On Tour - The Folks on the Airwaves

By gilewitz on Tue, 10/19/2010 - 11:36am

I must make note that without the power of the press, there would be no audience for the performer. The media informs fans about upcoming concerts, new releases, what's hot and who's not. Today, the term media seems to be a multi-limb vehicle that musicians count on to help fill the hall. There are many individuals that contribute to this effort including promoters and their mailing lists, multiple website listings and social networks, the street teams that work tirelessly to scatter about posters and flyers, and the fans themselves who spread the gospel.

One of the arms of the media that seems to be effective and rewarding to the musician is radio. With presenters who host shows often sporting their individual interests, the experience is humanized by a live person doing more than just spinning the record. They provide a platform for the musician and satisfy the preferences of today's audience who want to hear a certain genre or an eclectic mixture of tunes and chatter.

Roddy Cleere at WLR Radio in Waterford, Ireland is a prime example of that positive live element that is evident as soon as he opens the door to the studio. Much like a stage performer whose job it is to immediately engage the audience and invite them into their ‘living room’ - so to speak - Roddy has consistently been one of the best at making an artist feel at home by creating a comfortable environment from which to reach the multitude of invisible listeners out there in Radio-Land.

Just as it is an achievement for a performer to effectively grab hold of an audience for an evening of entertainment, it is just as much of a feat for a radio personality to immediately and smoothly take a backseat to the musician, while asking an engaging series of questions, working the control boards, and remembering to promote the event.

Having had the pleasure of sharing the WLR ‘living room’ on nearly each of my eight visits to Ireland, Roddy stands out as a fine example of the many unseen artists who walk among us. This year's tour brought new hosts to light such as at CRC 102.9FM in Castlebar where Johnny Oosten and the entire staff scrambled to pull off a live broadcast in the middle of a main studio breakdown.

A repeat visit for the Daire Nelson show on LMFM in Drogheda and reconnecting with friends from National Radio RTE Lyric FM in Limerick added much to this tour. I experienced a healthy epidemic of music lovers who still offer to pass the musical torch and keep it burning strong as long as I am willing to share my gift of notes to faithful radio listeners. And for that I am truly grateful that this arm of the media continues to flex its muscle.