Belfield FM Week 5 Script (Winter 2021)

A radio script for Belfield FM

Winter 2021 logo for Writer’s Block with Colm O’Shea.

Another cold evening settles all over the Belfield area. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with all of that. Good evening ladies and gentlemen, or at least I hope it’s evening outside. I know it’s been getting progressively darker since the break but it’s hard to really predict it when you can’t see the outside from here.

Either way, welcome back to Writer’s Block with Colm O’Shea. It’s another Friday night here at the studio but that’s not stopping us playing any more great songs tonight. And let’s get tradition out of the way when I play our first track for the night.

It’s a track taken from Sonic and the Black Knight simply called, Knight of the Wind. Enjoy.

Song 1: Knight of the Wind by Crush 40

Song 2: Howling at the Moon Rowlette

The beautiful sounding Rowlette with her track, howling at the moon. And earlier as well we had Crush 40’s Knight of the Wind.

I first heard Roulette when she was a warm up act for one Jack Lukeman when he was playing in a theatre near Bray, I can’t remember the name of.

She definitely sounds like she has a lot of potential with her vocal ranges and the way the drums and the piano weirdly go well together. I’m really hoping that someone will notice her soon.

And then we have Crush 40’s track for Sonic and the Black Knight, a title about as ridiculous as the game’s concept of Sonic being transported back to the time of Arthurian legend but dammit if Johnny Giolei and his band don’t own it.

And to be fair I don’t need to say anymore on that, since Crush 40 are basically the quintessential sonic the hedgehog group when it comes to creating vocal music for the blue blur. It helps that they’ve been actively doing music for the series since 1999’s Sonic Adventure and have done work on the vast majority of his titles since then as well.

But for this track in particular, I read online that the chorus, the promise to save everyone and rule over his kingdom justily is a mixture between the oath of a king and a knight.

Meaning as much as this song is a little bit silly you can’t deny that there was purpose behind the lyrics when it came to telling a story.

Plus I also really like the main guitar rhythm and the orchestral sample that builds up with the pre-verse until the lyrics hit.

But then again, I do love my orchestral usage in rock songs so there’s that.

Alright, the time now is about 4.15 but please stay on board if you’re listening to us live. We’ve still got more music to listen to and we also have our weekly creative writing prompt for the week.

For now though, let’s just enjoy more music:

Song 3: Timeless by Sea Girls

Song 4: The Moon will Sing by The Crane Wives

Two contrasting but equally fitting songs with the Crane Wives “The Moon will Sing” and Timeless by Sea Girls playing here on Belfield FM.

Both of them are united via the fact that I first discovered them from a mixture of my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify and just coming across them through Shazam or recommendations, I can’t exactly remember where I found them specifically.

Personally I prefer The Crane Wives because I find their country themed music, the fact that it’s a story about betrayed loved ones and the muted trumpet that plays during the chorus bridge to be more engaging.

But I won’t lie when I say that the echo effect on Timeless as well as the story about young adult love is not unappealing.

So the time now is… but still to come we’ve got 6 more tracks planned for the day as well as my weekly creative writing prompt and my Song Stories segment to look forward to as well.

If any of those segments interest you please don’t go anywhere and I’m sure you’ll look forward to them.

Now though let’s enjoy more reflective music for this month bridging us between winter and christmas with this one from Sammy Copley called, Real Estate.

Song 5: Real Estate by Sammy Copley

Song 6: More than I Miss You by Carmody

Carmody right here on Belfield FM with her track More than I Miss You and earlier we also had Sammy Copley with her song Real Estate before that.

Now, a friend of mine who’s currently on his Erasmus trip got me into Sammy last year I think and I feel that she’s a different caliber of a musician.

Mainly because of her story here being about a person buying a house, for as mundane as it is but makes it more engaging through intentionally quite strumming and use of voice samples, especially in something like Good Lie which I’d also recommend.

And then with Carmody, this is someone I know by association because she did a lot of collaborative work with Tom Misch who’s a bit of a chill hip hop kind of artist.

Here though, I personally love the backing voices on the chorus section as well as the slow guitar rhythm that makes up the piece, as she talks about someone she loves but can’t quite seem to reach.

Anyway, enough rambling it’s time to get our brains working as I deliver you my writing prompt for the week.

If you’re new to this show, every week I’ll be sending you a new suggestion on what to write about for this week. You can write whatever you make of this prompt and you can also send it directly to me via the email workforcolmoshea@gmail.com

Last week’s topic was on four people you know meeting for the first time to talk about you.

Today however, I hope you don’t mind if I reuse a prompt I originally had planned for week 3, during my interview with George from the Unofficial Controller podcast. We didn’t get around to doing it so hopefully no one will mind.

Anyway, here’s your prompt for the week:

What was the last thing you listened to, watched, played or read that you didn’t like and why? And then from that, I want you to pick a section or scene from that and re-write how you think it should have gone.

Now the reason I’m suggesting this is because I’m someone who pays attention to a lot of media when it comes to my creative work. Be it games, films, books, music I’m always keeping my eyes and ears out for something that takes my interest and mentally or physically noting it down for later. That is if my brain remembers half the time.

On the topic, the last thing I watched that I didn’t like was one I think some of you may be surprised to hear. Ferris Bewller’s Day Off directed by John Hughes.

Why didn’t I like it? Well for a couple of reasons.

Mainly, the theming felt indecisive.

If you’ve not watched it yet, the entire plot revolves around the protagonist, Ferris Bewller, faking a cold to escape going to school and encourages two of his friends to join him in a trip through downtown Manhattan.

Then half way through the adventure after they’ve realised how far they’ve gone with their escapades Ferris then mentions that all of them are in their final years in High School and that this adventure was made to give them all one last chance to have fun as friends.

That’s not the issue though. What is the issue is how this was handled.

For most of the film, Bewleer comes across as a somewhat uncaring friend who has been making a habit out of skipping school for a while. And after everything he did, this feels more like an excuse rather than a justification for his actions. Which could be in line with his character but it still feels a little off I think.

The film is still good if you’re looking for a great teenage film, as are a lot of John Hughe’s other teen films from what I’ve heard but that one moment took me out of the story just because of how sloppely it was handled.

And I guess as a response to that, my novel which also has characters that are soon to be graduating from high school but has much more focus on that aspect.

Not by much however, there’s still an element of adventure or comedy through the story but there’s a particular scene that I really like that I wrote a few weeks back.

It’s in November, some time after the plot has been moved into motion and Agatha, one of the two protagonists in the story. She’s having ice cream outside and then notes this as they are together under a cold November night outside.

So here goes:

With small light pinkish tubs the four sat down on a log that was only slightly wet from the rain yesterday. They each watched as the large collection of pine trees that led up to Great Messiah Mountain slowly engulfed the sun as the surrounding valley went from a hazel orange to a light shade of black.

As they kept quietly to themselves Agatha felt a greater sense of community that she had never known previously. Years ago she would have never considered being amongst like minded people, all with a similar objective. Even if that goal of stopping a military group who murdered your older cousin wasn’t something you’d create a club for.

What hurt her most however wasn’t her indescivines. Well, partly it was but she could always worry about what she wanted to be after she graduated.

The problem was the time that they currently had. 8 months left and then they’d be out of school. All four of them, Seth, Damien, Jess and her snacking down on their little cardboard tubs.

Maybe they didn’t feel it either, but soon enough all four of them would be going their own way. Maybe she’d go to college, fall in love with a handsome Italian man, travel the world and soon have to make connections with other Seth’s, Damien’s and Jess’.

She might find other people who’d match or even exceed their charm, solidarity or snark. But they still wouldn’t be… them.

Huh. She just went full poet just there. She wondered if she could be as flowery all the time with her attitude.

So I will admit that that last paragraph didn’t really work for me but I still think the fact that this is in and around the middle of the adventure makes it more prominent in the story overall. And I hope that if you have something you wanted to prove, here is your opportunity to do just that.

Now as usual, I’ll give you around 5 minutes to get your brain working as I deliver you two lofi songs that I think you’ll love. See you in a tick.

Song 7: All that we have is gone by Groundfold

Song 8: Finding Her by xPanda

The chill beats of xPanda and Groundfold with their songs Finding Her and All that we have is gone.

Both of them, like a lot of my lofi music in general, comes from several lofi music compilations or YouTube channels that promote lofi music in general. But I think I’m guilty of, like a lot of my other songs on my playlists, of neglecting good music for so long and just putting them there for later. Whenever later eventually comes around.

Groundfold does a great job of capturing that helpless feeling you’d have, just following an emotionally scarring event and the fact that the title “All We Have Is Gone” is repeated throughout shows that I feel.

Then with xPanda, there could be some contention of it clashing with the tone of the previous song but I think it has a big coffee shop vibe to it personally and I especially love the soprano voice singing low enough between the piece’s electronic drum beat

And if you are just joining us right now, welcome to Writer’s Block with Colm O’Shea. We’ll likely finish up just about now but if you’re interested you can always try my weekly creative writing prompt which was rewriting a scene from the last piece of media you watched/read/listened/played that you didn’t like.

And if you’re feeling extra generous, why not send your response into the show using the email workforcolmoshea@gmail.com and we can read it out on air for you.

Now though, with the time that it is, let’s move onto our Song Stories segment. This is another weekly section that is focused on you being able to write into the show using the same email I already gave out and telling me about a song you have a particularly strong connection with and why that is.

This week however, we don’t have another entry again. It’s a shame that we don’t but there’s honestly not much I can do if the listeners don’t want to send anything in. So I guess in response to that, why don’t I take the opportunity to suggest a track of my own that I performed a few months back.

Earlier in September I was attending my aunt’s wedding and I was very honored to be able to perform at their event with my guitar on their request.

For a while I was wondering what I’d play from that as I needed one that most people would recognise and be able to sing along to.

Some people suggested tracks like One but I didn’t feel they were appropriate for the venue and instead I came across one I did with my vocal teacher when I was in secondary school. Streets of London by Ralph McTel, but more so the version done by the High Kings.

It tells the story of Ralph during his time in London no less, and in particular to the lost and homeless of the city.

I know it sounds a little more depressing than One, if anyone knows the meaning behind the lyrics for that one but I think it carries a bit of a hopeful message within the chorus and that’s why I brought it here today.

So without further delay, here on Belfield FM is Street of London by Ralph Mctell as covered here by the High Kings.

Song 9: Streets of London by The High Kings

Beautiful. No other words can be said.

That was the MTV unplugged cover of a-ha’s take on me, one I suggested today for my weely Songs Stories segment. Oh. If you ever get the chance to look up the video they recorded from their MTV session I think you’ll get just as emotional as the women in their 40s and 50s in the crowd are seen crying and singing quietly to every lyric that they would have known years and years ago.

Personally, I think I was a little disappointed that it was accelerated to popularity after it was used in Deadpool 2 as I wanted to include it in a piece myself but who am I complaining when more people get to listen to this truly fantastic cover.

And with that, we’re done for the week I feel. But what have we specifically learned today?

Well that my music tastes are still as glorious as ever and that I still need a lot of practice when it comes to my presentation skills for this show. So really not a whole lot it seems. But regardless, for those that did listen or who are listening back on the podcast I am very grateful for your time and I hope to have you on board next week.

We’ve only two more weeks until we finish up here but until then I’ve got one more song to play us out.

I originally had a different song planned for today but since it is November and the time for reflection, I chose to select a song I think best displays the month all about death and the celebration of one’s life.

And that’s coming from Guns and Roses with their song November Rain. Our final track for the day.

Thank you very much for listening. I hope to have you back next week… and goodbye.

Track 10: November Rain by Guns and Roses

End of broadcast.

Like what you read? Listen to the full episode here: https://www.mixcloud.com/belfieldfm/writers-block-episode-5/

Or alternatively, why not follow my Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/cplisken/