Pop: The History Makers with Steve Blame

After a 21-year hiatus, Gene returned last year to perform three sold-out comeback shows, including a triumphant night performing to 5300 fans at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, where the band’s classic line-up of Martin Rossiter (vocals), Matt James (drums), Steve Mason (guitars) and Kevin Miles (bass) delivered one of the stand-out performances of their career. That performance was captured on the live album, ‘Apollo’, which upon its release in April this year reached Number 1 on the Official Record Store Chart, Number 2 on the Independent Albums Chart, and Number 8 on the Physical Albums Chart. Gene return to London to play two shows at the Roundhouse in Camden on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th October, where they will perform a different set each night, before playing their first North American tour in 24 years in November. Tickets for all shows are on sale now, available from https://www.geneofficial.com/live/Gene is the one of the most distinctive British bands to emerge during the 1990s. And Martin Rossiter is the singer, lyricist and unmistakable voice of Gene.Gene’s first single, “For the Dead,” originally reached No. 86 in 1994—but when it was rereleased two years later, it climbed to No. 14, becoming the band’s highest-charting UK single. It formed part of an impressive run that included “Sleep Well Tonight,” “Olympian,” “Fighting Fit,” “We Could Be Kings” and “Where Are They Now?”As Martin says of Gene’s extraordinary trajectory: “We took off like Concorde and landed like the Wright Brothers.”If you enjoy these independent interviews, you can support me here;buymeacoffee.com/popthehistorymakersAnd check out more at www.popthehistorymakers.comIn this revealing and frequently funny conversation, Martin talks about the formation of Gene, the speed of their success and the pressures that followed. He discusses the stories behind the songs, the comparisons with Morrissey, the hostility and mockery he encountered during the Britpop years, and why the band eventually came to an end.He also speaks candidly about sexuality, depression, fatherhood, becoming a teacher and the very different life he built after Gene. Now, with the band back onstage, Martin reflects on what those songs—and the people who created them—mean to him today.This is Martin Rossiter: honest, provocative, self-deprecating and still entirely himself.

Miles Hunt has never been interested in fitting neatly into anyone else’s idea of who he should be.As the singer, songwriter and frontman of The Wonder Stuff, he became one of the most distinctive voices in British alternative music. Formed in Stourbridge in 1986, the band broke through with an unmistakable combination of guitars, sharp pop instincts and lyrics filled with humour, frustration and brutally honest observation.Songs including “Unbearable,” “Give, Give, Give Me More, More, More,” “A Wish Away,” “Don’t Let Me Down, Gently,” “The Size of a Cow” and “Welcome to the Cheap Seats” captured the intelligence, irreverence and restless energy that made The Wonder Stuff stand apart. Their collaboration with comedian Vic Reeves on “Dizzy” took them to number one in the UK.Miles brought the same qualities to interviews that he brought to his songwriting: honesty, directness and a refusal to hide behind carefully rehearsed answers. He could be provocative and cutting, but also self-deprecating, unexpectedly vulnerable and very funny. Behind the confidence was someone determined to question success, the music business and his own choices rather than simply repeat the accepted version of events.In this interview, Miles talks about growing up in Stourbridge, the impact of punk, finding his voice and learning to trust his instincts. He reflects on ambition, friendship, loss, creativity, getting older and the courage it takes to remain yourself in an industry that constantly tries to tell you who to be.An open, funny and thoughtful conversation with an artist who has spent four decades choosing authenticity over expectation—and who still has plenty to say.Check out all the interviews at www.popthehistorymakers.comIf you enjoy these independent interviews, you can support me here;buymeacoffee.com/popthehistorymakers#MilesHunt #TheWonderStuff #Stourbridge #AlternativeRock #IndieMusic #BritishMusic #MusicInterview #PopTheHistoryMakersThe Wonder Stuff & Inspiral Carpets — UK Tour 20261 October — Newcastle, O2 City Hall2 October — Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse3 October — Sheffield, The Octagon Centre8 October — Brighton, Brighton Dome9 October — Bournemouth, O2 Academy10 October — Margate, Dreamland (Hall by the Sea)14 October — Glasgow, Barrowland15 October — Cardiff, Great Hall16 October — Leeds, O2 Academy17 October — Leicester, O2 Academy22 October — Scarborough, Scarborough Spa23 October - Bristol O2 Academy24 October — Norwich, University of East Anglia29 October — Lincoln, Engine Shed30 October — Wolverhampton, Civic Hall31 October — Liverpool, Olympia8 December — London, O2 Academy Brixton

Trevor Horn is one of the architects of modern pop music—a musician, songwriter and producer who transformed the recording studio into an instrument in its own right.After achieving international success with the Buggles and “Video Killed the Radio Star,” Trevor briefly became the lead singer of Yes before establishing himself as one of the most innovative producers of his generation. Through records by ABC, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones, the Art of Noise, Pet Shop Boys and Seal, he combined emerging technology with meticulous musicianship to create music that sounded bigger, stranger and more dramatic than almost anything else on the radio.In this interview, Trevor talks about the instincts, accidents and extraordinary encounters behind those records—including the moment he first heard Seal’s voice and thought it was the best he had ever heard. He also discusses ambition, perfectionism, collaboration and what it takes to recognise something exceptional before the rest of the world hears it.This is the story of the man who didn’t simply produce hit records—he helped invent the sound of the future.Check out all the interviews at;www.popthehistorymakers.comIf you enjoy these independent interviews, you can support me here;buymeacoffee.com/popthehistorymakersTrevor Horn and His Band3 December — Leamington Spa Assembly4 December — Independent, Sunderland5 December — Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh9 December — O2 Academy Leeds10 December — O2 Academy Liverpool11 December — O2 Academy Bristol15 December — Tramshed, Cardiff16 December — O2 Institute Birmingham17 December — O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London19 December — O2 Ritz, Manchester

Mari Wilson is one of Britain’s most distinctive pop stylists — a singer who turned retro glamour, wit, and musical intelligence into a career entirely her own. Rising to fame in the early 1980s with hits including Just What I Always Wanted, Cry Me a River, and Wonderful to Be With, she became instantly recognisable through her iconic beehive image and sharply defined pop persona.To watch this podcast - go here1www.popthehistorymakers.comBut Mari’s story reaches far beyond chart success. She later sang with Stan Getz, toured with Ronnie Scott, appeared on stage with Soft Cell, and built a richly varied career spanning theatre, cabaret, and live performance. She also played Dusty Springfield in Dusty The Musical, a fitting role for an artist so closely associated with sophisticated pop and torch-song drama.More than a decade after Pop Deluxe in 2016, Mari now returns with her forthcoming album Girl About Town, led by the single Good News, proving once again that style, individuality, and great songs never go out of fashion.Good News, her brand new album - Girl About Town was out on the 4th of September 2026.If you enjoyed this interview, please support by buying me a coffee!buymeacoffee.com/popthehistorymakersMore information at www.mariwilson.co.ukMore interviews at www.popthehistorymakers.com

Tom Bailey joins me to discuss the rebellion, curiosity and creative experimentation behind the Thompson Twins—one of the defining British pop groups of the 1980s.With their distinctive fusion of pop, new wave, percussion and synthesizers, the Thompson Twins achieved major success on both sides of the Atlantic with songs including Hold Me Now, Doctor! Doctor!, Love on Your Side, Lies, You Take Me Up, Lay Your Hands on Me and King for a Day.They also appeared at Live Aid in Philadelphia, joined by Nile Rodgers on guitar and Madonna on backing vocals.In this conversation, Tom reflects on the band's extraordinary journey, breaking America, his approach to songwriting and production, and the spirit of curiosity that has defined his entire career. We explore how his travels in India transformed his outlook on music and life, eventually leading to the formation of his Indo-Western fusion project Babble, before later embracing electronic music with International Observer and returning to the stage as Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey.Today, alongside performing the Thompson Twins' greatest hits, Tom continues to celebrate a lifetime of musical exploration, including material from his solo album Science Fiction.If you liked this interview please consider supporting me here;buymeacoffee.com/popthehistorymakersThompson Twins' Tom Bailey will perform the Thompson Twins' greatest hits across the UK in September 2026, with special guests Blancmange, led by Tom's longtime friend and fellow synth-pop pioneer Neil Arthur.Tickets are on sale now:https://www.alttickets.com/thompson-twins-tom-bailey-tickets

Some artists become part of the soundtrack of a generation. Clare Grogan managed to do that before she was twenty.As the singer of Altered Images, she helped create some of the most distinctive and joyful pop music of the early 1980s. Songs such as Happy Birthday, I Could Be Happy, See Those Eyes and Don't Talk to Me About Love combined infectious melodies with a sense of individuality that set the band apart from their contemporaries. At the same time, Clare became one of the defining faces of her generation through her starring role in the classic film Gregory's Girl.More than four decades later, those songs continue to resonate. New audiences continue to discover Altered Images, while those who were there the first time around have never forgotten them.Now Clare is preparing for a special UK tour celebrating Altered Images' landmark debut album Happy Birthday. Marking the album's 45th anniversary, the tour will see Clare and her band perform the record in its entirety for the first time, before returning for a second set featuring many of the group's biggest hits. The tour shines a spotlight on the album that launched one of Britain's most distinctive pop careers and remains one of the defining records of the post-punk era.In this conversation, Clare looks back on growing up in Glasgow, discovering punk, forming Altered Images with fellow members of the Siouxsie and the Banshees fan club, the whirlwind years of chart success, working with producers Martin Rushent, Mike Chapman and Tony Visconti, balancing life as both a pop star and actress, and why these songs continue to connect with audiences more than forty years after they were first recorded.Please support this podcast by contributing here:buymeacoffee.com/popthehistorymakersFrom Glasgow schoolgirl to pop icon, from Gregory's Girl to Happy Birthday, this is the story of an artist whose work remains as fresh, vibrant and relevant as ever.Tour Dates11 September 2026 Picturedome Holmfirth, UK12 September 2026 Town Hall Birmingham, UK13 September 2026 Lowther Pavillion Lytham, UK15 September 2026 Band On The Wall Manchester, UK16 September 2026 The Grove Newcastle, UK18 September 2026 The Factory Live Worthing, UK19 September 2026 Phoenix Exeter, UK23 September 2026 St Lukes Glasgow, UK24 September 2026 Old Fire Station Carlisle, UK25 September 2026 Liquid Rooms Edinburgh, UK

Iain McKell is a distinguished British photographer and filmmaker celebrated for his powerful portraits and social-documentary work, particularly his chronicling of British youth subcultures since the late 1970s.His prints will be exhibited in the upcoming show Blitz – The Club That Shaped the 80s, which opens on September 20th and runs until March 29th, 2026 at the Design Museum in Kensington, London.Alongside the exhibition, he's published a monograph titled New Romantics under the imprint Little Acorn Press, featuring portraits I made in 1980 at the age of 22.Every Tuesday, the Blitz Club played out its weekly scene, and he would attend with invitation cards in hand. He handed them to people who caught my eye, inviting them to a Thursday afternoon pop-up studio he set up at the Orangery in Holland Park. To his delight, many came, including Vivienne Westwood, Billy Idol, and George O’Dowd, to name just a few.The result is a rare and intimate documentation of a dynamic cultural movement as it was just beginning to emerge.Born in Weymouth, Dorset, in 1957, Iain began his photographic journey at 19 as a seaside portraitist while studying graphic design at Exeter, before moving to London in 1979 to devote himself fully to photography His early self‑published book, SUB CULTURE (1979), spotlighted the Mod and Skinhead revivals and led to opportunities photographing Blitz Kids in 1980s London, Madonna’s first magazine cover, and other influential editorial work in i‑D, The Face, and L'Uomo Vogue. McKell is perhaps best known for his decade‑long immersion in the world of New Age Travellers—documenting a modern nomadic subculture through his book The New Gypsies (2011) and exhibitions across London, Paris, Milan, and New York.His other notable books include Fashion Forever: 30 Years of Subculture (2004) and Beautiful Britain: Photographs from the 1970s to the Present (2012) McKell’s approach is both empathetic and unromanticized: he immerses himself in the lives of diverse communities to produce honest, poetic visual narratives that explore themes of rebellion, identity, and belonging

Deniece Pearson—best known as the powerhouse lead singer of Five Star—was the voice behind some of the slickest pop-R&B hits of the 1980s. As frontwoman of Britain’s answer to the Jacksons, she helped the sibling group dominate the charts with platinum albums and a string of infectious singles like System Addict and Rain or Shine. With a Brit Award under her belt and a signature sound that defined an era, Deniece has since carved out a dynamic solo career, earning praise in the West End, on The Voice UK, and with her own soul-driven releases. Timeless, trailblazing, and still shining.