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Zane Lowe
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Zane Lowe (born Alexander Zane Reid Lowe on 7 August 1973) also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand, before moving to England. He currently presents BBC Radio 1's evening show, where he plays a variety of alternative music, including rock, punk, drum and bass, and British hip hop. He is also the presenter of the MTV Two show Gonzo, having been a former VJ on MTV since 1997, where he presented Brand:New.
Before becoming a radio DJ, Lowe was in hip-hop act Urban Disturbance.
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Encyclopedia
Zane Lowe (born Alexander Zane Reid Lowe on 7 August 1973) also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand, before moving to England. He currently presents BBC Radio 1's evening show, where he plays a variety of alternative music, including rock, punk, drum and bass, and British hip hop. He is also the presenter of the MTV Two show Gonzo, having been a former VJ on MTV since 1997, where he presented Brand:New.
Before becoming a radio DJ, Lowe was in hip-hop act Urban Disturbance. He is currently a member of Breaks Co-op (with Andy Lovegrove and Hamish Clark), who have released two albums in New Zealand - Roofers (1997) and The Sound Inside (2005).
Before working for the BBC, Lowe worked for many years at London's XFM, showcasing similar styles of music. He has hosted his Radio 1 show since June 2003, taking over from Colin Murray (whose show acted as a stopgap after Steve Lamacq ended his Evening Session radio show). His show initially went out three nights a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:00-10:00pm but moved to four nights a week with the additional slot on Mondays from 7:00-9:00pm in July 2004 as part of a dramatic revamp of Radio 1's evening schedule where it remains today.
Lowe is also notable for his live appearances, especially the Home Taping tour in 2005. Lowe has stated that his favourite record of all time, as of September 2006, is Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins.
Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1
Lowe's radio show can be heard on Mondays to Thursdays from 7pm to 9pm. Past and present features on his show have included:
- On Mondays, Fresh Meat is where the show's chatroom rate three songs from three upcoming bands; the winning track is played throughout the rest of the week
- The Hottest Record In The World Today, where a song from a hotly-tipped band or new album is played
- Sunsetter where a more mellow track is played as the sun sets each night, (seasonal)
- Encore, when listeners can text in to request a repeat of a track that has already been played, the winning track being the track most requested. (discontinued)
- U-turns, a phone-in request slot (signified by 'the screech and the beat'), also discontinued (now 'What have we missed')
- Crowd Rocker, where an anthem from the past is played
- Mixtape, a ninety minute themed mix which only broadcasts to listeners in England while the rest of the UK do their regional shows (Discontinued)
- Live performances and interviews with bands and artists
Lowe's method of DJing is rather enthusiastic and fast-paced, similar to many hip hop DJs, with samples of radio stations, interview clips and Radio 1 stings thrown in between songs, along with the occasional sound of Lowe singing along to the music. Some find his technique off-putting and rowdy, whereas others welcome his style, saying that it fits in with the music being played.
He is extremely dedicated to new music, and many of the bands or musicians who won Fresh Meat have gone on to be very successful; Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Editors, Kasabian, The Wombats and Kaiser Chiefs are examples of bands who have benefited.
Zane Lowe is at the forefront of new and exciting music - he played 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley for the first time on radio. The song was frequently played on Radio 1 thereafter, helping it to reach number one in the charts on April 2, 2006. 'Crazy' was the first song in British history to go to number one based on sales of legal downloads alone; the download was made available a week before physical copies went on sale. The song also featured in Zane Lowe's TV advert, which aired in early 2006.
Prior to the Foo Fighters emerging onstage at their concert at Wembley Stadium on the 7th June 2008, Lowe entertained the crowd on DJ decks.
Zane Lowe on MTV Two
Lowe started his career on MTV Two presenting shows such as Up 4 It and Brand:New in 1997, and since 2002 he has presented Gonzo, its flagship music show, in which time the show has evolved from a two-hour random collection of presenting and clips, to a primetime (7pm) show featuring regular musical guests and interviews. The show is presented solely by Lowe, with the studio effectively being a blue screen and the infamous 'Brown Couch'. His presenting manner on Gonzo is more laid back than on his radio show. The show features music videos, along with news (usually ripped from the NME; Lowe can often be seen reading the news straight from the magazine) and input from the channel's message boards. The show also features mock interview done by a character called Ginger Bloke, in which popular musical artists are humously "interviewed." Occasionally, moderators of the boards (chosen on Gonzo and by the members) contribute; one member even filled in for a week when Lowe was ill and unable to present.
At Oxegen Festival 2006, Zane Lowe was reportedly "beaten up" by Didz Hammond and Carl Barat from Dirty Pretty Things on an episode of Gonzo. He has since said that the punch was in fact completely playful but unfortunately, and painfully, connected with his groin.
Ryan Jarman
Zane Lowe famously saved Ryan Jarman's life at the 2006 NME Awards, an incident NME now refers to as "engraved in indie folklore". Ryan's band, The Cribs, accepted an award on behalf of winners, Franz Ferdinand. However, on his way to collect the trophy from presenter Russell Brand, Ryan dived onto the Kaiser Chiefs table and pierced his back with broken glass, narrowly missing his vital organs. He was quickly taken to hospital but discharged himself to return for the show's party later in the night. However, his injuries were severe and he fell unconscious in a back corridor. Luckily Zane Lowe, a fellow guest at the party, came across Ryan lying on the floor and discovered he was bleeding profusely. Zane raised the alarm and Ryan received urgently needed medical attention to stop internal bleeding.
Personal life
Zane is from New Zealand, but lived in America for many years before taking his current Radio 1 presenting job and moving to London. He has a wife named Carla with whom he has two young sons, Jackson and Lucius.
Awards
Both the Zane Lowe Show and Gonzo have won numerous awards including Best Radio Show and Best TV Show respectively at the NME Awards 2006. Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles has jokingly referred to "The Best Radio Show" award as "The Zane Lowe Award" due to Lowe's repeated success. Lowe continues this success by winning the Best Radio Show NME award in the 2007 and 2008 Awards.
Lowe won the Gold Award in The Specialist Music Programme Award, and Music Broadcaster of the Year categories at the 2006 Sony Radio Academy Awards.
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