An interview with the man who writes rock history

Alan Cross, music guru, author, and program director for 102.1 The Edge based out of Toronto has a wealth of knowledge regarding the history of rock music and has extensive experience in relation to the music industry.

A career that started by hosting a one-hour radio show at the University of Winnipeg in 1980, while studying Radio Broadcasting, Cross has had the opportunity to interview many of the most popular and successful rock musicians and bands in the past twenty-five years.

Many students would recognize Cross as the voice behind and the creator of “The Ongoing History of New Music” radio show that is syndicated locally on CFPL-FM, otherwise known as FM96, and also on rock stations across the country.

Cross said the best experiences he has had in the interviewing realm are with bands that have gained the most notoriety.

“The bigger they are, the more professional they are,” Cross said. “David Bowie and U2 are absolutely awesome. When you sit down with them they treat you like you are the only person in the world to them. Another one of the most professional interviews is with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, except it has to be on their terms, and it usually has to take place in a high end hotel in California.”

Cross said he has experienced many rock bands that are completely pleasant individuals.

“The nicest guy in rock is Dave Grohl,” Cross said. “Coldplay are great guys and the guys from Green Day are great people as well.”

Many factors come into account when landing a successful interview with a band including whether you have contacted them or whether they have contacted you Cross explained.

“Noel Gallagher (from the band Oasis), if you get him on the right day you can sit and talk to him for hours about English football or Caribbean travel, but if you get him on a bad day, you can't wait for the interview to be over,” Cross said. “I've had some really great interviews with Trent Reznor (from the band Nine Inch Nails) and I have had some really bad ones with him.”

The most difficult people to deal with in the industry are fresh, up-and-coming bands from Britain who have a couple of records under their belt, according to Cross.

“It's a combination of arrogance and wariness,” Cross said, regarding many young British bands. “They have likely been labeled as the next great thing in the UK (United Kingdom) or they have been ripped on in the British press. So they either think you are out to get them or knock them off of their perch so to speak.”

The worst band that he has dealt with was Beautiful South, a band out of the UK, Cross said.

“The day of the interview they were drunk when they got off their flight and pissed that they were missing an important British football playoff game or something,” Cross said. “First they refused to talk into the microphone, then they would only give ‘yes' or ‘no' answers, or a shrug. That interview only lasted ninety seconds.”

“The Ongoing History of New Music” debuted in February of 1993, and more than 525 hour-long episodes, four books, and more than a dozen CD compilations later, Cross is still researching, writing, and producing episodes on a weekly basis.

When asked how he continuously generates new and fresh material, Cross said it is a constant battle.

“You know when you are a student and you're sitting there on a Sunday night and your essay is due the next morning and your staring at a blank computer screen? That is me every week,” Cross said. “I'm always collecting information from newspapers, magazines, and websites. But seriously, if it gets me excited, how would it make others feel? I go with ideas that excite me and interest me.”

Cross said he did not envision the success and longevity of the show when he first started it in 1993.

“On so many levels the show should not work,” Cross said. “The host talks too much, the host often plays non-mainstream music, and the host never mentions the station during the broadcast. However, knowledge is power and people who love music are very passionate. I try to talk with that same type of passion.”

An inside scoop of upcoming “On Going History of New Music” episodes and themes for 2007 include, the greatest musical gadgets, rock n' roll hotels, and a series of episodes on Tool, Cross said.

People can hear new episodes of “The On Going History of New Music” on FM96, every Sunday at 7 p.m.