This is a great new podcast/vidcast from DJ Controlled Weirdness aka Neil Keating. It covers 80s/90s London with a definite slant towards music and subcultures.
The first three episodes feature Ian Blackmass Plastics on the early days of rave, record shops, DJing etc. This was a great listen for me because Ian also grew up in Hertfordshire and so was frustratingly close enough to the action to know that something was going on – but distance, lack of knowledge and skintness meant that he missed out on a lot. The process of jumping in and making up for lost time is a joy to listen to though.
The latest episode features Howard Slater on postpunk in mid 80s Preston and late 80s London, with a nod to squatting and the free-improvisation scene. For me Howard has always been emblematic of a particular kind of working class guy who would seize on mad music and ideas without ever becoming pretentious or snobby about it. I remember some great conversations with him about books or artists I couldn’t get my head around and his enthusiasm for the subject – and the subjects that span off that subject was always infectious. I’m really excited at the prospect of him being on future episodes talking about techno, Dead by Dawn, his Break/Flow zine and more…