Credit: Music Towers - kind of

Alex James

Did you watch the Tube the first time around?
Yes I did watch it – the eighties was this big glamorous, yuppie, lipstick, Duran Duran, red Porsche decade and the tube was the weekly counterculture package.
I hear music now that I hated when I was 15 - I heard an A-Ha record the other day and I thought ‘this is brilliant’. I thought I was going to have to kill myself when I was 30 but its great being 38.

What about the format of the new show, are you going to have an input?
‘Abso-bloody-lutely! I see it as my chance to do everything I ever wanted to do on a radio or tv show. I’ve got rocket scientists and contemporary artists coming in. . Real experts can always make complicated subjects accessible - I’ve got rockets scientists to come on and explain dark matter, and I’m gonna ask them if space is gay!’

Tony Wilson is a bona fide gentlemen of rock and Konnie is a bright spark and a worthy successor to Paula Yates. We are gonna have to make it everything you need every month - but its all in the edit.

What about the medium of radio – are you a fan?
I think a good idea works on radio, download, tv anywhere really. Now all I do is watch Bob the Builder! I didn’t enjoy doing radio while I was in the band so I did some radio presenting to overcome my demons, so I enjoy it now. Any outlet for art is good.

You mentioned Konnie, did you think she’d be all ‘sticky back plastic’ and ‘here’s one I made earlier’?

She’s a bloody good presenter and very clever girl, we got on well from the start, she knows her music, she’s cool.

You strike me as a bit of loose cannon, do you aim to challenge and push back the boundaries of broadcasting?
I don’t know, but I guess that’s why they want me there, ‘cause I say what I think, but hopefully it won’t involve any swearing.

Konnie

So, Konnie, how are you today, when is the first show?
I’m good – but a bit cold. I’ve just been out in Oman filming so coming back to colder weather has been a bit of a shock. The first show is on Friday at 6pm