Mark James Patrick Kermode (né Fairey) (born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic and musician. He is the chief film critic for The Observer, contributes to the magazine Sight & Sound, presents the BBC Four documentary series Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema, co-presents the BBC Radio 5 Live show Kermode and Mayo's Film Review, and previously co-presented the BBC Two arts programme The Culture Show. Kermode is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Kermode is a founding member of the skiffle band the Dodge Brothers, for which he plays double bass. In January 2019, it was announced that Kermode would be presenting a movie soundtrack themed show on Bauer Media Group's new classical radio station, Scala Radio.
Links to Peel[]
Mark Kermode in his university days joined a band with friend Simon Clarke in the 80's called the Mighty Jungle Beats, where he was known as Mark Fury. In his autobiography, How Does It Feel?: A Life of Musical Misadventures, Kermode mentioned that he joined the band because Simon wanted to record songs and needed people to play in them. He also wrote that he suggested the band to cover a Pointer Sisters song called Slowhand, which later was included in the group's only record release.
The record was sent to several music publications including John Peel where the group purposely called their label, John Peel Is A Good Bloke, with the number JP501. The response came back with Sounds proclaiming the band's EP as the second single of the week and Peel playing their track, Kick In Windows on his shows.
After the band's release, the group soon split up over musical differences and Mark Kermode later in life became a film critic, including working for BBC Radio One, where Peel mentioned on his 11 August 1999 show that he loves Mark Kermode on the radio.
While John filled in on Mark Radcliffe's evening shows for a few weeks in 1996, Kermode's regular Cult Movie Corner on Radcliffe's show continued, providing an opportunity for the two to chat on air on 04 April 1996.
Shows Played[]
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- 31 October 1986 (BFBS): (JP: 'I suppose one way to get ahead in the world of showbiz, in a very small way anyway, is to call your record label John Peel Is A Good Bloke Records, and that's exactly what the Mighty Jungle Beasts have done.') 'Kick In Windows (12"-The Trumpeting Of Mighty Jungle Beasts)' (John Peel Is A Good Bloke) (JP: 'Bit embarrassing, isn't it really, but it gives me a chance to be falsely modest.')