Destroy! The influence of punk.

• "Legs McNeil: Armagideon time."

  Legs McNeil didn’t just witness punk’s birth, he helped name it. From the chaos of late ’70s New York, McNeil carved out a space for misfits, outsiders, and anyone who didn’t fit the mold. As the co-founder of Punk magazine, he gave voice to the subculture, capturing its raw defiance and shaping its legacy in ways no one could have predicted.In this episode, we trace McNeil’s journey from Connecticut to New York City, where he collided with the anarchic energy of CBGBs and the raw force of bands like The Ramones. His magazine wasn’t just about music, it was a declaration of war against the establishment. “I never thought what I did was shocking, I just thought it was normal.” (Legs McNeil)But McNeil’s story isn’t just about punk. His curiosity took him into worlds few would dare enter, the criminal underworld and the adult film industry. In this episode, we discuss how he went from punk provocateur to chronicler of outsiders, writing The Other Hollywood, a raw, uncensored oral history of the porn industry, and uncovering the dark truths behind Frank Lucas and the infamous American Gangster story.“I’ve always wanted to understand the things most people don’t want to see.” (Legs McNeil)Through his unflinching gaze, he found humanity in the shadows. McNeil’s journey is about more than rebellion; it’s about understanding the unseen, listening where others turn away, and finding truth in the chaos.-Follow us on Instagram @destroypunkpodcast for the latest updates. Or visit us online: https://destroypunkpodcast.com for transcripts, show notes, and more.

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• “Spizz: the final frontier.”

  As a punk provocateur, design obsessive, and relentless shape-shifter, Spizz emerged from the chaos of late ’70s Britain with a DIY ethos and a sci-fi imagination that still defies categorization. He’s never fit the mold, not as a punk frontman, not as a designer, not even as a radio host.In this episode, we trace his wild trajectory: from gatecrashing the Birmingham Punk Festival to supporting Siouxsie and the Banshees, from four John Peel sessions to touring with the Human League, and designing record sleeves, fonts, and alter-egos along the way. “I saw The Clash and thought, I want some of that… I blagged my way on stage and just made it all up.” (Spizz)Over the decades, he’s played Wembley and the Marquee, written Star Trek musical trilogies, and used monikers like SpizzOrwell to collapse past, present, and future into one surreal performance.A relentless shape-shifter, we talk about Bowie and Orwell, about rebellion and surveillance, about fandom, identity, and why he’s still remixing the future in his 60s, broadcasting from the edge of tomorrow, hosting Spizz FM, generating AI musical experimentations, and performing acoustic sets as Spizzology – proof he’s still a cult figure with extraterrestrial ambitions.-Follow us on Instagram @destroypunkpodcast for the latest updates. Or visit us online: https://destroypunkpodcast.com for transcripts, show notes, and more.

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• “Jon Savage: resistance is not futile.”

  Jon Savage’s journey into the heart of youth culture began at Cambridge University, where he turned his back on a career in law to pursue his passion for music and cultural criticism. From his early days writing fanzines in the 1970s to his influential roles at Sounds and Melody Maker, Savage became a defining voice in the world of punk and beyond. His landmark book England’s Dreaming captured the essence of punk, which, for Savage, was never just a genre, it was a cultural movement that challenged the status quo and created a space for personal expression and rebellion.In his latest book, The Secret Public, Savage explores the transformative power of LGBTQ+ resistance in popular culture and delves into how groundbreaking artists like Little Richard and David Bowie used their music and public personas not just to break taboos but to redefine the very concept of identity, carving out new spaces for self-expression, leaving a lasting impact on music and culture.Savage’s place in the history of music journalism is firmly established, and his passion for music and its power to affect change has never waned. To this day he sees punk’s DIY ethos as still offering a framework for artists to create and express themselves on their terms, despite the overwhelming influence of corporate interests in the modern music industry.“Punk was about doing things for yourself—if you want to say something, play an instrument, or write, then just do it. That’s the most important lesson it left us.” (Jon Savage)Savage continues to write and contribute to publications like The Guardian and Mojo, offering fresh insights into the intersections of music, culture, and politics. His work remains vital in understanding the cultural forces shaping our world, whether through his writing, public lectures, or interviews.In this episode, Savage reflects on the lasting influence of punk, the changing media landscape, and the ongoing impact of artists like Bowie and Little Richard in reshaping societal norms.-Follow us on Instagram @destroypunkpodcast for the latest updates. Or visit us online: https://destroypunkpodcast.com for transcripts, show notes, and more.

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• “Neville Brody: leaving convention behind.”

  Neville Brody was told at art school that he had “no commercial potential.” Instead of conforming, he built a career on defying expectations, reshaping graphic design, typography, and branding in the process.“You can’t be radical in every situation, but you can bring radical thinking into a commercial framework.” (Neville Brody)From pioneering font design to creating some of the most distinctive record sleeves of the 1980s, Brody’s work has always operated at the intersection of rebellion and mass communication. His radical approach to typography at The Face helped define the look of a generation, blending punk’s raw energy with the emerging aesthetics of postmodernism.But Brody has never been interested in nostalgia. In 2014, he founded Brody Associates, a creative studio dedicated to rethinking brand identity, design systems, and digital platforms. A decade later, he continues to push forward, balancing experimental projects with strategic work for clients like Samsung, Coca-Cola, and The Times, while maintaining a deep commitment to questioning the role of design in an increasingly automated world.In this episode, Brody discusses his influences, his belief in risk-taking, and why he left record sleeve design behind. He reflects on how punk shaped his creative philosophy, the tensions between commerce and radical thinking, and the challenges facing young designers today.Four decades in, Neville Brody remains as restless as ever, challenging conventions, reshaping industries, and proving that design is not just about aesthetics but ideas, disruption, and the power to change culture.-Follow us on Instagram @destroypunkpodcast for the latest updates. Or visit us online: https://destroypunkpodcast.com for transcripts, show notes, and more.

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• “Brendan Dawes: on the edge of oblivion.”

  Growing up in a small seaside town just north of Liverpool, artist Brendan Dawes was always determined to make something of himself. Leaving school at 16 with no formal qualifications, he found himself propelled forward by the rise of revolutionary computer technology and a passion for Acid House."The computer was like this amazing box where I could make creative things. I always wanted to make stuff in some form, back then it was music. But with computers, I thought, this is incredible. You could just type into it, and it would do things. It just spoke to me." (Brendan Dawes)A self-taught coder, Dawes developed a unique approach to his work, leading him to opportunities worldwide. In 2004, he created Cinema Redux, a pioneering work that transformed an entire film into a single visual and earned a place in the Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) permanent collection in New York.Never one to stand still, Dawes became a key figure in the rise of NFTs, with Black Mamba’s Revenge, an abstract work based on the final fight scene in Kill Bill Vol.1, that sold at auction within the first hour of its release in 2020. This milestone marked a new evolution in his work leading him to collaborate with director Gary Hustwit, in 2024, on the groundbreaking documentary Eno, based on the extraordinary life of musician Brian Eno. The film, the first generative documentary ever shortlisted for an Academy Award, was hailed as a “revolutionary cinematic experience.”In February 2025, always at the center of creative disruption, Dawes took part in Christie’s inaugural AI art auction in New York, a controversial event that divided the art world. While some saw it as an inevitable evolution of artistic practice, others condemned it as a fraudulent attempt to profit from AI-generated works trained on artists’ intellectual property without consent.Always a true radical, Dawes continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art, seamlessly blending technology, data, and visual storytelling. Whether digital or physical, his work remains at the forefront of cultural upheaval, redefining what art can be in an era of constant transformation.-Follow us on Instagram @destroypunkpodcast for the latest updates. Or visit us online: https://destroypunkpodcast.com for transcripts, show notes, and more.

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