Music Maps Podcast
Each episode uses a place as a jumping off point for a conversation about music, exploring locations from the obvious to the obscure. Join the hosts as they build a music map of the world, discussing songs and artists connected to different places.
Episodes
Adam & The Ants with Marco Pirroni
Marco Pirroni joins us to talk us through his huge success with Adam & The Ants - Marco’s new book Your Money Or Your Life is out now. It all starts with a note through Marco’s door which simply says ‘Call Me, Adam’. The next day Marco & Adam Ant meet & before long they are recording together at Rockfield Studios. Drummers Chris Hughes, Terry Lee & bassist Kevin Moon
132 - When UK Punk Went Pop - The Jam, Madness, Fanzines, The Face & more
Tony Fletcher joins us to talk about his new book POW!: When UK Punk Went Pop, 1980-84.Starting with his Jammin’ fanzine at age 13, by the time he is 14 Tony writes a letter to Paul Weller & receives a reply. He is invited to RAK Studios in London whereThe Jam are making what becomes All Mod Cons.He begins a relationship with The Jam & amongst other tales nearly ends up with the famou
131 - Elliott Smith with Jamie Fisher
Elliott Smith is our focus this week & we are joined by Jamie Fisher whose new book - Nobody Broke Your Heart: An Intimate Biography of Elliott Smith is out now in the UK & the US. What differentiates Jamie’s book from others about Elliott Smith is the people who she spoke to when writing it - the Smith family were involved & talked to her at length. Elliot Smith’s formative
130 - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young with Rolling Stone's David Browne
Our first episode focusing on Crosby, Stills Nash & Young with Rolling Stone’s David Browne.David’s book is out now or on audio if you prefer. David also has a regularly updated substack you can subscribe to with lots of his music writing. CSNY comes together after David Crosby, Stephen Stills & Graham Nash all leave their previous bands (Crosby from The Byrds, Stills from Buffal
129 - Pub Rock, Ian Dury, Joe Strummer, The Sex Pistols, Dr. Feelgood, Nick Lowe & more with Mark Wilkerson
In the early 1970s the music scene is dominated by prog rock concept pieces, synth solos & overblown tours. The societal backdrop in Great Britain is one of labour & coal strikes, riding inflation & unemployment & a struggling economy. In the background of this upheaval an American band named Eggs Over Easy begin to play gigs at The Tally-Ho in Kentish Town in North Londo
128 - Jimi Hendrix with Jimi's roadie Eric Barrett
Our first episode about Jimi Hendrix & we are joined by Jimi’s former roadie Eric Barrett. Eric ran into Mitch Mitchell & Noel Redding, bassist & drummer in The Jimi Hendrix Experience in a club & received a phone call shortly after asking him to fly to Milan to work his first gig with Jimi. Eric had met them on a previous tour working for a band named The Koobas who had
127 - Raised On Radio - Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola: The AOR Glory Years 1976-1986 with Paul Rees
This week we take a deep dive into the AOR scene of the 1980s, re-appraising some often overlooked bands & music. We start with the story of Boston, where an MIT graduate named Tom Scholz spends 7 years practicing & making demos before coming up with ‘More Than a Feeling’ & achieving huge success. Meanwhile Ann & Nancy Wilson form the female fronted band Heart - scoring s
126 - Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska with Warren Zanes
Join us for a deep dive into Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska with writer Warren Zanes, author of Deliver Me From Nowhere which was recently made into a Hollywood movie. In late 1981 Bruce Springsteen is coming off his biggest success to date with The River album & tour plus his first hit single, Hungry Heart. But rather than offer more of the same Springsteen offers a curveball - a quie
125 - Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac with Rachel Brodsky
We are joined by author Rachel Brodsky to talk about the life & career of Stevie Nicks. Rachel’s new book Lessons & Lace is out now. Stevie Nicks was born in Phoenix & moved around a lot as a child, finally settling in Los Angeles. Her grandfather AJ Nicks was a country singer who would take her to saloons her played in as a child. She grew up listening to the likes of t
124 - Simon Reynolds on Shoegaze, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Sonic Youth, Pavement & more
Simon Reynolds joins us to talk about his new book Still in a Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984–1994. Against a backdrop of Margaret Thatcher’s third term in Downing Street & Stock, Aitken & Waterman’s domination of the pop charts a new scene begins to emerge. Starting with the Cocteau Twins & developing to include My Bloody Valentine & more, a n
123 - Dolly Mixture, The Jam, Captain Sensible with Debsey Wykes
Join us for a live recording with Debsey Wykes about her book Teenage Daydream: We Are The Girls Who Play In A Band. Debsey’s early musical experiences were centred around Cambridge & her early interests included The Bay City Rollers, Queen & David Bowie. Punk arrived soon after & her tastes developed into The Damned, The Jam & The Stranglers. Her & a couple of f
122 - Elvis Presley & Colonel Tom Parker with Peter Guralnick
We welcome legendary music writer Peter Guralnick as we take a deep dive into the fascinating relationship between Elvis Presley & his manager Colonel Tom Parker. Peter first gained access to Parker’s archives in the mid 1990s & what he found may change your view of Tom Parker & his relationship with Elvis.Parker was born in Breda, Holland in 1909 & came to the US in 1926, ren
121 - The Birth of British Rock & Roll with Brian Bennett (The Shadows) & Clem Cattini (The Tornados)
An episode we have wanted to bring you since before we recorded our first episode - the birth of British rock & roll with 2 legendary drummers, Brian Bennett from The Shadows & Clem Cattini of The Tornados. It starts at the 2i’s Coffee Bar at 59 Old Compton Street, Soho in London. Opened by 2 Iranian brothers (hence the name) the coffee bar is taken over by 2 professional wrestle
120 - The History of the Velvet Underground with Richie Unterberger
We turn our attention to one of the most influential bands of all time, The Velvet Underground for the first time with biographer Richie Unterberger. Lou Reed grew up in suburban Freeport, Long Island listening to the first wave of rock & roll. Later at Syracuse University Reed began to write future Velvet Underground tracks including Heroin & I’m Waiting For The Man, while there
119 - Yoko Ono & the Avante-Garde Diaspora with Paul Morley
Join us & Paul Morley to hear all about Yoko Ono & the Avant-Garde Diaspora. We hear about her early years in Tokyo, born into an almost aristocratic background via her banker father, before her eventual relocation to New York to enter the art world.Once in New York Yoko goes on to create numerous significant works of art including Cut Piece & Grapefruit before meeting John Lennon
118 - Glasgow Barrowlands with Alison Irvine
Join us for a deep dive into an iconic gig venue, the legendary Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom. The building was first opened by Maggie McIver on Christmas Eve 1934 & hosts dances for the East End of Glasgow for decades, however once the big band era passes the venue begins to decline & loses popularity following the infamous Bible John murders in the late 1960s. After a brief perio
117 - Ringo Starr & The Beatles with Tom Doyle
So today we take a deep dive into the early life of Ringo Starr, how he joined the Beatles & their subsequent unprecedented success. After overcoming various serious Illnesses as a child, a young Ringo first develops an interest in drumming while in hospital recovering. His first arrives courtesy of stepfather Harry Graves & before long Ringo is drumming in skiffle bands around L
116 - The Coral with James Skelly, Nick Power & James Slater (Hoylake)
Join us for a very special live episode to mark the release of Dreaming Of You - The Making of the Coral - the new documentary available now to rent or buy. Our starting point is the faded seaside town of Hoylake, on the Wirral Peninsula near Liverpool, where The Coral meet & come together to form the band. Before music James & Ian Skelly live in a fantasy world of Ghostbusters,
115 - John Altman on Monty Python, Prince, Muddy Waters, Amy Winehouse & more
AltmanJohn’s Uncles Sid Phillips & Wolf Phillips were big band conductors at the London Palladium so John grew up around the likes of Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong & Jack Benny.At a young age he played with the likes of Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, John Martyn, Nick Drake, Bridget St. John & Kevin Ayers.He joined Hot Chocolate & also found time to jam with Jimi Hendr
Inside The Gang Of Four with Jon King (Leeds)
Jon King joins us to talk about the early years & formation of the Gang of Four - formed at Leeds University while Jon studied art. Jon was born in South London but moved to a village near Sevenoaks in Kent & while the King household rarely featured music, Jon grew up listening to Motown & Trojan Records before discovering Bob Dylan & the Velvet Underground. Another notab
113 - Paul McCartney in the 70s & the end of The Beatles with Tom Doyle
Take a deep dive with us into the end of the Beatles, Paul McCartney in the 70s, Wings Over America, Mary Had a Little Lamb, feuding with John Lennon & more with writer Tom Doyle whose McCartney biography Man On The Run is out now. The Beatles come to an end & Paul takes refuge at High Park Farm in Scotland, taking a little time to consider his next move. Amid the Paul Is Dead ru
112 - Melissa Auf der Maur on Hole, Smashing Pumpkins & more (Montreal)
This week we welcome Melissa Auf der Maur to hear about her new book Even The Good Girls Cry - out now on Atlantic Books. Our starting point is Montreal as Melissa recounts growing up listening to The Cure & The Smiths, studying photography & seeing Hole & Smashing Pumpkins in one week in 1991 - both bands she would later join. On her first meeting with Hole, Melissa in force
111 - Nirvana with Everett True (Olympia, Washington)
Join us for our first episode on one of the seminal bands of the 90s - Nirvana with legendary music writer Everett True. His book Nirvana - The True Story is out now. Kurt Cobain & Krist Novoselic meet in Aberdeen, Washington but it’s in Tacoma & Olympia where the band really comes together. We hear about Kurt’s early influences including The Melvins, The Raincoats, The Pastels,
110 - 50 Years of The Undertones with Damian O'Neill Undertones (Derry)
This week we celebrate 50 years of The Undertones with guitar player Damian O’Neill. Damien kept diaries during the early years of the band & reads extracts for us throughout & he tells us about joining the band age 15 & their first gig at a local scout hall. From there The Undertones honed their craft playing regularly at The Casbah in their hometown of Derry, Northern Ireland.&n
109 - The Ramones with Everett True (Forest Hills, New York)
This week we travel to Forest Hills, Queens, New York to trace the origins of the legendary punk band The Ramones. While Joey Ramone is actually the only Ramone born in Forest Hills, it is this conversation suburb of New York which creates one of the iconic bands in the history of NYC. The bands influences include 1960s Girl Groups, The Beatles, The Beach Boys & Elvis Presley. T
108 - Music Maps LIVE with Amy Rigby & Kathy Valentine
This week we bring you a very special conversation between singer/songwriter Amy Rigby & Kathy Valentine (The Go-Go’s) to mark the publication of Amy’s brand new book Girl To Country. Amy Rigby has established herself as one of America’s enduring underground/cult/indie artists, combining the insight and humor of country and folk songwriting with classic rock craftsmanship and punk DIY spi
107 - The Beatles in the Phillippines with David Guerrero (Manila)
In July of 1966 the biggest band in the world touched down in Manila in the Philippines to play 2 shows at the Rizal Memorial Stadium - and we are joined by David Guerrero whose book You Won't See Me - When The Beatles Ghosted Imelda is out now on Penguin. Why did the Beatles choose to play in the Philippines? Who made the call to tack it onto an existing trip to Japan? There are a number of bizar
106 - Carole King with Jane Eisner (Brooklyn)
This week we start in Brooklyn to chart the life & career of Carole King - from her beginnings as part of a local Doo Woo group through to the unprecedented success of Tapestry via New York’s Brill Building. Carole King & Gerry Goffin’s big break came when they are asked to write a hit for girl group The Shirelles - the song they hand in, Will You Love Me Tomorrow shoots to number 1 &
105 - The Stranglers with Baz Warne
Baz Warne frontman of The Stranglers joins us this week to talk us through his new book & to tell us a little about his recent tour & his history with The Stranglers, the Toy Dolls & more. Baz was born in Sunderland but it was while briefly living in Vancouver he first discovered the guitar. Upon returning to Sunderland, Baz sets about learning to play. His diligence is rewar
104 - Faith No More with Roddy Bottum
Roddy Bottum is best known as the keyboard player in Faith No More & his new book The Royal We is out now on Akashic Books. Roddy moves to San Francisco from L.A. in 1981 & a l;ittle while later he joins what was originally known as Faith No Man. After a few lineup changes (including a brief stint with Courtney Love as lead vocalist) the band morphs into the first incarnation of Faith
103 - The Undertones, Teenage Kicks & John Peel with Mickey Bradley
This week we celebrate 50 years of The Undertones with the one & only Mickey Bradley - our starting point is Derry in the late 1970s as we trace the formation of the band at the O’Neill house on Beechwood Avenue. Although the initial idea for the Undertones was a folk band playing Mandolins - everything changes when they hear The Ramones & the early punk records - realising they need
102 - Paul Weller- The Oral History with Steve Brookes, Eddie Piller & Dan Jennings
This week we are joined by an all-star panel comprising founder member of The Jam, Steve Brookes, Acid Jazz founder Eddie Piller & Dan Jennings, author of Paul Weller - The Oral History. We retrace the early years of The Jam from Steve & Paul playing in Paul’s bedroom on Stanley Road in Woking, through Bruce Foxton & Rick Buckler joining the band. However Steve dislikes the d
101 - The Blitz with Robert Elms
This week esteemed writer & broadcaster Robert Elms joins us to tell us about the legendary Blitz nightclub in London’s Convent Garden. Back then Central London looked very different to today - back then it was an empty & desolate wasteland of abandoned buildings & crumbling blocks. But from this rose a cultural phenomenon - starting at Billy’s as a David Bowie night & th
100 - Dexys Midnight Runners with Kevin Rowland
Join us to celebrate 100 episodes of Music Maps with the mighty Kevin Rowland to discuss hew recent memory Bless Me Father & the story of Dexys Midnight Runners. We start with Kevin’s early years in Wolverhampton, the families relocation to the London suburbs & how he ended up attending the 1966 World Cup Final & briefly meeting Cassius Clay. Kevin’s tells us about his early
99 - Ringo Starr & The Beatles with Tom Doyle
Our starting point is the breakup of The Beatles as writer Tom Doyle joins us to talk through the life of Ringo Starr, his biography is out now. His debut album Sentimental Journey arrives in March of 1970 & is quickly followed up with Beaucoup of Blues, a set of country standards. Ringo has also began to build an acting career with The Magic Christian alongside Peter Sellars. An appearan
98 - A Certain Ratio - Live At Hurrah 1980
Join us for a live conversation linked to the recent release of ACR:NYC - Live at Hurrah 1980, with A Certain Ratio, director Merrill Aldighieri - moderated by Dave Haslam.45 years after A Certain Ratio’s first performance in the US (at Hurrah, NYC in September 1980) the band premiere a film of the performance. The Hurrah performance took place on 12 Sept, just before the band took to the studio t
97 - Pulp with Mark Webber (Sheffield)
Join us to hear all about Pulp with Mark Webber - Mark found his way into the band by way of running the fan club (Pulp People) before eventually joining full time in 1995.Mark's wonderful new book 'I'm With Pulp Are You' traces the band's history in forensic detail via the many bits of Pulp ephemera Mark collected over the years. We hear about his initial Pulp fandom, getting to know the band lon
96 - 1995 with Anna Doble
Join us to round out 2025 by travelling back 30 years to 1995 with writer Anna Doble. Among much more we discuss the battle of Britpop with Blur v Oasis, the disappearance of Richie Edwards & the return of the Manic Street Preachers, the emergence of Supergrass, the joy of making tapes, our favourites from 1995, Pulp headlining Glastonbury, Oasis playing Earls Court, queuing up for gig ti
95 - David Bowie with Paul Morley
This week we are joined by music writer Paul Morley to guide us through the early years of David Bowie - from his early life in Brixton & Bromley through to his formative experiences in Soho, his early bands & his original desire to be a saxophone player. We find out what led to his rebranding of himself from David Jones into the David Bowie the world came to know. After meeting
94 - Del Amitri with Justin Currie (Glasgow)
This week we welcome Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie to talk us through the history of the band - starting in Glasgow in the early 1980s following in the footsteps of the success of the Sound Of Young Scotland on Postcard Records.She bands first releases appear to significant fanfare after Melody Maker featured the band on the cover before they’ve released anything - bit their debut on Chrysalis
93 - The Beach Boys with Peter Doggett (Hawthorne, California)
The story of the Beach Boys begins in Hawthorne, California in the late 1950s as the band come together led by Brian Wilson, originally as The Pendletones & Dennis Wilson suggests they focus on surfing themed material. They sign with Capitol Records in 1961 & soon have chart success with Surfin’ Safari, Surfin’ USA & Surfer Girl. There is also more introspective material appe
92 - Pamela Des Barres
Join us to discuss a music book classic ‘I’m With The Band - Confessions of a Groupie’ with Pamela Des Barres. Pamela’s first touchstone in music was the Beatles & she became on obsessive Beatlemaniac after the Fab Four arrive on US soil in early 1964. The following year she met Captain Beefheart & it opened up a new world to her on the Sunset Strip in LA. Before long she wa
91 - Pink Floyd with Mark Blake
Join us & writer Mark Blake to hear about the formation & early years of Pink Floyd - from their beginnings in Cambridge, ultimately relocating to London where the band gets going. Syd Barrett's songwriting develops quickly & before long the band are playing iconic gigs & 'happenings' at UFO, the Marquee & the Roundhouse. Joe Boyd produces debut single Arnold Layne but is repla
90 - Ride with Steve Queralt (Oxford)
This week we are joined by Ride bassist Steve Queralt to discuss his new album Swallow - which is out now on Sonic Cathedral featuring contributions from Emma Anderson (Lush) & Verity Susman (Memorials). We also delve into the history of Ride starting in Oxford in the late 1980s where Steve met Andy Bell & Mark Gardner at college, even making a recording of Freedom by George Michael with A
89 - Live 8 with Paul Vallely
This week we travel back 20 years to 2005 with writer Paul Vallely to hear about Live 8, the G8 summit, Bob Geldof & Bono & more. So it starts in 1997 with the landslide general election win for Tony Blair & New Labour. The government will ultimately be sympathetic to the issues of debt & aid which come to the fore eight years later with the huge gig in Hyde Park in London the week
88 - R.E.M. Twin Tone Records, Big Star & more with Peter Jesperson
We are joined by Peter Jesperson as he tells us about his time spent with R.E.M. & his role in Twin Tone Records in the twin cities of Minneapolis/St.Paul. We also squeeze in a couple of stories about his time around Alex Chilton & the 1993 Big Star reunion. Peter's career began importing records into Minneapolis from the UK at legendary record store Oar Folk, specifically the first releas
87 - The Wild Swans with Paul Simpson (Liverpool)
This week we get to talk about one of the best music books of recent years Revolutionary Spirit by Paul Simpson. Paul was born in Liverpool but grew up in Lancashire alongside future members of Echo & the Bunnymen - Les Patterson & Will Sergeant. After relocating back to Merseyside Paul was frequented legendary Liverpool venue Eric's & became a founder member of The Teardrop Explodes a
86 - Donovan
It is truly a pleasure to welcome Donovan to Music Maps - a true legend of the 60s. His book The Hurdy Gurdy Man is available on Penguin. We start with his early life in Glasgow in the 1950s & the family relocate to Hatfield in Hertfordshire when Donovan was a teenager. His early influences included Buddy Holly, Hank Williams & Jack Kerouac. After a trip to Southend on Sea with the blue ro
85 - The Everly Brothers with Barry Mazor
This week we travel back to the 1950's & 60's to hear all about one of the most influential acts of all time The Everly Brothers with biographer Barry Mazor. Don & Phil's Dad Ike was a musician & the brothers are already playing live & on the radio as children. They sign with Cadence Records in 1956 & record the iconic Bye Bye Love at their very first session. The record sells
84 - The Raincoats with Audrey Golden
This week we discover the history of The Raincoats - formed by Gina Birch & Ana De Silva in 1977 after they meet at Hornsey Art College in London. The Sex Pistols & The Slits are influences on the burgeoning band & they end up signing to Rough Trade. The classic all female lineup debuts at Acklam Hall in London in January of 1979 & debut single Fairytale In The Supermarket is follo
83 - LIVE Street Level Superstar with Lawrence, Will Hodgkinson & Sian Pattenden
Join us for a LIVE episode with Lawrence, Will Hodgkinson & Sian Pattenden to discuss STREET LEVEL SUPERSTAR - one of the best music books of all time. We retrace Lawrence’s career from Felt & Denim to Mozart Estate & through to the present day. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover t
82 - Blur with Dave Rowntree (Colchester)
Join us & take a trip to Essex as we focus in on the early years of Blur with drummer Dave Rowntree. His new photograph book is called No One You Know: Early Blur Photos. We begin in Colchester where a young Dave meets future Blur guitarist Graham Coxon on the local music scene. Graham later invites Dave to a mate's gig at local venue the Colchester Arts Centre, that mate turns out to be Damon
81 - The Bay City Rollers with Stuart 'Woody' Wood (Edinburgh)
This week we travel north of the border to talk about the history of the Bay City Rollers, one of a handful of British bands to have a number 1 single in the UK & the US. Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood is our guest & he tells us about going the band after working as a roadie for them first. Once officially a member Woody joins the band, who are without a hit for a few years at this point touring
80 - Freddie Mercury's Notebooks with Lesley-Ann Jones (Garden Lodge, Kensington)
This week we have a world exclusive - we are the first podcast to discuss Freddie Mercury's recently discovered diaries/notebooks with biographer Lesley-Ann Jones.You may have seen it reported in the press that Freddie Mercury left 17 volumes of notebooks to a daughter hardly anyone knew existed - we find a bit more out about these diaries which amount to 500,000 words in length & make up seve
79 - The Replacements with Peter Jesperson (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
In May 1980 an unknown Paul Westerberg walked into Oar Folk Records in Minneapolis & handed Peter Jesperson a demo tape. When Peter eventually got round to playing it he was bowled over by what he heard & asked to come & see them play live. All does not go to plan as the band are thrown out of the venue as Peter arrives at the venue. He later falls into becoming their manager & cre
78 - Lamb Of God with Randy Blythe
Join us this week on Music Maps as we dive into the world of metal with Randy Blythe, the frontman of Lamb of God. Hear about his journey from a small-town punk rocker to global success.Randy tells us about the early years of Lamb Of God, when they all worked day jobs in addition to the band, through to signing for Epic Records in 2004. We also hear about Lamb Of God's recent participation in the
77 - Maybe I'm Amazed with John Harris & Keith Cameron
Maybe I'm Amazed - A Story of Love & Connection in 10 Songs is one of the music books of the year it tells the story of how writer John Harris connects with his autistic son James via the music of The Clash, The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, Kraftwerk, Ian Hunter, Magazine, The Band, Wire, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, Amy Winehouse & more. We hear how music was woven into the fabric of
76 - Manfred Mann, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton & the Sixties with Tom McGuinness
We go back to the sixties this week as we welcome Tom McGuinness to tell us about his various number 1s as a member of Manfred Mann. A chance meeting with a young Eric Clapton at the Station Hotel in Richmond led to them forming The Roosters, it fizzles out but the are both briefly involved in another band, Casey Jones & the Engineers. Eric drifts off to the Yardbirds shortly after &
75 - A Complete Unknown & Bob Dylan at Newport with Elijah Wald
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74 - DETOURS - Stella Creasy on Walthamstow, Blur, Pulp, Suede, The Wedding Present & more
Join us as we welcome our local Member of Parliament here in Walthamstow, Stella Creasy to Music Maps by way of Manchester & Colchester. Stella grew up in Manchester where she loved the Stone Roses & her Mum taught A Guy Called Gerald at school. As a teenager she was unexpectedly uprooted to the suburbs in Colchester where she discovered a local band by the name of Blur. She tell
73 - Live Aid 40th Anniversary with John Kennedy (Wembley Stadium)
Join us & celebrate the 40th anniversary of Live Aid which took place on July 13th 1985. And to do that we are joined by John Kennedy, one of the original trustees of the Band Aid Trust. One morning in November 1984 John was surprised when his office door flung open & Bob Geldof walked in. Insisting that John gave him one hour of his time, it led to a lifelong commitment. Followi
72 - Oasis with John Robb LIVE plus 2025 Tour instant review (Manchester)
Join us for a live episode of Music Maps Podcast with John Robb recorded live at the Walthamstow Trades Hall. We are also joined this week by James from The Oasis Podcast & Sam Shiner to discuss the return of Oasis last week in Cardiff & the 2025 tour. John takes us through the highlights from his new book Live Forever: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Oasis we start back in th
71 - The Beatles with Stuart Maconie (Liverpool)
Stuart Maconie is well known as the host of The Freak Zone on BBC Radio, he has written for NME, The Times, The Guardian & many more.His books have been widely published & include Long Road From Jarrow, The Nanny State Made Me, Cider With Roadies & Pies & Prejudice. His new book is published by HarperNorth - With a Little Help From Their Friends - The Beatles Changed the World
70 - Meet Me In The Bathroom with Lizzy Goodman - Part 2 (New York City)
Part 2 of our deep dive into the New York music scene of the 2000's with Lizzy Goodman - we pick the story back up with the Anti-Folk scene with gives us the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol & Regina Spektor. We find out how the Yeah Yeah Yeahs came to be & the connections between Detroit & New York around this time. The Strokes were the first band to break big & they helped through other
69 - Meet Me In The Bathroom with Lizzy Goodman - Part 1 (New York City)
We welcome Lizzy Goodman as we travel to New York City to discuss her seminal oral history of the NY scene Meet Me In The Bathroom - the Rebirth and Rock in Roll in New York City 2011 - 2011. Lizzy met Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi a couple of years before the band broke but it’s actually Jonathan Fire*Eater who are the first band to break, signing to DreamWorks. Their success is short lived
68 - Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains & more with photographer Glen E. Friedman
Join us & legendary photographer Glen E. Friedman to talk through his beginnings photographing skateboarding before transitioning into the world of punk rock & hardcore photographing Black Flag, Minor Threat & Bad Brains. Glen also talks us through the creation of his influential fanzine 'My Rules' & his eventual transition more into hip hop photography with the likes of Run D
67 - Isle of Wight Festival & more with John Giddings
Join us & legendary promoter and agent John Giddings to discuss the Isle of Wight Festival, its history, and the challenges of managing such a significant event and the evolving dynamics between the festival and the local community. We hear about some of John's most memorable experiences at the festival over the years from biblical rain in 2012 to David Bowie's final UK performance in 2004. Fr
66 - Greenwich Village & Bob Dylan with Rolling Stone's David Browne
This week we welcome David Browne, a senior writer at Rolling Stone, to talk about his book Talkin' Greenwich Village & to explore the musical history of Greenwich Village from its heyday in the 50s & early 1960s through to it's decline in the 80s. Many of the areas venues were originally jazz venues hosting the likes of Billie Holiday, John Coltrane & Charles Mingus & many legenda
65 - The Beatles - John & Paul - A Love Story In Songs with Ian Leslie (Liverpool)
In this episode of Music Maps we finally talk about The Beatles as we welcome writer Ian Leslie to discuss his new book on Faber: 'John & Paul: A Love Story In Songs'. We focus on their early years from meeting at Woolton Village Fete in July 1957, with Paul McCartney joining the Quarrymen shortly after. The dynamic in the Quarrymen changed after Paul joined with John Lennon no longer the tota
64 - Mudhoney & Superfuzz Bigmuff with Steve Turner
In this episode we welcome back Mudhoney guitarist Steve Turner & pick things up with the formation of Mudhoney - first Mark Arm joins Steve’s band The Thrown Ups & they meet drummer Dan Peters soon after. Matt Lukin joins soon after to complete the lineup & Mudhoney come into being on New Years Day of 1988. Their first gig follows in April 1988 & SubPop Records forms soon aft
63 - New York City with Photographer, Musician & Writer Ali Smith
This week we welcome Ali Smith, a New York photographer, musician, and writer of the memoir 'The Ballad of Speedball Baby.' The conversation explores Ali's formative musical influences growing up in New York, her experiences in the punk scene, particularly at the iconic CBGBs, and the evolution of her band Speedball Baby. We discuss the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated mus
62 - The Fall with Funky Si
In this episode of Music Maps, we welcome back Simon Wolstencroft, the former drummer of The Fall. His book You Can Drum But You Can't Hide is out now on Route Publishing.Funky Si joined The Fall in 1986 after his previous band The Weeds had opened for them. Following a meeting at Mark E. Smith's house in Prestwich it became official.'Hey Luciani' becomes the first Fall track he works on with prod
61 - The Rolling Stones with Gered Mankowitz
This week we are joined by legendary photographer Gered Mankowitz to discuss his time with the Rolling Stones, focusing on 1965 to 1967. Gered shares how he entered the world of music photography via a meeting with Peter Sellers, later opening his own studio in Central London, aged 17. A photograph of Marianne Faithfull led to a meeting with Andrew Loog Oldham which in turn led to meetin
60 - The Spice Girls with Michael Cragg (Maidenhead)
In this episode of Music Maps we are joined by Penderyn Prize winning writer Michael Cragg to dig into the history and impact of the Spice Girls.We explore their formation in 1994 via an audition process & their early days sharing a house in Maidenhead. Originally they are known as Touch & original member Michelle Stephenson leaves after 3 months & Emma Bunton completes the lineup. The
59 - Christine McVie & Fleetwood Mac with Lesley-Ann Jones (Smethwick)
In this episode of Music Maps, hosts Mark Hart and Simon Cardwell welcome back Lesley-Ann Jones to discuss her latest book on Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac.The conversation explores McVie's early life, her musical influences, and her journey through the music industry, including her early career with Chicken Shack and her later success with Fleetwood Mac. The hosts delve into the dynamics wit
58 - David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Prince, The Spice Girls & more with legendary music PR Alan Edwards (Soho)
This week we are joined by legendary music PR Alan Edwards - we discuss Alan's journey from the early days of punk in London, seeing the Sex Pistols at the Nashville, The Stranglers & their infamous Battersea Park gig, promoting Blondie in Britain, visiting Prince at Paisley Park, playing football with Bob Marley & an early PR gig with The Who, Alan went on to work extensively with The Rol
57 - Buzzcocks with Steve Diggle (Manchester)
This week we welcome Steve Diggle, original founder member of Buzzcocks, to discuss his memoir 'Autonomy: My Life as a Buzzcock'. The conversation explores Steve's early life in Manchester - growing up in the suburb of Bradford, the influence of music in the 60s, and the formation of Buzzcocks amidst the early UK punk scene. Steve shares personal anecdotes about his childhood, the impact of hearin
56 - Punk Diaries - The Clash, The Slits, Sex Pistols, X-Ray Spex & more with Angela Jaeger
Angela Jaeger is our guest to discuss her unique Punk Diaries 1977-1981 book documenting her experiences in the punk rock scene in New York & London. Angela shares her journey growing up in the East Village, her encounters with the likes of Lydia Lunch, Joe Strummer, Viv Albertine & John Belushi.She was right in the thick of the vibrant New York punk scene & became a regular visitor to
55 - The Dream Syndicate, R.E.M, U2 & more with Steve Wynn
We welcome back Steve Wynn from the Dream Syndicate for Part 2 of our conversation, delving into the band's experiences touring with U2, the departure of band member Kendra, and the challenges of recording their follow-up album with A&M Records. We discuss the bands extensive touring with R.E.M. as well as their dramatic rise, the conscious shift in sound during tours, the indie rock movement'
54 - The Clash with Don Letts (Ladbroke Grove)
We welcome Don Letts to discuss his experiences with The Clash - from directing every music video the band made to joining them on the pivotal White Riot tour in 1977, his initial impressions on meeting the band, the key gig with the Sex Pistols at the Nashville with Joe Strummer’s 101ers. Don shares anecdotes about filming the band, trips to America and his interactions with legendary filmma
