The Kenis Menis Rock Giants

The Kenis Menis Rock Giants was a radio show broadcast for two series from 1996-1998 on the University of Warwick station W963, before enjoying national FM coverage for a brief spell. It returned for a third series under the guise of "What's The Price Of Kenis Menis?" before airing its final show in June 1999.

History

The original line up of the show saw the pairing of ex-Reuters and BBC artisan Matthew Keen and journalist Luke Manning. Keen and Manning were joined in the second and third series by technology consultant James Mottram and Evenflowerskill bassist, Andrew Price, in the final year.

There were a series of special appearances from guest presenters throughout the history of the show, notably former senior Blockbuster director Duane Betts, the then cultural attaché for Japan, Richard Broadhead, Daily Telegraph analyst Brett Wilding and award winning chef Matthew Stone.

Style

The show predominantly focused on heavy metal and rock music but there was a marked change in the third series, "What's The Price Of Kenis Menis?", which saw increased time allocated to electronica and down-tempo bands.

Controversy

Given the nature of the music and the swearing ban imposed at the time on W963, lyrics and guest presenters were often threatened with censure. Despite frequent warnings from the W963 heirachy and formal proceedures being threatened, the show enjoyed a three year uninterupted spell.

Legacy

The Kenis Menis Rock Giants remains in 7th place on the list of "most influential shows on the University of Warwick", one place behind Steve Merchant's "Steve Show".

It was widely credited with launching the career of electronic rock band, Death In Vegas.