Dave Fanning

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For other people of the same name, see David Fanning (disambiguation).
David Fanning
Born David Fanning
(1955-12-30) 30 December 1955 (age 68)
Dublin, Ireland
Nationality Irish
Education English and Philosophy degree/Higher Diploma in Education
Alma mater University College Dublin
Occupation Radio and television presenter
Employer Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Known for Music industry work, friendship with U2, Fanning's Fab 50
Spouse(s) Ursula

Dave Fanning (born 30 December 1955) is an Irish rock journalist, DJ, film critic and broadcaster.

Fanning 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,[1] including acting as a surrogate for Ryan Tubridy in June 2009.[2] Likewise, John Creedon has worked as a surrogate for Fanning.[3]

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,[4] with band members often calling Fanning to tell him what they are doing.[5] He has presented more than twenty different series for RTÉ Television, including 2TV, The Movie Show and documentaries on Cambodia and Ethiopia. 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.[6]

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".[7] Rob Sharp of UK newspaper The Independent has referred to him as a "legendary Irish DJ".[8] 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".[9] 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".[10] Fanning is parodied by Oliver Callan.[11]

Early and private life

Born in Dublin, Fanning was educated at Blackrock College,[12] 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 RTÉ 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-sides 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 has continued. 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".[citation needed] Besides being guaranteed the world exclusive on all U2 releases, the band recorded a specially-filmed musical tribute to Fanning when he was presented, in 2004 (by Larry Mullen) with the Irish Music Industry's top award – The Meteor Industry Award.[13]

Ursula was a researcher for Gay Byrne on The Late Late Show.[14] Musically he is a fan of Bob Dylan, whom he describes as his God, although he dislikes his live performances.[2]

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.[14] Fanning claims they met at work daily between 1980 and 1999.[14] 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.[14]

Career

Fanning has written for Hot Press and The Irish Times, presented The Movie Show and been a disc jockey for RTÉ 2fm since it began in 1979.[15] During the 1990s he worked for RTÉ, Virgin Radio and had four television shows at one point, one of which was The Movie Show.[15]

Radio

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Main article: The Dave Fanning Show

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 began presenting each Sunday at midnight, a role he would return to in 2008.[16] His live sessions, conducted with the assistance of producer Ian Wilson, helped establish him on The Rock Show.[17] However, Joe MacNamee has written in the Irish Examiner that Wilson was "the musical heart, soul and brains" of Fanning's success.[18][19] By the early 1980s, Fanning was seen by the industry and music fans everywhere as Ireland's answer to John Peel, BBC Radio 1 presenter.[citation needed] 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.[2]

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.[20]

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".[21]

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.[22][23] The return followed the failure by RTÉ 2fm in its attempts to target teenagers.[24] 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.[22]

On 16 January 2014, Fanning caused controversy when he announced the “first-time play” of new U2 single "Invisible" live on The Dave Fanning Show on RTÉ 2fm. Instead, twice airing a 2012-release "Bad Machine" from alternative rock band Dark Stares, the broadcast caused confusion and debate in U2 fan-forums.[25] Several media outlets also reported on the situation, namely Hot Press and radio broadcaster Alan Cross.[26][27] Fanning said of the song:

Just a blast. A brand new, first-time play which is from U2. It's called 'Invisible,' that's brand new from U2.[26]

Cited by the Irish Independent as the "best friend" of Bono and with over a 33-year history of U2 exclusives,[28] Fanning later hinted that he was partially behind the hoax, saying "We did point out that it was a spoof," when interviewed by The Sunday Times.[29] To date, neither U2 or Dark Stares have officially commented on their respective knowledge or involvement in the stunt.

Fab Fifty

Each year since 1980 Fanning has had an annual alternative music poll called Fanning's Fab Fifty on his radio show.[30] 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.[30] U2 top the poll on a regular basis.[31][32]

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.[citation needed] Fanning's Fab 50 Vol 2 was released for the Christmas market in 2006,[33] also going platinum.[citation needed] Fanning's Fab 50 Vol 3 was released in 2007.[34] 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.

Television work

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Further information: 2TV, The Movie Show (Irish TV series), Planet Rock Profiles, and You're a Star

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 Express, 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.[35] He also did a programme called Music Zone for the station; it aired on Friday nights.[35]

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:

It’s indefensible. I just can’t defend this at all. It’s Eurovision for God’s sake. It’s all shite, 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 2TV from 1995 until 2000 I presided over the worst five years in 50 years of pop music history. It was all Boyzone 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 Ronan and I like Keith as people, but I don't like their music. Everyone knows that.[36]

Indeed, Fanning helped both Keith and Ronan celebrate their weddings at Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry in 1998.[37]

During the 2000s, Fanning presented the independently produced The Last Broadcast, which initially aired on Friday nights and was ninety minutes in length.[38] The title came from the Doves album of the same name.[38] By 2007, and towards its conclusion, the show aired on Wednesday nights.[39]

In 2006, he began a new interview television series in the United States.[33]

On 1 November 2007, his 14-week music interview television series of musical interviews, Talks with Fanning, was first broadcast on Sky Arts.[6] He interviewed New Order for the first episode.[6] Other episodes featured artists such as Beck, The Flaming Lips, Pet Shop Boys and PJ Harvey.[6]

On 11 March 2009, he began presenting The 11th Hour.[2][40] The first episode featured an interview with Bruce Springsteen and music from Bell X1, Franz Ferdinand and U2.[40] 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.[41]

On 26 August 2009, Radiohead: The Dave Fanning Interview aired on Sky Arts 1.[8]

Journalism and other work

Between '83 and '93 Fanning was music critic for The Irish Times and has written many articles for publication at home and abroad.[citation needed] He was movie critic for the Sunday World from '97 to '04.[citation needed] He has also written for the Evening Herald.[2]

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.[42]

In March 2002, he was a member of the judging panel to decide the Jameson Student Film Award for that year.[43]

Fanning was one of the signatories of an anti-war petition which was handed into Dáil Éireann by Hot Press's Olaf Tyaransen in June 2004.[44]

In 2009, he hosted the 10th Kerry Film Festival in Tralee.[45]

HarperCollins are publishing his autobiography The Thing Is in September 2010.[46]

Fanning criticised the MTV EMAs when they were held in Belfast in 2011, describing them as "worthless" and "all for marketing".[47]

Awards

Fanning received the Industry Award at the 2004 Meteor Awards.[48]

Year Recipient/Nominated work Award Result
2004 Dave Fanning Industry Award Won

References

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  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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