My NottinghamLIVE co-presenter Darren became a dad this week, so I emailed him yesterday to ask if he was coming in to do the show. I would have understood if he hadn't wanted to, but he said he was doing it. I haven't had any Internet access all day today, as those thundercunts at Virgin Media have gone and done something silly again, and my phone is not working, so it wasn't until I checked my email at the studio at a quarter to seven that I saw Darren's message asking if I'd go in for six as he hadn't had a lot of planning time for obvious reasons. What worried me was that he wasn't there despite saying he'd be in early. In fact, he didn't arrive until during the seven o'clock news. I didn't have access to his running order, (if you listen to NottinghamLIVE, I imagine that the idea of us having a running order has just made you piss yourselves laughing), so I found a long-ish track to play. In my panic, rather than picking a song I had picked an interview between Bainy and the band, which should have been properly labelled. This was the first fuck up, and thankfully despite our stressed out start to the show, we managed to pull something together. My radio fuddle tonight was half a bottle of Venos cough medicine, a tube of dissolving vitamin C sweets that turned into orange juice, two cans of cheap version energy drink, (35p as opposed to Red Bull's silly price, it's not the money it's the principal, and the money), and a bag of Cadbury's chocolate eclairs. Not the best combination for a live radio show, but I gradually felt better during the course of the first hour, (I've got a cold, not flu, a cold, I'll be fine).

One of my band choices for 2013, The CTRL, were performing tonight in session for us. I've wanted these guys on the show for ages now, as they work really hard and of course are a fantastic band. They're only around sixteen years old yet sound like they've been at it for years. Thanks to me, they've had heavy airplay on the radio both here and on my American show, and I think this was their first radio session. We employed my introduction method from The Sunday Alternative, and it worked. Due to the rushed and disorganised nature of the show, we sailed pretty close to the news, which comes on automatically although we can stop it under the right circumstances. It would have been worth losing the news for to be honest, as they did one of the best sets we've had so far. They have a new single out at the moment, and they're gigging on Saturday with Prefontaine, another one of my 'tips'. All I need now is to get Captain Dangerous on a live bill with them and I've scored a hat trick.

Talking of Prefontaine, Gary and Craig gatecrashed the show in the last half hour, along with Tegan. They had been to watch The Fade play and chose one of their songs to play. That's exactly the sort of thing I like to happen on the radio, people just randomly coming in to share the show. This is one show I'll be playing back with a very critical watch on myself. I've delivered a below par presentation before, but tonight was a different kettle of fish altogether. Having said that, we both enjoyed it immensely, even if the listeners though otherwise.

*This blog will be re-edited soon to include photos from tonight, when I find my USB cable

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