The Last Word

Last month, Hot Press exclusively revealed that the Hallowe’en broadcast of The Last Splash - the beloved indie-fest hosted by Alison Curtis every Sunday night on Today FM - would be the show’s last.

Explaining her decision, the Canadian presenter admitted; “The six-day workload has just been too much. Obviously, I started the morning show last year and presenting the two has been a lot of work. I’ve been finishing up late on Sunday night and then been straight back on first thing in the morning.”
Ths show has earned Curtis a place as one of the most respected figures on the Irish music scene, and she’s even been graced with three Best DJ Meteor nominations along the way.
“It is sad to see it go,” she says. “It’s been a big part of me for the last seven years. I know it sounds corny, but you really grow with the show, your musical tastes change. I was just thinking that it’s probably the oldest continuous indie show in Ireland. It’s kind of the granddaddy!”
It was May 2003 when The Last Splash first hit the airwaves and Josh Ritter, BellX1 and The Chalets had just released new records.
“It was very different,” Curtis remembers. “I’d just come from Phantom, which was still a pirate. Even the technology was so different. You were literally the first person to play a record. I’ve always been a big fan of The Flaws and Delorentos and just recently they both told me I was the first to play them. You wouldn’t know that yourself but they would keep track of that!
‘All of that changed with downloading. The sense of what’s alternative has changed a lot, you have Ian Dempsey playing The White Stripes and Florence & The Machine have come from quite left of centre.”
Since those early shows in 2003, The Last Splash has quadrupled its audience and consistently provided its listeners with fantastic new music, as well as exclusive interviews and sessions.
“The basis for the show was the mandate to play new, unheard Irish music. It’s been great to meet people, see shows and to introduce new bands that have gone on to great success. I’m proud of it.”
The last, ‘er, Last Splash aired on Today FM on Sunday, October 31, and included a look back at some highlights from the show’s seven years on the air. Curtis dug up interviews with Frank Black, PJ Harvey and Daniel Lanois for the occasion.
“It was a little bit emotional going back through all the interviews on ancient minidiscs,” she says, “the first one with Franz Ferdinand in Ireland, the first Interpol interview. PJ Harvey at the Olympia was pretty impressive. I caught her in her dressing-room. She was really quite intimate and quiet, she wasn’t in a rush. I was very nervous! The live interview with Daniel Lanois is pretty memorable as well. Obviously he’s known for being U2’s producer but he was talking about his own album. he was pretty emotional talking about the frustration of producing certain U2 and Bob Dylan albums.”
As yet, the show’s replacement has not been announced.
“You take for granted that the show was an outlet for a lot of people with a high concentration of left-of-centre music,” Curtis notes, “it is a little bit of a loss because we’re national. I think we need to diversify a little bit.”
Shifting her focus completely to The Alison Curtis Show, Curtis regrets that the programme lined up to fill The Last Splash’s shoes is less than ideal.
“I’ve got to be honest and say that the show that’s replacing me is going to be more mainstream. So we’re going to have to put more pressure on Paul McLoone now! Just delve a little bit deeper...”

The Alison Curtis Show is broadcast from 5am to 7am Monday - Friday on Today FM.