A book at breakfast: Phil Jupitus on his time at 6Music

Phil Jupitus has written up his time as a breakfast show host for a book, Good Morning Nantwich - although for some reason there's a drawing of Amy Lamé on the cover.

It's pretty damning of Lesley Douglas' late-period at the station, and John Plunkett's interview with Jupitus gives a taste:

Asked to present a listener poll of the greatest duets in history, Jupitus lost his rag when an internet campaign meant Fairytale of New York by Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues was kept off the top spot by an obscure tune by Sinead O'Connor and the Chieftains.

"I started whining about this on air and getting crosser and crosser and then my mobile went and it was Lesley Douglas," recalls Jupitus. "She said: 'If you want to destroy 6 Music keep doing what you are doing on air now.' And I went: 'This is not a fucking 6 Music show, this is not what the station is supposed to be about.' I kind of lost it with her and hung up." The pair have not spoken in the three years since.

Jupitus also got it in the neck for not playing Razorlight or Coldplay.

He's more positive about the network now, pointing to Lauren Laverne as an example of how the current 6Music has got the balance right. And the campaign to save the station from closure is seen as a sign of the BBC connecting with audiences.

But Jupitus isn't on air right now:

He also offered his services to a local BBC radio station. "I said the money's not important, I just want to play some music. They weren't interested. I can't get arrested on the radio by the BBC these days."

He's had angry calls with management while on the air, criticised his network with the microphone up, and now feels shunned. Phil Jupitus might just be the new Danny Baker.

Surely someone could give him a show?

Won't you come home, Bill Bailey?

Bill Bailey has had enough, and given up his chair on Never Mind The Buzzcocks. He's been a captain since 2002, except for that season where he wasn't and Noel Fielding did it some of the time.

This time, Bailey is going to be replaced by an ever-changing stream of people. This means Phil Jupitus - the only survivor from the original line-up - is starting to look like he needs a word or two with his agent.

Of course, Bill saw it coming:

GlastOn TV: A glimpse of Pete Doherty

I'm not going to pretend that I'm television production material, but I'm struggling to understand the thought process which led BBC Three to show a sliver of Babyshambles - and I mean a sliver, I don't think Doherty actually sang a coherent word in the slice that made it to screen - before cutting away to The Kooks live.

Okay, it was absolutely live rather than taped, like the Babyshambles performance, but since they could join The Kooks at any point, wouldn't the fascinating experience of watching Doherty in front of a massive crowd, basking in having his words sung back to him, have been worth persevering with for a while longer? It would have been nice to see if he rose to the occasion; as if he really fitted in this sort of environment as much as the glimpse made it seem. This Glastonbury appearance could be the point where Babyshambles, where Doherty, finally loses his claim to be any sort of cultural outlaw and admits he's become a Fast Show character - well-loved, but poorly sketched. It could be a musical turning point. It might not be, too.

But you know that it's at least got to be more interesting than the bloody Kooks, live or not.

The Arctic Monkeys have just got round to doing Diamonds Are Forever on the press red service (a world where time runs differently, and last night is forever now) - it's nice to see what they can manage with a song that calls for a little bit more than their own compositions.

Bjork - besides inspiring someone to shout out "she's got scary lady trumpet players" - was notable for reprising her swan dress by wearing what appeared to be pigeon roadkill wings yesterday evening.

The most perfect experience so far - from a multiscreen point of view - has been CSS, although if we find out who stole Lovefoxx's headband, we'll kick their asses from here to Rio. It looks like security - in something of a first - have learned to not immediately treat a singer touching the audience as a code red this year. Although maybe if they had, she'd not have lost her headband.

Oh dear. Perhaps the Queens of Noize would have been better off if they hadn't scripted their links. The big question, though, from a presentation point of view is why they whipped the big sofa out from under Phil Jupitus and Lauren Laverne on BBC Two during the pre-Doctor Who portion of the evening. They threw to one of Colin Murray's "reports" (he is the one-man skateboarding duck of the festival) sitting on it; upon their return, it was gone. Perhaps it was banished because it gave the air of Jupitus having come up trumps on the mail-order bride deal.

Glastonbury on TV

Cherry Ghost have just finished doing an exclusive acoustic track on BBC2. Is this the only time of the year indie acts stand a chance of getting a run-out on prime-time terrestrial televsion now? Unless the Queen invites Soho Dolls to perform on her Christmas Message?

Lauren Laverne and Jo Whiley are co-ordinating things from a slightly overdone studio ("with a white floor"); Jo is doing her best to stop Lauren getting a word in edgeways.

Mark Radcliffe is, for reasons that appear to do with vindictiveness towards the environment, hovering above the site in a helicopter. This lets us see that the festival site is large, and covered in tents - something you couldn't have told from clambering to the top of a hill, of course. Or standing on tiptoe.

Colin Murray has been sent off to stand next to some jugglers; it's hard to say who is the more insulted. He introduces the sort of overlong feature on Arabella Churchill, who organises the theatre events, which you would have only ever seen on Omnibus in the past. It's interesting, but it's like having a pep talk from your parents when you want to rush off and play.

On returning to the studio, Lauren has sent Jo off somewhere, so that she can throw to Phil Jupitus. Phil informs us we've just missed the New Pornographers, and offers us the Hold Steady instead, as if that's going to make up for it.

Radio shuffling

Phil Jupitus is leaving the 6Music breakfast show, having helmed the opening programme each day since the channel was born five years ago. He's going to be replaced by Sean Keaveny, which wouldn't have been our first choice.

In even odder 6Music news, the Queens of Noize late-night Saturday show is being given an afternoon slot - presumably so that a larger audience can enjoy ignoring it. And Elbow's Guy Garvey is going to present a programme on Sunday evenings. It's not known what the world has done to piss the controller Lesley Douglas off quite so much.

Meanwhile, Richard Bacon is leaving Xfm again, this time to have a crack at doing more speech for Radio 5 Live.

Being up first thing on a Monday isn't so bad

This morning, between 9.30 and 10 ("roughly speaking") on 6Music: Phil Jupitus is talking to Ted Chippington. (And then for a week after on Listen Again, of course, so you don't actually need to be up for it... oh...)