Tales From A Disappearing City

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Welcome to the mind of Philip Sallon, legendary club impresario, the original bin-liner wearer, and the man Johnny Rotten called a friend. In this unflinching, hilarious, and brutally honest conversation, Philip isn't here to mourn the "good old days." He's here to diagnose exactly why London is disappearing and why your favourite club probably deserved to close.
From the dance floors of the Sombrero and early punk hangout Club Louise to the birth of the Mud Club, Philip recalls his encounters with Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren, Sid Vicious, and the so-called Bromley Contingent — and he pulls no punches. He explains why he was "too old" for the Sex Pistols at 23, why he chose to turn down drugs in favour of "real happiness," and why the first VIP room arrived the same year as Margaret Thatcher.
If you're looking for nostalgia, go elsewhere. Philip is looking forward.
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Theme song is Controlled Weirdness - Drifting in the Streets
https://open.spotify.com/track/7GJfmYy4RjMyLIg9nffukt

Hosted from a South London tower block by Neil Keating aka Controlled Weirdness. Tales from a Disappearing City is a chance for Neil to tell some untold subcultural stories from past and present, joined by friends from his lifelong journey through subterranean London. Neil is a veteran producer and DJ  and has been at the front line of all aspects of club and sound system culture since the mid 80’s when he first began to go to nightclubs, gigs, and illegal parties. His musical CV includes playing everywhere from plush clubs to dirty warehouses as well as mixing tunes on a variety of iconic London pirate radio stations. He has released music on numerous underground record labels and was responsible for promoting and playing at a series of legendary early raves in the USA at the start of the 90’s. He still DJ's in the UK and thro...

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From a "dirty punk" being shamed in his Newcastle school assembly to sharing a beer with the Sex Pistols, Johny Brown lived the explosive birth of UK punk. But that was only the beginning. In this episode of Tales of a Disappearing City, Johny takes us on a wild journey through underground culture. He recounts jumping out of his window to escape being grounded for a TV appearance, only to be handed a ticket to a Sex Pistols gig in Middlesborough by Steve Jones himself. We follow him to London, where he immersed himself in the squatting scene, the industrial noise of Test Department, legendary clubs like The Beat Route and Flim Flam, and the anarchic warehouse parties of the Mutoid Waste collective. This is a story of creative reinvention, from homemade clothes and experimental cassette tapes to forming the beloved band Holy Joy, launching a groundbreaking radio show on Resonance FM, and creating avant-garde theatre. It’s a firsthand account of 80s and 90s London, a city of chaos, community, and relentless creativity, and a powerful reminder to always "keep the faith".

Some great subcultural links mentioned in this episode:
https://www.boredteenagers.co.uk/speed.htm
https://briangibson.yolasite.com
https://www.instagram.com/cindy_stern_11/
https://www.instagram.com/soulboyssoulgirls/
Support the show
https://www.youtube.com/@ControlledWeirdness
https://open.spotify.com/artist/20nC7cQni8ZrvRC2REZjOI
https://www.instagram.com/controlledweirdness/
https://controlledweirdness.bandcamp.com/

Theme song is Controlled Weirdness - Drifting in the Streets
https://open.spotify.com/track/7GJfmYy4RjMyLIg9nffukt

Hosted from a South London tower block by Neil Keating aka Controlled Weirdness. Tales from a Disappearing City is a chance for Neil to tell some untold subcultural stories from past and present, joined by friends from his lifelong journey through subterranean London. Neil is a veteran producer and DJ  and has been at the front line of all aspects of club and sound system culture since the mid 80’s when he first began to go to nightclubs, gigs, and illegal parties. His musical CV includes playing everywhere from plush clubs to dirty warehouses as well as mixing tunes on a variety of iconic London pirate radio stations. He has released music on numerous underground record labels and was responsible for promoting and playing at a series of legendary early raves in the USA at the start of the 90’s. He still DJ's in the UK and thro...

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In this episode, Neil sits down with Kevin Foakes (aka Strictly Kev and DJ Food) - legendary DJ, graphic artist, and archivist of UK counterculture - for a deep dive into four decades of music, raves, graffiti, and psychedelic experimentation.

Kevin's journey is a masterclass in underground creativity, spanning from Adam and the Ants fandom to hip-hop graffiti, from acid house squats to Ninja Tune's golden era. After discovering hip-hop through the legendary Subway Art book, he traces his path into graffiti culture, documenting pieces in Westbourne Park and Ladbroke Grove, and recalls the pivotal Freestyle '85 hip-hop jam.

The conversation shifts to the rave and acid house years, where Kevin recounts his experiences raving at squats, founding the influential Telepathic Fish chill-out parties, and crossing paths with scene legends like Mixmaster Morris and Coldcut's Matt Black. He reflects on his design work for Ninja Tune, co-hosting the iconic Solid Steel radio show, and the label's legendary Stealth nights at Hoxton's Blue Note.

Along the way, Kevin shares vivid anecdotes about Megatripolis' psychedelic chaos, the record shop culture of Ambient Soho, and his current projects—including a Telepathic Fish compilation released in September 2024 and his forthcoming book on psychedelic light shows.
Support the show
https://www.youtube.com/@ControlledWeirdness
https://open.spotify.com/artist/20nC7cQni8ZrvRC2REZjOI
https://www.instagram.com/controlledweirdness/
https://controlledweirdness.bandcamp.com/

Theme song is Controlled Weirdness - Drifting in the Streets
https://open.spotify.com/track/7GJfmYy4RjMyLIg9nffukt

Hosted from a South London tower block by Neil Keating aka Controlled Weirdness. Tales from a Disappearing City is a chance for Neil to tell some untold subcultural stories from past and present, joined by friends from his lifelong journey through subterranean London. Neil is a veteran producer and DJ  and has been at the front line of all aspects of club and sound system culture since the mid 80’s when he first began to go to nightclubs, gigs, and illegal parties. His musical CV includes playing everywhere from plush clubs to dirty warehouses as well as mixing tunes on a variety of iconic London pirate radio stations. He has released music on numerous underground record labels and was responsible for promoting and playing at a series of legendary early raves in the USA at the start of the 90’s. He still DJ's in the UK and thro...

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In this episode we take a  deep-dive into Britain's underground festival counterculture with filmmaker Aaron Trinder, creator of the groundbreaking documentary "Free Party: A Folk History." Aaron reveals how the free festival culture of the 60s and 70s collided with the explosive rave scene of the late 80s and 90s, creating a movement so powerful that the government literally rewrote the law to stop it. From the legendary Castlemorton Common Festival of 1992 - a 50,000-strong gathering that triggered the Criminal Justice Act - to the chaotic Spiral Tribe NYE party at the Roundhouse, Aaron shares stories from the frontlines of cultural warfare and his 7-year DIY odyssey to preserve these forgotten histories.

Aaron's grassroots filmmaking journey, battling music licensing and mainstream media, mirrors the same DIY spirit that built the free party movement. Shaped by childhood experiences in West London squats and punk venues, he brings an insider's perspective that no academic could replicate. The film explores how the Criminal Justice Act wasn't just about noise complaints but was a direct assault on the radical idea that people could gather freely without corporate or state control.

"This film is a unique look at a much-underrepresented moment in cultural history. It was the last great unifying youth movement before the digital age, one that challenged the authorities, connected environmental awareness with music, and questioned laws on land rights and trespass. With new laws criminalising trespass and protest across Europe, the story is more relevant than ever."
Director - Aaron Trinder
Links to show your support
https://youtu.be/YGy_lDDqO9E?si=5iZLuBeaApQvH4nA
https://freepartydoc.info/
https://www.instagram.com/freepartydocumentary/
https://www.facebook.com/aaron.trinder.5/
https://alanlodge.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/tashuk
Support the show
https://www.youtube.com/@ControlledWeirdness
https://open.spotify.com/artist/20nC7cQni8ZrvRC2REZjOI
https://www.instagram.com/controlledweirdness/
https://controlledweirdness.bandcamp.com/

Theme song is Controlled Weirdness - Drifting in the Streets
https://open.spotify.com/track/7GJfmYy4RjMyLIg9nffukt

Hosted from a South London tower block by Neil Keating aka Controlled Weirdness. Tales from a Disappearing City is a chance for Neil to tell some untold subcultural stories from past and present, joined by friends from his lifelong journey through subterranean London. Neil is a veteran producer and DJ  and has been at the front line of all aspects of club and sound system culture since the mid 80’s when he first began to go to nightclubs, gigs, and illegal parties. His musical CV includes playing everywhere from plush clubs to dirty warehouses as well as mixing tunes on a variety of iconic London pirate radio stations. He has released music on numerous underground record labels and was responsible for promoting and playing at a series of legendary early raves in the USA at the start of the 90’s. He still DJ's in the UK and thro...

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In the second part of our chat, we continue our conversation with Chris (aka Dexta), following his journey from aspiring DJ to co-founder of Planet Wax, the New Cross institution that has become a cornerstone of London's underground dance music scene.
"Record shops aren't just about selling vinyl—they're about creating a space where the culture can breathe," Dexta explains.
In this episode, we discuss how Dexta founded Diffrent Music in 2010 with his friend Jamie. This experimental bass label deliberately countered mainstream trends and quickly became a cult favorite with over 100 releases.
Dexta's career evolved through various roles in graphic design at DJ Mag and Hospital Records, where he blended his talents in A&R, broadcasting, and event management. He notably helped organize the popular DJ Mag Bunker nights and co-founded Clashmouth, a vibrant drum & bass vinyl marketplace that strengthened community bonds.
His entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish 1-800-Dubplate with Lewis (aka Sicknote), a specialized dubplate-cutting service, before they both successfully crowdfunded Discworld (later rebranded as Planet Wax). After relocating to New Cross and expanding with a bar, the record shop and venue evolved into a cultural hub for vinyl enthusiasts, artists, and DIY culture.
As Dexta reflects, while it's "not a fortune-making business," the true reward lies in preserving authentic music culture for future generations.

👉 Visit Planet Wax and Planet Wax - On Air 
https://planetwax.net/
https://live.planetwax.net/
Support the show
https://www.youtube.com/@ControlledWeirdness
https://open.spotify.com/artist/20nC7cQni8ZrvRC2REZjOI
https://www.instagram.com/controlledweirdness/
https://controlledweirdness.bandcamp.com/

Theme song is Controlled Weirdness - Drifting in the Streets
https://open.spotify.com/track/7GJfmYy4RjMyLIg9nffukt

Hosted from a South London tower block by Neil Keating aka Controlled Weirdness. Tales from a Disappearing City is a chance for Neil to tell some untold subcultural stories from past and present, joined by friends from his lifelong journey through subterranean London. Neil is a veteran producer and DJ  and has been at the front line of all aspects of club and sound system culture since the mid 80’s when he first began to go to nightclubs, gigs, and illegal parties. His musical CV includes playing everywhere from plush clubs to dirty warehouses as well as mixing tunes on a variety of iconic London pirate radio stations. He has released music on numerous underground record labels and was responsible for promoting and playing at a series of legendary early raves in the USA at the start of the 90’s. He still DJ's in the UK and thro...