It seems as though the only way people read anything on the internet anymore is if it’s delivered in the easily-consumed form of a listicle… or it references boobs or kittens.
I don’t have boobs or kittens (soz) so here are my TOP 10 MEMORABLE MOMENTS OF MY 14 YEARS AT CHANNEL V, in no particular order, as we say goodbye to the Aussie music TV stalwart after 20 years of good times:
Stage Diving With Steve Aoki
I spent an hour teaching Steve Aoki how to do a running back flip off a ten meter platform that landed on an air cushion at Future Music. At the end of his set he did it in front of the crowd. It was a brilliant spectacle.
Having Iggy Pop’s Nurse Give Me A Vitamin B Shot In The Ass At Big Day Out
It’s unfair to make the BDO one moment because it was such a big part of the Australian music scenes character. They called it the Big Day Off because between shows there was huge amounts of time for the bands to bond and get up to trouble. For me, I won’t forget playing tennis with Kings of Leon, getting a vitamin B shot in my butt from Iggy Pop’s nurse or riding motorbikes from city to city with a bunch of legends from Silverchair, Grinspoon, Art Vs Science and Kingswood.
~vintage footage alert~
Interviewing The Hoff Nude
For some reason I did an interview with David Hasselhoff completely naked.
I did it in a way that the camera couldn’t see any of my bits but for that to work I had to fold my legs in a way which mushed all my junk into this fruit bowl arrangement… it was a messy affair and I remember The Hoff just looking down at this mess of Frank and Beans all tangled up together in a shiny, turkey skinned piece of art. He simply said “I have been scarred for life”.
I did it in a way that the camera couldn’t see any of my bits but for that to work I had to fold my legs in a way which mushed all my junk into this fruit bowl arrangement… it was a messy affair and I remember The Hoff just looking down at this mess of Frank and Beans all tangled up together in a shiny, turkey skinned piece of art. He simply said “I have been scarred for life”.
Being Pelted With Beer Bottles By Drunks
When I first started at V as a teenage kid I went on the road with Osher Gunsberg, Yumi Stynes, James Matheson and Maya Jupiter in a bus tour around Australia. We did an outdoor free live show in QLD and some older drunk hooligans started throwing bottles of beer at the stage. People started to panic/riot. We were evacuated to our hotel where we drank beers into the night. I felt like I was part of a new family.
Macking On With Katy Perry
I was trying to flirt with Katy Perry in an interview when she turned it around by grabbing my face and kissing me square on the lips. I froze… I was speechless. The interview ended with her laughing and skipping off.
Tripping Balls On Morphine & Crashing PNAU’s Show
I flew to Perth for the Big Day Out and I managed to end up in hospital with a dangerous virus. I went temporarily blind. They sedated me with morphine and other drugs. I woke up, ran off from the hospital and found myself backstage at PNAU putting on a strawberry costume. While tripping balls on morphine I walked out on stage and danced in front of 15,000 people. I wasn’t dressed as a strawberry… I WAS a strawberry.
Being Schooled By Yumi Stynes
Yumi was like the intelligent, hilarious and ruthless older sister I never had. I came from an all-boy school so my vocabulary still contained meaningless phrases like “That’s so gay” which would slip out on live TV. Besides having none of that, she would also put energy into encouraging me to make out with blokes on TV. God I love that woman.
Backing Up For A 12 Hour Show At Sound Relief
We did the longest-ever live show at Sound Relief. John Farnham sang “You’re the Voice” with Coldplay and it was powerful stuff. We were always seconds away from TV disaster and no one at home seemed to know. I recall being asked to stall for 10 minutes while problems were sorted out. That is always exciting.
Saying Goodbye After 14 Years
I know what you are thinking. “WHAT A SANCTIMONIOUS END TO THIS LIST!”
Hear me out.
As a friend said to me; music is so interwoven with a time, a place, an emotion.
I feel lucky enough to be able to attach so many of my favorite songs, from my favorite bands to memories and moments during my career when I felt like I had tricked someone into paying me to do something that I would do for free.
When this is all over, I will remember seeing Arcade Fire, I will remember Bloc Party, I will remember The Presets playing my favorite song to me in an empty theatre.
Long live the music!
Photo: Channel V.
