Tom Robinson - Musician, Broadcaster & Activist - on Paul Weller, The Jam, Red Wedge and More
On this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I’m joined by someone whose impact on British music and activism can’t be overstated - Tom Robinson.This conversation was originally recorded for my upcoming book, Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire – The Authorised Oral History, and I’m delighted to share it with you now as a podcast episode.Tom first exploded onto the UK music scene with the Tom Robinson Band in the late ‘70s, breaking new ground as a musician and as an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights, anti-racism and political activism. Hits like “2-4-6-8 Motorway” and “Glad To Be Gay” made him a central figure in the punk and post-punk years - the very years that saw The Jam and Paul Weller coming up in parallel. We dive into those formative years, Tom’s memories of the punk scene, what set Weller and The Jam apart, and later, the Red Wedge tour, where Tom truly got to know Paul as both a bandleader and a person.This is a conversation about music as rebellion, about the importance of remaining grounded, about using a platform for collective good.Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ted Kessler - Music Writer & Editor - NME, Q, The New Cue
In this episode of the podcast, I am joined by Ted Kessler - a music writer who’s lived out the ultimate fan’s journey with Paul Weller.As a London kid, he spent his pocket money on Jam singles and memorised the lyrics before he even owned the records. After moving to Paris, he’d receive the NME a week late, schooling himself on Weller, The Style Council, and British pop by long-distance.Years later, Ted found himself writing for the very paper he once treated as gospel. Over decades at NME and Q, he’s interviewed Paul Weller, reviewed his gigs and albums, and - more than once - found himself on the receiving end of the artist’s forthright opinions, including the infamous “get the train to Woking and try it” challenge after a mixed Stanley Road review.Ted is also the author of the memoir Paper Cuts: How I Destroyed The British Music Press and Other Misdemeanours (which includes a heap of Paul Weller related stories), and To Ease My Troubled Mind: the Authorised Unauthorised Biography of Billy Childish. He also devised and edited My Old Man: Tales Of Our Fathers (which included a contribution from Paul about his dad, John). Ted also co-edits The New Cue, a music newsletter delivered three times a week to subscribers.Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Graham Coxon - Blur / Solo Artist / The WAEVE shares stories of influence, creativity and working with Paul Weller
My guest on this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast is one of the most inventive and distinctive guitarists of his generation - the co-founder and guitarist of Blur, a prolific solo artist, and a musician whose restless creativity has taken him from Britpop to freeform jazz, from noisy riffs to tender melodies.Graham Coxon has collaborated with Paul Weller on some fantastic projects over the years - the sharp-edged 'This Old Town' (2007), the soulful 'Black River' from the 22 Dreams album in 2008 and the swirling 'Dragonfly' from Sonik Kicks being just some examples, along with the gloriously chaotic 'Bankbusted Nuclear Detergent Blues', alongside Weller, Damon Albarn, and the poet Michael Horovitz.From discovering The Jam as a teenager and picking up his sister’s old guitar, to standing on stage years later beside his musical hero - this is the story of admiration, influence, and a shared love of great British songwriting.Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of the Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I chat to Cat Santos and Sodge Adams, two of the creative minds behind Fifth Column, the pioneering screen-printing collective that helped define the look of Punk and Mod culture in late-1970s London.Fifth Column started when a group of friends decided to design and print - by hand - punk rock t-shirts for bands like X-Ray Spex, The Clash, The Jam, and The Damned. After creating the artwork on paper and curing the shirts in tumble dryers at a laundrette on Kilburn High Road, they sold them outside London gigs.From Camden Market and Kings Road to working with Paul Weller, John Weller, Cat and Sodge share memories of printing iconic imagery, climbing drainpipes to get into gigs, and living the chaos and creativity of the era.As the conversation unfolds, they reflect on how the Punk ethos evolved into political activism through Red Wedge and campaigns like Anti-Apartheid and Coal Not Dole. From surviving a devastating factory fire to designing artwork for All Mod Cons and Setting Sons, Fifth Column’s story is one of resilience, collaboration, and rebellion.It’s a vivid portrait of DIY innovation - and of how a few friends with screens, ink, and ideas helped shape the visual identity of a generation.Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Jonathan Ross on Paul Weller: Punk, Mod, and the Soundtrack of a Lifetime
Jonathan Ross has been a familiar face and voice in British broadcasting since the late 1980s. From his early days hosting Channel 4’s The Last Resort, he’s gone on to become one of the country’s most recognisable presenters, known for his sharp humour and genuine curiosity. Whether it’s chatting with global superstars on The Jonathan Ross Show, judging the wild antics on The Masked Singer, or sharing his love of film on “Reel Talk” with his daughter Honey, Jonathan’s career has always been about connecting with people and celebrating culture in all its forms.Yet, for all the celebrity encounters and TV moments, Jonathan is, at heart, a passionate music fan - and Paul Weller’s work has been a constant thread through his life. In this episode, recorded for my book Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire - The Authorised Oral History, Jonathan shares his memories of buying The Jam’s 'In the City' on release day, hitchhiking to see the band as a teenager, and later welcoming Weller onto his TV shows at pivotal moments in his solo career. It’s a conversation about the thrill of punk, the evolution of fandom, and the enduring power of Paul Weller’s music to inspire, challenge, and connect.Order your copy of the book at geni.us/dancingthroughthefireFind podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted by Dan Jennings, the world’s first Paul Weller Fan Podcast is back with Season 3 in 2025, counting down to Weller’s covers album Find El Dorado with special guests, plus exclusive episodes celebrating the arrival of Dan's book Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire - The Authorised Oral History (September 2025). Season 2, The Story of 66, dives deep into his 17th solo album with a whole cast of great guests, including Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Suggs, and Dr. Robert. Season 1, Desperately Seeking Paul, launched in 2020 to fulfil Dan’s dream of finally interviewing his hero, Paul Weller. Listen now and join the journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
UK