Lifting the veil on the music industry…
There has perhaps never been more content to devour around popular culture than there is right now. There are literally hundreds of film, music and TV podcasts, so it can be difficult to pick one that is actually worth listening to. I have a hard enough time trying to decide whether I will eat 5 or 6 bowls of cereal in a day for chrissakes. As with so many other things, I was introduced to the Stage Left podcast through my love of something else, or someone else in this particular case…
Stewart Lee is an enigmatic but down to earth interviewee who is happy to dissect his on stage persona and speak frankly about life in the entertainment industry. It was through his appearance on StageLeft that I found myself downloading other episodes, all of which I have enjoyed. The general concept of this podcast is people in the music industry giving advice to up and coming musicians. That is merely the framework however, a typical episode will normally take in key moments from the artists career whilst also digging a little deeper for those unearthed gems. With guests as diverse as Gem Archer from Oasis, Abi Harding from the Zutons and Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey, the Stage Left podcast has something for every discerning music fan. The fact that I have tried to find out the name of the presenter and failed speaks to how modest and unassuming he is, allowing the guest to speak candidly without interruption. Unfortunately, it perhaps also reveals how crap I am at research.
As I previously stated, if you want to listen to a podcast about music, there are hundreds of choices, but Stage Left gives a voice to some of those musicians that you rarely here from and it is all the more compelling for that. The Danny Goffey episode is particularly enlightening but the Stewart Lee edition is vital listening for any fans of the misanthropic comic. We are entering into a Brave New World for podcasting, and while it is great when something like Serial can capture the imagination of millions, we must remember that it is podcasts like Stage Left that make this new medium so exciting and fresh.