The life of a ‘Rock Jock’ – Friday drinks

Staff Writer

Adelaide radio legend David ‘Daisy’ Day has written a terrific autobiography called ‘Rock Jock’.

It’s a wonderful warts & all account of his drama filled life, from his days of growing up in a small New South Wales rural town to becoming a top Adelaide DJ.

Daisy has given Radio Today exclusive rights to publish excerpts from ‘Rock Jock’. Read part 1 and Greg Smith's chat with him here.

Below is part 2…..

There was definitely a different culture in radio in the ’70s and ’80s. At SAFM, we would have what was called a team meeting on Fridays at five in the boardroom to wrap up the working week and then have a few drinks. Quite a few drinks! True to God, there were still staff drinking in that boardroom on the Saturday afternoon. Even during the week, just a nod and a wink to the cleaner—an always lovely, old Italian lady named Rena the Cleaner—and the boardroom would remain open at night.

‘You remember to locka da boardrum door when you go, Mr David, or I will get da sack.’

‘Yeah, no worries, Luv. I’m just gonna get a Coke.’ My cans of Coke were infamous. Pour half down the sink and fill the can back up with whisky. I couldn’t drink beer while I was on the air. It used to make me burp.

When the cleaner ‘accidentally’ locked the boardroom at night, there was always a way around it, discovered by late-night jock, Chris Tangey. If you moved a large roof tile in the men’s toilet, you could crawl into the ceiling and then work your way to the boardroom. You’d gently let yourself down onto the boardroom table and then lock the door after finishing your shift.

This nocturnal adventure was knocked in the head one night when, after one too many, Chris lost his direction in the ceiling. Unfortunately, he lost his footing too, crashing down onto a desk in the sales area and totally destroying it.

Chris was a great ceiling adventurer, but the ceiling was swapped for the rooftop one year on a New Year’s Eve. Chris left the studio at midnight, climbed upon the roof at the SAFM Greenhill Road building and let off a whole bunch of sky rockets. He wasn’t missing the celebrations. I must point out also that Chris never did drugs. Chris moved on to do some great work at Impaja TV in Alice Springs. It was an appropriate move for him because he already owned a pair of thongs that he wore to work every day.

AND THEN it changed.

The beer fridge got a lock on it. The whisky cabinet had one bottle in it, and that had a lock on it too. The team meeting still happened at 5, but now go into SAFM/Triple M or just about any radio station and you’ll find staff back at their desks by 5.30 still slaving away and giving their ounce of blood … sober. Fools!

Daisy’s book is available from www.youviewaustralia.com.au for $25.00 plus postage and handling. It’s a must read.

We'll have more excerpts soon on Radio Today.

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