Ready to run with MTV

Phil Bostwick and Amber Peebles flee the scene. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

As MTV gears up to launch in New Zealand on August 18, we talk to hosts Amber Peebles and Phil Bostwick about their show, Full Tank, and why we should tune in

So, how did this morning go?

Phil: It was very exciting. We got to blow up an old Lancer in a quarry and run away from it. We were told to run on "three". We heard "three" but on "two" it exploded. So I've singed my leg hairs.

Amber: Yeah, this morning went so well. There was a huge explosion and flames and smoke, the whole nine yards. It was rad.

Was this the first of several crazy stunts or have you just blown the budget for the rest of the year?

Amber: Yeah, no more crazy stuff, that was it. No, just kidding. That was just setting the scene, letting you know what to expect. We're jumping out of helicopters with the Air Force ... we've got lots of crazy stuff lined up, which is all very exciting.

So, you're going to be New Zealand's answer to Jackass?

Amber: Well I don't know that we would compare, but we're going to be out and about doing crazy stuff. We're including the public with it, so it's not just "watch us be crazy".

What can people expect from Full Tank?

Amber: Basically, it's a really full-on travel show. We're taking musicians and taking them out of their comfort zone so you can get to know their personalities and not just what inspired them to write their latest hit.

Phil: The whole travel, culture, music show combined into one, with music videos. It's a show that stands on its own, without the music aspect, but we also have a big music side to it. On top of that it's going to be meeting people around the country and leaving our mark.

Amber, you're a bit of a Jill-of-all-trades and you've done makeup artistry, fashion design, beauty pageants. But what do you know about music?

Well, I worked with the Edge radio station for a couple of years so I learned a lot when I was with them. Between me and my partner we're pretty good friends with a fair amount of New Zealand artists. So I've got my street cred down.

Phil, this is your third sojourn into music television. Are you pretty cool, calm and collected about the whole thing?

I think I am. I just got back into the country and it's all very full on. It's going to be a big experience and MTV is really going to make its mark, I feel.

You've experienced first hand how tempestuous the world of music television can be. C4's just done a major cull of their presenters. Are you worried about the lifespan of this show and your role?

Not at all. It came a little bit out of the blue for me so I'm just excited to be doing it. At this stage we're going to take it up till Christmas and then get straight back into it afterwards. Because it's on Sky Digital means we're going to have that platform to give it as much airing as possible.

There's been some discussion that New Zealand doesn't need another music channel. What are you guys going to offer that's different?

Phil: MTV is going to be all your favourite MTV shows 24 hours a day. I guess Amber and I are going to bring a relaxed, real and genuine approach to it. We have a pretty good idea of New Zealand music. That's going to be a big angle for MTV New Zealand, pushing the local content as much as possible.

Amber: I think the circumstances we'll be in will bring out the real side of us, getting down and dirty.