Birth. School. ROCK! Death. A fierce panda podcast

I am not a number, I’m a free man! The sixth of the six live Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcasts is here. Recorded in the Tonic Music Lounge at Shiiine On in Miiinehead, this episode sees fierce pandaman Simon Williams talk through the tracks of their tears with an admirably enthusiastic James Atkin from EMF and BRA (but sadly not ELO). In essence: ‘Unbelievable’ was a shiny number one in the US but James just wanted to be on tour with grubby cool Fraggle Rock band. In another essence, hear how EMF were booed ON stage supporting Carter USM at ULU. Hair-raising stuff. Bentley Rhythm Ace will be powering into Shiiine On at Skegness at the end of March - take no Prisoners…

It’s 5 alive time as the live episodes of Birth. School. ROCK! Death. reach the fifth stage of proceedings. This time around we change the cultural angle slightly as writer Sarah L Dixon riffs with fierce panda boss Simon Williams in the Tonic Music Lounge at Shiiine On Festival. But the indie vibe lives on, as Sarah’s poetry in the ‘90s was inspired by the lyrics of her favourite bands, and her fourth book, ‘A Bit Like Falling In Love’, is an extended poem to the likes of Carter USM, EMF and the Frank & Walters. Discover the tracks of her tears on this here pod and hear her words of wisdom when Sarah performs on Sunday March 29th on Shiiine On in Skegness.

Go fourth and multiply! Yip, it’s number 4 in the pawful of live Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcasts recorded at Shiiine On in Miiinehead. In this episode Simon from fierce panda riffs with Mark Morriss from The Bluetones, who started out on the panda’s ’Return To Splendour’ EP in 1994. As they prepare to return to the splendour of Shiiine On in Skegness at the end of March, as well as the launch of their brand new ‘Atlas’ album in April, the singer talks about brotherly record collecting in the ‘80s, going through A Goth Phase and the career rebirth of a deep shade of Bluetones. As well as guiding us through the tracks of his tears, of course…

It’s the third live episode of the Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcast, recorded in the Tonic Music Lounge at the Shiiine On festival in Miiinehead. This time around singer Andrew ‘Tiny’ Woods from epic rocksters Ultrasound chooses the tracks of his tears. They started on fierce panda in the ‘90s and returned for the ‘Play For Today’ album in 2012. Now Tiny takes to the panda sofa to talk fragrant hype, failed hopes and colossal melodic outbursts. Still The Same Band then…

It’s time to launch our second live Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcast, recorded in the Tonic Music Lounge at Shiiine On in Minehead. Joining fierce panda’s Simon Williams is Inspiral Carpets’ organ-groover Clint Boon. As they prepare for a new (re)lease of life on Scruff of the Neck records Clint talks us through the joys of ‘Fireball XL5’, the power of the Pistols, the meaning behind ‘This Is How It Feels’ and performing knee slides across the dancefloor while DJing at Simon Panda’s wedding. Good times, all the time.

After a bacon’s dozen of episodes of Birth. School. ROCK! Death. at the end of 2025, the fierce panda records podcast returns with a pawful of live pods recorded in the Tonic Music Lounge at the Shiiiine On festival in Miiinehead. As ASH embark upon another blast around the UK first out of the rock blocks is their drummer, which makes this a case of Birth. School. RICK! Death. As Mr McMurray talks about a 30 year career spent careering around the world, from ‘Jack Names The Planets’ to ‘Ad Astra’, and spills the beans on the his imminent ferocious side project, Burned As Witches. Mint!

And so this is Crispmas, and what have we done? We’ve only bloomin’ well recorded a festive edition of the mighty Birth. School. ROCK! Death podcast, that’s all. Joining fierce panda’s Simon Williams this time around is Father Crispmas himself, aka Del Currie, head honcho of the Spudos crisp emporium - think salt’n’shake on steroids. And then hop on board the magic Yuletide bus as Del and Simon trade the Crispmas songs which have soundtracked their lives as well as carefully detailing the crisp fads, fashions and flavours which have followed them through the Birth. School. ROCK! Death. doorway. Del used to send fierce panda his demos in the ‘90s, and fierce panda never responded. Listen to this podcast to find out how Del is getting his sweet, sweet revenge, and then listen to the special seasonal Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50Loh4L4hbNWcYbCaCc7p1?si=qMZFZK9eRmegLpoXWOwWpQ

12 pods until Christmas? Yes indeedy, and that twelfth episode of the Fierce Panda Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcast is with us in full effect. Our special guest this time around is DEBS WILD from Team COLDPLAY. Way before the panda released their ‘Brothers & Sisters’ single in 1999 Debs was on the Coldplay A&R case, the first genuine advocate of the quartet’s burgeoning potential. With their ten night stint at Wembley Stadium in the rear mirror the pod arrives as the updated version of her indispensable ‘Life In Technicolor’ Coldplay book launches at the Dublin Castle in Camden Village on December 16th with a live Q&A and much more besides. Get the full Crispmas Martin SP over here:https://www.ents24.com/london-events/the-dublin-castle/rock-n-roll-book-club-coldplay-special-with-debs-wild-and-simon-williams/7374116

Episode legs 11 of the Fierce Panda records podcast Birth. School. ROCK! Death. brings forth Ivan Proctor, singing guitarist in West Country indie dreamers CHINA BEARS. As the band prepare to headline the panda Christmas party at The Victoria on December 10th and for the launch of the deluxe reissue of the ‘Participation Trophy’ album on the 12th, Ivan talks us through the tracks of his tears. Rather excellently the man from China Bears chooses songs by Atomic Kitten and Frightened Rabbit. Animal magic ahoy…