Origin Story with David McIntosh Jr

Ben Barlow is the lead vocalist of Neck Deep — the Welsh pop-punk band formed in Wrexham in 2012 that’s become one of Britain’s biggest modern rock exports. Neck Deep are one of my favourite bands
In this episode of Origin Story, we do it properly: in a skatepark — because skate culture and pop-punk aren’t aesthetics… they’re a philosophy. Ben talks about growing up in skateparks, why “living on your own terms” became his whole life assignment, and how the band went from posting “What Did You Expect?” online to global tours, viral hits, and over a billion streams.
We go deep on authenticity vs trends, attention as currency, and why subculture feels like it’s dying — then we zoom right in again: what fame does to young men, how Ben avoided the “rockstar trap,” and the real costs of life on the road (including the moments you miss that don’t show up on Instagram).
And then the episode turns into the stuff fans actually care about: the emotional engine behind the early songs, how Life’s Not Out To Get You became a lifeline for people, and why Ben still believes human art cuts through even in an AI era.
About Neck Deep:
Neck Deep are a Welsh pop-punk band formed in Wrexham in 2012, originally sparked when Ben Barlow and guitarist Lloyd Roberts posted “What Did You Expect?” online — a DIY start that snowballed into a decade-plus career of major chart success and global touring.
Their latest chapter includes the self-titled album Neck Deep (released Jan 19, 2024 via Hopeless Records), described by the band as a “return to roots” record made in-house with Ben’s brother Seb involved in the process.
Expect to learn:
Why skateparks produce “no status games” — and what that teaches you about life

The real story of early Neck Deep: DIY beginnings, heartbreak fuel, instant traction

Style vs substance (in skating and in music) — and why “being yourself” wins long-term

Attention economy, trend culture, and why “effort” became social currency

Fame, relationships, and how to stay grounded when your life goes nuclear

Why Life’s Not Out To Get You hit so hard, and how Ben thinks about responsibility to fans

AI, authenticity, and why human-made art still matters

Instagram: @davidmcintoshjrPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/davidmcintoshjr/aboutSubstack: https://substack.com/@davidmcintoshjr?Merch: https://originstoryclub.co.uk/

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Jimmy Carr is back. Jimmy Carr is one of the most recognisable comedians on the planet: world-touring stand-up, TV host, and author - famous for brutal roasts and surgical one-liners.
But in this episode, you get the sharper edge and the deeper thinking: why 2026 is going to feel like a turning point and how young men can get control back.
Jimmy is one of the most respected comedians in the world: a world-touring stand-up, TV host, and author known for brutal one-liners and zero mercy…
but in this episode you get the full range - savage comedy and the deeply human side. We talk about dating, masculinity, porn, cheap dopamine and why so many young men feel stuck - then we go way bigger: AI as a new “god”, the end of old institutions, how podcasts replaced mainstream media, and why politics is entering a genuinely weird new era.
And then the episode turns: Jimmy opens up about grief and love - remembering Sean Lock (including the first joke Jimmy ever heard him say, and why he felt like a father figure), the impact of losing his mum Nora, and a beautiful tribute to Janey Godley and what she said about Jimmy behind the scenes.

Expect to learn:
Why women select for competence and what “safety” really signals.
Jimmy’s advice to young men: porn, risk, rejection, and building a real life
The loneliness trade-off: liver damage vs social isolation How J
immy thinks about anxiety, discipline, and “life assignment”
Sean Lock’s legacy — and what it’s like to lose someone you built a career beside Grief, funerals, and the difference between resume virtues and eulogy virtues AI, institutions, and why the next decade could get very “interesting”and much, much more.
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00:00 — Young Men Are Stuck
01:52 — Jimmy’s Back: Glasgow Banter
04:18 — “Media Diet” & Mental Health
07:27 — ADHD, Boundaries & Discipline
08:23 — Arenas, Imposter Syndrome, Movies
13:46 — Early Comedy Influences
16:21 — How You Build Confidence
17:32 — First Glasgow Joke (DVD Era)
18:52 — Comedy = Friendship
20:28 — Why Dark Humour Helps
22:16 — Dating: Safety, Competence, Chemistry
24:48 — Advice to Young Men: Porn, Games, Asking Girls Out
27:09 — Drinking vs Isolation
29:28 — Dealing Young People In: Agency Over Empathy
31:35 — Trump + Debate vs Deliberation
32:28 — Fourth Turning + Class Politics Flip
34:31 — Podcasts Replaced Mainstream Media
36:52 — “Be Of Service” — Working-Class Agency
37:46 — “Woke”, Status & Suicidal Empathy
39:19 — Jimmy’s Come-Up: Luck + Work Ethic
42:29 — Pre-Show Mindset
44:32 — Jimmy’s Laugh + His Mum
47:48 — Sean Lock: First Meeting + Legacy
53:54 — Grief, Mortality & Talking To The Dead
55:18 — Funerals: Eulogy vs Résumé
01:01:31 — AI, God & The Future
01:04:26 — Secret Struggles: Dyslexia, Body Image, Work
01:07:24 — Pax Americana Ending + The World Shifting
01:10:29 — Kids, Legacy & Meaning
01:13:18 — Janey Godley Tribute

Instagram: @davidmcintoshjr
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/davidmcintoshjr/about
Substack: https://substack.com/@davidmcintoshjr?
Merch: https://originstoryclub.co.uk/

Benny Higgins is a Scottish Banker and Former CEO of RBS, Bank of Scotland and Tesco Bank. He is also the chairman of a portfolio of companies. He's a lover of Art and Poetry. He is also my good friend.

Benny Higgins grew up in Toryglen tower blocks, captained Celtic’s youth team, and became a defining force in modern Scottish business — from CEO of RBS during the NatWest takeover, to building Tesco Bank from the ground up. But what makes Benny different is the paradox: a numbers man with a lifelong devotion to poetry, art, and culture — and a Glaswegian accent that never moved an inch.
We recorded this in Kelvingrove Art Gallery, a place that shaped Benny as a 10-year-old at his first ever art competition — and still represents the thread running through his life: curiosity, pride, and the desire to win.
We get into Celtic, class, and leadership… the reality of boardrooms at scale… why he hires through trust over “perfect CVs”… and the stories you genuinely couldn’t script: Maya Angelou, the Golden Globes, Soho, and a cocktail named after his fifth wife Sharon.
Why Kelvingrove is symbolic to Benny’s origin story

Toryglen tower blocks: toughness, community, and confidence through football

Celtic youth captaincy and the first leadership lessons that stuck

“I just wanted to win”: the mindset behind academic dominance

Actuarial exams in 2.5 years (when the average was ~7)

RBS context + how the NatWest hostile takeover happened

Building Tesco Bank from scratch: 140 people → 5,000 → 8m customers

Hiring “the best people I knew” and why trust beats process

Social mobility: money, identity, and why he treats everyone the same

Soho stories: tailors, members clubs, and the “Higgins No.5” cocktail

The Golden Globes: Jon Hamm photo… taken by Bradley Cooper

Lunch with Maya Angelou: poetry, Burns, and an unforgettable moment

What people think is true about him (but isn’t)

What’s next — and the ambition that still drives him

Guest
Benny Higgins — former senior leader at RBS, creator of Tesco Bank, chair/board roles across culture and business.
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Dan Boerman is a Comedian and TV Personality on Jimmy Carr's Am I The A**hole. He is also a good friend.

I’ve wanted to record this conversation for a long time.

Dan Boerman is a New Zealand comedian who left a steady job, moved to the other side of the world, and has been relentlessly chasing stand-up ever since – from sleeping in a kid’s dinosaur bed outside Edinburgh to getting a thousand people to watch him fold a fitted sheet on a hill.

In this episode, we get into:

Growing up in small-town rural New Zealand and dropping out of school

Years on benefits, smoking tiny “Russian doll” cigarettes in the kitchen

Barbering as accidental crowd work – and the now infamous Jimmy Carr Am I the A**hole? story

Leaving security behind to move to Edinburgh for comedy

Why London feels like kindling for opportunity

The viral sheet stunt that turned into awards, brand deals and a new life

“Don’t die wondering” and what it really means to bet on yourself

Why some people live and die never hearing the sound of their own voice

This is an episode about chasing the weird, specific thing you can’t stop thinking about – and refusing to let your life pass in quiet comfort.

If you enjoyed this one, send it to someone who’s been talking about “one day” for too long.

Follow Dan: @danboermancomedy
Follow me / Origin Story: @davidmcnintoshjr

In this episode of Origin Story, I sit down with a Red Bull F1 tyre technician to unpack how he went from watching races in pubs to travelling the world with Max Verstappen’s team - Vegas, Brazil, Mexico and beyond. We get into the pressure of sub-2 second pit stops, the chaos of race weekends, and what life really looks like inside the world’s most famous F1 team.In this episode we cover:Growing up in working-class Scotland and discovering F1Why engineering wasn’t the first plan – and how he found his way into the sportThe moment Red Bull came callingWhat a race week actually looks like from the insideVegas, Brazil, Mexico and the wildest travel stories from the F1 calendarThe pressure of being “the tyre guy” in a world champion teamWhat F1 has taught him about teamwork, discipline and courageAdvice for anyone who thinks “people like me don’t get jobs like that”⏱ Chapters:00:00 – Intro03:12 – Growing up in Scotland & first F1 memories10:45 – From uni & early jobs to Red Bull Racing19:30 – Inside the tyre bay: what his job actually is27:05 – Race week routines, stress & team culture36:20 – Vegas, Brazil, Mexico & F1 travel stories47:10 – Pressure, mistakes & how you bounce back56:40 – Life outside the paddock & relationships1:05:00 – Advice for young people chasing unlikely careers💌 Stay in the Origin Story universe:Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidmcintoshjr🎙 Follow the guest:Instagram: http://instagram.com/sc0ttduncan/SPONSORS:💧 This episode is sponsored by VYBEYBig thank you to Vybey for supporting Origin Story.If you’re like me – long recording days, travel, runs, gym, not enough sleep – plain water doesn’t always cut it. Vybey’s electrolyte powders make it stupidly easy to stay on top of your hydration:Quick to mix, actually tastes goodHelps you stay sharp and energised through busy daysPerfect for before/after workouts or long days on the road🧃 Try Vybey here (code DMAC): UK & Europe: https://vybey.co.uk/?shpxid=d48f4c7e-7953-44bb-a9d8-8a8dff0a49dbAus: http://vybey.au/Merch (Shop Origin Story): originstoryclub.co.ukPlease remember to hit subscribe!