Word In Your Ear Andy Kershaw & Dylan’s jar of jam plus the things people do to get gigs
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Apr 19, 2026 A nostalgic run-through of Andy Kershaw’s home radio sessions and the infamous jar-of-jam Dylan encounter. Tales of wild promotion tactics, from Jay Leno’s $50 trick to Oasis gate-crashing. Debates about manufactured bands, the power of publicity and whether halls of fame mean anything. Plus birthday reflections on Focus and other musical dead-ends.
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Andy Kershaw's Crouch End Sessions
- Andy Kershaw crashed the music press scene with charismatic, offbeat antics that made him stand out.
- He bought a flat in Crouch End, recorded Radio 1 sessions there on a Sony Walkman Pro and befriended John Peel, even taking Peel to the TT races.
Bob Dylan And The Jar Of Jam
- Andy Kershaw famously knocked on Bob Dylan's door holding a jar of Whole Earth jam to blag an interview.
- The impromptu meeting got a film crew up, but the interview faltered after Kershaw offended Dylan about his haircut.
Manufactured Buzz Behind Breakout Bands
- Modern music promotion can manufacture apparent pre-existing buzz through targeted online seeding and PR.
- The duo discussed Geese's rise as a case where firms like Chaotic Good planted content to create the illusion of being already huge.