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Kev McDempster
"Alice Cooper performing 'Schools Out' on Top of the Pops in the 70s opened a door for me. Alan Freeman’s Saturday Rock Show on BBC then led me down the road that helped me discover all the music that I love to this day."
Kevin McDempster is a well-respected rock broadcaster and journalist who is always quick to name and credit the particular moments and people who were the main influences in his career.
"Fluff’s Saturday show in the mid 70s shaped my life. I’d listen and think 'I’d love to do that' and I did, so bless him."
However the biggest influence on his career was legendary broadcaster, Phil Easton, with whom he shared a studio for many years, working alongside Phil on 'The Great Easton Express', The longest running rock show on independent radio.
" I just had the best time" states Kev. "Phil was a brilliant broadcaster, a superb teacher and just a great guy. He taught me everything I know about radio and I owe him so much. Every time I sit in a studio or behind a microphone I always take a little moment to think of Phil and say thanks."
Kevin has been involved in rock music almost all his working life, from working in a rock record store in Liverpool before moving into local radio at Radio City, Rock FM, Radio Wave, Magic 1548, The Rocket 106.7 and 7Waves 92.1 and rock journalism, writing for Kerrang!, RAW and Classic Rock magazine.
He has also worked in a promotional capacity with some of the major names in rock, such as Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Styx, Motorhead, Extreme and Sepultura.
Kev brings with him a unique, and sometimes slightly irreverent, style of presentation but it’s always tempered with an immense knowledge about the music he plays.
"We’re proud to reflect rock’s incredible heritage, which is still being written and added to all the time but, most of all, rock music is meant to be fun and my aim with this programme is to make sure the people who listen to the show know that I love rock music as much as them."
Kev’s involvement in rock has also given him some memorable and unique moments along the way : "I once (a) gave KK Downing from Judas Priest a lift to a Priest gig in Manchester ( in the back of an absolute wreck of a Vauxhall Chevette!) (b) got a lift to a Gary Moore gig in Stafford by Gary Moore himself and (c) once got a lift home after a Dio gig in Liverpool from Ronnie James Dio! And people ask why I love rock music!"
