Tom Dunne: Peel, Fanning and the thrill of young bands' radio sessions 

After listening for years to sessions recorded by everyone from The Kinks to REM, it was a real pleasure to do a few on my own show, including one standout gem 

The late John Peel recorded many great sessions in the BBC studios. (Photo by Len Trievnor/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

A question: has the golden age of the radio session silently passed? In the UK it was legendary sessions on the John Peel Show. When RTÉ 2FM launched it was the Dave Fanning show. These sessions made bands. Other shows scurried to play them. But is it over?

The idea of the session seems to have been subsumed into mainstream radio. They are still recorded but they are mostly for key daytime shows and as a result feature key daytime acts, the Ed Sheeran’s of this world. Bands you know already, that are unlikely to surprise you.