Daniel Kitson Radio: This is Not a Review

"Flipperty jibits!"

In the wee small hours of the morning, if a man is choking on a chocolate biscuit, does it make a noise?  It does when it is amplified over the airwaves and broadcasting to you live from London, England, somewhere near the Shard, and the man is Daniel Kitson.

"Eff this crumb out of my effing neck."

Kitson has had a complaint from a listener that he swears too much so he put a great effort into not swearing during Week 3 of his still unnamed radio show and the chocolate biscuit got the censored version of Kitson's ire.  Self-censorship only went so far because he ended up joking about tattoos on his lower ball-sack and offering himself, sexually, as a prize for naming the radio show. 

If you have not been listening to Kitson's show on Resonance FM, you have missed some amusing on-air antics.  Much of Week 3 was spent exploring how to use Siri on the iPhone 5 in silly ways (Kitson's nickname for himself via Siri, "Hot Potato"), announcing various "contests" for which there are no actual prizes and, well, choking on the dangerous chocolate biscuit.  I hope Siri also knows how to do the Heimlich maneuver.  Left to his own devices with a Spotify account, a microphone, some faders and a dream, Daniel Kitson's radio broadcasts are a delight. 

Probably the best kind of show for bleary-eyed night-shift employees and insomniacs.  Kitson starts to fade late into the evening and describes his own on-air performance as "mid-form" because he's mumbling.  If he was in bad form he said he'd be crying AND mumbling.  "Kitson Radio" contains traditional Kitson comic contradictions, self-deprecation and technical snafus.  But there's something upbeat about the whole endeavor.  A lightness in his musical choices, his own surprise at how much he's enjoying hearing from folks during the show (he will read emails sent in to him during the live show), and an impish joy throughout.   It's hard not to smile throughout as the host's giddiness is infectious.

Let us not also forget he programmed a great line-up of tunes this week (Paul Simon, Gavin Osborn, Kate Bush, The Lucksmiths, Allo Darlin).  Again Spotify user Amy Blencowe has kindly created the track list from this week's show so if you could not listen live you won't at least miss out on the great music. 

The eclectic tunes, lo-fi style, and shambolic host made it feel more intimate and personal than I would have expected.   Kitson read out quite a few emails sent in during the show (and if you are following #DanielKitson or @fydanielkitson along on twitter, you can watch people explode with excitement as their emails are read).  In an unexpected moment of camaraderie, Kitson had a thought that everyone listening should meet up one night after the show.   But he promptly challenged his own idea.  Arguing that beyond logistical issues (not everyone listening was in United Kingdom), he would probably not enjoy the awkward encounters that would ensue.  But he toyed with the idea long enough to make me wonder, who is this almost warm and fuzzy creature operating the microphone (sometimes from the wrong end) in the Resonance FM studios?  Hot Potato, that's who.  

Tune in for the silliness on Monday nights on Resonance FM at 7pm New York time, midnight in the United Kingdom for the next few weeks. 

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