I do get to pick my own subjects on Robert’s show. As long as it’s likely to be intersting to his key demographic – over 35 and under 70, in other words a bit like me – I tend to get away with it. I don’t think I’ve ever come up with a theme in 3 years he didn’t like, although I usually have to wait till he’s safely on his holidays before I can use the dreaded B word. That’s the Beatles by the way.

Anyway there’s a lot around about Ziggy Stardust at the moment. It’s an incredibly important record for kids of my vintage and it was released on June 6 1972, so it’s 40 years old. A birthday worth celebrating of course but others have done a fine job already, Gary Kemp on radio and Jarvis Cocker on TV. And me earlier in the year when Bowie turned 65.

So I thought I’d do something slightly different.

One of the reasons we still discuss ‘Ziggy Stardust’ so reverentially is the seismic impact that it had on the lives of people like us of a certain age, and in particular as a result of the appearance of David Bowie and the Spiders From Mars on Top of the Pops. For 11 year olds like me, an intense interest in music started in that July moment and pop music went from the dazzling and throwaway Slade or (worse) Sweet to the dazzling and important ‘Starman’. This stuff had depth I thought. Add to it Alice Cooper’s School’s Out and Roxy Music’s Virginia Plain in consecutive months and life would never be the same

So this week I’m going to take a look at Zigy and TOTP and 2 or 3 other TV shows that may have changed the lives of their generation too.

I’ll be on with Robert tomorrow July 4th, just after the 12.30 News on BBC London 94.9FM or online at www.bbc.co.uk/london. See you there.

There’s a series of live events in Hyde Park with Robert Elms starting next Thursday 5 July called Thursday Night Live. They are every Thursday at 7.30pm throughout July and August and so far I have agreed to appear at three of them.

Of course I’ll do it, Bob, I said, admittedly before completely thinking it through, I’ll do a bit on the Stones in the Park in 1969, before thinking that maybe, just maybe people may not want to pony up cash money to see me droning on about who made Mick Jagger’s skirt 40 years ago when they can get stuff like that for free on the BBC every other Wednesday. It was Mr Fish of Mayfair by the way. 17 Clifford Street to be exact. Anyway I am quietly excited about appearing to be honest. Roll on Thursday.

The evenings are essentially live versions of the Robert Elms Show in front of audience in the gorgeous new pavillion in front of the Serpentine Gallery. Apparently 250-plus people can fit beneath the pond-roof and Robert and I will be sitting in the middle of them all, talking about The Stones free concert in Hyde Park in 1969. Max Hutchinson from the radio show will be there, as will some genuinely interesting guests – magicians, singers and comedians – before Gary Kemp, ex-Spandau Ballet leader, all-round very nice bloke and as it happens still Robert Elms’ best friend 30 years on from Billy’s on Dean Street – finishes things off with an acoustic set of Spandau classics. In future weeks Chas Hodges and Suggs are lined up and I think I could retire a happy man if I can say I shared a stage with any of these chaps.

I really should have started a blog years ago of course…

I’ve been contributing to the Robert Elms Show on BBC London 94.9FM since 2009 and have bothered the listener with more arcane trivia about London’s rock and roll stories than is good for their health. Who ran The Who’s Fan Club in 1964 and 1965? TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s mum. What was Johnny ‘Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache’ Johnson’s real name? It was Johnny Mathis but he had to change it for obvious reasons. Who sings backing vocals on Tom Jones’ Delilah? Podgy Reg Dwight from Pinner, although you’ll know him better as Elton John. 

Just before we went on air the first time, Robert asked me how I wanted to be introduced. As a rock ‘n’ roll historian? Nah, I said, everyone’s a Rock ‘n’ Roll Historian. What about Rock ‘n’ Roll Geographer? God no, he said, that sounds ridiculous. And in the two seconds before he put the faders up and I spoke on air for the first time, he said What about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Routemaster? Not a lot of choice to be honest but I’ve grown to like it. Actually I’ve also done a couple of things for National Public Radio in the United States so maybe I’m now the Rock ‘n’ Roll Globemaster.

I’ll check in again soon.