6/7 - The Confidence Trick

"Sometimes you have to be other people to become who you are."

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Gavin Bain and Olly Mann

Best mates with Eminem, signed by Sony, and on the verge of international superstardom, Californian rap group Silibil 'n' Brains were the music industry's Next Big Thing. There was just one problem: they'd never been to California. They were from Dundee.

In this extraordinary interview with Olly, Gavin Bain - who, as Brains Mcloud, was one half of the hip hop duo - recalls how a heady mix of humiliation, desperation and sheer chutzpah lead him to fool the entire music industry - and brought him to the brink:

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Gavin's book, California Schemin', is out now - and you can find plenty of Sylibil N' Brains music on Spotify. 

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Peart takes a bath, in the name of research

Elsewhere this week, Ollie Peart considers Uber's bid to prevent 'automovom' in this week's Zeitgeist. Also on the agenda: death on social media, Stephen Fry's sleep stories, hand massaging and hot baths.

And, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from enlightening delegates at the Digital Freedom Festival - reveals the art of 'muffing', and answers the query of Mann-fan Pip, who's repulsed by the smell, taste, and even thought of her boyfriend's semen.

As the Foxhole is brought to you by our friends at mycondom.com, you can nab a wonderful 15% OFF just for listening - all you need to do is use our code 'Foxhole' at Checkout. So, why not stock up on some sexy Christmas goodies from their Christmassy Stocking Fillers section?

Meanwhile, this week's Squarespace Lifehack features business journalist Emily Birt, of peoplemanagement.co.uk, providing her Top 3 tips to get a pay rise. (If you have advice of your own to share, start a blog with Squarespace.com - and if you use our code 'Mann' at Checkout, you get 10% off your first website or domain.)

Finally, our record of the week is 'Broken Record', by plucky upstart Van Morrison. It's the opening track from his 38th studio album, Versatile, out now:

Thanks again to all our beer money donors for supporting this series of our independent podcast. If you'd buy us a pint if you met us in real life, please put your money where your mouth is and buy us a virtual one too. Every penny you contribute goes towards making more Modern Mann... 

See You Next Tuesday!

4/4 - Being Amy Winehouse

“I’m not trying to insult her. We’re just trying to keep her music alive”

Amy Winehouse’s voice may have seemed unique - but you can sing just like her if you understand her influences.

So says Emma Wright, whose musical journey began with an X Factor audition that sounded like Christina Aguilera, morphed into a Stars In Their Eyes contest in which she played Lady Gaga - and culminated in a fully-fledged career impersonating one of the most troubled and celebrated musical icons of recent times.

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You can catch Emma on tour with The Amy Winehouse Experience, AKA Lioness, throughout March and April 2017. Dates and ticket-booking here.

Elsewhere this episode, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart - whose Mum once called him a scrotum - considers biometric face masks, Pinterest parties and the Nintendo Switch; and, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox 'spices up' Superdrug’s social media presence and advises a listener who wonders if they should bring up their chequered sexual history with a new partner.

The Foxhole is proudly sponsored by our friends at MyCondom.Com - use the code FOXHOLE at Checkout to receive an incredible 15% Off. 

Music this week comes courtesy of British Sea Power and their new one, Keep On Trying, out soon on Rough Trade Records:

If you enjoy the show, please do buy us a beer, send us some feedback or leave us a review on iTunes. 

And, if you can't bear to wait a week for more sweeeeeet MM content, do check out Modern Mann Extra, Ollie's new video series. In this week's show, Ollie 'investigates' Craft Beer Rising - including bespoke canned cocktails, mushroom beer... and a sizeable hangover:

Ta Ta for now, Mann-fans: we'll See You Next Tuesday!

1/3: I was a Teenage Rock Star

"My Mum had to sign my record deal".

Conor McGloin was 10 years old when he decided he wanted to be an international rock superstar.

Ten days before his 18th birthday, he was supporting the Manics at Brixton Academy as part of hot-new-things Kinesis. But it didn't quite turn out the way he'd expected...

He shares his tale of ambition, alcohol and hubris with Olly in this week's ROCKING episode:

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Olly Mann and Conor McGloin, no longer a teenage rockstar

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If Olly's interview with Conor inspires you to check out some Kinesis online, the good news is you can, for free, here and here. We discovered Conor through an interview he gave to The Guardian earlier this year - read it here.

Meanwhile Ollie Peart considers the anti-theft protection services of Serena Williams; the man who wants to raise £33k to build a bag that looks like a scrotum; and, with grim inevitably, this year's John Lewis Christmas ad in The Zeitgeist.

And, in our weekly trip down The Fox Hole, Alix assists a gent who wants his partner to wee on him. Or to let him wee on her. It isn't entirely clear. It's probably off-yellow... If you have a question of sex for Alix Fox, you can submit it here - and you can choose to remain anonymous if you like.

Now, if you're liking our new show, why not go ahead and tell the world using the hashtag #ModernMann on Twitter, and leave us a nice review on iTunes? Also, you'd be a functioning IDIOT if you didn't subscribe, so you can get our next episode delivered to your smartphone automatically next Tuesday. Fancy buying us a beer? Then we'll love you even more (even if you are an idiot).

Our song of the week is the raucous 'S.O.B.' by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - out now on Stax records:

Next week: how to make money from whiskey. (Clue: you can't drink it).

See You Next Tuesday!

Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Ollie Peart, Alix Fox. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: 'Skies Over Cairo' by Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Robertshaw. Copyright: Olly Mann 2015.