<nettime> Radio Patapoe-the making of..........

[Andreas Baader <andacaci@dds.nl>]

Soon to be on the RNW site(www.rnw.nl/realaudio/community/index.html

Radio Patapoe-the making of........
FM 97.2
www.desk.nl/~ptp

In 1985 a -punkrock only- radio station was started under the doomsday
name "Dood" (Death). The punks slogan for the shows was "insult as much
people as you can"When the station stopped throwing their (non) politics
in the air two years later because of different people wanting to use the
station for egotrips a small group decided it was time for something new. 

Starting in 1988 under the dangerous name "Revolutionaire Radio
Vereniging" (Revolutionairy Radio group) this would turn out to be the
station we have now. 

In the same squat as where "Death" ended "Patapoe" was started, using the
same mixer and alot of the same people behind the mixer, but with lots of
new musical and non-musical programmes. People didn't want to just play
the same punksongs over and over again, for some those three guitar chords
came out of their nose by now. The spirit to annoy the nice, clean family
types still remained, but as scared as people used to be when punks walked
by them the punks were now seen as a bunch of kids with funny clothing.
Same with radio. People used to listen just because they could put it down
and insult the programmakers, now they just turned it off and didn't
listen. 

There were strict rules about having a show and what to do for it. There
was a person to open the door for the programmakers who also took care of
the empty spaces between D.J's so there woudn't be any snow transmision on
the radio. Every programmaker had a monthly payment to pay to the doorman
that would be used for new equipment in times of things breaking down. 

"De uilenburcht",the squat where Patapoe was located was soon to be
squashed down to the ground so the people had to look for a new place to
stay. This place was found in the "Graansilo", another old building that
was lived in by squatters. 

The people from the first moment starting getting difficulties with
organising and getting things togheter. After a while everything bursted
out into total chaos. There was no door(wo)man, no one took care of there
being money to get stuff so after a year or two the turntables didn't work
anymore, tapedecks were in desperate need of replacement, a CD-player was
even stolen and less people wanted anything to do with Patapoe, which by
the way was called after a litlle doggie from an old Sonja single...... 

It could even get worse. The new, young punks had found a new place after
the "Graansilo" was to be bombed away as well as the first "Uilenburcht".
The old folks gave the torch to the young folks and they started building
up a room in the squat called "Albert Zuyp". The new self titled
technician fucked up when the police transmitter was being entered every
time we were in the air. Within a week the station was taken out of the
air. 

This technician went on thinking he was the boss and when a new place was
found it was decided he needed to be kicked out.  His way was doing
everything on his own or with people that weren't involved with the
station. Along the way from the "zuyp" to the new, to be remained secret,
place communication started getting better again through the new
electronic ways and through meetings. Everybody is involved in building up
this great station that show you can make underground happenings get big
in a small way..... 

Along the way there were two problems: Patapoe needed money for new
equipment and second the listeners didn't know it excisted anymore. The
squatters movement was gone and this was the time to get them back. A
benefit with big Amsterdam punkbands was organised and flyers were given
away. Months later a second benefit was done with less flyers and the
whole scene was there. This is something we can count on now. One call and
there's a whole squatscene coming over to help in need of help. 

Next to the punks, the shows are various. From interviews with
soundartists, ambient soundscapes to ninetees versions of those programs
that started in 1985. Patapoe still in the air! 
 
29-1-99 Leo Hallelujah(aka Robert van der Schild)


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