Steve’s Mix Tapes

Steve's Mix Tapes #017 (Gavin Laird)

My guest mixer this week is Gavin Laird
Gavin, as well as being a fellow member of the Fall Online Forum, was the bass player in Telstar Ponies (alongside David Keenan (ex-18 Wheeler) and Brendan O'Hare (ex-Teenage Fanclub)). The song that I use in this week's intro is Last Outpost from their excellent 1996 LP Voices From the New Music.
He has subsequently been involved in several other bands, such as The Porch Song Anthology, Lonecop and Macrocosmica. He also records under the name Glass Miniature, whose albums include Instance and Cup And Ring. He's also recorded with future guest mixer Billy Reeves.

Steve's Mix Tapes #016 (Jonny Swift)

My guest mixer this week is Jonny Swift
I first met Jonny online during lockdown when he set up the Facebook group 'HIP PRIESTS - every album by The Fall', which resulted in him contributing to the introduction to my book You Must Get Them All.
He's a singer-songwriter from Dalton-in-Furness in Cumbria - his Bandcamp page is here.

Steve's Mix Tapes #015 (Gavin Watts)

My guest mixer this week is Gavin Watts
Gavin is one half of the duo (along with Steve) that is responsible for the We Are The Fall podcast, which I appeared on recently.
He is also a musician in his own right: his Bandcamp page is here.
He and Steve do a great 'deep dive' job with The Fall on their podcast, and his enthusiasm makes him a pleasure to talk to - a top notch guest.

Steve's Mix Tapes #014 (The Fall)

It's about time we had a Fall-related  playlist...
I recorded this in a hotel room in Future Inn, Cardiff Bay, the same place where I recorded my interview with Gavin Watts for his We Are The Fall podcast (who will be the guest mixer on next week's episode).
It was a very good day: a pleasant journey in the sunshine, accompanied by a playlist of perfect length, and an excellent curry at one of my regular haunts, Zaika.
It's a selection of Fall and Fall-related tracks that I had a lot of fun putting together - I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed compiling it.

Steve's Mix Tapes #013 (Ian Grice)

My guest mixer this week is Ian Grice aka Gricey aka Iggy.
Known to the good folk of the Wedding Present Forum as Iggy, to the rest of the world he's Gricey. A primary school teacher for 32(!) years, he and I first met and bonded when I was working in the secondary school down the road. One of the joys of doing this podcast has been catching up with some old friends that I haven't spoken to for far too long, and this was a prime example...

Steve's Mix Tapes #012 (David Quantick)

My guest mixer this week is David Quantick
Music journalist, novelist and comedy writer whose credits include Harry Hill’s TV Burp, On The Hour/The Day Today, Mitchell & Webb and Smack The Pony, he has even won an Emmy in 2015 for his writing for Armando Iannucci’s political satire Veep.

Steve's Mix Tapes #011 (Caped Hector)

Another  guest mixer, but this time one submitted via email...
'Caped Hector' is - like Eric (ep004) and Richard (ep005) a regular contributor to the Fall Online Forum. He is, I think it's fair to say, one of the more eccentric members, seemingly obsessed with women wearing capes, whelks and Slade. 
He sent me his mix via email, describing himself as a 'retired crime-fighter.' I do know his real name, but he asked that, 'in the interests of national security please don't reveal my secret identity to anyone.'
Hector seems to have been under the impression that he was appearing on Desert Island Discs, and sent me his chosen book and luxury item as well as his ten songs...

Steve's Mix Tapes #010 (Neil Syme)

My guest this week is Neil Syme.
Neil is another acquaintance made via the Fall Online Forum, where he goes by the name 'Cactus' (for, as we discover, for no particular reason).

Steve's Mix Tapes #009 (Sally Hamilton)

My guest this week is Sally Hamilton.
Like Gavin Morgan, my guest on Steve's Mix Tapes #003, I originally know Sally from the Wedding Present forum - and if you were paying attention to that episode, you might have worked out that she is Gavin's better half!
Sally has worked in education and publishing and is currently doing a PhD in English Literature. As well as 'alternative music culture', she lists her interests as First World War literature and art, hauntology, psychogeography, Gothic and the uncanny and dystopian literature - so I was all geared up for a highly intellectual discussion...

Steve's Mix Tapes #008 (JR Moores)

My guest this week is author and music journalist JR Moores.
John is the author of Electric Wizards: A Tapestry of Heavy Music, 1968 to the Present and Off the Ground: Paul McCartney in the 1990s, both of which are excellent books (and I'm not just saying that because my name appears in the former!)
He also writes the psych-rock column Columnfortably Numb for the Quietus, and he has also written for Record Collector, The Wire and The Guardian.
We knew already that we have a very healthy musical Venn diagram intersection, so it was no surprise that his mix was right up my street...