Love Ska and Reggae music? Looking to hear it on an online radio show? Then read on.... Today we interview a Broadcaster/Presenter who specialises in that genre of music. Dayna TG is based down South and has a regular show every Thursday night. We chat to her about her experiences as a Broadcaster and find out a little bit more about her show.
DLW: Going back to the early days when you were a youngster, did you listen to radio back then?
DAYNA: I did and this is an interesting one as my Dad bought over this mad headboard from maybe the States and the headboard's had radios built in so it was quite a revolutionary thing. I would listen to the radio, in the dark, at night because it was in my headboard. Sounds a bit mad but we're talking early 80's. So late at night, I would sometimes listen to the following, it used to be able to pick up police cars! I listened to a lot of late night stuff on Capitol Radio, Charlie Gillett, David Rodigan and stuff like that so that was formative, especially David "Roots" Rodigan, as that was reggae stuff.
DLW: So because of all that, did you ever see a point in time whereby you saw yourself as a DJ when you were older?
DAYNA: No, I was just obsessed with music so at that point no.
DLW: Okay then, before Blam Blam Radio, had you had any previous experience before as a DJ?
DAYNA: I'm not really a DJ, I'm a Broadcaster/Presenter. I don't really view myself as a disc jockey because I talk a lot as well, I don't just play records, I'm trying to carve my way out as a broadcaster. That doesn't mean what you're saying is wrong, it's just really where I'm going. I'm looking to get into a broadcasting, kind of talk and music type thing, that's what I really want to do. Whereas most people just play stuff in the genre I'm playing, they sit there live on Facebook in their bedroom and not really say anything, current events etc.
DLW: Okay cool, so when your first show went out on air, how nervous were you?
DAYNA: Very! I was terrified, I wanted to wee and have a vodka at the same time!
DLW: Well, there's nowt wrong with that!
DAYNA: Yeah I wanted my Mum, I was really really frightened but I wasn't on my own, the first ten shows, a bit more actually, maybe the first ten or fifteen shows, I used to have a guest DJ on with me each week. They are people out on the scene that play serious, purist stuff in that genre. I had them in and as time went on and the show became more popular, I eventually got a manager. Then a friend, who was an actor advised me to start not having somebody in there with me and for people to listen to just me and not anyone else. Yes, I was absolutely cacking myself!
DLW: You must have been buzzing though when you finished your first show?
DAYNA: It's weird you say that but I actually had a bit of anxiety after and I was quite wired. It took me ages to come down from it, I was like really wired from that show. I've not been like that since. I'm used to it now, completely used to it. I was nervous for the first few but after the first one, it took me ages to come down from it. It was pure adrenalin, a massive surge of adrenalin.
DWL: So after your earlier shows, have you changed your approach and or style to your weekly shows?
DAYNA: That's a very good question, the show has exponentially evolved. It has changed and now I've got more of a format that I've created and evolved myself. I'm much more fluid now, I'm much more professional.
DLW: I was gonna say, you must feel much more confident?
DAYNA: Yes, of course, more confident, it's more fluid. It's just much better and because I'm very lucky who I know. I got someone who's a professional in the music industry, a sound engineer, to completely re-vamp the studio. So, from this tiny little mixer I've now got a full sound desk and it sounds great.
DLW: Alright then, so I assume that you prepare your show(s) in advance. So does that start almost straight away after the previous show or....?
DAYNA: No, you're gonna laugh, the show pretty much has zero structure as I like to operate that way, fly on the seat of my pants. I roughly know what I'm going to talk about. For recreation, I do a lot of endurance speed walking and when I'm out, funny stuff will come to me that I'm gonna talk about in between tracks but's it's very difficult at the minute as it's all stopped because of the pandemic. So now during this difficult period, I'm doing interviews with influential musicians within this genre. So yeah, I have no structure but I roughly know the subject matter that I'm going to talk about. I literally thrive on it being un-structured. Not everyone can do that, I do it all myself.
DLW: So do you know what records you're going to play in advance or is that again, on the fly?
DAYNA: Yes, I have a setlist, all the music is planned in advance. It's very meticulous and I have sometimes had help from a producer friend of mine, Clive, who is based in Wales and he's been DJ'ing in that genre for many many years. He gives me tracks and I intersperse them with tracks I want to play. I sometimes prepare the tracks on the day but it has to have a very strong opening track, that's a thing of mine, it has to really hit home, it has to be epic
.
DLW: With regards to your music, for people that don't know - tell us a bit more about Blam Blam Radio and what your shows are all about?
DAYNA: So Blam Blam, I play very purist, old school ska, reggae and boss reggae. (Editor note: Boss reggae is an early form of energetic reggae and linked to Trojan Records.) I prefer heavy duty boss reggae and that's what I play but the difference is, I talk in between as opposed to just being formulaic and playing songs. I talk, it's a funny show, it's very near to the knuckle and I talk about really gritty subjects. It can be anything from domestic stuff to geo-political stuff and I have guests on as well. So that's what I do.
DLW: So apart from ska and reggae, do you listen to other genres of music?
DAYNA: That's a small part of my music but I listen to an enormous amount of other stuff.
DLW: On your shows, you've interviewed various musicians etc what was your favourite interview and why?
DAYNA: So far it's been Death Of Guitar Pop because I got them in the studio and they played live. They played and we dissected the entire album, track by track during the whole two hour show. It was epic! They sang and I sang with them, it was a joy for me to do it.
DLW: Is there anybody else you'd like to interview?
DAYNA: Very much. Dave Wakeling from The Beat, that's going to happen in the future. I'm going to start to branch into other avenues of radio. Blam Blam will still continue and I'm going to go into mainstream radio eventually and my dream people to interview are Trevor Horn (singer/song-writer/producer/musician) and believe it or not Paul Simon. I'd like to interview Sting but I think it would be too emotional for me, I wouldn't be able to handle it, I'd probably burst into tears as he's my hero. I've got lots of people I'd like to interview.
DLW: Are there any radio DJ's that you look up to?
DAYNA: Yes, the late John Peel.
DLW: Of course yeah, he was a legend.
DAYNA: Others are Jo Whiley, Chris Moyles and Christian O'Connell. Oh I nearly forgot, my number one hero, Howard Stern as well. The man, he's the man.
DLW: So to sum up your radio show, what can listeners expect to hear?
DAYNA: A cornucopia of great music, gritty mirth and subject matter for two hours and that's it! Witty humour, it's no holds barred. It's to the point, no namby-pamby. That's what I do, I only do real.
DLW: Ok Dayna, last question then, where can people hear your show?
: They can hear my show online at www.en5radio.com. It's online, it was always 8 to 10PM on a Thursday but I've had to change it just slightly because of the NHS applause to 8:15 to 10:15 but it's going back to the usual time. When the show is finished, I then upload it to mixcloud as a listen again facility because I have listeners world-wide and they are in different time zones and they sometimes miss the live show. It's absolutely not a podcast. It's a live broadcast. Podcasts are a great medium but it's a saturated market and not a market I want to be a part of. There's nothing wrong with them, they're just stolid and flat and it's not as exciting as live. DLW: Well that's it then, thank you very much for agreeing to be interviewed. DAYNA: You're very welcome. I appreciate it. Words - DLW, Photos - Richard Oughton Blam Blam Radio Facebook: Blam Blam Radio