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THE ROBBY RUSSELL SHOW
A FRESH BREATH OF REVERB
I BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH ROBBY RUSSELL BECAUSE WE SHARED A
POLITICAL AGENDA. WE BOTH WERE MAJOR FANS OF RODNEY BINGENHEIMER,
AND WE BOTH FELT HE WAS BEING MISTREATED BY THE MEGA STATION
K.R.O.Q. RUSSELL WANTED TO SUPPORT MY MARCH TO GET RODNEY BACK IN
HIS OLD TIME SLOT SUNDAYS AT 7:00 PM. I HAD BEEN RUNNING AN ONLINE
PETITION THAT RUSSELL HAD COME ACROSS AND HE CONTACTED ME.
HE EXPLAINED HE WAS A DJ AND DID A SATURDAY AFTERNOON RADIO SHOW ONLINE AND HE WAS WILLING TO DO PROMOS FOR THE RODNEY PETITION ON
HIS SHOW. I FOUND THE FACT THEY’D PLUG RODNEY AND WANTED NOTHING FOR
IT REFRESHING AND TOOK HIM UP ON HIS OFFER.
I RECEIVED A CD OF HIS SHOW AND TOOK A LISTEN. I WAS TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY BY THE MUSIC THEY WERE PLAYING. ROBBY HAS AN ON AIR SIDE KICK NAMED NURSE CHERIL. SO I GOT TO HEAR THEIR SHOW IN ALL IT’S GLORY. THEY ASKED ME IF I’D LIKE TO COME DOWN TO THE STATION AND WATCH THEM DO THEIR LIVE IN THE STUDIO, BY THIS TIME MY INTEREST HAD PEAKED AND I ASKED THEM IF THEY’D SIT DOWN AND TALK TO VaGUE. THEY MOST GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED.
FIRST OFF I WAS INVITED TO THE ROBBY RUSSELL MANSION. IT ISTHE KIND
OF ATMOSPHERE I LIKE, MUSIC, TOYS, COLLECTIBLES, MEMORABILIA. ROBBY TOLD ME ‘’I BUY DECANTERS OF LIQUOR I DON’T EVEN LIKE JUST FOR THE
BOTTLE” HE SHOWED ME HIS MUSIC LIBRARY AND A LOT OF COOL BOBBLE
HEADS, OH AND I MET NURSE CHERIL WHO WAS ACTUALLY IN A NURSES OUTFIT.
VaGUE: SO WHERE DID YOU TWO MEET?
CHERIL: (LAUGHING) WE MET IN A BAR.
ROBBY: I KIND OF KNEW WHO SHE WAS CAUSE I
KNEW SOMEONE WHO LIVED IN HER BUILDING I
KNEW SHE WORKED AT PANAMA JOE’S. I HAD MY
DOG WITH ME AND A FRIEND AND ASKED HER (CHERIL)
TO COME OVER AND COOK SOME STEAKS. WE GOT
REAL DRUNK AND I PLAYED MY OLD SHOWS FROM KWIZ
CHERIL: YEAH, YOU WANNA HEAR MY SHOW! ...HEAR
MY SHOW.
ROBBY: I KNEW RIGHT AWAY THAT SHE WAS SOMEONE
I COULD DO THE SHOW WITH. MY OTHER SHOW I
HAD A SIDE KICK. LIKE MARK AND BRIAN, KEVIN AND
BEAN. -BUT THIS TIME I DECIDED IT WOULD BE BETTER
WITH A GIRL. I DECIDED CHERIL WAS THE ONE.. AND SHE
CAME ABOUT A WEEK LATER AND WE TRIED SOME STUFF
WITH THE MIKES.
CHERIL: PRACTICED AND STUFF
VaGUE: SO, HOW LONG WAS IT BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY GOT THE
RADIO SHOW “GARAGE MANIA”
CHERIL: OH, THAT WAS A WHILE.
THE FOLLOWING WEEK ROBBY AND CHERIL HAD ME DOWN
TO THE STUDIO TO WATCH AND DO A PROMO FOR THE RODNEY BINGENHEIMER PETITION. I MET THEM AT THEIR RITUAL HANG OUT
AND FOLLOWED THEM TO THE STUDIO.
ONCE INSIDE THE TWO SHIFT INTO HIGH AND GET THE LAST MINUTE STUFF TO BE DONE. SITTING ACROSS FROM ME IS NURSE CHERIL. SHE SITS PREPARING HER COPY FOR THE CHARACTERS SHE PLAYS. THE ROBBY RUSSELL SHOW IS NOT A BARRAGE OF SONGS AND A QUICK MUMBLING OF WHAT WAS JUST PLAYED.
THE ROBBY RUSSELL SHOW IS 2 FUN HOURS OF PURE ESCAPISM PEPPERED WITH SONG PARODIES, MOVIE AND SOUND CLIPS, UNUSUAL TRIVIA AND OF COURSE NURSE CHERIL’S BROADCAST FEATURING ROCK N’ ROLL DEATHS AND TRAGIC AND UNUSUAL BITS OF HUMAN NATURE. THE ROBBY RUSSELL SHOW RUNS ON SATURDAY AFTERNOONS FROM 1 TO 3 AND IS REPEATED. CHECK ROBBY’S INFO AT:
WWW.robbyrussellshow.com
VaGUE: SO HOW DID IT ALL COME TOGETHER?
ROBBY: WE DEBUTED ON WPMD.ORG ON SEPT 6TH 2003. PREVIOUSLY FOR 2 ½ YEARS THAT WE WERE ON ALTURNATIVE.NU WHICH PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS NWEZ. THAT WAS THE SHOW WE HAD CAMERAS ON US AND WE WORE COSTUMES AND BROUGHT BOBBLE HEAD TOYS AND OLD MOVIE POSTERS TO OUR SET. IT WAS A CHANCE MEETING WITH DJ STEVE PROPES WHO MET US AT A LOCAL RECORD STORE, AND THAT LED US TO AUDITIONING AT WPMD.ORG.
VaGUE (TO CHERIL): WHAT’S YOUR IMPRESSION OF ROBBY?
CHERIL: ROBBY IS ECLECTIC, ECCENTRIC, A SELF PURVEYOR, A COLLECTOR, ARTISTIC, FRIENDLY, ENTERTAINING, PASSIONATE ABOUT RADIO! HE HATES THE JACK FM TREND! I ALWAYS CALL HIM A GENIUS AT WORK .... HEE HEE... ROBBY ALWAYS MAKES ME LAUGH AND I ENJOY BEING HIS SIDEKICK
VaGUE: HOW ABOUT YOUR PAST CREATIVE ENDEAVORS?
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CHERIL: I PAINT IN ACRYLICS, ALTHOUGH I’VE DONE PASTELS, WATERCOLORS, AND COLLAGE. IT LOOKS A LITTLE PICASSO-ISH WITH BRIGHT COLORS, VERY DETAILED, AND EMPHASIS ON THE POSITIVE. MY SHRINK WONDERS WHY MY LATEST PAINTINGS ARE ALL OF NUDE WOMEN, BUT THEY ARE DIFFERENT ASPECTS ACTUALLY OF MYSELF! MY FAVORITE ARTISTS ARE FRIEDA KAHLO, VAN GOGH, PICASSO, DALI, MIRO, BUT YOU CAN’T PEG ME TO ANY PETICULAR ONE STYLE BECAUSE I AM SO IN LOVE WITH ART PERIOD! I LOVE GOING TO SHOWS KNOWN OR UNKNOWN.
VaGUE: AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR MUSICAL VENTURES?
CHERIL: 3 OR 4 ROCK BANDS, THEN A 5 YEAR PROJECT IN ILLINOIS WITH ONLY PIANO, SYNTH AND VOCALS. MY PARTNER CAME UP WITH THE MUSIC AND I WROTE THE VERSE AND THE MELODY IT WAS QUITE REWARDING PERSONALLY THOUGH NOT FINANCIALLY
GIVING. MUSIC IS A VERY TOUGH BUSINESS, BUT I LOVE DOING IT EVEN IF IT’S JUST AN ATTEMPT WITH ME AND MY GUITAR, OR SINGING FULL VOLUME IN THE SHOWER.
VaGUE: WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DID YOU GROW UP LISTENING TO?
CHERIL: I GREW UP LISTENING TO B-100 IN SAN DIEGO (WHICH I THINK NO LONGER EXISTS) THEN I TRANSCENDED INTO KROQ/91X I LOVED AND TREASURE OF THE EARLY 80'S THESE WEIRD, COOL BEST DAMN SONGS, THEY STILL SWIM AROUND IN MY HEAD AND YOU CAN’T FIND THEM ANYWHERE, ANYMORE MTV WAS JUST BLOSSOMING. IT WAS A REALLY SPECIAL TIME IN THE 80'S.
VaGUE: ROBBY WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR RADIO CAREER?
ROBBY: THE INFLUENCE ON MY CAREER IS SELF MOTIVATED
I FEEL RADIO HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT I HAD TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND THAT I COULD DO A BETTER RADIO SHOW. I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH THE BORING AND LIMITED PLAY LISTS AND OLDIES STATIONS AND SINCE I AM A RECORD COLLECTOR I DECODED TO PUT TOGETHER A FUN GARAGE-ROCK SHOW, WHICH IS THE MUSIC I KNOW AND LOVE BEST. IF I HAD TO DECIDE WHAT DJ’S INFLUENCED ME MOST IT WOULD BE THE EARLY DJ’S I LISTENED TO AS A KID GROWING UP IN LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK. THESE INCLUDE WKBW’S JOEY REYNOLDS, NY’S MURRAY THE K, ROSCO AND MAD DADDY AND WOLFMAN JACK AMONG OTHERS
VaGUE: WHO ARE YOUR FAVES? WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO?
ROBBY: MY FAVORITE DJ’S TODAY WOULD INCLUDE
HOWARD STERN, AND I LISTEN TO MARK AND BRIAN AND KEVIN AND BEAN. JIM ROMW A SPORTS TALK HOST, BUT AGAIN I LOVE THE CLASSIC DJ’S SUCH AS THE LATE, GREAT REAL DON STEELE, B MITCHELL REED, TERRY KNIGHT OUT OF CKLW, TOM SHANNON OF WKBW. JACK ARMSTRONG, SHADOE STEVENS. ROBBY RUSSELL IS A LITTLE BIT OF ALL THESE GREAT DJ’S COMBINED WITH MY INNER SOUL TO CREATE
VaGUE: WHAT’S NURSE CHERIL LIKE?
ROBBY: NURSE CHERIL IS IN MANY WAYS A VERY PRIVATE AND SOMETIMES SHY PERSON, ALTHOUGH YOU’D NEVER KNOW IT IF YOU MET HER. SHE IS A VERY INCREDIBLY TALENTED PAINTER AND AN EXCELLENT SINGER. SHE POSSESS A RADIO VOICE THAT COMPARES TO ROBIN QUIVERS, ONE OF THE BEST I’VE HEARD AND THAT’S WHY I PICKED HER OUT. HER CHARACTERS SHE DOES ON THE SHOW EVERY WEEK, SHE ALSO DOES ALL THE WRITING FOR HER NEWSCASTS. ALSO SHE IS VERY FUNNY AND A LITTLE BIT CRAZY.
VaGUE: WHAT WERE SOME OF THE FIRST RECORDS YOU BOUGHT GROWING UP.
ROBBY: I BOUGHT ALL THE FIRST BEATLES ALBUMS
AND THE DAVE CLARK FIVE, DYLAN’S “BLONDE ON BLONDE”, THE FIRST WHO ALBUM. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO WAS MY FIRST ALBUM. I DO REMEMBER “LIAR LIAR” BY THE CASTAWAYS WAS MY FIRST 45 I EVER BOUGHT, IN FACT I PROBLEY BOUGHT 50 OR MORE SINGLES BEFORE I COULD AFFORD TO BUY AN ALBUM
VaGUE: THERE’S A LOT OF GARAGE ROCK SHOWS NOW ON A LOT OF STATIONS.. HOW AUTHENTIC ARE THEY, JOAN JETT, LIL STEVEN?
ROBBY: GARAGE ROCK IS THE MUSIC WE PLAY. SEEDS, DAVE CLARK 5, COUNT 5 AND MANY UNKNOWN BANDS THAT SHOULD HAVE HAD SOME HITS. THESE UNKNOWN BANDS PRACTICED IN THEIR GARAGES AND HAD SOME REGIONAL HITS (CHERRY SLUSH, MOUSE AND THE TRAPS) WE ACTUALLY PLAY A LOT MORE THAN THE GARAGE ROCK AS WE DELVE
INTO PSYCHEDELIC AND PUNK ROCK, R&B.
GARAGE ROCK ERA WAS FROM ABOUT 1964,
POSSIBLY STARTED BY LOUIE LOUIE AND GOES UP TO ABOUT 1973 WITH THE NEW YORK DOLLS BUT WE ALSO PLAY SOME GARAGE ROCK REVIVALIST BANDS FROM THE 80'S AND UP TO TODAY INCLUDING BANDS LIKE THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS, CYNICS, AND LYRES. “GARAGE MANIA” ALSO PLAYS ENGLAND FREAK BEAT SOUND AND ROCK FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. COUNTRIES LIKE GERMANY, UK, SWEDEN, AUSTRALIA AND MORE. OUR CONCEPT OF THE GARAGE ROCK IS FAR MORE WIDENING THAN THE TRADITIONAL DEFINITION AND THUS THE SHOW HAS MORE VARIETY. OUR SHOW DOES NOT SOUND LIKE LIL STEVEN’S SHOW, AND WE PLAY DIFFERENT SONGS THAN HIM. ABOUT 80% OF OUR SHOW IS FROM 1965 TO 1969.
VaGUE: WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE THE SHOW TO GO?
ROBBY: WELL, IT WOULD HAVE MORE TECHNOLOGY AND MORE MONEY BEHIND IT. GARAGE MANIA IS A 2 PERSON SHOW, WITH ME PICKING OUT THE MUSIC AND I DO ALL THE MIXING, PRODUCING AND ENGINEERING, AND NURSE CHERIL DOES ALL THE NEWS WRITING AND IS THE ON AIR SIDE KICK WPMDGIVES US ALL THE FREEDOM IN THE WORLD WE COULD ASK FOR. WE WONDER IF THE SUITS AT SATELLITE RADIO WOULD RUIN OUR SHOW AND TAKE AWAY OUR SOUL. WE LOVE DOING THE SHOW AND WE ARE NOT FAKE AND THAT’S WHY PEOPLE LIKE OUR SHOW GARAGE MANIA IS MY TRADEMARK CAUSE NOTHING ELSE SOUNDS LIKE IT.
HEAR ROBBY’S SHOW SATURDAYS AT 1:00 TO 3 AT: WPMD.ORG
FOR MORE INFO GO TO:
WWW.robbyrussellshow.com
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