Oh! Brother

This week on Oh! Brother, we were delighted to welcome drummer and academic Kate Themen to the show. Kate talks us through being recruited by Julia Nagle to play three shows with The Fall in April 1998, rehearsing the material at short notice, and joining Mark E. Smith and Julia on stage at Dingwalls and Reading — where the unpredictable performances included a brief appearance from dancer Michael Clark and objects being thrown from the audience. We also hear about Kate’s band Polythene, her later musical projects, and her memories of appearing as an extra alongside Karen Leatham in the independent film Glow Boys. Plus, Kate discusses her academic work on women’s football, the continuing struggle for equality within the game, football clubs’ responsibilities to their communities, and her hopes of returning to drumming after recovering from injury.

This week on Oh! Brother, we were delighted to welcome Rob Barbato to the show. Rob talks us through joining The Fall at short notice in 2006, learning the set on the fly, touring America, recording with Mark E. Smith in Los Angeles, and coming to Manchester for The Fall’s 30th-anniversary show at New Century Hall in 2006. We also chat about the creative freedom and unpredictability of working with Mark, the appeal of songs such as “Blindness” and “Reformation”, and Rob’s later career as a producer, session musician and composer for film, television and advertising. Plus, Rob discusses his work with Squeaky Clean, his forthcoming recording project with Vivian Girls, the importance of preserving human imperfections in an increasingly digital music world, and the friendships he made through The Fall.

This week on Oh! Brother, we were delighted to welcome Erwin Blom to the show. Erwin takes us back to the late-70s Dutch punk scene and the formation of Eton Crop, talks about touring Holland and England, recording five Peel Sessions, and supporting The Fall — including memories of Amsterdam’s Paradiso, freezing nights in the van, and seeing Mark E. Smith halt The Fall mid-set. We also chat about post-punk DIY culture, touring behind the Iron Curtain in Poland and Hungary, Erwin’s later work in journalism and digital media, and his enthusiasm for AI as a new do-it-yourself tool. Plus, there’s talk of Pip Blom, the realities of life in today’s music industry, and why making music still means making friends for life.

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This week on Oh! Brother, we were delighted to welcome Steve Diggle for a live episode covering his early life, the formation of Buzzcocks, and the first rush of punk in Manchester. We look back on 60s music, dead-end jobs, the Lesser Free Trade Hall, Spiral Scratch, Howard Devoto’s exit, and writing songs with Pete Shelley.

Later on, audience questions bring in Manchester venues, B-sides, fashion, schooldays, fellow travellers from the class of 1976, and Buzzcocks’ place in the city’s wider story. Hope you enjoy!
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This week, Tommy Crooks joins us to talk art school, painting, Provence, East Lothian, and the chance meeting with Mark E. Smith on Leith Walk that led, somehow, to The Fall.

Along the way, we get into first hearing “Totally Wired”, Craig Scanlon’s exit, Lucy Rimmer’s letter, Brix’s last gig in Motherwell, rehearsals in Levenshulme, Jilly’s, Cardiff with Super Furry Animals, recording Levitate, the Irish dates, the US tour, and the final meltdown at Brownies. Tommy also talks about what came after: floor sanding, renovating old houses, and building a soap business. Hope you enjoy!

We're thrilled to have Tommy exhibiting and attending "The Fall: Futures and Pasts" this weekend, hope to see you there!
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