Q & A

How did you become involved with the station and your program?

I had been playing music in the city when I was 17 and began listening to RTRFM around the same time. Putting it simply, I wanted to get involved. So I called Genge and said “I wanna do an on-air cooking show”. He was like “Coowel”. And so it was that I became Andre Rion – the breakfast chef.

That lasted for over a year on a fortnightly basis and I loved it. After that, DJ and RTR’s only full time admin staff member at the time, Scorchio AKA Beck McGillivaray called me at 10:30am on a fateful Wednesday morning and said “Do you wanna do the new music radio show, today?” I said “I don’t know how to do it,” she said “Just come down”. So I did.

How long have you been with RTRFM?

I have presented the Out To Lunch on Wednesday every week since mid-2002. Before that I was the breakfast chef as of about 1999. I started listening to RTR in about 1991.

What do you enjoy most about presenting?

Personally, and as a musician myself, I enjoy being forced to be up to date on new releases – there’s no way I’d make such an effort on my own accord.

As a member of the Perth city community who does the Out To Lunch show I realise that I must do as much research on as wide a cross section of music as I can to realise the potential effect that such a radio show can have on musicians and music listeners alike. When I do my show well I feel very satisfied in this civic sense.

Finally, I enjoy being a noodle on air as I feel like life gets a bit too serious when everybody acts according to the banal norms.

Strangest experience at RTRFM?

My strangest moment at RTRFM was when I discovered that Peter Barr has small beak just like an octopus under his left armpit.

Favourite RTRFM program/s?

My favourite RTRFM shows are Underground Solution, Ambient Zone, Rock Rattle and Roll and Out To Lunch.

What do you do in real life?

I am a musician and a venue booker and promoter. Being involved with RTRFM keeps me up to date with all three of these jobs.