Casey Bennetto
Casey Bennetto
Presents Superfluity
What good's a desert island if you're all alone?
How did you first connect with Triple R?
In a late-night flick around the dial, as a suburban (Greensborough) teenager sometime in the mid-1980s. I accidentally stumbled across James Baker doing an in-studio acoustic version of 'I Can’t Control Myself' – well, it was either that or some kind of space alien having a seizure. I still wake at nights in a sweat.
What/when was your first show?
I think for most folks it’s The Breakfasters, and that’s certainly the first long-term relationship I established, but it was long-distance too (9am still seems unreasonable to me, and 6am is only a fairytale told to frighten disobedient children). So it was probably The Cheese Shop, in the capable hands of the late and much-missed Mr Taranto.
What's your favourite Triple R story?
Too many great presenters, song selections, live-to-airs and moments to relate. The OBs from Trades during the Comedy Festival (Phil Nichol’s nakedness is better on radio). Steve Pang – that guy was great. And, if you’re talking the glamour of the everyday, there’s nothing like checking on the security door monitor during a midnight shift and seeing a drunk guy urinating in the alcove. It’s worth running a live-to-air commentary on.
Your favourite other Triple R program and why?
Too many to narrow it down – that’s kinda the point, you know? Otherwise RRR wouldn’t be what it is. Okay, so everyone shares part of the lives of the Breakfasters, but if I’m in the mood for disruption and brilliant ridiculousness, it’s Lime Champions; gotta always have Richard W and Smartarts burbling away in the background on a Thursday morning; the Ghost goes without saying; Transference; Twang; Dirty Deeds – and I don’t even like gardening; Paul H on Film Buff’s Forecast; Dave and Liz bringin’ it banana-styley ... you can’t make me choose, dammit! You can’t!
What does Triple R mean to you?
Passion.
Once I was standing in the middle of the crowd at the RRR stage of the Big Day Out. Beasts Of Bourbon took the stage with “Chase The Dragon” at monumental volume, and my left ear began making a noise I’ve never heard it make before or since – like a tent door flapping in a strong breeze. All I could see was “RRR” in huge letters, and all I could hear was a wild clack of sonic disruption. And I was thinking “If this were the JJJ stage, that distressing crackle would have stereo chorus on it. But it wouldn’t be anywhere near as feral, and it wouldn’t be half as good.”
Then I ran off to find some earplugs. The RRR subscription table was the only place that had any. Was it because only RRR prepares for all eventualities? Or was it because everyone else’s had run out, while most RRR fans of the Beasts were rubbing their ears on the FOH speakers saying “I just want to see what happens if they go 5dB louder”?
The studio door has accidentally jammed shut with you stuck inside. If there was only one CD in there with you what would you want it to be and why?
Why is there only one CD in here with me, what the hell happened to the stack? Why isn’t the Internet working on this computer?
You know what’s worse, it’s the fifth time this week that the door’s ‘accidentally’ jammed shut. And it seems like Dave Graney’s always just out in the green room with a smirk on his face... It’s... why, it’s... wait a minute...
