Seeing as I couldnt make the great El Roque’s leaving do last night and I’m currently convalescing in Surrey. I wanted to just say a few words about him that I would have said yesterday, but with beer and some potty language.
Roque made me. In the hills just outside his home in Alicante. I’m serious. Without Roque I honestly would not be doing what I love doing now. I cannot put into words the impact he had on my professionally and personally. Roque belived in me more than anyone other than my wife. He gave me the unbridled confidence to try anything and take risks. When I was feeling unsure or unsteady, he was as his namesake, my rock. His high voltage charisma and energy and twinkle in his eye made our time together pure joy. He’s been my lucky rabbit’s foot. I think he’s a shining example of what a truly great producer is. I’m so proud of what we did together.
Hes one of those people who makes you smile when you think of him. We love you to bits Roq and my God you’ll make a great teacher. Let me just share a few fave Roque stories.
1. The man let me conduct his vasectomy for God’s sake! Once you’ve seen your producer’s todger the relationship moves onto a whole new level. The smell of burnt meat will stay with me forever, as will playing Black Grape after the procedure finished. It was immortalised last weekend as a question on The Weakest Link. I had a big meeting the following week with Radio 1 and they told me the whole thing was “inappropriate” at breakfast time. And that was the end of my talks with them. We though it was funny…
2. He let me also conduct his wedding live in LA. Being the professional, he insisted we take a break before getting the answer from his wife as to whether she would take this man… for a promotion.
3. Roques WTF laugh will a staple part of his appeal. He can’t help himself. Once during a live news bulletin when the wrong clip went out during a very sad story (the miscued clip was laughing and cheering from a football match; the story about 9/11) he fired up that guffaw and spat his tea out all over the studio wall. Which the mics picked up. He then crawled on his hands and knees out of the studio still laughing in that way of his whilst the news carried on. I actually laughed so hard a tiny bit of pee came out…
4. During an OB in a brewery in Ireland he got into a fight with a drunken listener whilst I was doing a link. God help those unruly kids when Bullet Baxter starts…
5. Then there is the time Xfm’s MD called me on holiday. About Roque being caught stealing from another DJs pigeon hole. They wanted to make an example of him… I stood by him, although almost gave him up when I found out it was the Greatest Hits of Take That from Dr Fox’s pigeon hole. I’M NOT MAKING ANY OF THIS UP!
Good luck Roque.
Christian
Finally, Brian made a fantastic farewell video for Roque. (Note that more sensitive types might find the humour a little “bawdy”. But we’re all friends here). Here it is:
