Banned Biographies is an audio documentary series charting the careers of some of the most notorious bands ever to grace the world's stages.
Episodes
Friday Sep 09, 2022
Friday Sep 09, 2022
On this episode of the Banned Biographies Podcast, host Tom Austin-Morgan talks to Will Crewdson who plays guitar for Adam Ant as well as in the rock bands Rachel Stamp (the only unsigned band to headline the London Astoria and played gigs with, among others, Iggy Pop, Korn, No Doubt, The Tubes and Cheap Trick) and She Made Me Do It as well as his solo project Scant Regard, produces a hybrid of Western-styled twanging guitars and full-on electronic wizardry.
Over the years, he’s also worked with US singer Johnette Napolitano, Flesh for Lulu, Chiefs Of Relief The Selecter, Bow Wow Wow, Sigue Sigue Sputnik Electronic and has collaborated with US director/writer Tom DiCillo as one half of The Black and Blue Orkestre.
He’s also done session work with Malcolm McLaren, Tom Jones, Bryan Ferry, Peter Murphy, Westworld, Celine Dion, Appleton, Pigface, Tyler James, Livan, T-Rexstasy, Billy Bragg and Dragons.
As you can tell, there was a lot of ground to cover and I didn't want to keep him all day, but I managed to touch on most of the acts he does or has played with. I really hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did having it and if there's anything you'd like an expanded chat about do let me know at the contact details below and I'll see about arranging a follow-up interview in future.
Find Will at:
Twitter: @scantregard
Instagram: @willcrewdson
And anywhere you stream music.
Contact
Twitter: @BannedBiogs
Facebook: @BannedBiographies
Instagram: @bannedbiographies
E-mail: bannedbiographies@gmail.com
Friday Sep 02, 2022
Friday Sep 02, 2022
On this episode of the Banned Biographies Podcast, host Tom Austin-Morgan talks about what's been going on since the interview with Brad Hallen from the Nervous Eaters went out.
This includes a new review on Apple Podcasts from long-standing listener and self-proclaimed number one fan, Stacey Nicolson. Reviews always help the show get found by people searching for music podcasts to listen to, so even if you don't have an iPhone, like Stacy, pester your family, friends and/or colleagues to lend you their iPhone so you can log into Apple Podcasts to leave a review there.
Also, Banned Biographies has a merch store! You can now wear the podcast's logo with pride at gigs or simply just out on the street. Alternatively you can drink from a Banned Biographies drinks bottle or stick some stickers to your guitars, drum kits, amps, keyboards, foreheads, whatever. Here's the link: https://my-store-cfdac5.creator-spring.com
The news this week is jammed full of stuff on Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi, The Cro-Mags, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Flogging Molly, The Cure, The Damned, Anti-Flag, Bad Religion, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, NOFX, Rage Against The Machine, Weezer, Buzzcocks, The Misfits, Bad Manners, Dropkick Murphys, Billy Idol, and more.
Finally, reviews of three albums that came out this month: The Alchemist's Euphoria by Kasabian, Of Kingdom And Crown by Machine Head and Will Of The People by Muse.
Do get in touch on social media or email to let me know what you think of the singles and albums covered as well as ones I'm sure I've missed.
Until next time, take care and stay safe.
Contact
Twitter: @BannedBiogs
Facebook: @BannedBiographies
Instagram: @bannedbiographies
E-mail: bannedbiographies@gmail.com
Monday Aug 01, 2022
Monday Aug 01, 2022
On this special interview episode of the Banned Biographies podcast, Tom Austin-Morgan talks to the bassist of the Boston-based garage punk band Nervous Eaters, Brad Hallen.
This episode largely deals with the new single, Wild Eyes, and upcoming album, Monsters & Angels, as well as about Brad’s life an career to this point, and boy has he had a career! He's played with so many bands and artists including Ministry, Iggy Pop, Elliot Easton (The Cars), Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's), Aimee Mann, Susan Tadeschi , Monster Mike Welch, Duke Robillard, Roomful of Blues and so many others.
Formed in the mid-70's, the Nervous Eaters would eventually become the house band for the legendary Boston punk rock club The Rat, where they established themselves as a leading punk rock band in the Northeast, playing with a who's who of punk and new wave luminaries, including The Police, The Ramones, The Cars, Patti Smith, Dead Boys, Iggy Pop, The Stranglers, Go-Go's and many others.
The band’s original drummer, the late Jeff Wilkinson, let the band rehearse in his family’s basement. “His mother, Florence, fed the band at these rehearsals. Band leader, Steve Cataldo explained: “We’d come up from the basement at different times to grab something to eat and she said, ‘Why don’t you all come up and sit down and have a meal? You’re such a bunch of nervous eaters.’ So, it stuck. It wasn’t the coolest name to hit the town, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. We had a good laugh over it and we loved Florence. We are the Nervous Eaters.”
The band launched in the mid 1970’s and were a leading punk rock band in the Northeast. Home base: The black-walled, sticky-floored, basement club in Boston’s Kenmore Square - The Rat. The Eaters played snarling, self-deprecating lust-for-life blasts like Shit for Brains, Get Stuffed, Last Chance, Just Head, and I’m a Degenerate. Their first release a 45, on Rat Records, 1976, which gained local and national college airplay for their classic single - Loretta.
The buzz built and their popularity grew. The Cars’ Ric Ocasek produced a demo tape which got the band signed to Elektra Records. They toured around the world - but the album stalled, going astray from the start with the wrong assigned label producer and a lack of follow-through.
The original Eaters dissolved but came back in the mid- ‘80s with a new line-up. The reborn Eaters launched a salvo called HOT STEEL AND ACID in 1986, a far better disc (that sounded like the band), on the indie label Ace of Hearts. Producer Rick Harte captured the Eaters vicious, vintage punk sound and it went as far as a Boston indie could take it.
The band has been revived a few times over the years with various line-ups. The current version of the Nervous Eaters formed in 2018 and includes three other Boston rock veterans, bassist Brad Hallen (who you’re about to learn all about), drummer David McLean (of Willie Alexander’s Boom Boom Band) and guitarist/vocalist Adam Sherman (of Private Lightning), and between them, they have recorded and/or toured with such artists as Ministry, Iggy Pop, Aimee Mann, Jane Wiedlin, Susan Tedeschi, Jimmie Vaughan, Lenny Kaye and many others.
You can find Nervous Eaters at their website: nervouseaters.net, on Facebook and Instagram and you can find Brad Hallen at his website bradhallen.com
This interview was made possible thanks to Peter Ferioli at Pantheon Podcasts and Mike Cubillos at Earshot Media and I’m incredibly grateful to them.
Contact
Twitter: @BannedBiogs
Facebook: @BannedBiographies
Instagram: @bannedbiographies
E-mail: bannedbiographies@gmail.com
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Monday Jul 25, 2022
On this roundup episode of the Banned Biographies Podcast, your host, Tom Austin-Morgan, is back to let you know what’s been going on since the Broken Record Player Podcast episode went out, where we dissected Daft Punk's 2001 iconic album Discovery, and what you can expect from the next one.
Firstly, I’d like to once again thank Ryan for allowing me to post his episode on my feed. I hope you enjoyed something a little different with Ryan and I talking about an electronic music album from the 21st century and I really hope it made a few of you go and check out The Broken Record Player Podcast. If you have subscribed, do let him know that you found out about him through this podcast.
Go and leave him a review on Apple Podcasts, and while you’re there, why not leave you on the Banned Biographies page as well? I love hearing about what you think of the show, your occasional links to the bands and musicians I feature and more than that, simply about you. So, please do reach out and get in touch on social media, but most of all please leave a review, it really does help get the show noticed by more people when they’re looking for music podcasts to listen to.
The news this month is a little light, though it includes a long rant from Jello Biafra and also includes the fact that Banned Biographies has joined the Pantheon Podcast Network! I also review a bunch of songs that were released in the last month.
Until next time, take care and stay safe.
Contact
Twitter: @BannedBiogs
Facebook: @BannedBiographies
Instagram: @bannedbiographies
E-mail: bannedbiographies@gmail.com
Friday Jul 01, 2022
Friday Jul 01, 2022
Due to the fact my next documentary is taking up all of my time and becoming an epic, this month I’m featuring a podcast I appeared on back in February 2022 called The Broken Record Player Podcast hosted by Ryan Scahff from San Francisco who has kindly agreed for me to feature this episode upon which Ryan and I discuss the French House duo Daft Punk’s iconic 2001 album Discovery.
You can find The Broken Record Player Podcast on all the platforms you use to listen to podcasts as well as on Facebook @brokenrecordplayerpodcast and Twitter @brokenrecord530. Please go and subscribe because he’ll definitely have covered an album you love from any kind of genre. When you do, let him know that you heard him here first.
Contact
Twitter: @BannedBiogs
Facebook: @BannedBiographies
Instagram: @bannedbiographies
E-mail: bannedbiographies@gmail.com
Friday Jun 24, 2022
Friday Jun 24, 2022
On this roundup episode of the Banned Biographies Podcast, your host, Tom Austin-Morgan, is back to let you know what’s been going on since the Aaron Pendergast Interview episode went out and what you can expect from the next one.
Firstly, I’d like to thank Aaron for the time he took to talk to me last month, again, apologies to you and him that the file wasn’t the cleanest. But I’m positive that the conversation was good enough and full of as much information as you could want about independent documentary making and of course, The Blasting Room itself.
I also talk about the gigs I've played this month, going to see The Sewer Cats play live at my local music venue, the fact I can't go and see Adam Ant tonight because I and Adam Ant both contracted Covid on the same day, all the news from the world of punk and alternative music including stories about Kurt Cobain's Smells Like Teen Spirit guitar being sold for a ridiculous sum of money, That Petrol Emotion, the death of Depeche Mode's Andy "Fletch" Fletcher, Flogging Molly, Mount Westmore, Blondie and Dropkick Murphys among others.
Finally I review of some of the music released this month as well as Pistol, the FX TV series directed by Danny Boyle, about the Sex Pistols.
Be sure to get in touch on social media or email to let me know what you thought of Pistol (if you've watched it) as well as anything else you want to have a chat about, and do go to Apple Music to leave a rating and review, it really does help and you get the review read out on the show! Until next time, take care and stay safe.
Contact
Twitter: @BannedBiogs
Facebook: @BannedBiographies
Instagram: @bannedbiographies
E-mail: bannedbiographies@gmail.com
Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
On this special interview episode of the Banned Biographies Podcast I talk to film and documentary maker Aaron Pendergast whose latest project is a documentary about The Blasting Room, the legendary recording studio started by members of the Descendents and ALL in the mid 90s, which is currently in post-production.
If you’re a fan of US punk bands from the 80s through to today you’ll likely be a fan of at least one, if not many bands who have recorded albums at The Blasting Room, and you’ll likely own albums that were recorded, mixed or mastered there. Essentially, The Blasting Room documentary will be to punk rock what the Sound City documentary was to the Foo Fighters.
Aaron was great to talk to and imparted some brilliant advice for anyone looking to make independent films and documentaries as well as being very generous with his time.
Unfortunately, there was a technical issue with distortion on Aaron’s side of the Zoom call that I just couldn’t edit around. We noticed it early on and Aaron sent me files that he recorded on his end as well, but the issue was still there in his files. I’ve done what I can lessen the effect and edit out as much of it as possible, but it’s still obviously there. I hope you are able to listen around it.
I hope to have Aaron on again in future to talk about the reception of the film after it’s released towards the end of the year in September or October.
You can find out more about the film at blastingroomfilm.com or on Instagram @blastingroomfilm.
Technical issues aside, I really hope you enjoy the conversation and am sure you’ll get something out of it, especially if you’re into US punk rock bands or independent filmmaking.
Contact
Twitter: @BannedBiogs
Facebook: @BannedBiographies
Instagram: @bannedbiographies
E-mail: bannedbiographies@gmail.com
Wednesday May 25, 2022
Wednesday May 25, 2022
Your host, Tom Austin-Morgan, is back to let you know what’s been going on since the Chris Constantinou Interview episode went out and what you can expect from the next one.
Firstly, a big thanks to Chris for the time he took to talk to me last month, it’s been wonderful to make his acquaintance and to get to know him. Special thanks must again go out to Rhiannon Ifans who arranged the meeting in the first place, I’m looking forward to what else she’s go up her sleeve!
This month I appeared on another music-based podcast: Love That Album, which I’m a big fan of. Myself and the host, Maurice discussed the Tom Robinson Band’s debut album Power In The Darkness as well as a lot of the political, societal and musical landscapes of the UK in the 1970s. I had an absolute blast finally meeting Maurice and getting onto his podcast, I hope you either heard it and enjoyed it or will seek it out to listen to, I think that episode makes a great companion piece to this podcast and, if you make the effort to listen to it and you do enjoy it, I hope you subscribe to Love That Album, Maurice is a great host and a fountain of knowledge. His most recent episode came out this week and is an interview with the bassist from the band The Knack, which was a real eye-opener about a band a lot of people dismiss as a one hit wonder. Make sure you listen to that one too!
The news this month features bands like Buzzcocks, Black Flag, John Doe, The Linda Lindas, My Chemical Romance, Adolescents, Dream Nails and The Beastie Boys as well as the nominations announced by the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.
I also review Dublin-born, now London-based post-punk band Fontaines D.C.'s third album Skinty Fia.
Be sure to get in touch on social media or email and do go to Apple Music to leave a rating and review, it really does help and you get the review read out on the show! Until next time, take care and stay safe.
Contact
Twitter: @BannedBiogs
Facebook: @BannedBiographies
Instagram: @bannedbiographies
E-mail: bannedbiographies@gmail.com
Sunday May 01, 2022
Sunday May 01, 2022
On this special interview episode of the Banned Biographies podcast Tom Austin-Morgan talks to Chris Constantinou, who is probably better known to Adam Ant fan as Chris DeNiro - the bassist in Adam's post-Ants solo band.
Chris has also played in The Wolfmen with Marco Pirroni, JackieOnAssid, and One Thousand Motels with Rat Scabies of The Damned which cover everything from blues to dance music. In between these he's also played on songs and albums with Annabella Lwin from Bow Wow Wow, Guy Chambers before he started his partnership with Robbie Williams, The Slits, Sinéad O'Connor, Daler Mehndi, Holy Holy, Brant Bjork & Sean Wheeler, Andreas Grega, Nerina Pallot and Earl Slick and Bernard Fowler. He also sometimes plays flute live with The Dandy Warhols.
Currently, he is about the release a new mini-album called Femme Power with rapper, Jenna Dickens in a punk rap project called Rude GRL + CC. Femme Power will be available to stream and buy on the 6th of May 2022 and is released through Ingrooves (part of the Universal Music Group). In June, they’ll also be releasing a double A-side through Cleopatra Records, the tracks are I’m Good (mixed by Nick Hodgson of the Kaiser Chiefs) and the second track is a version of Adam Ant’s Goody Two Shoes. So, keep your eyes peeled for those dropping.
On top of all this he also has stories of playing on Top of the Pops, Live Aid, convincing Guy Chambers not to give up on a career in music, and recording in the Palm Desert scene with members of various bands including Masters of Reality, Queens of the Stone Age, etc and all the madness involved in that, supporting King Crimson and Hawkwind as a 13-year-old and so much more
As you can see, Chris has lived a hell of a life and I feel like I only just scraped the surface. Hopefully, there'll be a follow up episode in the future. If you get a fraction of joy listening to our conversation as I did having it I'm sure you'll be supremely satisfied.
I'd like to thank Chris for being so generous with his time as well as for being so candid and warm. An extra special thank you must also go to my friend Rhiannon Ifans for setting this up.
Let me know what you thought of it by commenting on the social media post, and be sure to share it - and the podcast as a whole - with your friends.
Find Rude GRL + CC here:
Find One Thousand Motels here:
https://onethousandmotels.com/
Contact
Twitter: @BannedBiogs
Facebook: @BannedBiographies
Instagram: @bannedbiographies
E-mail: bannedbiographies@gmail.com
Monday Apr 25, 2022
Monday Apr 25, 2022
Once again, Tom Austin-Morgan, your host is back to let you know what’s been going on this month since the last two episodes went out, what's going on the world of punk rock and what you can expect from next months episode.
Firstly, I’d like to extend my grateful thanks to both Them Fantasies and The Sewer Cats. Both conversations were really interesting, enlightening and fun, I hope you’ll agree, and despite the fact that the music they make is poles apart, both bands' conviction in their art and enthusiasm when talking about it were utterly infectious and inspiring.
Previous guest, Louise Aubrie, has relocated to LA to start writing and recording new material. Meanwhile, she’s released a new video for the song Dark from the album Antonio which she came on the show to talk about last year. Check it out in the back catalogue.
I've guested on the Love That Album podcast, which is a brilliant show that I’ve listened to for years. The host, Maurice, and a guest – in this case me – discuss a variety of great albums from the rock, jazz or folk genres in some depth. The episode is available now, which is apt because it corresponds with the 44th anniversary of the first Rock Against Racism concert at Victoria Park on the 30th April 1978 which featured, among others, the Tom Robinson Band. The episode is about their first album Power In The Darkness, although it also deals with the political and environmental history of the time because a lot of that fed into the themes of the album. It was a delightful chat with someone who has such a wealth of knowledge and made me feel most welcome, do go and find Love That Album podcast and listen not just to the episode I’m on, but rifle through the back catalogue, there’ll certainly be a lot you’ll be familiar with, but there are some great surprises to be had too. Thanks Maurice!
I review just the one album this month; Wet Leg's debut, self-titled album that came out at he beginning on the month. Is it full of repetitive, flash in the pan indie nothingness or is it as goods as I hoped it would be?
By sure to get in touch on social media or email and do to Apple Music to leave a rating and review, it's the podcast's second birthday, after all! Until next time, take care and stay safe.
Contact
Twitter: @BannedBiogs
Facebook: @BannedBiographies
Instagram: @bannedbiographies
E-mail: bannedbiographies@gmail.com