Grindah and Beats interview
People Just Do Nothing, the BBC documentary series which follows the presenters behind the radio station Kurupt FM, is back. BCG caught up with the two main DJs it focuses on...
Hi Grindah and Beats. How's it going?
Grindah: All good.
Beats: Just keeping it Kurupt, as always.
Grindah: Yeah, as per.
Since Series 1 of the documentary about your radio station went out on TV, have you been recognised in the street by any viewers?
Grindah: I've always been famous but more for my voice, being on radio and that. Now people are finally able to put a good looking face to the voice as well.
Beats: Yeah it's a nice little treat for 'em.
Grindah: Exactly.
Beats: I get more like butters Brentford mums shouting at me from across the street, it's quite intense.
Grindah: You'll get used to it mate.
Has the TV exposure increased the listenership of the station? We're still struggling to find it on our own radio set we must admit...
Grindah: 'Oooh, we can't find it'... That's cos u lot are dealing with all that digital radio or whatever... Trying to be all futuristic and it doesn't even work. Don't try blame your own weaknesses on our signal strength.
Beats: Yeah we keep it old school mate, strictly FM based... We give the people what they want, not all your lots commercial rubbish.
Grindah: If it's a choice between having a thousand listeners or playing your own music I know which one I would choose.
Beats: Listeners are the most important thing at the end of the day.
Grindah: What? No, I'd play my own music. But then I'd probably get even more than a thousand listeners anyway.
So, have you had more listeners then?
Grindah: Yeah, probably. It's hard to tell obviously... cos they don't ALL text or do missed calls during the shows. But let's just say we had around eight missed calls last Friday night so... what does that tell you?
Beats: Some of them were Steves though, remember? Saying he's locked out of radio...
Grindah: That's not the point though is it? Just shut up and stop constantly getting involved Beats.
Beats: Sorry.
What do you think of Radio 1? Obviously you're tuned into Kurupt, but if you weren't what station would you listen to?
Beats: We're not into your commercial playlists that some brear in a suit told you to play or you'll lose your job... We're about playing that underground UKG and 1996-2001 Jungle.
Grindah: And a bit of bashment on Sundays... And if we weren't tuned into Kurupt then we'd be tuned into no-one.
Beats: Probably just pop on a tape from one of our old Kurupt sets.
Grindah: Exactly, timeless.
It'd be fair to say you perhaps don't have all the official licences you need to run a radio station. Has the authorities come knocking since Series 1?
Beats: Course we don't mate, we're pirates. We're not part of the system.
Grindah: Obviously we ain't stupid though, we know that the DTI are on our case but what pirate stations do is constantly change locations so they don't catch up.
Beats: But we never change locations?
Grindah: Yeah, but think about it. We're staying in the same place so it's actually even more confusing for them, cos it's the opposite of what they'd expect.
Beats: Ah, that's proper clever. Double bluff.
Grindah: Some viewers of the first series seemed to think that Decoy might have a thing for your missus. How do you respond to them?
Grindah: What??
Beats: Nah, that's all just weird people online reading into stuff cos they've got nothing better to talk about. Let's move on.
Grindah: Yeah, that's mental.
Beats: How's it going with Roche?
Beats: Yeah it's alright, I've started getting a bit more domestic around the house these days. You lot heard of 40 watt lightbulbs? Yeah, I'm getting quite good at changing them up. Got the downstairs bathroom sorted the other day, which Roche was really happy about. She hates going toilet in the dark cos it heightens the senses... Makes it all a lot more intense.
Chabuddy G helps you out a bit... maybe you could help him out in return by giving some of his merchandise lines a plug in this interview?
Grindah: Nah to be honest, we're his best product. Kurupt FM. Obviously the Colin Kline t-shirts and the Peanut Dust are always going to be popular, but we're the ones flying off the shelves right now.
Beats: We're selling ourselves on the streets.
The cameras returned to film you again for a second series of the documentary. What was it like to have them around you?
Grindah: It's quite mad getting up every day and these weird brears in climbing gear are all at your house filming you. But I didn't mind it. Cos it goes with the territory when you're a world renowned MC.
Beats: I found them quite annoying to be honest. I actually got the flu from having to get up early all the time.
Grindah: Yeah but that's cos you're quite weak.
Beats: Yeah...
Any idea what they've captured this time, and thus what we can expect to see when the show returns to BBC Three?
Grindah: Ah mate, there's loads of stuff. My daughter getting Christened, Miche has got a new job...
Beats: Me and Craig on our fishing trip...
Grindah: And that's not even mentioning the clubnight.
Beats: Yeah, let's not mention the clubnight.
Grindah: Ok, we won't mention it. But let's just say there might be a Kurupt FM clubnight coming to your screens very soon.
Beats: Maybe.
Grindah: Definitely maybe.
Tune into the Kurupt FM crew on BBC Three on Wednesdays at 10pm.