On second thoughts...

It was drawn to my attention today that if you click this link, you will find Gopstopper in the list of "Hidden Gems" down the right hand side.

Apparently this has nothing to do with Radio Cleveland, but someone in that London has listened in and thought we were dead good.

It's well deserved.

queens of noise - another good show.

russell howard - still shit.

stephen merchant - a good start.

I hope they can maintain the ramshackle energy of the show. I found it much more enjoyable than his shows with Gervais because it all felt so calm and natural, a quality I always find appealing in a radio show. Plus they mentioned Steve Wright, whose show is quite entertaining.

"round of applause!"

Thanks.

We're trying to find out who it was in the BBC who recommended us. It's still on the Hidden Gem list today.

Feel free to bombarb the BBC with messages entitled "Gobstopper - what a great discovery!!!!" and things like that.

Tonight on the all signing all dancing radio extravaganza that is Gobstopper.....

Twe12th Man supporters group head honchos Geoff Thomas and John Donovan pop in for a football related chinwag.....

Son of folkie beardy legend Vin Garbutt and singer-songwriter in his own right, Tim Garbutt is in like Flynn.....

Mark Radcliffe favourite and alt-country-rock talent type bloke Sid Griffin turns up with his instrument.....

And this weeks Little Legend is Nigel "Voice of the Pipkins" Plaskitt, who was also the voice behind many of the voices for Spitting Image back in the day.

With music ranging from The Specials to Guillemots, we've also got the usual Hot Topic of debate, which is "things you've ever walked out of and why", which can cover movies, gigs, dates, relationships and anything really like that.

Beware, I've got one that'll make all the ladies instantly hate me. Well, more than they do already.

Gobstopper@bbc.co.uk

Smell you laters alligators.....

No matter how much I love Radio 4, there's no getting round how dire the afternoon plays are.

Wahey, Shack and Bob read out my e-mail!

I'll have to let my sister know that her repeated Dead Man's Chest escapes are now a matter of national importance.

That was one of the few bits of the show I caught, and I was LOLing to myself at work.

Sounded like a good show, Shack! Wish I could have heard more of it but it's been total carnage around here.

*Adds submit script in to R4 back onto to do list*

Thanks to Ed (and others) for mailing in - I was confused about who you were until I spied your actual mail address. Tip top notch.

I really enjoyed the show last night, perked me up a treat. I think it was the Nigel "Pipkins" Plaskitt bloke doing a stupid voice and talking about his work on the Muppet movies that did it. I also nearly wet myself thinking about a big owl swooping on people at Middlesbrough train station...

Can't find the bloody link for it though.

Don't forget - I'm Billy Bigtime, not Simon Smalltime.

my favourite bit...

terror on the tracks!!!

I love the way they haven't got an actual picture of the eagle owl just yet - it's just like the Loch Ness Monster, but more proactive with chasing off drinkers.

As Fischer said last night, it's only a matter of time before they bring out a photo-fit image.

i expect it would look like mark, from 'i am not an animal'...

I think you might be right.

I can only imagine the tale of the bloke chased down the street after a night of heavy drinking.

"Am telling you pet, I got chased by a big fuckin' owl!"

Apparently, one of the faders is a bit knackered and you can hear chat during the records....

Did anyone notice anything unusual?

I missed it I'm afraid, I was far too busy cooking and... watching Big Brother and its related magazine shows.

I'm listening now, as I'm only at work which is far less important than CBB, CBBLB, CBBBM, CBBBB etc.

I'll let you know if I notice anything unusual, you'd be in good company, the last hour of Jonathan Ross' show went totally tits up on Saturday. You could hear him, Andy and the Guillemots talking through two songs, they had to switch studios, I was on the edge of my seat.

Ahhh, Shack's Holiday Break-ups.

The only thing I noticed was your

''It's Just A Song, that's the name of the song,but it is just a song''
''But what's it called?''
''It's Just A Song''
''But what's it called''

Discussion, which faded in over the intro of the song, but I assumed that was intentional.

That was intentional. We're fucking hilarious.

I think we've escaped by all accounts. There's a lady on air now who's just said "bugger" twice. Naughty.

I really liked Senseless Things, I remember buying 'Christine Keeler' from (as it was then) Collect-a-disc in Lincoln. Nirvana? Pah.

Isn't Karen lovely? There should be more Karen on this show, I may start a petition.

Missed the show last night due to work commitments, but look forward to listening to thr repaly sometime this week....sound like a good one.




You played the Senseless Things! Continuing the tradition of slipping the classics in there. Nice.

I've never heard of Senseless Things. But then I have led a sheltered life.

Karen is dead lovely. I'd write that petition if I were you, apparently big boss man wants less of her on the show altogether. Boo and hiss to that.

EDIT - we didn't play Senseless Things. Fischer just mentioned them. Sorry Sosto.

Pffft, we will not stand for the side-lining of Slater (despite her sub-standard film reviews). I like Karen, she hugged me twice.

They didn't play Senseless Things, Bob told an anecdote from Reading 1991 involving falling asleep during Nirvana and waking up for Senseless Things. He more than implied that this was a disappointment! The cheek of it.

Funnily enough at the same Festival I missed most of Nirvana because I wanted to get something to eat before The Senseless Things came on.

Wow! I'm now imagining you're the stranger Bob fell asleep on.

Missing Nirvana for the Senseless Things, history has proved you right... sort of...

I like them anyway.

Ah, kindred spirits joined by a lack of interest in Nirvana.

Basically, the big boss wants her to spend her time doing other stuff and is worried doing our show means he's not getting the best out of her. I gather she told him she would come in on her own time and do our show, so we should be safe.

She is also apparently going to get a tattoo of some swallows on her back. She drew me a picture of it, which looked a bit like two fat robins having it off.

Live Nirvana never were better than Senseless Things were. In my mind, and retrospect, it was the right choice

I don't dislike Nirvana, I just think Bob was a bit harsh about Senseless Things, who I also liked (and like).

Though in 1991 I was ten and was probably a bit too young to go and see either of them.

I didn't get my 'Nevermind' t-shirt until at least 1992.

I think he was pandering to the Radio Cleveland audience, who were much more likely to know how big and massive Nirvana were, as opposed to Senseless Things.

He's a hairy pro.

He should know that an official 'hidden gem' has a core audience of music aficionados like Sostie and me... well Sostie anyway, I'm still waiting for someone to take me to see McFly live.

I am now listening again to Terry Wogan (yes I am old) he's taking the piss because yesterday lunchtime Jeremy Vine read out an email from a Drew Peacock, without realising the gag.

Haarrr

We're Billy Bigtime. Our core audience is out of the window. It'll be gunge tanks and multi-million pound giveaways from now on.

Gunge is due for a comeback.

Hello Shack. I have a question.

I now have a digital radio, but don't really understand it. Can I listen to you on my stereo, or is your digital signal only broadcast locally like the FM one?

I have one for you, were you impressed with the colouring in of your card?

I tried very hard to stay in the lines.

Hello Alan.

It's a good question and one that perplexed me when I initially bought a digital radio. Essentially, local radio on digital works in the same way as yer classic am/fm type stations, in that there is only a regional digital radio frequency, so it will effectively have the same range as it does on am/fm.

This is a bit of a bugger, because it means you have to listen online. I live in North Leeds and me and dandan can't pick it up on ours.

I thought so. When I first bought it I thought I might be able to listen to you and your dulcet Northern tones in crystal clear fidelity without it jumping. Imagine my excitement.


It was very well done, Zoe. The colour blending work was particularly impressive.

I was quite annoyed because while I was trying to listen to the show, my roommates kept thinking that whatever they had to say was somehow interesting to me. I missed lots of it, but what I did catch I enjoyed.

Thanks chuck. I'm still trying to sort out getting on Zanta's MySpace and adding him, but my computer at work doesn't like certain websites. I'll sort it over the weekend. Thanks for mailing in JF.

Well, as soon as I heard about that guy's involvement in Labyrinth, I actually told my roommates to "shut up! Shack's talking to someone important!"

Everyone I talk to is important by osmosis. It's what happens now we're Billy Bigtime.

(only joking)

He was dead interesting though. I nearly did a wee when I found he'd worked on Muppet movies.

He was brilliant. Once he started doing the voices I was in hysterics.

I adore the Freak Zone on 6 Music and Late Junction on BBC Radio 3.

I'll be returning to the airwaves (or internet cables) next Wednesday (the 7th) at 5.30 with an all new How To Recycle A Goat. Not sure what I'll be talking about, but the bulk of the songs will be taken from the ''Love God's Way'' list of ''subversive'' songs that I posted in the news section.

Other than that, the usual ramblings of someone locked in a room on their own with only their thoughts for company...

As always, you can listen at www.sureradio.com.

yep, you bought that 'working men's soul' album yet?

No, I haven't. Though I would like to. Have you?

Boombangabang, it's Gobstopper time again.

On Gobstopper tonight …

Music! We’re joined live by one of the UK’s fastest-rising singer-songwriters, whose debut album has seen him tour the country with both Van Morrison and Rufus Wanwright – he’s the brilliant DUKE SPECIAL.

GRRRRRRUNT! Our weekly “LITTLE LEGENDS” feature catches up with another of our childhood heroes – as we speak live to legendary strongman GEOFF CAPES!

Stars and planets! We look to the skies with our resident boffin, from Wynyard Planetarium, DR JOHN McCUE.

And Cartoons! The cream of the cinema world’s animators are coming to Middlesbrough! And we’re joined by the two main men from Boro’s internationally renowned ANIMEX Animation Festival – CHRIS WILLIAMS and DOUGIE PINCOTT.

Plus all the latest reviews and gossip from Karen Slater, and music from the Kaiser Chiefs, The Killers, Aztec Camera, Idlewild, Manic Street Preachers and loooads more.

All that and some probable random e-mail chuntering, feel free to mail the studio on gobstopper@bbc.co.uk.

Check my signature for listening details.....

no, i haven't. though i would like to...