TALK TIME: DAN HEGARTY Alternative rock DJ
First of all, congratulations on the Meteor Award nomination.
Thanks very much. I didn’t expect to be nominated two years in a row. I thought the last one would have to do me for a while. So it has been a surprise, but a pleasant one.
Last year’s ceremony was actually the first awards ceremony I’d been to since the Irma Milk Awards in about 1990. A lot had certainly changed.
When Ray Foley of Today FM beat you that time, did you do one of those fake 'happy' faces for the cameras?(Laughs.) No, its not like the Oscars. The only shot was of Ray walking up to accept the award. The cameras didn't pan around to the faces of the nominees, which was just as well, since I was probably sitting there shaking my fist in rage.
You recently took over the 9-11pm slot on 2FM. Now I've just been informed that your new show is called 'The Alternative to Sleep'...No, the old show was called The Alternative to Asleep. It was so called because it was on from midnight until 2am. The tagline for this show is There is No Alternative. Again, that's something very tongue-in-cheek my producer Ian Wilson and I came up with when we were just joking around.
Okay, that certainly makes more sense. Because I had been wondering, who on earth goes to bed at nine o'clock?Ha ha . . . Yes, it's a show pitched at the under eights! Seriously though, it's a two-hour show and the time just flies by. You might think, oh my God, 120 minutes of airtime to fill. But to be honest, I'm always left with music that I had wanted to play but didn't get around to.
What attracts someone to a career in radio, and what are the qualities that have made you successful?Well, music radio is something that has always intrigued me. I remember listening to people like Dave Fanning and John Peel when I was supposed to be doing my homework. Trying to decipher what they were saying because . . .
. . . The volume was turned down! Yeah! (Laughs.) That was a challenge in itself. As for the qualities that have made me successful . . . It's interesting you know, when I started out on college radio, I wasn't very good. In fact, I was by far one of the weaker presenters. But the secret is that I persevered. So many people give up.
Also I’m in it for the right reasons. I genuinely love doing a good show and bringing new music to people. I’m not in it to get famous or anything.
Of the Irish bands you've championed over the years, which has been the most underrated do you think?Ive always been a huge fan of God is an Astronaut. I think they're an incredibly good band . . . They've got a bigger audience abroad. They were recently voted one of the top 100 bands in the world by last.fm, which is no mean feat.
Your Wikipedia page says you've viewed the 1982 Nick Nolte action film '48 Hours' 20 or 30 times. Is this true or a dodgy Wiki fact?Hmmm . . . Strictly speaking, it is true. But it's taken completely out of context. When I was about 10, RTÉ would only show about one film a week. Whatever it was – James Bond, Indiana Jones– we'd video it and watch it over and over again. So that was certainly one I watched a lot, but it wouldn't be my favourite film or anything like that. I'm actually much more of a James Bond fan.
Another crazy rumour for you to confirm or deny: are you also a closet wrestling fan?I am. It's true. The current WWE champion is an Irish guy called Seamus – I met him once, years ago. It's hilarious to be watching this huge show, this massive production, and to hear this guy with a Dublin accent giving it loads. He's a young guy as well, so I hope he has got a long career in front of him.
It’s all scripted, of course, and the result is always predetermined. People always say that it’s like theatre. I think it’s more like pantomime. But I get a bit of a laugh out of it.
James Bond, alternative rock, wrestling . . . Those are an eclectic combination of interests Dan!I've always been a bit odd. No, odd is not the right word. But I'm very interested in sharks too, so read into that what you will.
Psychiatrists would probably think that I have massive underlying problems, but there you go. (Laughs.)
Dan Hegarty presents
There is No Alternative
, week nights from 9pm to 11pm, on 2FM.
