It's Only Rock n Roll with hosts Phil Blizzard & Russell Mason

A season’s worth of passports, flight cases, and stories converge in a finale that refuses to fade to black. We trace the hidden arteries of live music—from a retired tour pro’s poolside idea to a globe‑spanning set of conversations with production managers, security pros, artists, superfans, and the die‑hards who kept sound and light alive in deserts, ferries, and freezing tarmacs. We start where...

We relive how comedy, concerts, and sheer grit brought modern live entertainment to the Gulf, from Billy Connolly and Lenny Henry to Bollywood stadium spectacles and ballet on the beach. Heat, customs, and failing gear tried to stop us; diplomacy, craft, and humour carried the day. • British comedians breaking new ground across the Gulf • Jasper Carrot’s late-career surge and Lenny Henry’s airport...

In this, the first of two parts, we trace how a small team of promoters and techs hauled second-hand gear, charmed airlines, and built a live music circuit across the Gulf in the 80s. Stories of burning dimmers, poolside plotting, cultural shows in ballrooms,  A concert scene doesn’t just appear; someone has to drag it across borders, bolt it together in the heat, and pray the dimmers don’t catch...

We tour Memphis Mansion with Hendrik Knudsen and Stan Urban, tracing the stories behind Elvis’s TCB chain, the Johnny Cash exhibits, and the spirit that keeps rock and roll alive. We balance myth and memory, dig into Colonel Parker, and plan a return when July’s residency hits.  From the sparkle of the first TCB chain to the quiet authority of gold records and stage clothes, we follow the artefact...

Fame can feel like a storm. We sit down with veteran security lead Ronnie Franklin to map the invisible work that keeps artists, crews and fans safe when the wind picks up—without turning the night into a fortress. From his baptism at London’s Rainbow Theatre to global tours with Wham and decades at George Michael’s side, Ronnie unpacks how planning and people skills beat brute force every time. W...

Phil Blizzard and Russell Mason meet a Scotsman, an Irishman, and a Frenchman for their journey to a tiny Breton, French town and reshape what a music scene can mean. We open the podcast  in 90s Glasgow, where Chemical Underground helped a new wave of indie bands find their voice and their values. From cramped stages and borrowed gear to a label identity forged by conviction, the scene thrived on...

Ever wonder why some gigs tattoo themselves on your memory while others fade as the lights come up? We sit down with two lifelong friends and serial gig-goers to trace a fan’s journey from teenage awe at the Brighton Dome to the organised chaos of modern stadium shows. Their stories move fast: queuing for Led Zeppelin at Earls Court, discovering Rory Gallagher’s fire, and catching Deep Purple tear...

A powerboat race, a broken fax, and a last‑minute visa scramble set the stage for a story about identity, reinvention, and the stubborn joy of playing loud.  In this espisode  Phil Blizzard and Russell Mason  'sits down' with Uday Benegal—frontman of India’s pioneering rock band Indus Creed—to trace the band’s evolution from Rock Machine, the bold name change that reframed their destiny,...

Phil Blizzard and Russell Mason joins concert producer Jacek Slotala for a hands‑on journey taking us from Polish postcard singles to Pink Floyd’s sold‑out Moscow shows.  This fascinating, incredible story is told by the fixer who cracked Gosconcert and flew tours on army planes. We share how food, language, and nerve turned red tape into roaring crowds without a single lyric censored. A postcard...

It's Only Rock and Roll is a Phil Blizzard Radio Production - for your production email philblizzardmedia@gmail.com

The night rock and roll first grabbed Stan Urban wasn’t on a stage; it was in a cinema, watching Little Richard tear through Long Tall Sally. From that moment, a Dundee kid with two fingers on an old family piano set off on a six-decade run that takes us from church halls and converted radios to Chuck Berry’s stage, Led Zeppelin’s cocktail tab, and a viral train-station jam that made thousands mis...

Step backstage with Phil Blizzard &  Russell Mason in this the debut episode of It's Only Rock n Roll into the chaotic, exhilarating world of rock and roll touring. Special guests are industry veterans Jake Duncan and Steve Martin and together they pull back the curtain on nearly a century of combined experience managing tours for some of music's biggest legends. From accidental begi...

Phil Blizzard & Rusell Mason introduce their new podcast exploring the world of rock and roll touring from the 1980s onwards The two Co-hosts bring complementary perspectives – Russell from his years touring and promoting, Phil from interviewing countless music legends throughout his broadcasting career. Together, they're creating a relaxed, nostalgic journey through an industry populated...