Show Pages

Controversial Opinion?

I really enjoy friendly, thought-provoking chat. Last week I played a track by Def Leppard, "Pour Some Sugar On Me", and cut it short complaining that I think the lyrics are lazy and stereotypical. This provoked responses from a couple of listeners, one in agreement with my view, the other disagreeing.

Some may argue that I shouldn't express an opinion about tracks played during my show, just play them and keep any thoughts to myself and they may well have a point. I don't see why I can't pass comment though; it's just not my style and as long as I stay within Ofcom guidelines and also resist any temptation to resort to personal insults or libellous statements, I believe it can lead to a lively exchange of views between the DJ (little ole me!) and interested listeners - as was the case last week.

In conclusion, I'll continue to pass the occasional comment and reserve the right to cut a track short when the situation arises; I do love a bit of controversy!

Fresh Evidence

Last Sunday, 14th June, I ran out a new feature called "Fresh Evidence", which had a good reaction from the Dear Listener, such that I will run it again and see where it takes us.

The idea behind this is to play a track which isn't currently in the Hastings Rock music database, perhaps by a band which wouldn't necessarily be considered to be within the Rock Music genre. The only criteria being that I consider the track "could" reasonably be accepted as rock music when taking into account the general style and feel of the music.

Now, I fully appreciate that what I deem to be a rock music track may not be what anyone else would think and that is precisely why I decided to play it - this could open up someone's ears to some stunning music which they'd otherwise miss. It could start a discussion or even provoke a debate; it may also help to prevent things from getting too stale, musically.

Overall, I think it's fun and that can only be a Good Thing!

Moving Studio

Hastings Rock never stops evolving! Our stated aim is to deliver the most exciting and outstanding Rock Music Radio that our listeners are used to and rightfully expect.

In our unceasing efforts to maintain the highest standards and constant improvement that this aim requires we recently moved the central studio from the old location, which we'd enjoyed using for many years, to an entirely different part of the local area.

The move was completed on Monday 8th June and Simon Veness was the lucky DJ who proved the move was successful by broadcasting his show from there on Wednesday morning, without a hitch. Huge relief all round and proof positive everything was connected properly and in good working order.

The real test comes this Sunday (14th) when I will be running my show from the new studio, as anyone familiar with how I roll will know. If the new set-up can withstand 2 hours of Chaos and Incompetence from me, then it is very robust indeed and is "fit for purpose".

Hope you can join me at 2pm Sunday and we can test it together!

Same Old, Same Old

It's always reassuring to be back on familiar territory...

My Chaos and Incompetence Show returns to normal* from this Sunday 7th June - 2pm till 4pm

All the usual stuff including the Rock Star's Birthdays, 3 at 3, Izbela's Bangers and the newest addition - Hastings Rock Fantastic Facts.

It'd be lovely if you can make it!

* normal? not sure there is such a thing on my little show - but we can live in hope.

We Must Do It Again Soon

Last Sunday, 24th May, proved what can happen when two great things come together: Hastings Rock Roadshow and Hastings Rock's Great Fans!

Thanks to all of you who joined us at The Carlisle Rock Pub for the Rockfest. It was a huge pleasure to see so many lovely people enjoying each others' company, and a tremendous privilege to meet all of you in person; thank you everyone who came and chatted with me and all the wonderful things you had to say - you are truly a special bunch of folks.

I really look forward to the next time we can be together. Let's hope it's not too long in the future.

On another note, my very next show will be this Saturday 30th May at 12 noon, straight after Nick's show. It'd be super-kind if a few listeners can join me for another couple of hours worth of Chaos and Incompetence. Normal broadcast day and the 2 o'clock start time will resume on Sundays after then, from Sunday 7th June onwards.

C & I Show Changes

Dear Listener, despite me heavily promoting this, some may say TOO heavily, whilst on-air, please note that there is no C & I Show this coming Sunday (24th May) nor is there one the following Sunday (31st May). Sorry to disappoint anyone.....

However, I WILL be on this Saturday 23rd of May, and again on Saturday 30th. The show will be slightly earlier, starting at 12 Noon. I'll be following Nick Thomas's show on both weeks.

The format of the C & I Show will remain the same, with all of the usual features you've grown to love and loathe, except the 3 at 3 which will be called the "3 at 1"

Just a reminder that I'll be up close and personal at The Carlisle Rock Pub on Sunday 24th May for our annual Rockfest, co-presenting the Hastings Rock Roadshow with Simon Veness, Phill Miles and "special guest" appearances from Sir Ralph of Winserland. Hope to see you then!

Relaunch of Roadshow

On Sunday 24th May the annual Hastings Rock Rockfest takes place at The Carlisle on Hastings Seafront. Three great bands, Firefall, Sypha, and Ziggy Phoenix will be playing, with a special guest appearance from Zo & Messy; and all supported by the Hastings Rock Roadshow.

It's been quite a while since the Hastings Rock Roadshow had a runout, and it's essential that these excellent bands are presented in the best possible way.

The Roadshow equipment has been assembled, repaired and refurbished and is ready, "fit for purpose" (see picture), all set to go for the gig.

Staffing the Roadshow, a hand-picked team of hardened, professional DJ's - Simon Veness, Phill Miles, Rick Triumph and "Special Guest DJ" Ralph Winser - have been undergoing a rigorous training regime of telling each other jokes, drinking industrial quantities of beer and general mickey-taking. The level of quietly delivered effort this has involved means you can almost "smell" the expertise emanating from these music supremos!

With this carefully curated roster of expertise, what could possibly go wrong?...

The Much-Vaunted DAB Signal was Pathetic!

It was eagerly anticipated; the next Big Thing for Hastings Rock was the heavily promoted launch of our DAB Radio.

In the weeks before, I'd retuned all of the DAB radios in my possession, ready for The Big Day on May 2nd.

That morning I climbed into my van and turned the radio on, retuned to Hastings Rock and prepared to be amazed by the highest quality signal ever experienced, only to be met with....Nothing!

A quick check of other DAB stations revealed they were all in good health, unfortunately just not Hastings Rock. It became apparent that the pathetically thin stick-on aerial on my windscreen, despite previous good behaviour, was woefully inadequate to receive my favourite station and needed replacement.

I have now fitted a suitable upgrade on the roof of the vehicle (see picture) and all is well. In fact, it's the best addition to my van that I've ever done: superb signal, increased dynamic range and VERY LOUD!

If you'd like to improve your radio reception, just ask me for further details on what's involved. I will be pleased to help you out. XXXXX

Is the 3 at 3 Feature Too Hard?

In the days leading up to the next show, I'm always plagued by a quandary: Is this week's 3 at 3 too difficult?

I am torn between two schools of thought. Should I continue roughly as I've done up to now; an easy set of tracks (or "clues", if you will) this week, followed by three more difficult ones next week. The trouble with making the answers too hard will tend to exclude some, if not most of the listeners - as happened last Sunday (26/3/26). Conversely, making them too easy could get boring for not only the listener, but also me!

I tend to favour making them "seem" difficult, whilst striving to actually pick the ones which have easy answers and have the bonus of allowing me to select three tracks or artists you wouldn't normally associate with each other.

The latter approach appeals to me the most and I really enjoy the "rabbit holes" I find myself diving down every week while researching the 3 at 3.

See you on Sunday at 2pm, on DAB for the 1st time!

Are the Real, Live DJ's Days Numbered??

I asked AI to say what it knew about Rick Triumph. The result is below...

"Rick Triumph is a Hastings Rock Radio presenter best known for his lively Sunday slot, The C & I Show, a mix of humour, chaos, and rock.

Rick Triumph hosts The C & I Show, airing Sundays from 2–4pm, described as “2 hours of Chaos and Incompetence,” where DJ-ing is “optional.” His show blends quirky anecdotes, playful unpredictability, and rock tracks, attracting a loyal fan base. A signature feature is the World Famous 3 at 3—three themed songs listeners try to connect. Rick often engages directly with his audience through emails and texts, encouraging suggestions and participation."

Enlightening? Or frightening?

I didn't dare ask for it to generate a playlist....

How Do You Listen to Hastings Rock?

My cat loves music, especially Rock music, which is pretty convenient for her because that's the genre which is most likely to be playing in the Triumph household.

She also prefers to sit on my lap, rather than anyone else's whilst enjoying "her" music", which is pretty inconvenient for me because she bitterly resents it if I dare to attempt to move for any reason: my leg gets cramped, the doorbell rings, I shift slightly to select another track, whatever. In fact, she appears to have a finely developed talent for mind-reading - if I even "think" about changing position, even slightly, she immediately goes into Ninja-mode; all claws, teeth and furious furry suicide bomber tactics to the fore!- all while nary a muscle of mine has even twitched. So I am pinned to the chair in completely immobile, seated trepidation, feline vengeance having been served.

So, in answer to the question posed in the headline, I listen to Hastings Rock in a constant state of nervous readiness.

Hope to see you on Sunday at 2pm.

An Exciting New Development!

I've been involved with our beloved station now for quite a few years. During that time we've introduced a variety of innovations to our output, the most recent was when we launched full-time online broadcasting of Hastings Rock - a very successful and popular enhancement of our unique Radio Brand!

Next up is the addition of DAB Radio to the station franchise, and I can hardly wait for the official launch on May 2nd. I've retuned all of my DAB devices to include Hastings Rock in the station lists, in readiness.

I hope you remember to do the same ahead of the launch date - I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss such an important part of our history!

Singular or Plural?

I always open my Sunday Show facebook post with "Good afternoon, Dear Listener" A few people have queried why I use "Listener" and not "Listeners"

A very famous radio DJ was once asked if he was nervous on-air, knowing that millions of fans were tuned in. He said it could be pretty daunting, especially when he first started out. His solution was to imagine it was just him and one other friendly person chatting and enjoying the music together. It works for me too, hence my use of the singular.

I'm unlikely to ever be so lucky as to have "millions of fans", but the couple of dozen who very kindly join me every week will suffice - I'm extremely grateful and very flattered that they do.

So, until next Sunday at 2 pm on Hastings Rock, be good, be careful and remember I LOVE YOU ALL! xxxxx

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once!

It was an unexpected surprise to get an on-air phone call during last week's show; one of Hastings Rock's "real" DJ's, Andy Knight, unexpectedly phoned me in the studio to give us an on-the-spot update from the Hastings Half Marathon. It was a nerve-wracking moment for me because I've never taken a call on-air before whilst DJ-ing and didn't know how to put the discussion through the mixing desk and share it with our dear listeners...

Does Everything It Says On The Tin!

Well, my most recent show, Sunday 15th March, lived up to the show strapline: "Chaos & Incompetence". Due to a technical error (the famous Wreck it Rick incompetence) the first half hour didn't go out. This will not happen again...(fingers crossed)

My next show will have a rather intriguing 3 at 3, plus all the usual stuff - rock stars' birthday etc - and will be a full 2 hours long.

I hope you can make it. If not, there is usually a repeat played out on Thursday morning - please check the main Schedule for confirmation. Bye for now and remember I LOVE YOU ALL! XXXXX

Open to Listener's suggestions

I like to think of my Sunday show as an Open Club - free to join and everyone is invited to take part. My 3 at 3 "feature" is proving very popular; last week I received over 30 emails/texts from you trying to guess the answer! It would be great to add another regular slot during the show, maybe a brief "biog" of an artist or band, for instance. I'm sure that many of you have better suggestions for this. Please contact me during the show by email dj@hastingsrock.co.uk or text 07441 120877. I look forward to hearing from you.