Mark S is OTM re live music - and it's a rockist idea, that playing
live is the test. Maybe a jazzist idea too. It's another stick with
which to beat dance music. Still, it can be fun - and the best ones
on Peel's show are the live DJ sets, whether turntablist, techno or
whatever.
I've never listened to Flex, but I've listened to Peel since the mid-
70s. He's always played a lot of stuff I've not liked, but I've
always felt optimistic that the next record might not only be good,
but might be surprising and special and might change me. I first
heard and grew to love (at differing speeds) roots reggae and punk
and hip hop and house and techno and drum & bass and African music on
his show, and I heard such less predictable acts as Terence Trent
D'Arby and Kelis first on his show. I heard a number of my favourite
old blues or soul performers first from him. I've been listening to
most of his shows every week for nearly thirty years - it's hard to
express the impact he has had on me. Some of his mannerisms irritate
at times, and I'm guilty of instantly blindly defending him on
anything (a well earned free pass, so to speak), but I think that
importance is pretty widespread in this country.
― Martin Skidmore, Saturday, 27 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)