Steve Lamacq

Early career

Lamacq was born in Islington, London and grew up in Colne Engaine, Essex.

His career in journalism began as a junior reporter at the West Essex Gazette after studying Journalism at Harlow College, Essex. In similar fashion to other music journalists who started fanzines during their teenage years, Lamacq started one called A Pack of Lies.

It was during his time at NME that he began DJing on XFM, when it was still a pirate radio station. He formed a record label in 1992 with Alan James and Tony Smith, called Deceptive Records. The majority of the label's releases shared a punk-pop sensibility, with Elastica being their most successful signing, before the label eventually folded in 2001.

In 1991, Lamacq was unwittingly involved in one of the most infamous events in British rock music of recent times during a post-gig interview at the Norwich Arts Centre with Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers for the NME. After repeated attempts by the band's co-lyricist Richey Edwards to convince Lamacq that they were "for real", Edwards gave up and carved "4 Real" into his forearm with a razor blade. The editorial meeting in which the story was discussed was recorded for a BBC Radio 5 documentary, "Sleeping with the NME", which later appeared as the B-side to the Manics' 1992 charity record "Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)".

Between 1995 and 1997, Lamacq occasionally presented Top of the Pops on BBC One with fellow Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley. He presented the show alone on several occasions.

In a 1996 Peel session by Mogwai, the fourth item on the track listing is Mogwai Salute the brilliance of Steve Lamacq.

Lamacq is a well-known fan of Colchester United and visited their training ground for his 50th Birthday where he trained as a goalkeeper, has written an autobiography, entitled Going Deaf for a Living and has also acted as a compere on the main stage at Reading Festival on several occasions.

BBC Radio

Between 1993 and 1997 Lamacq presented The Evening Session with Jo Whiley, and then on his own until December 2002, when the programme was cancelled. Colin Murray served as a temporary replacement for six months until Zane Lowe's contract with the London station XFM ended in June 2003, where he took up a permanent position. On 28 September 2007, both he and Whiley reunited to recreate The Evening Session on the latter's show as part of Radio 1's 40th Anniversary celebrations.

He also presented the indie radio show Lamacq Live every Monday evening, beginning in July 1998 and ending on 18 September 2006. The show ended as part of a makeover in Radio 1's schedule in order to present a "younger image" to Radio One listeners, with Colin Murray taking over his slot.

Lamacq has also presented documentaries for the station, as well as hosting their John Peel Night special. He presented the In New Music We Trust programme every Monday night from 9 to 10pm until August 2009, when it was announced he would be leaving Radio 1 as part of a shakeup in the scheduling.

Lamacq's homepage on the 6 Music website described Lamacq Live as "the UK's most influential indie radio show". He also has a programme on the BBC's digital station, BBC Radio 6 Music, which was on Sunday afternoons, but from April 2005 he has presented the daily teatime show on BBC Radio 6 Music, taking over from Andrew Collins, where he still remains.

In March 2010 it was announced that Lamacq and fellow Radio 1 presenter Jo Whiley would present a one-off Evening Session (the first in 13 years) on Good Friday (2 April) for BBC Radio 6 Music.

In 2016, Lamacq broadcast from the studios at BBC Radio Humberside, as part of Radio 6 Music's Independent Music Venue Week tour. One night of the nationwide tour was hosted at The New Adelphi Club in Hull, East Yorkshire, on 26 January 2016, with Mark Morriss as the headline act.

In addition to his regular 6 Music slot, he also presented a weekly show on BBC Radio 2 where he played his own choice of music and introduces his listeners to both new and emerging artists.

Beginning in April 2007, the show was originally broadcast on Wednesdays between 11.30pm and 12.30am and, from April 2008, between 11.00pm and 12.00am. At Easter 2010, as part of wider changes to the Radio 2 evening schedule, Trevor Nelson took over the Wednesday 2300 slot (having previously been on in the hour before Lamacq), with Lamacq moving to 2300 on Saturday nights. In April 2012, the show was renamed Steve Lamacq's Rock College and moved to a Thursday 23:00 slot.

In 2007, he deputised for Bob Harris on Saturdays from 11pm to 2am, who had to receive treatment for cancer. As a result of Lamacq's move to Saturdays, Harris' show now airs from midnight to 3am.

Lamacq left regular presenting duties on Radio 2 in September 2013 as part of a reshuffle of evening presenters, but will return in the future as a presenter of one-off shows and as a stand-in for other presenters.

Lamacq has appeared as a guest on 5live sport punditry show Fighting Talk hosted by Colin Murray. His appearances have been a highlight on the show due to his impassioned diatribes about his favoured football team, the Dutch Go Ahead Eagles and his outrageous flirting with the host. His theme tune was recently changed from 'Mack the Knife' to 'The Oompa-Loompa song', due to his status as the smallest fighting talk competitor.

Weekenders

Weekenders is a DJ mix album mixed by Steve Lamacq in 1996. It has a dance and indie-alternative rock feel rolled into one with Britpop tracks such as Pulp's "Common People" and Blur's "Girls & Boys" alongside tracks by electronica artists such as The Chemical Brothers, Prodigy and Orbital.

Track listing

Track listing as released:

1. Pulp – "Common People (Motiv-8 Mix)"
2. Blur – "Girls & Boys (Pet Shop Boys 12" Mix)"
3. Dubstar – "Stars (Sky 12" Mix)"
4. New Order – "Spooky (Fluke Remix)"
5. The Prodigy – "Voodoo People"
6. The Chemical Brothers – "In Dust We Trust"
7. Monkey Mafia – "Blow The Whole Joint Up"
8. Björk – "Big Time Sensuality (Megamix)"
9. The Charlatans – "Weirdo"
10. Menswear – "Daydreamer/Dubdreamer"
11. The Boo Radleys – "Lazarus"
12. Orbital – "Halcyon"
13. Garbage – "Vow"
14. Manic Street Preachers – "La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)" (Remixed by The Chemical Brothers)
15. Happy Mondays – "Hallelujah (Deadstock Mix)"
16. Paul Weller – "Kosmos (Lynchmob Beats Mix)"
17. The Stone Roses – "Waterfall"

Alternate track listing

The album contains two earlier draft track listings for the album. The first track list is given as:

1. Flowered Up – "It's On"
2. The Charlatans – "Weirdo"
3. The Stone Roses – "Begging You"
4. Pulp – "Common People"
5. Blur – "Girls and Boys"
6. The Chemical Brothers – "In Dust We Trust"
7. Primal Scream – "Jailbird"
8. Prodigy – "Voodoo People"
9. Manic Street Preachers – "La Tristesse Durera"
10. Tricky – "Black Street"
11. Monkey Mafia – "Blow The Whole Joint Up"
12. Happy Mondays – "WFL"
13. Oasis – "Cigarettes and Alcohol"
14. Menswear – "Daydreamer"
15. Black Grape – "Rev. Black Grape"
16. New Order – "Regret"
17. The La's – "There She Goes"
18. Dubstar – "Stars"
19. **UNKNOWN ARTIST/TRACK/LABEL** (Has note next to it 'They never do it')

The second track list contains one addition which is 'Paul Weller - Wildwood (Portishead Mix)' but omits some tracks from the first. The final version has mainly the same artists, but different tracks to the previous versions. The album has become a rare and sought-after item among some music fans.