It was behind the scenes in television that Xan Phillips first began his broadcasting career. He was a freelance videotape editor working in news and then moved to making corporate and entertainment videos in Soho.
From Rock conferences in America to World Cup previews and satellite entertainment shows Xan has been involved in a variety of projects but also plenty of hard work.
In 1992 he began a five year career with Sky News, three of those spent with Adam Boulton at his Westminster office. It was a high pressure and adrenaline fuelled time.
The potential of the Internet grabbed his interest in 1997 and Xan began a new career as a webmaster. At the same time rejuvenating his radio hobby. The radio bug took over and by 2003 he was actively looking for a permanent job in the industry while taking his Internet skills and becoming one of the new breed of podcasters. One episode, featuring live music from an early Arctic Monkeys gig, resulted in 30GB of downloads in one month.
During most of the time above Xan was also a musician, playing bass guitar in a variety of bands. He even played the Marquee in London a couple of times and remembers vividly a couple of classic gigs in Belfast.
This may explain why he is so passionate about unsigned bands from this region, as he says: “These bands are only a signed contract away from a record deal and we’re playing them first on Original 106. When I was in a band it was always frustrating that 'our' radio stations wouldn't touch you unless you had a deal. The success of the Original Showcase proves them wrong.”
During the week he presents Late & Live'sspecialist shows from 10pm. Like his career so far, each evening is varied and content rich. From the relaxing vibe of Monday night’s Eclectica to Friday night’s excessively loud end to the week in the Arena - you’ll find a little of Xan’s life and influences in every show.
