“Can we value the artist? Can we put wellbeing above partying?”
Booze, drugs and music are deeply intertwined - from the beers given to bands in their ‘riders’ to the excessive consumption facilitated by festivals and after-show parties.
For music promoter Chris De Banks, consuming up to thirty pints a day had become typical behaviour. In the fug of his addiction, he lost jobs, friends and self-respect.
Following rehab in 2016, he founded Not Saints, the UK’s only record label working with musicians in recovery from addiction.
In this candid conversation with Olly, Chris traces his problem drinking back to childhood, discusses methods for the music industry to clean up its act, and celebrates the artists he’s supported through their drug and alcohol recovery.
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Olly Mann and Chris De Banks,
June 2023
In the feature you’ll hear clips from Not Saints artists Ella Hayes, Mishkin Fitzgerald & The Chemical Perils, Phil Mac, and our record of the month, ‘Pedestal People’ by Little Tealeif👇
If you or someone you know thinks they may have a problem with drugs or alcohol then speak to your GP or contact your local Drug and Alcohol Services who will be happy to help and offer more guidance.
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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart, inspired by the likes of YouTube sensation Odd Tinkering, is attempting to restore some retro tech.
His weapon of choice is a 1980s Philips AM/FM radio, picked up for a fiver in a Westcountry market - but, with a little help from Google Nest - can he make it ‘Smart’?
If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in a future epsiode, fill in the Feedback form.
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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox unboxes the Womanizer Wave - the first ever shower head that doubles as a sex toy. (Well, the first one to do so officially, anyway…)
Her listener question of the month is from an anonymous MannFan who considers himself straight… and prefers to be in a relationship with women… but enjoys sexual encounters with men on the side. Is he simply bisexual, or … is he ‘heteroflexible’?
With assistance from integrative counsellor and psychotherapist Anthony Davis, and Vaneet Mehta, author of ‘Bisexual Men Exist’, Alix unpicks the pride, shame and stigma of queer categorisations - and explains why, for some people, it’s important to define their place on the sexuality spectrum with a specific label.
If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.
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… And we’ll see you again on July 10th!
