altrocklife says #ThanksZane

As I’m sure you’ll all be aware, Zane Lowe’s last ever Radio 1 show went out to air last Thursday.  The DJ has left the station to move to the US and take up a job at Apple.

Whilst altrocklife wishes Zane all the best, I can’t help but think that Radio 1 will find it extremely difficult to replace him.  As long as I can remember listening to Radio 1, the 7-9pm slot on Monday to Thursday evenings has always belonged to him.  Radio 1 will surely suffer without his distinct New Zealand voice on the airwaves.

Anyone on Twitter will have noticed the hashtag #ThanksZane trending on Thursday, encouraging fans and artists alike to sing Zane’s praises.  Here are some of my favourite tweets from the evening:

Huge thanks to Zane for all the support over the years, he helped us start on @BBCR1 and we couldn’t be more grateful! @zanelowe #ThanksZane

— Mallory Knox (@MalloryKnoxband) March 5, 2015

Thank you for everything @zanelowe – your love of music was infectious and your enthusiasm unmatched. #ThanksZane — Gerard Way (@gerardway) March 5, 2015

greatest thing about talking to @zanelowe over the years is the true passion he has for music- legend. #ThanksZane pic.twitter.com/Vq292gkCdt

— Pete Wentz (@petewentz) March 5, 2015

.@zanelowe was first to play us on radio making our first demo his hottest record, one of our favourite memories as a band. #ThanksZane — The Vaccines (@thevaccines) March 5, 2015

Zane’s show has been credited for making and breaking a number of artists – not only The Vaccines, as mentioned above, but a whole host of acts from every genre imaginable.

That was something I always liked about Zane – his taste in music is extremely broad, but he is still able to pick out the most talented from all of them.  If an act has the Zane Lowe stamp of approval, or a song is chosen as his “hottest record in the world right now”, then you know it’s gonna be big.

Plus, Zane’s show was always the place to be if you wanted to hear Reading and Leeds line-up announcements – he often broke the news before anyone else.

Since joining Radio 1 in 2003, Zane Lowe has been an influential voice in the UK music industry.  He’s conducted interviews which have coaxed exclusive information out of the toughest of interviewees.  NME have put together a list of Zane’s Top 10 interviews, so if you’re unfamiliar with his work, now is the perfect opportunity to get acquainted.

So, this is my own personal #ThanksZane message: Thank you for inspiring me to work towards becoming a music journalist.  Your show has been influential to my education and career path since the beginning, and I hope one day to have a legacy as well-known as yours.  And thanks for introducing me to some of my favourite artists.  I would never have listened to fantastic acts such as Of Mice & Men, Pierce The Veil, Royal Blood and Mallory Knox if you hadn’t supported them every step of the way.  Zane Lowe, you are a monster.

Currently listening to: Breaking The Habit – Linkin Park

Advertisement

Radio 1 Rock Week: Three exclusive gigs, three explosive line-ups

First of all, I’d like to extend a huge thank you to the NCTJ for scheduling my exams on the same days as Radio 1 Rock Week.  No, really, you shouldn’t have.

Second, how exciting does this line-up look?  The Radio 1 Rock Week has a great reputation for creating awesome live gigs – last year, for instance, included great acts such as Enter Shikari, Frank Turner, Mallory Knox and Don Broco.

This year the annual celebration of rock music takes place over three nights, with three acts playing an exclusive set per night.  The line-up is as follows:

Monday 9 June:

• Of Mice & Men
• Architects
• Bury Tomorrow

Tuesday 10 June:

• Lower Than Atlantis
• Mallory Knox
• Marmozets

Wednesday 11 June:

• Lonely The Brave
• Wolf Alice
• Slaves

Personally, I like the look of Monday’s line-up best – Of Mice & Men are one of my favourite bands at the moment.  However, Mallory Knox are returning to Rock Week for the second year in a row, which just goes to show how awesome they are to have beem given the honour again.  Plus, Lower Than Atlantis’s new single is awesome, and I’d love to hear it live.

The worst thing about these gigs is that there are only 60 pairs of tickets up for grabs at each event.  That means only 120 people will be able to witness these awesome nights, and because of my exams I won’t be one of them.  Sad face.

Thankfully all three gigs will be broadcast live from the legendary Maida Vale studios on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show, so I can listen along in my bedroom whilst pretending to revise.

If you’re lucky enough to be available during the Radio 1 Rock Week, there’s still time to apply for tickets!  More information can be found here.

Currently listening to: Closer To The Edge – 30 Seconds To Mars