Even what has been, at the time of writing, quite easily the grottiest summer since 1473 has not prevented the BBC from pretending that it is actually 1976, and that all we want to do is put those pesky hosepipe bans behind us as we revel in wall-to-wall outdoor (if that’s not too much of a contradiction in terms) music programming.
And who is to say that they have not got it right? If, by the time these words appear, those who can’t make it to one of the plethora of musical events taking place this weekend can enjoy them vicariously in between bouts of sitting in the fridge, fantastic. On the other hand, if weather-borne miseries can be in anyway ameliorated by listening to someone else having an even worse time in some sodden field somewhere twinned with Hell, even better.
For some reason, today marks the high-water mark – tempting fate, here, I know – of the summer madness, with the launch of Radio 1’s Six Weeks of Summer (4pm). Every week one of the station’s top jocks – Chris Moyles, Scott Mills, Jo Whiley and Edith Bowman ( left) – will be on hand at some “hot holiday location” (tempting fate again). If it sounds rather like the old Radio 1 roadshows that many of us grew up listening to, this may not be entirely a coincidence.
Meanwhile, on 6 Music (4pm) the DJ duo Queens of Noize are at the Indian Summer festival in Glasgow (this isn’t tempting fate, this is inviting it to do its worst) talking to Andrew Bird, Midlake and Wilco ahead of their shows tonight. Then, on Radio 2 (4.30pm), Dermot O’Leary is in that hotbed of top rock sounds, Guildford (don’t laugh – the Stranglers came from there. OK, you’re right, it is pretty funny) for the latest Guilfest. The Ordinary Boys are among those featured, although how long that will continue now that Preston and Chantelle have broken up we really do not know. And Squeeze will be along, too, so that’s something to look forward to by those who favour the hard-rock sounds of today.
Then this evening it’s Genesis in concert at Twickenham (Radio 2, 8pm). One suspects that this might prove particularly attractive to those whose heart quickened just a bit to the news about Squeeze.