A VO link to Planet Rock
“Who is the voice-over on Planet Rock?” Its one of the regular questions that I’ve noticed keeps coming up in the key word search terms section of my Google analytics for this website.
Well the first thing to say is it’s not me! Google searches probably show you my site because I’m a voiceover artist – and because I mention on the website that I used to be a presenter on Planet Rock (I did the first show when it launched and then did 4 years full time from 1999 to 2003). But I can understand why people would be searching for the identity of the digital radio rock station’s voice over: he’s got a great voice!
He’s been the voice for Planet Rock since day one and I’ve always felt his voice helped to create an identifiable brand personality for the station. The voice artist in question has a great, deep, really distinctive and full of character voice. Coupled with great lines like : “you used to frighten your parents – now your music scares your kids” and “its where the blues met blue suede shoes” the distinctive voice helps to sum up where the audience are (mostly aging dad rockers who still love their Motorhead and AC/DC) as well as giving great imagery to the shared heritage of “good ol’ rock’n’roll” that listeners can identify with.
I’ve never met the voice artist in question – but I’m pretty sure a while ago I was up against him for a car ad I was asked to voice for a production company in the Dubai. I got sent the script and it was clear the voice for the ad needed to be like one of those massive, deep, movie promo voices (like the late Don La Fontaine used to do).
So I cleared my throat and went as deep as I could go. The producer said to me “can you get it deeper, bigger, with more bass?”. So I expanded my chest and got really close to the mic to get the benefit of the proximity effect (which boosts the bass end). Still not really what they wanted. We spent half an hour with me trying desperately to get “a really deep, low, thundery bass sound” and all the time I was wondering which demo of mine they’d played to the client that had led to me being cast for the gig.
Eventually we had to give up – I just couldn’t get my voice resonant and deep enough . Afterwards I phoned the person who’d booked me – only to discover that there had been a mix up – the client had heard a demo from a VO called Chris (not me) but the production company had booked the wrong Chris – me. To this day I’m sure the guy they needed was the guy who does the Planet Rock idents – Chris Grant – you can hear him here here