BBC DJ, music lover and promoter of new talent John Peel.
John Peel is a BBC Radio 1 DJ promoting young and new bands on his show which has a listenership with the average age of 19.
The popularity of 'The John Peel Show' and the respect from up and coming bands means he receives between eight and ten demo tapes every day. While it is challenging for John Peel to find the time to listen to them all, he makes an effort to respond to the bands.
I wish there were more people who were going out looking for new and exciting bands and trying to give them a bit of a hand.
One of John Peel's favourite bands is The Undertones from Derry who he has played a lot on his show. The Undertones have recently signed to Sire Records and John Peel believes that they will be looked after well by this label. He worries for any band in the unpleasant machine of the music industry which he describes as,
The most unpleasant industry full of really rather vicious people.
If you are eighteen or nineteen and everyone is telling you how important you are and giving you stacks of money, you are bound to go off the rails.
He applauds the work of smaller and regional independent record labels, such as Terri Hooley's Good Vibrations in Belfast, who are releasing records outside of London.
If it's a choice between playing an established band on a big label or a smaller band on a new label, provided the music was equal quality, we'll usually go for the small band on the small label.
John Peel's other passion in life is football. Football and music are two things that appeal to young people and offer them hope.
This interview was broadcast on 'Our Times Invitation to Rock Christmas Special' on 23 December 1978. The presenter is David Heffernan.
