Rough Trade at the BBC

I made use of the BBC's popular and remarkably easy/free/useful iplayer service for the first time this weekend. It's the first time in ages that they've made any original programming that I can be bothered to go out of my way to see.

The programming in question was a compilation of TV performances by bands associated with the Rough Trade label, shown on BBC4 on Friday night. At the time of writing, you can still go and watch it for another five days or so, and hell, perhaps you should: the first five performances are by Young Marble Giants, The Raincoats, Delta 5, Alison Statton's Weekend and Robert Wyatt!

Nice to know the BBC have had all that in the can the whole time whilst they've been boring us senseless with Whistle Test DVDs full of Rory Gallagher and Simply Red.

No Swell Maps in evidence sadly, but other highlights include Violent Femmes, Camper Van Beethoven (doing "..skinheads"), and the exceptionally strange Cathal O'Coughlan fronting Microdisney.

The first half of the accompanying Rough Trade documentary is well worth watching too, although it's hard not to read the story's conclusion ("from DIY post-punk defiance to making a packet managing an MOR coffee table soul singer? = um... yay for us!") as a colossal downer, despite the applaudable quantity of good stuff the resurrected RT still puts out (which goes unmentioned, natch).

No other point to this post really - just thought I'd tip you off in case yr interested.

Labels: BBC, Rough Trade, TV