly quite niche but I reckon quite a few on here will remember XFM fondly.

The founder comes across as a very marmite character, but can't argue he was passionate about music. I'm no expert on radio but it seemed playing alternative music was a big risk in those days for financial reasons. The music would have been right up my street - worth watching for the soundtrack alone. It seemed like for a period XFM really did disrupt mainstream radio.

He's not everyone's cup of tea I know but loved seeing Ricky Gervais on it who was "head of speech", as someone with anxiety listening to old podcasts with him and Steve Merchant and Karl Pilkington is comforting. They had such a great chemistry as a three.

I don't think anything quite like XFM exists today.

 

[SteMerritt]

Ricky Gervais was manager of Suede for quite a while, so no surprise to see his involvement.

 

[unification]

He's not everyone's cup of tea I know but loved seeing Ricky Gervais on it who was "head of speech", as someone with anxiety listening to old podcasts with him and Steve Merchant and Karl Pilkington is comforting. They had such a great chemistry as a three.

It's absolute cult listening and there are countless groups online pouring over everything said on those tinpot shows from 2001-2005. Just look under any tweet, instagram post etc that Stephen Merchant sends and there is guaranteed to be an 'eyes bulging with imagined riches' comment.

It would have been when RG and SM were writing the second series and Christmas specials of The Office and you caught a glimpse of the chemistry and why it worked. It also revealed that SM was the real brains of the operation too, hence why anything he writes now is half decent and anything RG is involved in is generally awful (After Life).

Why are them Jamaican fellas swingin' fish around their head?" - DS

Play a record.

 

[MJB]

I used to also buy their spin-off magazine X-Ray too.

The magazine only lasted a year or so, but it really did fit well in my handbag.

 

[holdsteady]

Was XFM actually around during Britpop? I remember listening to Mark and Lard on the evening show they had on Radio one back then before they got the breakfast show but I can’t say I remember an indie radio station, it might not have made it out of London.
Had an old work van back in the mid naughtys where the radio would pick up XFM if you were high enough but then cut out if you went down a hill, it was always during a song I liked that happened. Kids nowadays don’t know they are born.

 

[foghorn]

Was XFM actually around during Britpop? I remember listening to Mark and Lard on the evening show they had on Radio one back then before they got the breakfast show but I can’t say I remember an indie radio station, it might not have made it out of London.
Had an old work van back in the mid naughtys where the radio would pick up XFM if you were high enough but then cut out if you went down a hill, it was always during a song I liked that happened. Kids nowadays don’t know they are born.

XFM was one of the only radio stations to play my band's single when it came out in 1998, but I understand they had already 'gone corporate' by that time. Nevertheless, still chuffed to discover that Bob Geldof had taken a liking to our (non-Britpop) sound - and in fact played the song again 15 years later when he was dj-ing on 6 Music!

 

[holdsteady]

XFM was one of the only radio stations to play my band's single when it came out in 1998, but I understand they had already 'gone corporate' by that time. Nevertheless, still chuffed to discover that Bob Geldof had taken a liking to our (non-Britpop) sound - and in fact played the song again 15 years later when he was dj-ing on 6 Music!

Where can I listen to this song?

 

[Big Ron]

It's possibly quite niche but I reckon quite a few on here will remember XFM fondly.

The founder comes across as a very marmite character, but can't argue he was passionate about music. I'm no expert on radio but it seemed playing alternative music was a big risk in those days for financial reasons. The music would have been right up my street - worth watching for the soundtrack alone. It seemed like for a period XFM really did disrupt mainstream radio.

He's not everyone's cup of tea I know but loved seeing Ricky Gervais on it who was "head of speech", as someone with anxiety listening to old podcasts with him and Steve Merchant and Karl Pilkington is comforting. They had such a great chemistry as a three.

I don't think anything quite like XFM exists today.

It was an initially risky venture but I'm not sure it had any effect on mainstream radio and certainly didn't 'disrupt' broadcasting in the UK. It didn't take listeners from Radio 1 or 6 and didn't create a particular niche of its own.

In its earliest form it was essentially a pirate station with no playlist policy but by the time it went fully legal in the late 90s its playlists were pretty conservative, although there were some good specialist shows in the evenings and at the weekend. After Capital's acquisition the specialist shows largely disappeared and it could only be considered 'alternative' if you think that includes perpetual plays of Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Mumford & Sons, Shed Seven, Blur, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and The Killers.

By then 6 Music had come into it's own and is still a hell of a lot more alternative than Xfm, particularly in the specialist shows and even in the daytime.

Xfm did however prove a breeding ground for DJ's and broadcasters and probably had more impact in that sense than musically.

 

[MarkG]

I listened to the Christian O'Connell morning show for a few years but never the Gervais/Merchant/Pilkington days. Were they different eras? Or maybe I was watching the Big Breakfast instead. Or listening to Mark and Lard on radio 1.

these days I listen to Six music but the last year or so they have binned decent djs or moved them into obscure time slots. I don't want to listen to Mary Anne Hobgoblin playing drum and bass or jungle at midday. Craig Charles is OK he plays a nice mix of motown and funk and current stuff.

 

[bashamwonderland]

I listened to the Christian O'Connell morning show for a few years but never the Gervais/Merchant/Pilkington days. Were they different eras? Or maybe I was watching the Big Breakfast instead. Or listening to Mark and Lard on radio 1.

these days I listen to Six music but the last year or so they have binned decent djs or moved them into obscure time slots. I don't want to listen to Mary Anne Hobgoblin playing drum and bass or jungle at midday. Craig Charles is OK he plays a nice mix of motown and funk and current stuff.

The Huey Show is the one for me. Saturday mornings aren't the same without it. Otherwise I agree that 6 music is a bit self indulgent.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I listened to the Christian O'Connell morning show for a few years but never the Gervais/Merchant/Pilkington days. Were they different eras? Or maybe I was watching the Big Breakfast instead. Or listening to Mark and Lard on radio 1.

these days I listen to Six music but the last year or so they have binned decent djs or moved them into obscure time slots. I don't want to listen to Mary Anne Hobgoblin playing drum and bass or jungle at midday. Craig Charles is OK he plays a nice mix of motown and funk and current stuff.

Mary Anne Hobbs has a lovely voice but plays terrible music! I mainly play the Marc Riley / Gideon Coe shows via the app now, it's a shame they were moved to later in the evening.

 

[Big Ron]

The Huey Show is the one for me. Saturday mornings aren't the same without it. Otherwise I agree that 6 music is a bit self indulgent.

Weekdays are a terrible now, the desperate ‘look at me’ presenting of Mary Ann Hobbs being the worst. Also can’t stand the Smashy & Nicey presenting style of Craig Charles.

Saturday morning, dog walking and pre football, I like Radcliffe & Maconie and then especially Huey. Also like Lard & Gideon Coe in the nights.

 

[MarkG]

and don't get me started on the sixmusic "all day rave".
for people of my age, rave was acid house/trance/techno. and a specific few years 1989 to 1999 or so
but six music seems to have expanded it to "anything played in a dance nightclub from 1980 to around 2010"

 

[Stranger]

When I saw the thread title I thought it was a tribute to the late, great Wayne Kramer.

Shame it's not.

 

[QR]

I recently watched "Kick Out the Jams: The Story of XFM" did anyone else see this?

As someone who missed out on the 1990's, highly enjoyable viewing for me. I think we have some on here from the radio world, were any of you around the time this popped up/ remember listening to it in the early days?

Sounds like it was quite anarchic, I grew up listening to old XFM podcasts with Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington, I still listen and enjoy to them today even though I've heard them 100 times. The Radio seemed to focus on Britpop so I'm sure I'd have been tuning in if it was more my era.

Was eventually bought out by Capital and became another mainstream radio station, bit of a shame, sounds like an amazing place in time.

Edit: Free to watch if you have Amazon Prime.

I might give it a watch. I went to the Finsbury Park gig in support of it's creation (The Cure, Belly, Carter USM and others from memory). I presume it's featured?

 

[Wandering Yellow]

I might give it a watch. I went to the Finsbury Park gig in support of it's creation (The Cure, Belly, Carter USM and others from memory). I presume it's featured?

Features pretty heavily. It is interesting, world away from today.

The founder seemed like quite a brash guy but unarguably passionate about music. Started illegally as pirate radio.

 

[foghorn]

Where can I listen to this song?

Thanks for your interest in my past life, @holdsteady. Here goes...

 

[holdsteady]

Thanks for your interest in my past life, @holdsteady. Here goes...

That's good that mate, cheers for putting it on, my campaign to get it played before matches starts now and then you can reform and play it before the last home game of the season live.

I still have the rags to riches book you snuck into the video, plus getting Gary Neville on drums before his playing career took off.