2 hours of Chaos and Incompetence; DJ-ing is an optional extra
Breaking the rules is fun!
Since starting this show I've been privileged to enjoy the support of dozens of loyal fans. Come along on a Sunday and join the happy band of people who have helped make my show the perfect way to lose a couple of hours in the afternoon with fun anecdotes, weird whimsy and some really special music! And don't miss the "World Famous" 3 at 3 competition - three tracks, back-to-back with a common theme or connection.
Recent Updates - The C & I Show
Relaunch of Roadshow
On Sunday 24th May the annual Hastings Rock Rockfest takes place at The Carlisle on Hastings Seafront. Three great bands, Firefall, Sypha, and Ziggy Phoenix will be playing, with a special guest appearance from Zo & Messy; and all supported by the Hastings Rock Roadshow.
It's been quite a while since the Hastings Rock Roadshow had a runout, and it's essential that these excellent bands are presented in the best possible way.
The Roadshow equipment has been assembled, repaired and refurbished and is ready, "fit for purpose" (see picture), all set to go for the gig.
Staffing the Roadshow, a hand-picked team of hardened, professional DJ's - Simon Veness, Phill Miles, Rick Triumph and "Special Guest DJ" Ralph Winser - have been undergoing a rigorous training regime of telling each other jokes, drinking industrial quantities of beer and general mickey-taking. The level of quietly delivered effort this has involved means you can almost "smell" the expertise emanating from these music supremos!
With this carefully curated roster of expertise, what could possibly go wrong?...
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The Much-Vaunted DAB Signal was Pathetic!
It was eagerly anticipated; the next Big Thing for Hastings Rock was the heavily promoted launch of our DAB Radio.
In the weeks before, I'd retuned all of the DAB radios in my possession, ready for The Big Day on May 2nd.
That morning I climbed into my van and turned the radio on, retuned to Hastings Rock and prepared to be amazed by the highest quality signal ever experienced, only to be met with....Nothing!
A quick check of other DAB stations revealed they were all in good health, unfortunately just not Hastings Rock. It became apparent that the pathetically thin stick-on aerial on my windscreen, despite previous good behaviour, was woefully inadequate to receive my favourite station and needed replacement.
I have now fitted a suitable upgrade on the roof of the vehicle (see picture) and all is well. In fact, it's the best addition to my van that I've ever done: superb signal, increased dynamic range and VERY LOUD!
If you'd like to improve your radio reception, just ask me for further details on what's involved. I will be pleased to help you out. XXXXX
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Is the 3 at 3 Feature Too Hard?
In the days leading up to the next show, I'm always plagued by a quandary: Is this week's 3 at 3 too difficult?
I am torn between two schools of thought. Should I continue roughly as I've done up to now; an easy set of tracks (or "clues", if you will) this week, followed by three more difficult ones next week. The trouble with making the answers too hard will tend to exclude some, if not most of the listeners - as happened last Sunday (26/3/26). Conversely, making them too easy could get boring for not only the listener, but also me!
I tend to favour making them "seem" difficult, whilst striving to actually pick the ones which have easy answers and have the bonus of allowing me to select three tracks or artists you wouldn't normally associate with each other.
The latter approach appeals to me the most and I really enjoy the "rabbit holes" I find myself diving down every week while researching the 3 at 3.
See you on Sunday at 2pm, on DAB for the 1st time!
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Are the Real, Live DJ's Days Numbered??
I asked AI to say what it knew about Rick Triumph. The result is below...
"Rick Triumph is a Hastings Rock Radio presenter best known for his lively Sunday slot, The C & I Show, a mix of humour, chaos, and rock.
Rick Triumph hosts The C & I Show, airing Sundays from 2–4pm, described as “2 hours of Chaos and Incompetence,” where DJ-ing is “optional.” His show blends quirky anecdotes, playful unpredictability, and rock tracks, attracting a loyal fan base. A signature feature is the World Famous 3 at 3—three themed songs listeners try to connect. Rick often engages directly with his audience through emails and texts, encouraging suggestions and participation."
Enlightening? Or frightening?
I didn't dare ask for it to generate a playlist....
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How Do You Listen to Hastings Rock?
My cat loves music, especially Rock music, which is pretty convenient for her because that's the genre which is most likely to be playing in the Triumph household.
She also prefers to sit on my lap, rather than anyone else's whilst enjoying "her" music", which is pretty inconvenient for me because she bitterly resents it if I dare to attempt to move for any reason: my leg gets cramped, the doorbell rings, I shift slightly to select another track, whatever. In fact, she appears to have a finely developed talent for mind-reading - if I even "think" about changing position, even slightly, she immediately goes into Ninja-mode; all claws, teeth and furious furry suicide bomber tactics to the fore!- all while nary a muscle of mine has even twitched. So I am pinned to the chair in completely immobile, seated trepidation, feline vengeance having been served.
So, in answer to the question posed in the headline, I listen to Hastings Rock in a constant state of nervous readiness.
Hope to see you on Sunday at 2pm.
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An Exciting New Development!
I've been involved with our beloved station now for quite a few years. During that time we've introduced a variety of innovations to our output, the most recent was when we launched full-time online broadcasting of Hastings Rock - a very successful and popular enhancement of our unique Radio Brand!
Next up is the addition of DAB Radio to the station franchise, and I can hardly wait for the official launch on May 2nd. I've retuned all of my DAB devices to include Hastings Rock in the station lists, in readiness.
I hope you remember to do the same ahead of the launch date - I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss such an important part of our history!
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Singular or Plural?
I always open my Sunday Show facebook post with "Good afternoon, Dear Listener" A few people have queried why I use "Listener" and not "Listeners"
A very famous radio DJ was once asked if he was nervous on-air, knowing that millions of fans were tuned in. He said it could be pretty daunting, especially when he first started out. His solution was to imagine it was just him and one other friendly person chatting and enjoying the music together. It works for me too, hence my use of the singular.
I'm unlikely to ever be so lucky as to have "millions of fans", but the couple of dozen who very kindly join me every week will suffice - I'm extremely grateful and very flattered that they do.
So, until next Sunday at 2 pm on Hastings Rock, be good, be careful and remember I LOVE YOU ALL! xxxxx
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Everything, Everywhere, All At Once!
It was an unexpected surprise to get an on-air phone call during last week's show; one of Hastings Rock's "real" DJ's, Andy Knight, unexpectedly phoned me in the studio to give us an on-the-spot update from the Hastings Half Marathon. It was a nerve-wracking moment for me because I've never taken a call on-air before whilst DJ-ing and didn't know how to put the discussion through the mixing desk and share it with our dear listeners...
A panicky, quick call to Nick Thomas soon helped out and I was able to achieve the connection. I think our listeners enjoyed the ensuing conversation as much as I did and hope to repeat the experience in future shows. A quick reminder - the clocks change at midnight this coming Saturday (28th March), so 1:00am becomes 2:00am etc. I'm on at 2pm on Sunday, as usual, and if you forget the time difference you'll miss the first hour of my show, which would be very upsetting! And you'll need a note from your mum.
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Does Everything It Says On The Tin!
Well, my most recent show, Sunday 15th March, lived up to the show strapline: "Chaos & Incompetence". Due to a technical error (the famous Wreck it Rick incompetence) the first half hour didn't go out. This will not happen again...(fingers crossed)
My next show will have a rather intriguing 3 at 3, plus all the usual stuff - rock stars' birthday etc - and will be a full 2 hours long.
I hope you can make it. If not, there is usually a repeat played out on Thursday morning - please check the main Schedule for confirmation. Bye for now and remember I LOVE YOU ALL! XXXXX
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Open to Listener's suggestions
I like to think of my Sunday show as an Open Club - free to join and everyone is invited to take part. My 3 at 3 "feature" is proving very popular; last week I received over 30 emails/texts from you trying to guess the answer! It would be great to add another regular slot during the show, maybe a brief "biog" of an artist or band, for instance. I'm sure that many of you have better suggestions for this. Please contact me during the show by email dj@hastingsrock.co.uk or text 07441 120877. I look forward to hearing from you.
