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Stupid & Contagious

Stupid & Contagious

Neil Collins 156 Episodes Aug 20, 2026

Stupid & Contagious is a weekly podcast that revisits the guitar-driven music of the 1990s, covering genres like grunge, Britpop, alt-rock, and shred. Each episode breaks down iconic albums, shines a light on overlooked musicians, and features interviews with players who influenced the sound of that era.

Episodes

#158 / 90s Guitar Bands - Summer Special!
#158 / 90s Guitar Bands - Summer Special! Aug 20, 2026 1:00:58 This week it’s time for one of Luke’s Summer Specials! With the rest of the Stupid & Contagious crew taking a well-earned week off, Luke takes the reins for a one on one dive into one of his favourite current bands, Irked! Joining him are Hubb and Mike to talk about the Newcastle band’s brilliantly abrasive take on punk, their debut album The Grievance, life on Wrong Speed Records, writing son
#157 / 90s Guitar Bands - Wang No. 32
#157 / 90s Guitar Bands - Wang No. 32 Aug 13, 2026 1:01:19 It's a wang week and in honour of the nominees being released for this years Mercury Prize we’re heading back to the 1990s and going through the Mercury Prize year by year: the nominees, the winners, the albums that should have won, and some choices that, looking back now, seem absolutely mental!We’ve got Primal Scream, Suede, Pulp, Portishead, Blur, Oasis, Radiohead, The Prodigy and plenty more p
#156 / 90s Guitar Bands - Swervedriver
#156 / 90s Guitar Bands - Swervedriver Aug 6, 2026 2:08:30 It's episode 156 and this week we're joined by Adi Vines from SwerveDriver!We dive into the story behind Raise, the early days of the band, the Oxford scene, Creation Records, touring alongside some of the biggest names of the '90s and Adi's remarkable career behind the scenes as a guitar tech for some of rock's biggest artists. We also get an exclusive heads up on the upcoming release of the orig
#155 / 90s Guitar Bands - The Birth and Impact of Britpop
#155 / 90s Guitar Bands - The Birth and Impact of Britpop Jul 30, 2026 1:37:49 In episode 155 we're diving into one of the most debated eras in British music with author Paul Laird, whose brilliant book The Birth and Impact of Britpop challenges everything you thought you knew about the movement.Was Britpop really all about Oasis vs Blur? Were some of the era's most important bands completely overlooked? And could the real architect of Britpop have been... Morrissey?We explo
#154 / 90s Guitar Bands - Revolver
#154 / 90s Guitar Bands - Revolver Jul 23, 2026 1:54:09 This week on the Stupid And Contagious Podcast, we're joined by Mat Flint, the founder of one of the most underrated bands of the shoegaze era - Revolver!In the early '90s, Revolver had the music press behind them, major labels fighting to sign them... and even the chance to join Alan McGee's legendary Creation Records. But they said no!Matt tells us the full story from the label bidding war and t
#153 / 90s Guitar Bands - Wang No. 31
#153 / 90s Guitar Bands - Wang No. 31 Jul 16, 2026 39:58 It's episode 153 & England are out. Again!The dream's over, the memes have started, and Three Lions has gone back on the shelf for another tournament.But rather than talking about what might have been, we're looking back at something England have always been world class at... football songs.From World in Motion to Three Lions, from Vindaloo to some absolute forgotten disasters, we're ranking t
#152 / 90s Guitar Bands - The Supernaturals
#152 / 90s Guitar Bands - The Supernaturals Jul 9, 2026 1:37:44 In episode 152 we're joined by James McColl, frontman of one of the great underrated bands of the Britpop eraThe Supernaturals.From DIY cassette releases and touring the Highlands of Scotland, to Top 10 albums, hit singles like "Smile" and "I Wasn't Built to Get Up", and sharing stages with everyone from Blur and Supergrass to Robbie Williams, James takes us through the incredible journey of a ban
#151 / 90s Guitar Bands - Therapy?
#151 / 90s Guitar Bands - Therapy? Jul 2, 2026 1:40:26 This week on the podcast, we're joined by Andy Cairns, frontman of Therapy? one of the most distinctive and enduring bands to come out of the UK alternative rock scene.Over the last three decades, Therapy? have released 17 studio albums, toured the world, appeared on Top of the Pops, shared stages with everyone from Helmet and the Jesus Lizard to Henry Rollins, and somehow managed to survive every
#150 / 90s Guitar Bands - Embrace
#150 / 90s Guitar Bands - Embrace Jun 25, 2026 1:31:40 In episode 150 we chat to Danny McNamara, frontman of Embrace.Over the last three decades, Embrace have had one of the most fascinating careers in British music. From exploding onto the scene in the late '90s, to being dropped by their record label, coming back stronger than ever, and still releasing acclaimed new music today, they've managed something very few bands ever do - they've survived!Dan
#149 / 90s Guitar Bands - Wang No. 30
#149 / 90s Guitar Bands - Wang No. 30 Jun 18, 2026 1:04:31 Joining us for our 'Hot Take' Special are Mike and Dave, and we've all come armed with a collection of music opinions that are guaranteed to divide listeners. Some of them we genuinely believe. Some of them we're going to have to defend whether we believe them or not!Over the next hour we're arguing over questions like: Is Britpop actually better than grunge? Was Oasis destined for greatness witho
#148 / 90s Guitar Bands - Vent 414
#148 / 90s Guitar Bands - Vent 414 Jun 11, 2026 1:32:57 Thirty years ago, Vent 414 arrived with one incredible album and then disappeared almost as quickly as they came. Formed from the ashes of The Wonder Stuff and featuring Miles Hunt, Morgan Nicholls and Pete Howard, they left behind a record that became a cult favourite for fans of 90s alternative rock.Now, three decades later, they're back!In episode 148 Miles and Morgan join us to talk about how
#147 / 90s Guitar Bands - Flamingoes
#147 / 90s Guitar Bands - Flamingoes Jun 4, 2026 1:37:36 This week we're shining a light on one of Britpop's great hidden gems: Flamingoes! If you were digging through the pages of NME and Melody Maker in the mid-90s, you'll probably remember them. If not, you're in for a treat!They rubbed shoulders with the New Wave of New Wave scene, and released a string of brilliant singles before putting out their cult classic album, Plastic Jewels.Joining us today

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