David M. Green: Purveyor of fine humour

Category: radio

  • Fresh Material

    Top of the morning to you!

    David M. Green here again (this is my site, after all. I think I’m entitled to be here… Yeah, I know I’m not wearing an ID tag… Well they haven’t given me one yet. What’s it to you?). Just letting you know via the medium of blog that I was a guest on Fresh 92.7FM’s “Freshly Squeezed” breakfast show this morning with Jason Spreadbury (love that name! “David M. Green” …and “Spreadbury” is also good).

    So I got up extremely early just to broadcast some “fresh” sketches to people like you. By the way, you can hear the safari-themed sketches I’m referring to right here.

    Apparently this is going to be a regular thing, so tune in every Tuesday morning around 8:10AM to Fresh 92.7FM if you’re in the Adelaide metro area (or listen online if you’re anywhere else) to hear some original David M. Green sketch-based audio comedy!

    I’ll most likely make a “Fresh Page” here at davidmgreen.com, like I’ve done with my other radio shows, so you’ll be able to listen to clips ‘n’ things. But hey, when that happens, you’ll be the first to know… you know… after me of course. But, surely that’s a given, right?

    EDIT: As promised, the link to my Fresh 92.7FM Page.

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    Freshest of the Fresh

  • Richard Marsland’s Funeral

    Hi all,

    I’ve just returned from Richard Marsland’s funeral at St Ignatius Church in Norwood. The place was packed. I’ve never seen so many people at a funeral. Granted, I’ve only been to a few, and they were all for family members who died in old age. It was a very touching service. And nice to see that the priest officiating, Farther Lawrie Moate, actually knew the Marsland family. His words were personal, accurate and moving, as was everything that was said by all the speakers, I must say.

    I was there in the capacity of an acquaintance, a colleague and a fan. I didn’t know Richard that well. I would have liked to have known him more. But I realise I am more privileged than most to have recorded that interview with him, and then to meet him in person just that one time. For most of the last two weeks I’ve felt shock more than anything. I felt like crying, but I didn’t. But then today when I saw Richard’s coffin being carried into the church, with Tony Martin as one of his pallbearers, I just lost it, along with most of the people around me, and not in the good way. Curiously though, I always figured I’d want my enemies carrying my coffin; not my friends. Personally I hate heavy lifting…

    There was laughter too of course. Just hearing about Richard as a youth and about his comic escapades with friends, and the pranks he used to pull on his sisters, I couldn’t help but smile. Tony Martin stood up at the front and lent into the mic, before saying “Normally this is where Richard would be checking the levels,” before delivering a warm tribute to Richard, his comedy and his work ethic. Outside there was a station wagon set up with two people in T-shirts reading “Generic Radio Station,” giving out “icy cold cans of coke” (room temperature) and Farmer’s Union Iced Coffee. A nice touch!

    There’s not much else I can say that hasn’t already been said. It’s sad. I’m sad. I hope I can bring joy and laughter to as many people as Richard did. That’s going to be my new ultimate life goal… well, I already had that goal, but hey, I’ll add “do it for Richard Marsland” to my list of reasons.

    Thank you also to the many people who have emailed me, shared your stories, and posted in forums, thanking and complimenting me for making my interview with Richard available to everyone online. It’s been downloaded over 400 times in the last 2 weeks. Like I’ve said, it was an absolute pleasure and a privilege to have had the little contact I had with Richard Marsland. A truly remarkable guy.

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green

  • RIP Richard Marsland

    Hello,

    I was extremely shocked and saddened today to hear that comedy writer and radio personality Richard Marsland died yesterday at the under-ripe age of 32. This tragedy has touched me personally because of our shared comedy ideals, and also because he was an acquaintance of mine. I would like to say friend, but I don’t think I knew him well enough. Although you don’t have to know him well to know he’s one of the nicest guys in radio. He was also VERY FUNNY and in my opinion, “Get This” with Tony Martin, Ed Kavalee & Richard Marsland on the buttons is the funniest radio show of all time. Having to pull the car over to the side of the road due to uncontrollable laughter was a regular occurrence. I actually had the good fortune to interview Richard once for my community radio show I was hosting at the time. It took place December 29th 2007, just over a month after “Get This” was axed. You can hear that interview here.

    That interview was only the beginning of a short but serendipitous relationship I had with Richard. Around the time of our interview, I got a call from SAFM/Today Network Program Director Craig Bruce. Eventually he got me a job as a panel-operator at SAFM, a job which Richard had had about 10 years earlier. When I went to Melbourne in July this year for a short holiday with my girlfriend Jemima, Richard was nice enough to agree to meet me, and he bought lunch for me and Jemima at one of those Melbourne alley cafes (that’s where the photo of me giving him that shirt comes from). We talked for about 2 hours about all sorts of stuff; radio, comedy, writing, TV, old sketches from Get This. Eventually Jemima left out of boredom. I’m very lucky to have had such an experience and I can tell you it is one of the greatest things in the world, to go up to someone you admire and tell them you love their work. I’m glad for the opportunity, but still sad that he’s gone. My thoughts are with his friends, family and everyone he touched with his humour over his short but brilliant life.

    Panel in peace Rich.

    EDIT – On December 12th we dedicated the second episode of our Radio Adelaide comedy show ‘On The Yacht’ to his memory. I broke character to read a short tribute just before the show, which can be heard here.

    Yours sincerely,
    David M. Green

  • “On The Yacht” Community Radio-A-Go-Go!

    Yes a shout-out to you! (as much as I hate doing them… so amateurish…)

    It’s official! My latest comedy radio venture has been approved by the suits and pant-suits at Radio Adelaide 101.5FM to be broadcast this summer at the majestic timeslot of Thursday nights, midnight to 1am. The show is titled “On The Yacht” and it’ll be a little different to my previous comedy shows. On The Yacht aims to parody the popular laid-back style of AM talk radio and will be the first show where I appear in character the entire time. I’ll be playing Norman Vine, alongside Nick Godfrey as Dr Kevin Goodall, Adam Navarro “anchoring” the nautical-themed programme as his AM alter-ego, “Adam,” and making up the numbers, Voice-Over’s Tim Wray in the news room.

    Staple features of On The Yacht will include, pretty much what you can hear during the day on AM radio: expert guests, uninformed callers, quizes, news updates, pointless pedantic conversations about the details of life (all satirical of course). But hey, don’t get upset if you’re a genuine fan of AM radio. So are we. Why else would we be doing this? On The Yacht isn’t a mean-spirited “dig,” but more like a light-hearted, humorous homage to the format. Plus it’s a chance to play some smooth nu-jazz and soft yacht-rock… ohhh yeeeaaaahhhh…

    Keep your eye out for more details right here at davidmgreen.com… On The Yacht sets sail on its maiden voyage December 5th 2008 12.01am ACST (+10.5GMT) on Radio Adelaide 101.5FM. Feel free to tune in (if you’re up).

    Kind regards,
    Radio’s David M. Green
    On The Yacht: AM style. FM sound. AM time.

  • Commercial Television’s Worst Nightmare

    FINALLY! The good people at Roy Morgan Research have knocked on my door and for once it is I, David M. Green… who get to contribute to the official Australian television and radio ratings… And you can bet your sweet ass I’m going WAAAAAAYYYYY out of my way this week to avoid watching and listening to the vacuous, sensationalised, reality, celebrity, commercial-driven CRAP that comprises 90% of the content that infects our screens and speakers!

    This week, I’m supporting outstanding comedy, professional journalism and TV and radio programmes that are ACTUALLY entertaining. I’m taking so much satisfaction in putting an ‘x’ under the ABC’s fantastic new comedy series ‘Very Small Business’ and leaving blank boxes under ‘Taken Out,’ ‘Make me a Supermodel,’ ‘Today Tonight,’ ‘A Current Affair,’ ‘Neighbours,’ ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ ‘Crash Investigation Unit’ and all those other appalling programmes clogging our screens that were obviously thought up during someone’s lunch break.

    But what’s that you say? Hey David you hypocrite, you worked for SAFM, a notoriously commercial radio station! Well firstly, astute observation and well articulated. And secondly, allow me to explain my philosophy on the issue… Sure, I’ll work for commercial media if they pay me (it’s lots of fun!), BUT… I’ll sure as hell never stop trying to get genuinely funny, innovative, intelligent and downright entertaining ideas past the suits and the censors. Good comedy requires risk taking. Commercial media in Australia doesn’t like to take risks. They like to stick with what’s tried and true, which is why they more often than not just copy a concept that’s a few years old, which the more media savvy have already seen on BBC, HBO, ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) or downloaded themselves. And if a TV or radio station is making crap, there’s no motivation for John Q. Public to put away the pirated DVDs and the .mp3 player. If you don’t take risks and get out in front of the pack, you’ll never do anything outstanding…  That’s why in Australia, the ABC doesn’t only make the best comedy, they make the best television! And ‘Very Small Business,’ Wednesday nights 9:30pm on the ABC, is the funniest Australian show on TV at the moment. I cannot recommend it enough.

    Now I also realise I’m a 21-year old male, allegedly the most difficult demographic to crack. And I’m certainly no ordinary representative from my demographic (eg. I have a 142 IQ and love obscure ’80s New Wave music). But I don’t mind going on record as saying most commercial TV and radio in Australia is terrible, because I reckon I know how to make it better… Specific criticism is available upon request. Oh yeah, I really miss ‘Get This’ with Tony Martin, Ed Kavalee and Richard Marsland. There hasn’t been a commercial radio show worth listening to since then in my opinion, and my ratings book is certainly going to reflect my qualms.

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    Tellin’ it like it is, and desperately wanting to fix it.