Dave Fanning
Encyclopedia
Dave Fanning is an Irish
rock
journalist, DJ, retired film critic and veteran broadcaster. He currently hosts The 11th Hour on RTÉ Two
and two radio shows: Drivetime with Dave on RTÉ Radio 1
and The Dave Fanning Show
on RTÉ 2fm
. He also fills in for other presenters on RTÉ Radio
, including acting as a surrogate for Ryan Tubridy
in June 2009. Likewise, John Creedon
has worked as a surrogate for Fanning.
Due to his much celebrated friendship with U2
, Fanning has for three decades been granted the first airing of any of the band's new singles before anyone else in the world, with band members often calling Fanning to tell him what they are doing. He has presented over twenty different series for RTÉ Television
, including Rock Sundown, 2TV
, Jobsuss, Visual Eyes, The Arts Show, documentaries on Cambodia
and Ethiopia
, Number One, a pop quiz which ran for six years, and The Movie Show
, a movie review show which ran for ten years, and more recently The Last Broadcast. He also hosted RTÉ's live television coverage of Live 8
in Hyde Park
, London
(July 2005) and Live Earth
in Wembley Stadium
, London
(July 2007). He claims to have conducted around 200 interviews with global rock stars.
Fanning is the receiver of several awards and nominations, the first of which was a Jacob's Award
in 1980. He won numerous IRMA
awards and has won Best DJ at the Meteor Music Awards
a total of three times, and been nominated at least twice more in 2008 and 2009, this after being granted the Industry Award in 2004.
Hot Press
regards Fanning as "one of the most familiar faces and voices in Irish broadcasting". Rob Sharp of UK newspaper The Independent
has referred to him as a "legendary Irish DJ". BP Fallon
commented in 2008: "Without Dave Fanning on the radio, music in Ireland would have had a poorer face. Dave changed things, opened up ears". The Sunday Tribune
s Eithne Tynan has defined his style as a "thousand words a minute, start a whole new sentence before you've finished the previous one". Fanning is parodied by Oliver Callan
.
, graduating from University College, Dublin (U.C.D.), with a degree in English
and Philosophy
and a Higher Diploma in Education. That same year Dave took over as editor of Ireland's only rock magazine (Scene) and began working as a DJ on the fledgling pirate radio station, Radio Dublin in 1977. Dave then moved to Big D when it was formed by Radio Dublin deejays in 1978. On both pirates, he presented rock shows. He continued with that format when he made the move to legal radio in 1979.
Fanning has always supported young, new Irish talent; he played their demo tapes and gave them radio sessions. His very first session in RTE Radio 2 (RTÉ 2fm
) was with a young four-piece Dublin band called U2
and his friendship with, and support for, the band, led to Fanning's listeners deciding on the A-side and B-side
s of the band's first single release. (This was in the pre-CD days, when singles were only released on vinyl). The band came into Fanning's show for five nights in one week and the listeners picked "Out of Control" as the first single, with "Stories for Boys" and "Boy/Girl" on the B-side.
Fanning's friendship with the band continues to this day. At a surprise birthday party, held at Dublin's Mother Redcaps in 1989 all four members of U2
paid tribute to Fanning; the band's manager Paul McGuinness
presented him with a special present referring to Fanning as "the world's best DJ". Besides being guaranteed the world exclusive on all U2
releases, the band recorded a specially-filmed musical tribute to Fanning when he was presented recently (by Larry Mullen) with the Irish Music Industry's top award - The Meteor Industry Award.
Ursula was a researcher for Gay Byrne
on The Late Late Show
. Musically he is a fan of Bob Dylan
, whom he describes as his God, although he dislikes his live performances.
He met Gerry Ryan
around 1978 while both were working in Dublin pirate radio station "Big D", sharing the common bond of both having attended college, though at separate colleges. Fanning claims they met at work daily between 1980 and 1999. Their friendship led them to socialise and holiday together, while the Fannings even moved in with the Ryans for a time in September 1995 when the Fanning house was under construction.
and The Irish Times
, presented The Movie Show
and been a disc jockey for RTÉ 2fm
since it began in 1979. During the 1990s he worked for RTÉ, Virgin Radio
and had four television shows at one point, one of which was The Movie Show.
, BBC Radio 1
presenter. Alongside Larry Gogan
, he is one of only two of the original disc jockeys to make it as far as the station's thirtieth anniversary in 2009.
In 1994 Richard Branson
invited Fanning to join his new station Virgin Radio
. Fanning presented his own show there every week for two years.
Hot Press
summed up Fanning's career in their yearbook. "When Billboard
magazine referred to the introduction of RTÉ 2fm as one of the major factors behind the growth of Ireland as a major music centre, they really meant Dave Fanning". Fanning has been described as "the ultimate fan, who through broadcasting has been able to make a career out of his many passions in life - chiefly, music and movies. He currently presents a music-only programme every Sunday night on RTÉ 2fm and he fronts a magazine-style programme on RTÉ Radio 1 from Monday to Friday at 19:00. It is called The Dave Fanning Show
.
Fanning's first major award was a Jacob's Award in 1980, awarded for "the depth and scope" of his radio show. He won numerous IRMA
awards and has won the Meteor Best DJ Award a total of three times, also being nominated most recently in 2008.
An August 2004 edition of The Dave Fanning Show led to a Belfast
-based company called Premier Leisure Promotions being forced out of business by what it called a "mad panic" in the midst of complaints about it from listeners.
A January 2009 edition of the radio show in which Fanning "skidded recklessly into a debate about the existence of God" was described by the Sunday Tribune
s Eithne Tynan as "crashing headfirst, inevitably, into low comedy" and "a blast" when compared to how the show is "usually the radio equivalent of a conversation about the weather".
In August 2009, after spending some time presenting on RTÉ Radio 1, it was announced that Fanning would be returning to RTÉ 2fm to present his evening weekday show in his old 19:00 slot. The return followed the failure by RTÉ 2fm in its attempts to target teenagers. Fanning claimed:
top the poll on a regular basis.
In 2005, Fanning released an Irish-only triple album, Fanning's Fab 50 Vol 1. Sales for this compilation album reached 1.5 times platinum. Fanning's Fab 50 Vol 2 was released for the Christmas market in 2006, also going platinum. Fanning's Fab 50 Vol 3 is currently on release. It includes music pieces by U2
, The Killers, R.E.M.
, Radiohead
, Nick Cave
, Lou Reed
, Massive Attack
, Paul McCartney
, John Lennon
, David Bowie
, The Velvet Underground
, Coldplay
, Sigur Rós
, New Order
, Blur
, The Verve
, Ryan Adams, The Stone Roses
, The Good, the Bad & the Queen, Oasis
and thirty others.
FANNING'S FAB 50 2009 - EDITION 29
, Planet Rock Profiles
).
In the early 1990s, Fanning presented live music shows on Britain's Channel 4
(Rocksteady, Friday at The Dome, Return to The Dome) and, for its first three years, Fanning was a member of the panel for the Mercury Music Prize.
He began presenting The Movie Show
for RTÉ in 1993; the last episode aired in September 2001. He also did a programme called Music Zone for the station; it aired on Friday nights.
In 2004, Fanning caused controversy when he chose to become a judge on television talent show You're a Star
, to choose that year's act to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest
. He explained his decision:
Indeed Fanning helped both Keith and Ronan celebrate their weddings at Powerscourt Estate
, Enniskerry
in 1998.
Fanning presented the independently produced The Last Broadcast, which initially aired on Friday nights from November 8 from 23:30 until 01:00 and was ninety minutes in length. The title comes from the album of the same name
by Doves. Fanning later completed the sixth series of his now one-hour music show, The Last Broadcast. By 2007, a series which featured Beck
, Bruce Springsteen
, The National
and The White Stripes
, the show was being broadcast on Wednesday nights.
In 2006, he began a new interview television series in the United States
.
On 1 November 2007, his 14-week music interview television series of musical interviews, Talks with Fanning, was first broadcast on Sky Arts
. He interviewed New Order
for the first episode. Other episodes featured artists such as The Killers, Pet Shop Boys
, Beck
, PJ Harvey
and The Flaming Lips
.
On 11 March 2009, he began presenting The 11th Hour. The first episode featured an interview with Bruce Springsteen
and music from Bell X1, Franz Ferdinand
and U2
. A second series followed later in the year, with the first episode on The Beatles
described as "superb" by Hilary Fannin, reviewer with The Irish Times
.
On 26 August 2009, Radiohead: The Dave Fanning Interview aired on Sky Arts 1.
and has written many articles for publication at home and abroad. He was movie critic for the Sunday World
from '97 to '04. He has also written for the Evening Herald
.
He attended the Childline Time Together celebrity breakfast, a charity function held at Dublin's Berkeley Court Hotel in aid of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
's ChildLine
charity, in November 2001.
In March 2002, he was a member of the judging panel to decide the Jameson Student Film Award for that year.
Fanning was one of the signatories of an anti-war petition which was handed into Dáil Éireann
by Hot Presss Olaf Tyaransen
in June 2004.
In 2009, he hosted the 10th Kerry Film Festival
in Tralee.
HarperCollins
are publishing his autobiography The Thing Is in September 2010.
Fanning criticised the MTV EMAs when they were held in Belfast in 2011, describing them as "worthless" and "all for marketing".
.
|-
| 2004
|| Dave Fanning || Industry Award ||
|-
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
journalist, DJ, retired film critic and veteran broadcaster. He currently hosts The 11th Hour on RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
and two radio shows: Drivetime with Dave on RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
and The Dave Fanning Show
The Dave Fanning Show
The Dave Fanning show is a radio program broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1. The show is presented by Dave Fanning and covers a range of various topics.The show "takes a look at the world of the arts through music and film.....
on RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
. He also fills in for other presenters on RTÉ Radio
RTÉ Radio
RTÉ Radio is a department of Irish national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Radio broadcasts four analogue channels and five digital channels....
, including acting as a surrogate for Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy , affectionately known as "Tubs", is an Irish broadcaster and writer, a presenter of live shows on radio and television in Ireland. He has been described as "one of Ireland's most gifted broadcasters"...
in June 2009. Likewise, John Creedon
John Creedon
John Creedon, also known as "Creedo", is an Irish language enthusiast and veteran broadcaster with RTÉ Radio. Host of The John Creedon Show, evenings on RTÉ Radio 1, he has also filled in for Dave Fanning on The Dave Fanning Show....
has worked as a surrogate for Fanning.
Due to his much celebrated friendship with U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Fanning has for three decades been granted the first airing of any of the band's new singles before anyone else in the world, with band members often calling Fanning to tell him what they are doing. He has presented over twenty different series for RTÉ Television
RTÉ Television
RTÉ Television is a department of Ireland's state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann.The first channel to broadcast was Telefís Éireann which began broadcasting on 31 December 1961...
, including Rock Sundown, 2TV
2TV
2TV was an Irish music programme broadcast on Sunday mornings on both Network 2 television and RTE 2fm radio from 1995 until at least 2001, even during the summer months...
, Jobsuss, Visual Eyes, The Arts Show, documentaries on Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Number One, a pop quiz which ran for six years, and The Movie Show
The Movie Show (Irish TV series)
The Movie Show was a half-hour weekly Irish television series which served as RTÉ's flagship movie review show. It was presented by Dave Fanning, who was amongst the many people outraged when the show was axed in 2001. Movie companies were also said to be distressed at its axing...
, a movie review show which ran for ten years, and more recently The Last Broadcast. He also hosted RTÉ's live television coverage of Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(July 2005) and Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
in Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(July 2007). He claims to have conducted around 200 interviews with global rock stars.
Fanning is the receiver of several awards and nominations, the first of which was a Jacob's Award
Jacob's Awards
The Jacob's Awards were instituted in December 1962 as the first Irish television awards. Later, they were expanded to include radio. The awards were named after their sponsor, W. & R. Jacob & Co. Ltd., a biscuit manufacturer, and recipients were selected by Ireland's national newspaper television...
in 1980. He won numerous IRMA
Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:...
awards and has won Best DJ at the Meteor Music Awards
Meteor Music Awards
The Meteor Ireland Music Awards are a group of music awards in Ireland...
a total of three times, and been nominated at least twice more in 2008 and 2009, this after being granted the Industry Award in 2004.
Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
regards Fanning as "one of the most familiar faces and voices in Irish broadcasting". Rob Sharp of UK newspaper The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
has referred to him as a "legendary Irish DJ". BP Fallon
BP Fallon
BP Fallon is an Irish DJ, author, and photographer. He currently lives in New York.At a young age Fallon became a famous personality and broadcaster in Ireland, moving on to music journalism and photography....
commented in 2008: "Without Dave Fanning on the radio, music in Ireland would have had a poorer face. Dave changed things, opened up ears". The Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
s Eithne Tynan has defined his style as a "thousand words a minute, start a whole new sentence before you've finished the previous one". Fanning is parodied by Oliver Callan
Oliver Callan
Oliver Callan is an Irish vocal and performance satirist and impressionist known for featuring on Nob Nation, Green Tea and The Saturday Night Show. He rose to fame during the 2000s when his daily Nob Nation slots aired on RTÉ Radio...
.
Early and private life
Born in Dublin, Fanning was educated at Blackrock CollegeBlackrock College
Blackrock College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys aged 14–18, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded by French missionaries in 1860, to act as a school and civil service training centre. Set in of grounds, it has an illustrious...
, graduating from University College, Dublin (U.C.D.), with a degree in English
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and a Higher Diploma in Education. That same year Dave took over as editor of Ireland's only rock magazine (Scene) and began working as a DJ on the fledgling pirate radio station, Radio Dublin in 1977. Dave then moved to Big D when it was formed by Radio Dublin deejays in 1978. On both pirates, he presented rock shows. He continued with that format when he made the move to legal radio in 1979.
Fanning has always supported young, new Irish talent; he played their demo tapes and gave them radio sessions. His very first session in RTE Radio 2 (RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
) was with a young four-piece Dublin band called U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and his friendship with, and support for, the band, led to Fanning's listeners deciding on the A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
s of the band's first single release. (This was in the pre-CD days, when singles were only released on vinyl). The band came into Fanning's show for five nights in one week and the listeners picked "Out of Control" as the first single, with "Stories for Boys" and "Boy/Girl" on the B-side.
Fanning's friendship with the band continues to this day. At a surprise birthday party, held at Dublin's Mother Redcaps in 1989 all four members of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
paid tribute to Fanning; the band's manager Paul McGuinness
Paul McGuinness
Paul McGuinness is the main shareholder and founder of Principle Management Limited: an artist management company based in Dublin, Ireland, which has managed U2 from the start of their successful career...
presented him with a special present referring to Fanning as "the world's best DJ". Besides being guaranteed the world exclusive on all U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
releases, the band recorded a specially-filmed musical tribute to Fanning when he was presented recently (by Larry Mullen) with the Irish Music Industry's top award - The Meteor Industry Award.
Ursula was a researcher for Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
. Musically he is a fan of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, whom he describes as his God, although he dislikes his live performances.
He met Gerry Ryan
Gerry Ryan
Gerard "Gerry" Ryan was an Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
around 1978 while both were working in Dublin pirate radio station "Big D", sharing the common bond of both having attended college, though at separate colleges. Fanning claims they met at work daily between 1980 and 1999. Their friendship led them to socialise and holiday together, while the Fannings even moved in with the Ryans for a time in September 1995 when the Fanning house was under construction.
Career
Fanning has written for Hot PressHot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
and The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
, presented The Movie Show
The Movie Show
The Movie Show is an Australian film review program that airs on SBS TV. Its history falls into three parts.-Original format:The original format, which ran from 30 October 1986 to 12 May 2004, had two presenters, David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz. Stratton and Pomeranz left for the ABC in early...
and been a disc jockey for RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
since it began in 1979. During the 1990s he worked for RTÉ, Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
and had four television shows at one point, one of which was The Movie Show.
Radio
Fanning featured on Ireland's first official national pop music station, RTÉ Radio 2 (now referred to as RTÉ 2fm), which was launched in the summer of 1979. He held the midnight shift five days per week. He began presenting each Sunday at midnight, a role he would return to in 2008. His live sessions, conducted with the assistance of producer Ian Wilson, helped establish him on The Rock Show. However, Joe MacNamee has written in the Irish Examiner that Wilson was "the musical heart, soul and brains" of Fanning's success. By the early 1980s, Fanning was seen by the industry and music fans everywhere as Ireland's answer to John PeelJohn Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
presenter. Alongside Larry Gogan
Larry Gogan
Laurence 'Larry' Gogan is an Irish broadcaster working for Raidió Teilifís Éireann . He is a disc jockey on RTÉ 2fm. His show is The Golden Hour, during which Larry plays old favourites and classic songs from yesteryear. Gogan spun the first disc on Radio 2, Like Clockwork by The Boomtown Rats...
, he is one of only two of the original disc jockeys to make it as far as the station's thirtieth anniversary in 2009.
In 1994 Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
invited Fanning to join his new station Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
. Fanning presented his own show there every week for two years.
Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
summed up Fanning's career in their yearbook. "When Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine referred to the introduction of RTÉ 2fm as one of the major factors behind the growth of Ireland as a major music centre, they really meant Dave Fanning". Fanning has been described as "the ultimate fan, who through broadcasting has been able to make a career out of his many passions in life - chiefly, music and movies. He currently presents a music-only programme every Sunday night on RTÉ 2fm and he fronts a magazine-style programme on RTÉ Radio 1 from Monday to Friday at 19:00. It is called The Dave Fanning Show
The Dave Fanning Show
The Dave Fanning show is a radio program broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1. The show is presented by Dave Fanning and covers a range of various topics.The show "takes a look at the world of the arts through music and film.....
.
Fanning's first major award was a Jacob's Award in 1980, awarded for "the depth and scope" of his radio show. He won numerous IRMA
Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:...
awards and has won the Meteor Best DJ Award a total of three times, also being nominated most recently in 2008.
An August 2004 edition of The Dave Fanning Show led to a Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
-based company called Premier Leisure Promotions being forced out of business by what it called a "mad panic" in the midst of complaints about it from listeners.
A January 2009 edition of the radio show in which Fanning "skidded recklessly into a debate about the existence of God" was described by the Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
s Eithne Tynan as "crashing headfirst, inevitably, into low comedy" and "a blast" when compared to how the show is "usually the radio equivalent of a conversation about the weather".
In August 2009, after spending some time presenting on RTÉ Radio 1, it was announced that Fanning would be returning to RTÉ 2fm to present his evening weekday show in his old 19:00 slot. The return followed the failure by RTÉ 2fm in its attempts to target teenagers. Fanning claimed:
In fact I so never moved that instead I brought the four people who were working with me for Radio One and their desks into 2FM! I never went over to Radio One, I did all my programmes from 2FM, I never moved. I was also doing 2FM every Sunday so I never left at all so I'm just back to my spiritual home Monday to Friday.
Fab Fifty
Each year since 1980 Fanning has had an annual alternative music poll called Fanning's Fab Fifty on his radio show. This is decided by a poll of the general public and, since the advent of internet voting, surfers select their own favourite three pieces of music online. U2U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
top the poll on a regular basis.
In 2005, Fanning released an Irish-only triple album, Fanning's Fab 50 Vol 1. Sales for this compilation album reached 1.5 times platinum. Fanning's Fab 50 Vol 2 was released for the Christmas market in 2006, also going platinum. Fanning's Fab 50 Vol 3 is currently on release. It includes music pieces by U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, The Killers, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
, Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
, New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
, The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
, Ryan Adams, The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, The Good, the Bad & the Queen, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and thirty others.
FANNING'S FAB 50 2009 - EDITION 29
- 1 U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
- OneOne (U2 song)"One" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their 1991 album Achtung Baby, and it was released as the record's third single in March 1992. It was recorded at three recording studios, Hansa Ton Studios, Elsinore, and Windmill Lane Studios... - 2 Kings of LeonKings of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
- Sex on FireSex on Fire"Sex on Fire" is the first single to be taken from Kings of Leon's fourth studio album Only by the Night and as of September 2009, the second most-downloaded digital single ever in the United Kingdom... - 3 Led ZeppelinLed ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
- Stairway to HeavenStairway to Heaven"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band's untitled fourth studio album . The song, running eight minutes and two seconds, is composed of several sections, which... - 4 U2 - BadBad (U2 song)"Bad" is a song by rock band U2 and the seventh track from their 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. A song about heroin addiction, it is considered a fan favourite, and is one of U2's most frequently performed songs in concert....
- 5 NirvanaNirvana (band)Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
- Smells Like Teen SpiritSmells Like Teen Spirit"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records... - 6 The SmithsThe SmithsThe Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
- How Soon Is Now - 7 U2 - With or Without YouWith or Without You"With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track from their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, and was released as the album's first single on 21 March 1987...
- 8 The Killers - Mr. BrightsideMr. Brightside"Mr. Brightside" is a song performed by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. The song is featured on the group's debut album Hot Fuss and was written by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning....
- 9 The Stone RosesThe Stone RosesThe Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
- I Am The ResurrectionI Am The Resurrection"I Am the Resurrection" is a song by The Stone Roses and the final song on the UK version of their debut album.The last four minutes of the song is an instrumental outro. The song is in the key of B Mixolydian. The single was released on March 30, 1992, and reached #33 on the UK Singles Chart... - 10 Kings of Leon - Use SomebodyUse Somebody"Use Somebody" is a song by the American alternative rock group Kings of Leon. It was the second single from the band's fourth studio album Only by the Night , released on December 8, 2008....
- 11 Jeff BuckleyJeff BuckleyJeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
- Hallelujah - 12 MuseMuse (band)Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
- UprisingUprising (song)"Uprising" is a song by English rock band Muse, featured on their fifth studio album The Resistance. Written by lead vocalist and guitarist Matthew Bellamy, the song was released as the lead single from the album on 7 September 2009... - 13 Snow PatrolSnow PatrolSnow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
- Chasing CarsChasing Cars"Chasing Cars" is the second single from Snow Patrol's fourth album, Eyes Open. It was recorded in 2005 and released on 6 June 2006 in the US and 24 July 2006 in the UK as the album's second single.... - 14 ElbowElbow (band)Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
- One Day Like ThisOne Day Like This"One Day Like This" is the second single from Elbow's fourth album The Seldom Seen Kid, released on 2 June 2008 on two 7" vinyl records and one CD single. "One Day Like This" debuted at #39 in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 2008, marking Elbow's seventh UK Top 40 single. After 14 weeks, the single... - 15 Joy DivisionJoy DivisionJoy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
- Love Will Tear Us ApartLove Will Tear Us Apart"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by the British post-punk band Joy Division. It was written in August and September 1979, and debuted when the band supported Buzzcocks on their UK tour in September and October 1979. It is one of the few songs in which singer Ian Curtis played guitar... - 16 The Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
- Gimme ShelterGimme Shelter"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling... - 17 Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
- Wish You Were HereWish You Were Here (Pink Floyd song)"Wish You Were Here" is the title track on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. The song's lyrics encompass writer Roger Waters' feelings of alienation from other people. Like most of the album, it refers to former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett and his breakdown... - 18 Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
- Born to RunBorn to RunThe album's release was accompanied by a $250,000 promotional campaign by Columbia directed at both consumers and the music industry, making good use of Landau's "I saw rock 'n' roll's future—and its name is Bruce Springsteen" quote. With much publicity, Born to Run vaulted into the top 10 in its... - 19 The Smiths - There Is a Light That Never Goes OutThere Is a Light That Never Goes Out"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a song by the British alternative rock group The Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was originally featured on their third album The Queen Is Dead , and was released as a single in 1992, five years after The Smiths split up...
- 20 OasisOasis (band)Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
- Live ForeverLive Forever"Live Forever" is a song by English rock band Oasis. Written by Noel Gallagher, the song was released as the third single from their debut album Definitely Maybe on 8 August 1994, just prior to that album's release.... - 21 Snow Patrol - RunRun (Snow Patrol song)"Run" is a cover of the Snow Patrol song by Leona Lewis on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on 31 October 2007. She later released the song as a single from Spirit: The Deluxe Edition in November 2008. At the time, "Run" was the UK's fastest-selling digital only release ever, selling 69,244 copies in just...
- 22 Florence and The MachineFlorence and the MachineFlorence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
- Cosmic LoveCosmic Love"Cosmic Love" is a song by Florence and the Machine, and the sixth single from the album Lungs. The single was released through Moshi Moshi Records on July 5, 2010 in the UK.... - 23 Pearl JamPearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
- Black - 24 Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
- Hurt - 25 QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
- Bohemian RhapsodyBohemian Rhapsody"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera... - 26 Snow Patrol - Just Say Yes
- 27 Empire of the Sun (band)Empire of the Sun (band)Empire of the Sun is an Australian electronic music duo that formed in 2008. The duo is composed of Luke Steele of The Sleepy Jackson and Nick Littlemore of Pnau. The two met in 2000 after both being signed to the same record label. Luke and Nick knew that they instantly had a chemistry like no other...
- Walking on a DreamWalking on a Dream (song)"Walking on a Dream" is a song by the Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun, released as the lead single from their debut album, Walking on a Dream. The full Sam La More remix was made available as a free download on the band's official website. The single was successful on the Australian... - 28 Foo FightersFoo FightersFoo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
- EverlongEverlong"Everlong" is the second single released from the Foo Fighters' second album The Colour and the Shape, released in 1997. The song was conceived when Dave Grohl returned home to Washington, DC following the initial recording sessions for the album... - 29 The Arcade FireThe Arcade FireArcade Fire is an indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It consists of the husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, along with Will Butler, Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, Jeremy Gara, and Sarah Neufeld. William Butler and Régine Chassagne attended McGill University,...
- InterventionIntervention (song)"Intervention" is a song by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. It is the third single released from the band's second full-length album, Neon Bible. The single was released to digital retailers on December 28, 2006, and was released as a 7" vinyl in the UK under Rough Trade Records on May 21,... - 30 Mumford and Sons - Little Lion ManLittle Lion Man"Little Lion Man" is the debut single by London folk quartet Mumford & Sons released from their debut album, Sigh No More. It was released in the UK 11 August 2009....
- 31 U2 - MagnificentMagnificent (U2 song)"Magnificent" is a song by U2. It is the second track on the band's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon and was released as the album's second single. The song was originally titled "French Disco", but was renamed later in the recording sessions...
- 32 RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
- Paranoid AndroidParanoid Android"Paranoid Android" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, featured on their 1997 third studio album OK Computer. The lyrics of the darkly humorous song were written primarily by singer Thom Yorke, following an unpleasant experience in a Los Angeles bar... - 33 Smashing Pumpkins - 19791979 (song)"1979" is a song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Released in 1996 as the second single from their third studio album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, "1979" was written by frontman Billy Corgan, and features loops and samples that were uncharacteristic of previous...
- 34 The Killers - HumanHuman (The Killers song)"Human" is a song by American rock band The Killers, and was released as the first single from the band's third studio album Day & Age. It premiered on Zane Lowe's evening show on BBC Radio 1 on September 22, 2008, with a digital release on September 30, 2008. It became the third song by the band...
- 35 Guns N' RosesGuns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
- November RainNovember Rain"November Rain" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, written by lead singer Axl Rose and released as a single in June 1992. It appears on the album Use Your Illusion I. The music video for this song was also released in 1992, and won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography... - 36 U2 - Where The Streets Have No NameWhere the Streets Have No Name"Where the Streets Have No Name" is a song by rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree and was released as the album's third single in August 1987. The song's hook is a repeating guitar arpeggio using a delay effect, played during the song's introduction and...
- 37 Queens of The Stone AgeQueens of the Stone AgeQueens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
- No One KnowsNo One Knows"No One Knows" is a song by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age written by band members Josh Homme and Mark Lanegan. It was the first single and second track from their third album, Songs for the Deaf, and was released on November 26, 2002. "No One Knows" was a chart success, becoming the... - 38 ColdplayColdplayColdplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
- YellowYellow (song)"Yellow" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with British record producer Ken Nelson for their debut album, Parachutes... - 39 DelorentosDelorentosDelorentos are a Dublin-based Irish alternative rock band, formed in 2005. They consist of Rónan Yourell , Kieran McGuinness , Níal Conlan and Ross McCormick...
- S.E.C.R.E.T. - 40 Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
- Like a Rolling StoneLike a Rolling Stone"Like a Rolling Stone" is a 1965 song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Its confrontational lyrics originate in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhausted from a grueling tour of England... - 41 MuseMuse (band)Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
- Supermassive Black Hole - 42 Pink Floyd - Comfortably NumbComfortably Numb"Comfortably Numb" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, which first appears on the 1979 double album, The Wall. It was also released as a single in the same year with "Hey You" as the B-side. It is one of only three songs on the album for which writing credits are shared between Roger...
- 43 The Pixies - DebaserDebaser"Debaser" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies, and is the first song on their 1989 album Doolittle. The song was written and sung by frontman Black Francis and was produced by Gil Norton during Doolittles recording sessions....
- 44 The FramesThe FramesThe Frames are an Irish band based in Dublin. Founded in 1990 by Glen Hansard, the band has been influential in the Dublin rock music scene. The group has released six albums...
- Revelate - 45 RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
- Creep - 46 Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet With Butterfly WingsBullet with Butterfly Wings"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" is a song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It was the lead single from the band's 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The song won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. This song was the band's first Top 40...
- 47 The CoronasThe CoronasThe Coronas are an Irish rock and indie band. They have released three studio albums, Heroes or Ghosts , Tony Was An Ex-Con and "Closer to You"...
- Heroes or GhostsHeroes or GhostsHeroes or Ghosts is the debut album by the Irish indie act The Coronas, released in October 2007 by 3ú Records and published by Little Rox Music... - 48 ElbowElbow (band)Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
- Grounds for DivorceGrounds for Divorce (song)"Grounds for Divorce" is the first single from Elbow's fourth studio album The Seldom Seen Kid.-Background:The single was released on 10 March 2008 as the band's first release on Fiction Records across two 7" vinyl records and one CD single... - 49 The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be AdoredI Wanna Be Adored"I Wanna Be Adored" is a song by the British rock group The Stone Roses. It was released as the third single from the band's debut album The Stone Roses in the UK, US, Germany, Japan and Canada...
- 50 Radiohead - Karma PoliceKarma Police"Karma Police" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead from their 1997 third studio album OK Computer. The song's title and lyrics derive from an in-joke among the band, referring to the Hindu theory of retributive enforcement, known as karma....
Television work
Over the past few decades Fanning has fronted over 20 television programmes for Ireland's national television station, RTÉ. He has been the subject of various television specials and besides presenting various music shows, both live and recorded, he has presented political TV documentaries from Cambodia and Ethiopia. Throughout the 1990s, Fanning presented over four hundred editions of The Movie Show, crossing the globe for one-on-one interviews with movie stars. He also researched, wrote and presented over 150 rock star interview shows (Fanning Profiles, Music ExpressMusic Express
A Music Express is an amusement park and carnival ride based on the original Caterpillar rides of Germany. Several near-identical ride designs are also produced by other companies; Musik Express by Italian company Bertazzon and US Majestic Rides, Himalaya by American company Wisdom Rides,German...
, Planet Rock Profiles
Planet Rock Profiles
Planet Rock Profiles Irish produced and long-running television show consisting of a biographical profile of a band or musician. Created by Eamonn Maguire and initially presented by Dave Fanning, and later by Tom Dunne, Planet Rock Profiles has aired on RTE Two, ITV, Channel V, Music Country, VH1...
).
In the early 1990s, Fanning presented live music shows on Britain's Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
(Rocksteady, Friday at The Dome, Return to The Dome) and, for its first three years, Fanning was a member of the panel for the Mercury Music Prize.
He began presenting The Movie Show
The Movie Show (Irish TV series)
The Movie Show was a half-hour weekly Irish television series which served as RTÉ's flagship movie review show. It was presented by Dave Fanning, who was amongst the many people outraged when the show was axed in 2001. Movie companies were also said to be distressed at its axing...
for RTÉ in 1993; the last episode aired in September 2001. He also did a programme called Music Zone for the station; it aired on Friday nights.
In 2004, Fanning caused controversy when he chose to become a judge on television talent show You're a Star
You're A Star
You're a Star was a singing contest in Ireland,similar to th X Factor in the United Kingdom and American Idol in the USA created by Screentime ShinAwiL and Radio Telefís Éireann. It was shown weekly on RTÉ One over the winter months of each year...
, to choose that year's act to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. He explained his decision:
It’s indefensible. I just can’t defend this at all. It’s Eurovision for God’s sake. It’s all shitShitShit is usually considered vulgar and profane in Modern English. As a noun it refers to fecal matter and as a verb it means to defecate or defecate in; in the plural it means diarrhea...
e, everyone knows that. But I just don’t care. I’m doing it for a laugh. Of course I’m going to get people slagging me off, but I’m used to all that. [...] I just thought, why not do it?” he says. “I’ve done everything else at this stage, including the Mercury Music Prize, IMRO Showcases and battle of the bands contests up and down the country. When I did 2TV2TV2TV was an Irish music programme broadcast on Sunday mornings on both Network 2 television and RTE 2fm radio from 1995 until at least 2001, even during the summer months...
from 1995 until 2000 I presided over the worst five years in 50 years of pop music history. It was all BoyzoneBoyzoneBoyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
videos and I’d slag them all to death. Then they’d be in with me the next week and I’d say ‘lads, you’re brilliant – three number ones in a row, well done’. I actually like RonanRonan KeatingRonan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
and I like KeithKeith DuffyKeith Peter Thomas Francis John Duffy is an Irish singer-songwriter, actor, drummer, dancer and television presenter. He began his career as part of Boyzone in the 1990s. In the 2000s, he achieved critical acclaim for his acting roles, particularly in soap operas such as Coronation Street and Fair...
as people, but I don’t like their music. Everyone knows that.
Indeed Fanning helped both Keith and Ronan celebrate their weddings at Powerscourt Estate
Powerscourt Estate
Powerscourt Estate , located near Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a large country estate which is noted for its house and landscaped gardens, today occupying 19 hectares . The house, originally a 13th century castle, was extensively altered during the 18th century by German architect...
, Enniskerry
Enniskerry
Enniskerry is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It had a population of 2,672 at the 2006 census.- Location :...
in 1998.
Fanning presented the independently produced The Last Broadcast, which initially aired on Friday nights from November 8 from 23:30 until 01:00 and was ninety minutes in length. The title comes from the album of the same name
The Last Broadcast (album)
The Last Broadcast is the second studio album by British indie rock band Doves. The album was released by Heavenly Records on 29 April 2002, and went straight to number 1 on the UK Albums Chart. The album's first single "There Goes the Fear" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 3, the band's...
by Doves. Fanning later completed the sixth series of his now one-hour music show, The Last Broadcast. By 2007, a series which featured Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, The National
The National (band)
The National is an indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone...
and The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, the show was being broadcast on Wednesday nights.
In 2006, he began a new interview television series in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
On 1 November 2007, his 14-week music interview television series of musical interviews, Talks with Fanning, was first broadcast on Sky Arts
Sky Arts
Sky Arts and Sky Arts HD is the brand name for a group of art-oriented television channels offering 18 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music...
. He interviewed New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
for the first episode. Other episodes featured artists such as The Killers, Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
and The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
.
On 11 March 2009, he began presenting The 11th Hour. The first episode featured an interview with Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and music from Bell X1, Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
. A second series followed later in the year, with the first episode on The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
described as "superb" by Hilary Fannin, reviewer with The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
.
On 26 August 2009, Radiohead: The Dave Fanning Interview aired on Sky Arts 1.
Journalism and other work
Between '83 and '93 Fanning was music critic for The Irish TimesThe Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
and has written many articles for publication at home and abroad. He was movie critic for the Sunday World
Sunday World
The Sunday World is an Irish newspaper published by Sunday Newspapers Limited, a division of Independent News and Media. It is the largest selling "popular" newspaper in the Republic of Ireland and is also sold in Northern Ireland .-Origins:The Sunday World was Ireland's first tabloid newspaper...
from '97 to '04. He has also written for the Evening Herald
Evening Herald
The Evening Herald is a mid-market tabloid evening newspaper published in Dublin, Ireland by Independent News & Media. It is published Monday-Saturday, and has three editions — City Edition, City Final Edition and National Edition...
.
He attended the Childline Time Together celebrity breakfast, a charity function held at Dublin's Berkeley Court Hotel in aid of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is an Irish charity that advocates for children's rights and provides services for children in need...
's ChildLine
ChildLine
ChildLine is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to 18 in the UK provided by the NSPCC. ChildLine deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, parental separation or divorce, pregnancy and substance...
charity, in November 2001.
In March 2002, he was a member of the judging panel to decide the Jameson Student Film Award for that year.
Fanning was one of the signatories of an anti-war petition which was handed into Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
by Hot Presss Olaf Tyaransen
Olaf Tyaransen
Olaf Tyaransen is an Irish author and journalist, and is a contributing editor with Dublin's Hot Press magazine and the Evening Herald...
in June 2004.
In 2009, he hosted the 10th Kerry Film Festival
Kerry Film Festival
The Kerry Film Festival is an annual film festival in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.The first festival with this name was held in 1993..From 2000, it has been called the Samhlaíocht Kerry Film Festival and funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, Kerry County Council, Fáilte Ireland, as well as...
in Tralee.
HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
are publishing his autobiography The Thing Is in September 2010.
Fanning criticised the MTV EMAs when they were held in Belfast in 2011, describing them as "worthless" and "all for marketing".
Awards
Fanning received the Industry Award at the 2004 Meteor Awards2004 Meteor Awards
The 2004 Meteor Music Awards were held on Monday 1 March 2004, hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain. It was the fourth edition of Ireland's national music awards. At the ceremony Damien Dempsey was presented with two awards, Best Folk/ Traditional Act and Best Irish Country/Roots Artist...
.
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| 2004
2004 Meteor Awards
The 2004 Meteor Music Awards were held on Monday 1 March 2004, hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain. It was the fourth edition of Ireland's national music awards. At the ceremony Damien Dempsey was presented with two awards, Best Folk/ Traditional Act and Best Irish Country/Roots Artist...
|| Dave Fanning || Industry Award ||
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External links
- Fanning's shows: The Dave Fanning Show The Last Broadcast