Show Notes
This week on Oh! Brother, we were chuffed to have the one and only Spider Stacy on the pod. Spider takes us right back to the pre‑Pogues days (the New Bastards, Millwall Chainsaws, Burton Street squats), the Ramones at the Roundhouse encounter with Shane, and how those first “Irish rebel songs” gigs snowballed from Cabaret Futura to suddenly packed rooms.
We also get into The Nips, Elvis Costello taking them out on the road, studio realities on Rum Sodomy & the Lash (whistle overdubs and all), and his first proper brush with The Fall via Peel and Industrial Estate. Plus: Ronnie Drew and the Dubliners, the Jack’s Heroes chaos, and what it’s been like keeping the songs alive with the post‑Shane live shows. Hope you enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Oh! Brother
Music writer, consultant and friend of the show Daryl Easlea sits down with Paul and Steve to explain how a request for 500 words on a budget CD launched his sleevenotes career. His first subjects were Sergio Mendes and the exclamation-mark incarnation of Ultravox!, which is a respectable range by anybody’s standards. From his arrival at Record Collector to his enduring love of The Fall, Daryl reflects on being a musical generalist, finding the melody in Status Quo and searching patiently for the appeal of death metal.
Recorded live at Futures and Pasts, this special episode of Oh! Brother sees Paul and Steve joined on stage by the Poet Laureate himself, Simon Armitage. Simon looks back on discovering The Fall as a teenager, his early gigs, and what it is about Mark E. Smith's lyrics that has captivated so many writers.
This week Paul and Steve welcome Liverpool musician Barry Sutton, former Fall roadie and founder of Beatnik Hurricane. Barry recalls hearing Slates at 15, abandoning prog on the spot and beginning his long association with The Fall. He also covers the drum stands he may or may not have set up, his expulsion from school and his family's habit of setting off fire alarms. Paul and Steve also ask him about Beatnik Hurricane's film Sketches of Skem. Hope you enjoy!
This week on Oh! Brother, we were thrilled to welcome Manchester music legend and Mercury Prize-winner Badly Drawn Boy (Damon Gough) to the show. Damon talks us through his early days as a tape-op at Square One Studios in Bury, his years at print works and music college, and how hearing Springsteen and The Stranglers sparked his obsession with sound. We also hear the full story of how Mark E. Smith mistook him for a taxi driver outside Night and Day — complete with false teeth and a Pet Sounds cassette — leading to their collaboration on "Calendar", plus Damon reflects on life after quitting the booze, his friendship with Mark over the years, and the John Spencer Blues Explosion gig that changed everything. Hope you enjoy!
This week on Oh! Brother, we welcome BC Camplight — aka Brian Christinzio. Brian discusses discovering the piano as a child, beginning his career in Philadelphia and finding a new home in Manchester. He also recalls his unusual introduction to The Fall, reflects on his approach to recording and production, and prepares to reinterpret songs covered by the band for Futures and Pasts. Hope you enjoy!