The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music

Often described as the backbone of any band, and the drummer Marc from RJ Archer and The Painful Memories is certainly no exception! My conversation with Marc was as interesting as it was fascinating. Hearing how his musical journey evolved from first seeing a set of drums during a school music lesson, to discovering Northern Soul, reggae (Bob Marley and Curtis Mayfield), and then hip hop during t...

🎙️ THIS EPISODE IS RATHER SPECIAL TO ME… BUT WHY, YOU ASK? 🤔 Well, it’s all about Roger, the bassist with RJ Archer and The Painful Memories! 🎸 “Who are they?” I hear you ask! Well, a friend of mine called Skid, who has joined me for a couple of podcasts, recommended an album by the band for our sister podcast, You Made Me Listen To This? The album is called INFERNOW … and trust me, you’d be a f...

Hellooooo Hope all is good with you…many thanks for doing the podcast the other day..hope it wasn’t to bad for you 🙏🏻 I’ve called the episode “ Ben in the Sky with Music” Ref The Beatles ‘Lucy in the Sky with diamonds’ And write up below 👇 Hope it’s ok..any changes..do let me know 🙃 Ben… is someone I’ve known since the day he was born! But how much did I really know about his music choices and...

Well…what an episode this was with Andrew Van Blerk! 🎶 At the end of our conversation, Andrew and I found ourselves at opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to whether musicians should use their platform to promote political views and raise awareness of what’s happening in society today. And do you know what? It was brilliant. A proper adult conversation , two completely different opinions,...

This episode is with Skid… again! 😂 Episode 68 was when we first got together, and I discovered Skid’s fascinating journey through heavy rock music. But there was one big part of his story we didn’t even touch on… How he became a DJ and ended up with his own show — Skid’s House of Sound! 🎧🤘 Well… all is revealed in this episode! Skid talks about why and how he became a DJ, the music he plays, a...

This episode is with Anna, a friend and work colleague of Michael Angell, my joint host on “You Made Me Listen To This.” What a brilliant insight into what music means to Anna — and believe me, it means a LOT! 🎶 Anna talks about growing up singing around the piano with her parents. Her dad was a huge jazz fan, while her mum leaned more towards the commercial side of popular music. Those early mus...

Have you ever had one of those moments in life where you see something for the very first time…and it changes everything? Well, Skid had that very moment in 1978 while watching the iconic Top of the Pops. The band? AC/DC. From that day on, he was hooked…not just a fan, but a passionate follower of heavy metal and rock music. In this episode, Skid talks about seeing AC/DC with Bon Scott on lead voc...

Ever dreamed of performing in front of an audience… especially at a world-famous venue? In this latest episode of The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music, I sit down with someone I’ve known for many years through the world of karting – Lianne. Lianne has experienced what many musicians only dream of… performing at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s in London. Naturally, I had to find out how it happened and what...

This episode is a chat with Dan Hunt, an ex-military man who now resides on the Isle of Wight. These days Dan is enjoying life behind the decks as a DJ, one of his greatest passions. He tells me how hearing The Prodigy’s “Charly” back in 1991 – inspired by the famous 1970s health and safety advert featuring “Charly Says” – set him on a path of becoming a lifelong fan of the band. We discuss their...

Well, you have the political show Question Time where the general public question politicians…well, I had Michael Angel hammering me with questions about my life in music. What snack would I take to Glastonbury Festival? Do I use Shazam? What name would I call Duran Duran instead of their actual name? Should mobile phones be banned at concerts? What do I play when I’m cycling? Those were just a fe...

“All or Nothing” by the Small Faces is Eileen’s favourite song…ever. Something I wasn’t aware of when I sat down for a wonderful chat with Eileen, a lovely family friend, about her musical journey through the decades. From the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s onwards, Eileen shared some fantastic memories of music and life. Having travelled around the world due to military life, we instantly connected over our...

This episode of The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music is a rather short one… It’s just me sending my condolences following the recent passing of the lead singer of Dr Hook. I also give my personal thoughts and views on this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. You may agree, you may completely disagree… but that’s part of the fun, right? After all, there’s a reason the podcast is called The Grumpy Cyclist Tal...

This episode of The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music was a rather special one for me, as I chatted to my uncle for the first time in many years…and what a reunion conversation it turned out to be. I’ve always known my uncle Melvin has a huge passion for music, but hearing the stories firsthand was something else. Growing up in Birmingham, where he still proudly resides, Melvin shared stories about seein...

This episode sees me catching up with Craig Bloom for the first time since our boarding school days back in the 80s—and it honestly felt like no time had passed at all. We dive straight into music, with Craig sharing his deep admiration for Queen, and in particular the legendary Freddie Mercury. We chat about Freddie’s unmatched charisma and energy as a frontman, and like many, Craig reflects on h...

This episode of The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music features Olly, a friend of Chris Cole, who previously joined us for a podcast back in the summer of 2025. Olly, who spends most of his year living in the UAE, took some time while visiting the UK to sit down and talk about his life and his deep connection with music. Growing up, his early influences were shaped at home—his mum leaning toward Rod Stewa...

This episode sees me joined by Craig and Rob for a proper, laid-back chat about the music that shaped our childhoods 🎶 We kick things off with our favourite albums and the stories behind why they mean so much, before getting into a bigger conversation about the modern music world—has streaming platforms like Spotify taken the shine (and income) away from artists, and is that fair? We also dive in...

J’s arguably favourite 80s album is the classic Songs From The Big Chair by Bath-based Tears for Fears. In this episode, I chat with J about why this album means so much to him — the memories it brings back and the standout tracks that still resonate today. We also dive into The Seeds of Love and The Hurting — three albums, three different styles, but all equally brilliant in their own right. J al...

This episode features Rob, a barber I previously recorded a podcast with back in November 2025. We dive into his love of music, exploring his passion, knowledge, and why artists like the Pet Shop Boys and U2 hold such an important place in his life. Rob is also a huge film fan, so naturally the conversation turns to iconic movie soundtracks. We chat about classics like Pulp Fiction, Grease, and th...

This episode sees me having a great chat with the wonderful Alastair — partner of Jill Mitchell, who you may remember from a previous episode. We dive into Alastair’s musical journey, starting from his childhood, where music was always around him thanks to his parents. His father had fairly conservative tastes, which makes his own evolution in music all the more interesting — from learning piano t...

This episode of The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music features Jason “Jay” Hayward — someone I’d only actually met once before on a mutual friend’s stag do a few years ago. Being roughly the same age, it turns out we share a lot of the same memories and opinions when it comes to music and growing up. Jay talks about his love of 80s funk legends Level 42, wishing he’d been just a bit older to experience t...

This episode of The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music is a little different from usual. I’ll be diving into my (rather small!) vinyl collection, picking out some of my absolute favourites and having a short chat about why they mean so much to me. In this episode, I’m talking about Prince’s Sign ‘O’ The Times. For me, it’s his true masterpiece. Every track has something special about it – the songwriting,...

The Royal College of Music is where Daniel Mullin spent his time learning the craftsmanship of the violin and piano. This episode is a continuous story of how Daniel went on to work for the BBC (among many other achievements) as part of the BBC Orchestra. Have you ever wondered what life was really like at the college? What it was like being involved in the filming of the movie Shine? His nan’s fi...

Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Bon Jovi, Bagpipes… and Captain Sensible!!! Just some of the gems Joolz and I chat about in this latest episode — a pure reflection on Julie’s (Joolz’s) time at St George’s boarding school… where we just happened to be in the same year. From her admiration of Dave Gahan’s vocals, to the all-important Desert Island Album choice (clue: four chaps from Ireland… 👀), we dive...

“Can bands be just as successful without their original lead singer?” 🤔🎤 That’s just one of the big musical debates I got stuck into with returning guest Mike Kearney — yes, the very same Mike who’s braved a podcast with me before and still came back for more 😄 We covered loads in this episode — from the (very sad) loss of Bob Weir, to the mind-bending Sphere in Las Vegas, and plenty of twists...

This episode of The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music is a special one. I’m chatting with Jill — a lifelong friend, and really more like part of the Morris family — who I’ve known for nearly 50 years. Our connection goes way back, with both of our dads serving in the army, and music playing a huge part in the soundtrack of our lives growing up. Jill takes us right back to her childhood, with the warm, ea...