#012: David Stubbs

This week's guest is the wise writer and music journalist David Stubbs. David's work covers the many intersections between music, sport, comedy and national identity, covered in books like Fear of Music, 1996 and the End of History and Different Times, all discussed in this episode, alongside his earlier writings for Melody Maker and NME. We discuss David's upbringing in Barwick-in-Elmet, near Leeds, and his complex, changing relations with the North, being, like Sharon Duce, relocated from Yorkshire and now a committed Londoner.Short extracts of these* pieces of music are included under fail dealing/fair use for commentary and review. This podcast is non-commercial. *David Sylvian - 'Let the Happiness In', The Fall - 'Leave the Capitol', Claude Debussy - 'Marche ecosaisse' & Kevin Coyne - 'This is Spain'.(C) Hit the North Productions, 2026.

This week's guest is the tremendous actor and writer Deborah McAndrew, of Coronation Street, Northern Broadsides and Claybody Theatre fame. We discuss Debbie's life and work, and the influence of her Northern upbringing in Leeds. TV drama productions explored include Heartbeat (1994) and Yasmin (2004), alongside an extensive section discussing Debbie's two stints as Angie Freeman in Corrie. Debbie's stage work is also discussed, including her adaptation of Victorian melodrama, The Bells and the original An August Bank Holiday Lark. Short extracts of these* pieces of music are included under fail dealing/fair use for commentary and review. This podcast is non-commercial. *Kate Rusby - 'Blooming Heather', George Formby - 'With My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock' & Oasis - 'Half the World Away'.(C) Hit the North Productions, 2026.

This week's guest is the actor Sharon Duce, a superb screen performer for five decades now. We discuss her life and work, and the influence of her Northern upbringing in Sheffield. TV drama productions explored include Barry Hines's Two Men from Derby (1976), Shelagh Delaney's The House That Jack Built (1977) and Marc Platt's Doctor Who serial, 'Ghost Light' (1989). Short extracts of these* pieces of music are included under fail dealing/fair use for commentary and review. This podcast is non-commercial. *Pulp - 'Common People', Arctic Monkeys - 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor' & The Beatles - 'She's Leaving Home'.(C) Hit the North Productions, 2026.

A trailer for Series 2 of HIT THE NORTH Arts podcast, which starts on Friday 30 October 2026, with the first special guest, Sharon Duce!

This week, Tom presents the Series 1 Sum-up! This includes listeners' Northern musical selections, some more interview extracts (Matthew Kelly, John Howard, Laura Minor & Mariam Rezaei), other musical picks and a quiz! The winner of the latter lifts the inaugural Flat Cap Trophy, while Tom also unveils Hit the North's Truth Teller of the Year. This episode is an odd kaleidoscopic, featuring much interactivity and as many as 41 musical selections, including a specially recorded song aiming to sum up the major feelings from Series 1's conversations...!There are one or two cases of 'strong' language in this episode.Extracts of these* pieces of music are included under fair dealing/fair use for commentary and review and to illustrate guest choices. This podcast is non-commercial.*Roddy Frame - 'Small World', John Howard - 'My Girl by The Temptations', Lesley Garrett, Brian Blessed et al - 'Ilkla Moor Baht At (Ilkley Moor)', T2 - 'Butterflies', The Times - 'Manchester', Nick Drake - 'Northern Sky', Renaissance - 'Northern Lights', Terry Durham - 'Crystal Telephone', The Beatles - 'Only A Northern Song', Darkthrone - 'A Blaze in the Northern Sky', Dire Straits - 'Tunnel of Love', Bob Dylan - 'Girl from the North Country', The Instant Automatons - 'Restless Night', Chris Rea - 'Steel River', Richard Barnes - 'Go North', The Enemy - 'We'll Live and Die In These Towns', Leatherface - 'Dead Industrial Atmosphere', Salute ft. Rina Sawayama - 'Saving Flowers', Antony Szmierek - 'The Great Pyramid of Stockport', Benefits ft. Zero Tonin - 'Land of the Tyrants', Gizmo 'One of Them Nights', Tenn - 'All Me', The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman - 'Ferry 'Cross the Mersey', Tom Jones - 'Come Home Rhondda Boy', Roy Jay - 'Vehicle' [hey, deep cut! - ed.], Peter Dickinson - 'Surrealist Landscape (Lord Berners)', The Unthanks - 'The Old News', Bill Oddie - 'On Ilkla Moor Baht 'At', Coldcut ft. Lisa Stansfield - 'People Hold On', L. Devine - 'Hater', The Wake - 'Pale Spectre', unknown re-recording of John McCabe - 'Sam', Richard Dawson - 'Polytunnel', John Howard - 'Early Closing Days', John Howard - 'Casting Shadows', Georgia May - 'Mood Daze', JADE - 'Midnight Cowboy', The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters - 'Truth Vs. Superficiality, Truth Without Compromise', MC Tomster - 'Get in the Northern Sea', Colin Crompton - 'Best of Order - Thank You Please' & Chris Rea - 'Josephine (Dimitri's Joe's and Finn edit)'.

This week, Tom talks to Tyneside turntablist Mariam Rezaei, a vital musician whose work is experimental, expansive and deeply ambitious, utterly refuting any ideas of fixed, discrete 'genre'. We talked about her life and work, class, politics, identity, gatekeeping within the music industry, AI and, of course, Northernness!Extracts of these* pieces of music are included under fair dealing/fair use for commentary and review and to illustrate guest choices. All Mariam Rezaei tracks are used with the permission of the artist. This podcast is non-commercial.*Mariam Rezaei ft. Elvin Brandhi - 'Weirdo club musics', Mariam Rezaei - 'Wolf's Tail', Mariam Rezaei - 'Vengabussed', Mariam Rezaei - 'Commercially Viable Bullshit', The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters - 'Right is a thing within', Rhodri Davies - 'Here the Sun Does Not Enter', Gwilly Edmondez - 'INTROSPEX' and The Fall - 'The NWRA'.

This week, Tom talks to the neurodivergent poet Peter Street, who has lived an utterly remarkable life - from gravedigger in Bolton to war poet in Bosnia to arborist and tree surgeon. This is a serious and humorous chat, exploring camarederie with gravediggers, the environmental crisis and there are several readings from Peter's wonderful poetry collection, EARTH TALK. It is also revealed that a 1970s Granada drama epic was shot on Street's... street!#Extracts of these* pieces of music are included under fair dealing/fair use for commentary and review and to illustrate guest choices. This podcast is non-commercial.*The Scaffold - 'Lily the Pink', Gerry and the Pacemakers - 'Ferry Cross the Mersey', The Corona Kids - 'The Big Ship Sails on the Ally Ally Oh' and Brian and Michael - 'Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs'.

This week, Tom speaks to a fellow academic, Dr Laura Minor (Salford), whose roots are in the West Midlands, but who has a lived in the North of England for a good many years now. We talk about Laura's recent book about gender, social class and TV comedy, alongside whether a corner has been turned on shows like Benefits Street, AI, where culture is headed and so much more. Extracts of these* pieces of music are included under fair dealing/fair use for commentary and review and to illustrate guest choices. This podcast is non-commercial.*Ennio Morricone - 'My Name is Nobody (Main Title)', Isobel Waller-Bridge - 'Fleabag theme', Sweet Female Attitude - 'Flowers', Chumbawamba - 'Tubthumping', Pulp - 'Common People' and The Specials - 'Ghost Town'.

This week, Tom speaks to Rachel Jackson, a fabulously distinctive voice in stand-up comedy and screen acting. We speak about Northernness, Scottishness, her unique comedy style, the film she was in with Karen Gillen, horror films and the excellent rave film, BEATS (2019). Rachel candidly addresses her mental health struggles, and was a wonderful guest, pithy and warm. This episode contains some strong, explicit language!Extracts of these* pieces of music are included under fair dealing/fair use for commentary and review and to illustrate guest choices. This podcast is non-commercial and no AI has been used in its creation.*Paolo Nutini - 'Pencil Full of Lead', 69 [Carl Craig] - 'Desire', Frankie Miller - 'Caledonia', Oasis - 'Supersonic' and The Arctic Monkeys - 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor'.

This week, Tom speaks to John Howard, the great singer-songwriter you probably haven't heard of but will love if you like David Bowie, Elton John, Jobriath, Duncan Browne and Clifford T. Ward. This episode includes discussion ranging over the whole of John's music career, including his landmark albums Kid in a Big World and The Dangerous Hours and working with producers Biddu and Trevor Horn. The interview also takes in homophobic gatekeeping, AIDS and John's conflicted feelings about the North, where he grew up, Extracts of these* pieces of music are included under fair dealing/fair use for commentary and review and to illustrate guest choices. All of John Howard's songs used are used with explicit agreement by the artist himself. This podcast is non-commercial and no AI has been used in its creation.* John Howard - 'Blink in the Darkness', John Howard - 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner', John Howard - 'The Dangerous Hours', John Howard - 'Safety in Numbers', John Howard - 'Goodbye Suzie', The Beatles - 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and The Beatles - 'Penny Lane'.