Withers Without You

I've not been blessed with free hours each day so I post this ditty un-edited and possible squandered with errors and mistypes. For these, I apologise in advance.

Pauly, Mikey and the Sandman were the breakfast crew at the time, I’d wake up just in time to hear the Sandman deliver his daily radio soap and would listen through until I had to sprint outside to catch the school bus.

Although I was fascinated by it I never even fantasised that I could work in the industry, let alone be the voice that I found so friendly and hilarious. Getting past the age of 21 seemed like a big enough goal at the time.

I’d never quote this as a problem brought upon me or the fruit of a particular conversation or situation, but the idea of life past 21 never seemed a reality to me as a child, even as a teenager. There was this sense of undoing that would occur at 21, by 22 I’d either passed away or taken on a vegetative state. I simply had no vision for my life past 21. In my teenage years my relationships with my parents disintegrated to a point where my father dropped me off at a homeless youth shelter, he had also bailed me out of the Police watch-house as well, amongst a truckload of failures that I brought upon myself from the ages of 15 to 21.

Throughout this journey of finding out exactly what the law was and what happened when you broke it I always maintained a fascination with the broadcast medium we call radio.

There were a range of characters that continued to entertain me, sound like they were my friend when I was alone at home or in the car and of course keeping me informed and enjoying music. I was the perfect listener.

People like the Big Kahuna on Sea FM Nights, Paul and Suki and then Moyra on Sea FM breakfast on the Gold Coast, Keiron Atkinson on Sea/Gold Gold Coast, Meech and Teegs on Hot FM Mackay then just Meech on 4MK, Pricey at 4TO Townsville, Stan at 4CRM Mackay, the old 4MK and Hot FM crew in Mackay in the 90’s and then the legends at Sea FM in Mackay since it’s inception and especially Greg Clark and of course anyone who’s ever worked at Triple J. These were my idols.

Idols or not though, I was still a pot smoking, alcoholic, mostly useless kid.

A few months after turning 21, in the hot lonely summer of 2002 on the Gold Coast I eventually sucked dry any friend or resource I had on the Gold Coast, packed my bags and went home to Mackay. I’m forever grateful to Andrew Evans, my Dad and at that time his new wife Judy and those few people in Mackay who helped me out, I’ll never forget some of the favours lavished upon me then.

At the same time I met a girl who’s mother told me it would be a good idea to go to church that Sunday … or else! Luckily I found something special that went beyond Lyn, the mother, it was like that moment in the Sixth Sense when you find out that (I won’t ruin it for those who haven’t seen it) and then the whole movie makes sense. That was what happened at Mackay Christian Family over the course of about a year and a half. While I’m in the thankful mood I can’t forget at all Ben Naitoko, Tim Spark, Cam Murison, Ben Ives, Adam Lloyd-Jones, Tuppy, Kat Mac, Josh Murray, the family that is MCF and Rob Booth-Jones and his wife Denise and daughter JBJ.

That experience unlocked something within me that no other person or experience has done, it gave me purpose and a vision to fulfill the dreams that lingered in my inner most being.Mostly these formed the basis of depression and disappointment, much like a child standing in a candy store without a cent to his name. But now I was a kid in the candy store of life with a blank cheque.

4CRM

I still can’t remember who I met on that fateful day apart from Stan Hillard who offered me an opportunity to learn how to announce on radio. That day the radio transmitter was dead and being repaired so he took me into the studio and let me play around and play songs whilst we were off air.

I was enjoying myself to no end, 4CRM had a music library bigger than anyone else I knew, all on CD, not a computer or automation system in sight. In the studio was a quaint little Elan Broadcast Console, 2 CD players, 2 mini disc players, a vinyl deck and tape player with three microphones on their respective stands.

The fear of God came over me though as Stan entered the studio and made me aware of the transmitter being fixed and I was now live on the air. He hurriedly instructed me to continue playing songs like I had been and to await further instruction.

From that humble beginning Stan and others around the station taught me everything I know today. It was a fantastic training base, especially learning how to broadcast without the aid of an automation system like I have today.

Sea FM Mackay

Within a few months a position’s vacant position appeared for a “Broadcast Systems Engineer” for RG Capital Radio. I read the word Broadcast and applied instantly not knowing what the job entailed or if I could do it. Within a few weeks Brian, the Station Engineer from Rockhampton was showing me the ropes and I was bluffing my way through as much of it as I can, yet trying to recognise what would kill me and what wouldn’t.

Through some kind of miracle, after about 6 months of radio fun in Mackay, the IT Manager of the RG Capital Radio Group, which had just transformed into a much larger group, the Macquaire Regional Radioworks, had his eye on me and asked me to move to the Gold Coast office to take on a lead support role in the IT Department, as honoured as I was it took about 3 weeks of arguing with myself, God, my friends and the IT Manager, Pete Schmidt, to get me to move. On November 23rd I arrived at the Gold Coast, after a 2 week contract in Walgett in Western NSW helping an Aboriginal radio station setup an automation system.

Macquarie Regional Radioworks

I learnt so much about IT from Pete, Engineering became a mystical art thanks to Jim and Paul and the neccasary evil of distribution of the day’s events was a theatre show to no end thanks to the Bartman and after him Hendo.

Yet … each day I came to work I didn’t sit in front of a microphone, now I didn’t do a lot of IT either. That’s pretty much thanks to Carl, Regan, the News team, AJ and whoever was on air at Sea FM (thanks Ken and Dan).

So after a little over a year I realised I needed to kick myself into action and I resigned, to go to a Ministry College.

SURFCiTY

That humble start led me a on an illustrious career of learning how to do most things in the church, plu things I’d never would’ve thought of. I learnt how to mix sound for a live band and do it well. Graphic design, communication, marketing and working in a team are just some of the skills that got sharpened in SURFCiTY. Although I sunk myself to deep into the mold, and often was hurt because of this peculiar placement, it was a valuable and fruitful deployment and I’m eternally thankful to the whole team of staff especially Lucas, Kent, Dave and Rosanna, Mark, Shamiso, Kate, Amanda, Wendy and Jeremiah, Chrissy and the Pastors Richard and Erica plus so many other individuals I served, served with and was served by.

We’ve slowly moved through the years and now, mid way through 2009 and I’m 27 starting to wonder if being on staff at a church meant I was going to be a cynical grumpy old man sometime soon.

1073

On arrival at the Gold Coast I had emailed Callum (and I’ve never stopped) the program director, announcing my arrival and my humble amazingness, perhaps he could give me a prime time show or something of that sort.

Callum, Simon, Phil, Hayden, Noelene and Rob, over the years at 1073, have generously heaped opportunity after opportunity upon me and I’m the better for it. Callum gave me a night here and there on the night time show, then I filled in where I could, attempting to learn music programming, scheduling, production and whatever else came up. Eventually one morning came where Callum couldn’t do the brekky show and I was asked to fill in.

From that one day ‘filling in’ I stayed there for 9 months until the no or low pay sent me crazy and I left the position, wondering why on earth I’d surrendered the throne I was so desperate to sit in. Luckily there were still some weekend shifts I could fill and generally annoy Callum at every given moment.

Out of that experience I’ve had the opportunity to fail dismally on air in a major market, learn how to recover and I’ve made some amazing friends along the way, notably Cal, Michelle, Deano and Ash.

Esperance

I put in an application and an aircheck, my aircheck was pretty bad and highly produced so I was asked to record a better aircheck understandably. The only problem was my voice was gone thanks to laryngitis. After emails, phone calls, more airchecks, begging and pleading, I accepted the offer to take the breakfast show on RadioWest in Esperance on 747 AM and this is where I stand today.

It’s an opportunity like no other and every day I learn so much, my brain gets contorted, twisted and shoved back into place upside down and generally each day ends quickly at around 8pm, tonight it’ll be 9:30pm, and I’m left wondering why on earth am I in Esperance, how on earth did I get here and where the heck am I going next.

Dream

The sick and strange thing is this. Living your dream often comes at a price you can’t afford and it brings a situation you didn’t anticipate.

For me the cost was losing the daily presence of so many special people in my life. I know we’re all still friends. Facebook, Twitter, Email, Flickr and phone calls all serve there purpose but I miss everyone so much. The situation I didn’t anticipate is the reality I’m living today, it’s strange and for every day that I wonder in the glory that is living a this life there is another day where you sit here all alone in the middle of my dream and say “what the f#$k have I done”