Sometimes the radio is more than just a friend. With BBC Radio 1's The Friday Rock Show, the radio became a way of life.

Hosted by the incredible Tommy Vance (graduate of the Caroline / Radio London school of pirate DJs), the show grabbed the ears from the beginning. The theme music was Dixie Dregs' Take It Off The Top, which could have been made for the job - it fit this show as well as The Chain fit motor racing.

Some DJs might have been tempted to come up with a catchy name for a show. Not Vance. It was a rock show, it was on Friday - the name did not require a million pound consultants' fee¹.

As with most BBC programmes of the time (1970s / 1980s) live sessions played a prominent role. Many bands appeared on the show, including special recordings at the Reading Festival (notably Hawkwind and Ian Gillan). The music was loud and heavy, the perfect antidote to plastic pop.