Performance Anxiety

This episode is a little different. It’s still about music, but from a very particular perspective. My guest is author Daniel Rachel. He’s written some fantastic books like Isle of Noise (about UK songwriters) and The Lost Album of The Beatles. His latest release may be his most controversial. It’s called This Ain’t Rock ‘n’ Roll: Pop Music, The Swastika, & The Third Reich. In it, Daniel explores the fascination musicians have had with Nazi imagery, symbolism, and paraphernalia. There are some connections you’ve probably heard of, like Jimmy Page and Lemmy. But there are others that you might not be aware of, like The Human League and Nick Cave. Daniel and I talk through how the British, especially in the 60’s and 70’s, used symbols as a way of mocking Nazi-ism. We also talk about a seeming resurgence in the symbolism, particularly through artists like Kanye West. The book gives facts and tells stories. But, importantly, it lets the readers draw their own conclusions. It was a fascinating read, especially if you like music & history. I recommend picking it up. It’s available from Akashic Books at https://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/this-aint-rock-n-roll-pop-music-the-swastika-and-the-third-reich/ Follow Daniel @danielrachelauthor on Instagram. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. You can also send coffee funds to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now prepare for a history lesson with Daniel Rachel on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This guest has just fulfilled a long-term dream. Welcome stalwart of the NYC music scene, George Usher to the podcast. But before moving to New York, he was stealing Beatles songs in Cleveland. He moved to NYC knowing no one and waited a year before playing out. But once he did, he played some legendary venues like CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City. He became a hired gun in the 80’s and reveals the difficulties of marketing yourself, pre-internet. And’s that’s when his Stephensonville project began. George explains why it’s taken 30 years for the album to come out and the circumstances that gave it life after so long. With it taking so long, it is practically required listening. That means going to bandcamp and buying the limited edition vinyl because it isn’t available on streaming services yet. Follow himon Facebook for more information. Go to @PerformanceAnx to follow us. Go to performanceanx.threadless.com for merch or ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety to send us monet, presumably for coffee. And I hope you enjoy this satisfying story of a fulfilled dream with George Usher on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the episode title says, this episode is all about the band Genesis. My brother Scott has written two in depth articles about the band’s early years for The Strange Brew blog. Both he and long-time podcast friend Jordon Zadorozny of Blinker The Star join me to discuss the history of Genesis, from Peter Gabriel all the way through Ray Wilson. Check out Scott’s work at scottsheaauthor.com. Check out Jordon’s music at blinkerthestar.bandcamp.com. Follow them on socials (@scottsheaauthor & @blinkerthestar). Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Merch is at performanceanx.threadless.com. Support us with caffeine at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Without further ado, Scott Shea & Jordon Zadorozny on Genesis on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is fiery. And I have to thank Ian Ottaway for introducing me to her. Welcome Erika Switchblade from The Devils to the podcast. Erika is Italian, in southern Italy. International episodes are always interesting. And Erika sets expectations early. She’s pretty sure this will be the worst podcast I’ve ever done. I disagree. Erika talks about the first song she ever remembers hearing, playing in her own bands by 14, and then getting kicked out of them. She met her current bandmate, Gianni Blacula and formed The Devils so they couldn’t get kicked out of any more bands. They’ve been together for over 10 years and we talk about how the band has changed. We talk about the appearance of Mark Lanegan, the influence of Alain Johannes, and the importance of Magic Sam. Check out their latest album, Devil’s Got It. It’s a wild collection of blues and soul covers. Follow them on Instagram @thedevilsinsta. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Merch is at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now say some prayers because I’m talking with Erika Switchblade of The Devils on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re talking about family bands with two guys who know a thing or two about them; Louis Michot and Corey Ledet. Both of these gentlemen are parts of families with deep musical roots. And they both give us a brief rundown of where they fit in the family tree. Corey’s great grandfather was an early jazz pioneer while Louis’ grandmother was a professional whistler! And Louis talks about their supernatural book connection. We talk about life in family bands; where it makes things better and where it’s more difficult. Is touring with the fam harder than with unrelated bandmates? Louis & Corey give us the good, the bad, and the ugly about working with family in the music business. Louis had to go part way through this, but not to worry, Corey sticks around to talk about his first ever live album: Corey Ledet Zydeco & Black Magic Live In Alaska. And while I was hoping it was the first live album from Alaska, it turns out there are others. Not many, but a couple. Anyway, it’s a killer performance from a super-hot band. Check it out on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you buy music. Follow Corey & Louis on socials (@coreyledetzydeco & @louismichotmusic) to stay up to date on music & tours. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Support us through performanceanx.threadless.com and buy something or ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety and keep me going with a cup of coffee. So let’s hear about some family bands on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is just a badass. I’m so excited about this one that I don’t even want to do too long of an intro. I just want her to tell her story. Welcome Wendy Rae Fowler to the show. She’s got such an interesting story. She plays bass for Humanist in addition to her own music. But her first love was dance. She talks about all her creative endeavors from dance, to acting, to bass, and more.She collaborated with Queens of the Stone Age, Earthlings?, Mark Lanegan (that collaboration included a wedding), and more. She reveals the one project she’ll never get over, who Katie Cruel is, and how she wrote an ambient film soundtrack. She tells the story of how she started playing with Rob Marshall and Humanist and how the music transformed once it was played live. Honestly, I could listen to her for hours. She’s wonderful and I want to take a second and thank Rob Marshall of Humanist for the introduction. Go to wendyraefowlerofficial.com for more information. She’s active on Instagram @wendyraefowler. Her music is also available on Bandcamp. Keep an eye open for some new releases. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Just send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And let’s get right into the story with Wendy Rae Fowler on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome photographer and musician Josh Hight to the show. Josh’s story is near and dear to me because it centers around two of my passions: music and photography. And Josh’s story is not a straightforward one, either. Although his parents were both creative (his dad was in advertising and his mom was an interior designer) visual art came later. His first love was music. He’s from Detroit and so its natural that he’s into garage and punk rock. He joined up with another friend of the podcast, Toddrick Spalding, and played with The Detachment Kit. But, in true punk rock fashion, he heard London calling and moved to the U.K., where he attended school for graphic design. But his love for music was always there, working with Glen Johnson and Piano Magic, Tullia Benedicta, and others musically and visually. Once he met Richard Norris, the seeds of a new band, Pines, were sown. And that’s where we find Josh now. He has released an EP with collaborations from artists like Andy Bell and more. The album is light and heavy, dreamy and scary. It’s a must-hear collection of music. Find it on a multitude of streamers, on Bandcamp at www.richardnorris.bandcamp.com. Follow the Instagram accounts @p.i.n.e.s (underscores at the beginning and end) and @josh._.hight for more information. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Grab some merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or just throw cash at us at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now let’s get into it with Josh Hight of Pines on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This isn’t exactly a Christmas episode, although it certainly leans heavily into the season. That’s because my guest today is an 80’s icon who has released a Christmas song. Welcome Limahl to the podcast. You may remember him from the 80’s band Kajagoogoo, and the track playing underneath all this intro stuff. Or you might remember him from the international #1 hit The Neverending Story from the movie of the same name. Limahl’s story is fascinating. He got into music as a kid and even released a Christmas single in 1980! He tells me how he and the band Art Nouveau found each other and became Kajagoogoo. We even learn how the band name came about. Limahl tells the story of meeting Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran and how he got involved in the band’s debut and how he (Limahl, not Nick) was fired at the height of their popularity. He didn’t let that keep him down. He tells the story of The Neverending Story and how it was #1 in 17 countries! We’re in a time crunch with this episode, but we do manage to discuss his recent cover of America’s A Horse With No Name and his holiday single, One Wish For Christmas, which has it’s own great, possibly neverending, story. Go to limahl.com for more information and links to his socials (try limahloffcial on your favorite platforms). Go listen to, stream, and buy One Wish For Christmas. It’ll definitely get you in the holiday spirit. Check us out @PerformanceAnx. Merch is at performanceanx.threadless.com (great holiday gifts). Or just send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. I’ll leave the Too Shy jokes to the man, himself…Limahl on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is a challenge. But I don’t mean that in a negative way.Welcome Arwen Lewis to the podcast. She’s a musician and a podcaster. And this show starts off almost like it’s duelling interviews. And before I go any further, I need to thank Astrid Young for the introduction. Arwen has quite the family tree. Her dad is Peter Lewis of Moby Grape. But going back farther, her grandfather founded the Armed Forces Radio Network. And what’s more, her grandmother was legendary actress/entertainer Loretta Young! Arwen grew up with entertainment in her blood. But she wasn’t immediately drawn to music as her calling. She talks about what she did before starting her music career and when that finally did become evident. Her first endeavor is a collection of Moby Grape songs, reimagined for her by her dad and John DeNicola. She talks about how she puts her own spin on covers, the influence of astronomy (aided by another mutual friend, Jason Achilles), and how she became the booking manager at Lost Chord Guitars. We also geek out on how we both got into podcasting. She’s got a great EP out and a new single. We wrap everything up discussing new projects and critiquing fast food restaurants. Give her a follow @arwenlewis on socials. Her website is https://arwenlewismusic.com/. Check out our socials @PerformanceAnx. Our stuff is available at performanceanx.threadless.com. Or you can throw money at us at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now get ready for a fun, casual chat with Arwen Lewis on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is very grounded. That could be because he’s British. Or it could be because his career spans several decades. Welcome the singer and guitarist for Kula Shaker, Crispian Mills. This episode is so interesting. Crispian talks about growing up in a family rooted in entertainment. He started playing gigs in pubs at a pretty young age. In fact, his first gig was with Chris Thompson of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. But success wasn’t instant. He reveals how one of his earliest pub gigs didn’t go over so well. He played with friend and former podcast guest Lora Logic in the reformed version of X-Ray Spex. And when you give it a listen, you can tell it’s him. Crispian talks about forming Kula Shaker and why he became the singer. I learn the truth about Cricklewood, the wild success of the band’s debut album, K, and how it affected the band. It probably didn’t help that they headlined Glastonbury twice in one weekend. It was due to Neil Young’s finger injury, but it still means that Sting opened for Kula Shaker once. The band broke up and reformed. Crispian talks about life during the gap and how the band reformed. They’ve been expanding their sound ever since and have just recently released one of their best tracks ever. Look for a new album soon. Follow them @kulashakerofficial on Instagram. Check out their new music at kulashaker.co.uk, on Spotify or wherever you get new music. Look for tour dates! Follow us @performanceanx on socials. Grab our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send us coffee funds at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now get ready to have your chakras blown away by Crispian Mills of Kula Shaker on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the third installment of our Spinal Tap series. In this episode we welcome four members of Teen Cancer America' Play It Back Program; Nathan Hooper, Savannah Mason, Juan Razuri, and Elissa Waller as well as the co-founder of the program, Kenli Mattus . They all participated in the Tap project by recording a version of The Majesty Of Rock, from Spinal Tap’s second album, Break Like The Wind. Turns out, a lot of them were not familiar with Spinal Tap, the band, prior to the project! We get some history about the program and how it was started, how each of my guests became involved with the program, and their approach to making the Spinal Tap song their own. Please check out each person’s music. They tell you how at the end of the episode. But just as important, please pick up a copy of the album they worked so hard on; The Majesty Of Rock: A Spinal Tap Tribute for Teen Cancer America. You can go to www.teencanceramerica.org/product/spinal-tap/ or just go to TCA’s site and hit the shop button. Your donation gets you 35 Spinal Tap covers but it does so much to help adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer. Thank you to Teen Cancer America, The Play It Back Program, and The Pantheon Podcast Network for all the support and guidance, their belief in the project, and help getting it over the goal line. Please enjoy this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the second installment of our Spinal Tap series. This time I’m speaking with Abby Travis, Chas West, and David Hakopyan. Due to a personal obligation, I had to record this differently than I normally do. I was in the middle of Amish country in PA and I used Zoom for the entire show. Somehow, it became the busiest place on the planet, but only while I was recording. I also discovered that Zoom gave me a lisp. Anyway, we discuss each person’s involvement in the Spinal Tap project and why they chose the songs they covered and David reveals the unfortunately abandoned take involving Sir Mix-A-Lot. Chas talks about wanting to rev up his track, Abby had a specific artist in mind when recording hers, and David had his idea turned down a step by John Dolmayan of System Of A Down. We also talk about personal Spinal Tap experiences and Abby tells her epic story for the final time! So you don’t want to miss that! Follow each of these wonderful artists @abbytravis, @antennatheend, & @westboundofficial. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Follow @teencanceramerica and go to https://teencanceramerica.org/product/spinal-tap/ or go to the website and hit the shop button. By donating, you’re helping teens and young adults through the most difficult battle they can face. And in the process you’ll get some great music. I hope you enjoy this episode. How much more Spinal Tap can this be? None. None more Tap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is the first of a few special episodes. We’re talking Spinal Tap with Scott Reeder of Kyuss, Kellii Scott of Failure, Dizzy Reed of Guns N Roses, and Jason Achilles, who’s put microphones on Mars with NASA’s JPL. What brings all of these amazing people together? A charity album for Teen Cancer America that I started three and a half years ago. It’s coming out on Sept 16th and the only way to get over 30 tracks of Spinal Tap covers is to follow the show and Teen Cancer America’s social media. In this episode we talk about what the movie means to each of us, favorite scenes, favorite songs, and how these guys chose the song they covered. They also discuss some real life Spinal Tap moments in their own careers, the key to singing comedic songs, and pro tips on buying the best rubber chickens.Keep following here and Teen Cancer America for covers by these amazing musicians, Robyn Hitchcock, Crippled Black Phoenix, Alain Johannes, members of Soul Asylum, Tool, Foo Fighters, Mastodon, and so many more, as well as a very special song performed by cancer survivors who’ve been helped by TCA. Follow us @PerformanceAnx and @teencancereamerica or go to teencanceramerica.org to learn more. Here’s Scott Reeder, Kellii Scott, Dizzy Reed, and Jason Achilles on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices