Halloween Listening Party 2017

For the first time, the Community Radio Network gets spooky with the Halloween Listening Party! 

Two hours of scary tunes and horrible tales are available for stations to download for their own use, or put live to air via CRN on Tuesday 31 October, as we dip our toes in the terrfiying abyss for our first ever Halloween Listening Party. 

Produced by horror fanatic Iain Wilson, the program centres around Halloween and horror themed music from a wide variety of genres and styles. 

Expect featurettes on Horror film director George Romero, halloween-themed cocktails and the origin of Halloween itself. 

Hear a spooky preview here - and get in contact to hear the full files.

We asked Iain for the gory details about the program:

This is the first year that The Halloween Listening Party has made its way to CRN, can you tell us about when you started doing the show and how you were broadcasting it previously?

I started the show in 2014, just streaming online as a live show on Halloween night from my garage! It was mostly friends from work who were listening, but I realised how much fun it was to have people giving me feedback as it is happening, but also that this would be a great way to concentrate all of my interests into the one event!

Have you done a program on Community Radio before? 

Yes, I actually started out at Radio Skid Row in Marrickville back in the nineties just as I was finishing high school. I started by phoning in film reviews to a morning breakfast show, and then after a bit of training, they let a friend and I take over an afternoon show where we played film soundtracks and made our own experimental 'cut-ups' using fillm samples. That was a great experience for me, a chance to learn about radio, but also about the media in general.

Where did your interest in Halloween develop?

My mum originally came from Scotland, and she took us back to visit her family when I was about 5. She came from a farming area, a small village, where believe it or not, they celebrated Halloween in a local community hall. Me and my brothers carved turnips, and went to this dance, and I won a prize for my costume (I think every kid got a prize). I am pretty sure that this was the starting point for a life-long interest in Halloween and horror! 

What’s your favourite era for horror movies and your favourite director?

This might sound a bit crazy and specific, but to me, the best era of horror films was between 1978-83. If you look at those years, there was an unbelievable amount of films coming out – and really good ones, like Halloween, The Thing and Creepshow. However, I grew up more in the late eighties/early nineties, and so most of what I loved back then were films like Evil Dead II and Phantasm II, which I would hire on VHS from the local video shops. My favourite director has always been George Romero (pictured), and I still am amazed by his films today.

What’s your favourite horror soundtrack or soundtrack artists? 

A soundtrack that has stuck with me over the years is Creepshow by John Harrison. Harrison worked with Romero as his assistant director, but he also had a background as a bass player in a famous rhythm and blues band. Romero wanted to use generic music from a sound library for Creepshow, but when he realised it wasn't working, John volunteered do have a go at it - and amazed everyone by coming up with this beautiful soundtrack on a single synthesizer.  

Have you ever seen a ghost?

No. In some ways I am sceptical about ghosts - but then another part of me does believe in things like that - so I am always at odds with myself when someone tells me they've seen a ghost!

Freddy vs Jason?

Jason. He is an unstoppable killing machine, doesn't say much, but is much more likeable than Freddy. 

For CRN subscribers:

• Halloween Listening Party (2 x 59'50) is available for download on request for preview - contact CRN staff on 02 9310 2999 or email [email protected]
• Individual segments (Cocktail Recipes, George Romero tribute, Origins of Halloween) are also available (durations 03:00 to 05:00)
• Broadcasting live on CRN Tuesday 31 October, 2017 from 22:00 AEDT
• Regular programs, Subsequence and Beale Street Caravan will be distributed to DDN stations ahead of schedule
• For more information contact CRN staff on 02 9310 2999 or email [email protected]

Not a CRN subscriber, but want to find out more about getting content like this for your station? Read more here.