Keeping It Peel

More than 300 concerts are due to take place around the world today, to celebrate the first annual John Peel Day held in honour of the veteran BBC DJ's dedication to unsung artists.

Peel, one of the UK's best-loved radio presenters, died of a heart attack aged 65 while on holiday in Peru last October.

The John Peel Day will feature a 6-hour show on BBC Radio 1 and over 300 gigs around the world which will celebrate Peel's diverse taste in music.



The BBC said events, which mark the DJ's last broadcast a year ago, would be held in the UK, Spain, Germany, Italy, the US, Holland and New Zealand.

The first tribute gig last night featured New Order, The Fall and Super Furry Animals -- bands Peel championed -- alongside lesser known groups such as Jawbone and Venetian Snares at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.

Peel, whose laconic style and northern English accent was immediately recognisable, made his name by backing new music trends like punk on mainstream radio.

"We owe him a great deal and it's unrepayable really," New Order bassist Peter Hook told BBC radio. "When we were nothing he gave us a chance and for no financial reward -- just the happiness of loving music.

"The thing I love about him was he loved bad bands, good bands and everybody in the middle."

Amongst the thousands of bands who recorded legandary "Peel Sessions" for his show were ACDC, Billy Bragg, Blur, Black Sabbath, Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Buzzcocks, Captain Beefheart, The Cure, The Damned, Dave Clarke, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Dinosaur Jr, Elvis Costello, The Faces, Flaming Lips, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, Happy Mondays, Jesus and Mary Chain, Jimi Hendrix, Joy Division, Led Zeppelin, Madness, My Bloody Valentine, Napalm Death, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Nirvana, The Orb, Orbital, PJ Harvey, Pavement, Pearl Jam, Pet Shop Boys, Pink Floyd, The Pixies, The Police, Queen, Randy Newman, Robert Wyatt, Roxy Music, Smashing Pumpkins, The Smiths, Sonic Youth, Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Specials, Squeeze, Steeleye Span, Stealer's Wheel, Supertramp, T.Rex, Teenage Fanclub, Thin Lizzy, Traffic, UB40, The Undertones.

UNICEF Kills Smurfs

It's part of a TV campaign in Belgium to shock people into raising awareness and money for UNICEF's work in Africa.

The cartoon ad starts peacefully with birds, butterflies and happy Smurfs playing and singing their theme song. Then, suddenly out of the sky, bombs come down onto their village, scattering Smurfs and setting their houses on fire.

The bombs kill Smurfette leaving Baby Smurf orphaned and crying. Papa Smurf runs away as the houses in the Smurf village catch fire.



The video ends with the message , "Don't let war destroy the children's world."

UNICEF is asking for donations to help children who'd been forced to be soldiers in Africa.

The campaign is aimed at shocking viewers into action. A UNICEF spokesman said "it's working."

See the advert HERE.

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