ABC To XTC with John Connolly

[Dec A Wash]

This is a radio programme that started on RTE's online (formerly digital) alternative station 2XM, but has been on RTE Gold for some time now.
John Connolly plays a wonderfully eclectic mix of songs from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It straddles post-punk, new wave, new romantics, synth pop, reggae, ska and some other genres too! John plays a mixture of well-known, forgotten and largely undiscovered songs. The eclectic mix reminds me somewhat of my personal favourite station from the 1980s Capitol Radio/Nitesky Radio (pirate of course!). It would be more the Capitol Radio side, i.e. not necessarily restricted to more alternative sounds but all inclusive. John Connolly's knowledge and passion for his music is clearly evident (just like Capitol in fact). He also has a nice line in dry wit (think of the name of the show for example!)!

I think it is the aforementioned eclectic mix of songs that make it such a great listen. Even when I don't particularly like a song, I know that there is a good chance that I will like the next song, and the mix makes it somehow more bearable! Another thing I like about his selection is that John Connolly often plays some of the less played songs by the better known artistes on his show. This show slowly became a must hear program, and I tend to use the playback facility as I rarely get to hear it when it is first broadcast between 5pm and 6pm on a Saturday.

Do you know if John had any previous radio experience before he turned up on RTE's digital stations?

Any comments?

[Norman Breaks]

Is there an archive of shows you can link?

[Apelles]

I'd heard the show a few times and enjoyed it but had all but forgotten about it until Dec posted here.
Heres a link to the shows archive. https://www.rte.ie/radio/gold/abc-to-xt ... st/?page=1

[Dec A Wash]

During the course of the pandemic, I started listening to a lot of the older runs of the programme on the archive facility, and then, gradually, listened more and more to the Saturday show, but usually afterwards. It is now a weekly habit for me to catch up with this programme. Once you get into the habit, you get hooked. I can skip the songs I really do not want to hear (happens occasionally!). John Connolly both educates me with stuff I had not heard before and reminds me of songs I had not heard in a while.