Podcasts from the pub

Some things just go together naturally, like tea and biscuits or Torvill and Dean. Other combinations don’t seem such an easy fit, like chilli and chocolate or Orville and Cuddles. In this episode we investigate the science of food duets and the mash ups of sports. We find out that Chess boxing is actually real, and get to play a round of Foot Golf with some of the leading players in the UK. Whilst they give us some tips, we find out about one of the fastest growing sports, the opportunities it’s providing and how it’s a great sport whether you’ve played football, golf, or neither. Our music this week comes from duets, collaborations and mash ups. www.podcastsfromthepub.com Theme Song "Sly Tout Croche" by Tortue Super Sonic,  CC BY-NC-SA 3.0  Modified to use as theme song http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Tortue_Super_Sonic/ Additional Music: "Slinky" by Dlay. CC BY-SANC-ND 4.0 Modified to use. freemusicarchive.org/music/Dlay

We left the pub. To be more accurate, we didn't go to the pub. Instead, we went on an adventure early one Sunday to seek out bargains, unusual sales, and search for nostalgia.  ? The Car Boot sale (known as simply "car boots") have been growing in the UK since the early 70's. James and Nathan hunt for some odd items in car boot bingo and also challenge each other to find the best buy for just £1. We also speak to seasoned car booters and marvel at everything on sale including - literally - the kitchen sink. ? Music this episode from Hanoi Rocks, Abba, and The Waterboys. Theme Song "Sly Tout Croche" by Tortue Super Sonic, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Modified to use as theme song freemusicarchive.org/music/Tortue_Super_Sonic/

Is superstition more than just a habit, or blind faith? We look at the psychology of superstition and some of the stranger rituals people have, from Jennifer Anniston to Christopher Columbus. We also share our own...peculiarities. We start with Leicester City and how some people are attributing the success to Richard III... Music choices include The Seahorses, Bob Dylan, and Xylaroo. Theme Song "Sly Tout Croche" by Tortue Super Sonic, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Modified to use as theme song freemusicarchive.org/music/Tortue_Super_Sonic/

You lose health, but you gain wisdom. You lose looks, but you gain experience. We chat about getting older and some of the cliches and the people that defy them. Have you done a Danny Glover and said "I'm too old for this shit?" Or is age just a number and no barrier to fashion or lifetsyle? Music choices include The Beach Boys, Kula Shaker, and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Theme Song "Sly Tout Croche" by Tortue Super Sonic, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Modified to use as theme song http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Tortue_Super_Sonic/

How has the notion of being famous changed? From reality TV to twitter storms and viral social media we chat about how it's changed from the small town fame we used to know at school. We have a Double Diamond for you as Nathan and James are joined by columnist and now world wide famous tweeter Kate Diamond. Music choices include The Who, Bananarama, and Stevie Wonder. www.podcastsfromthepub.com

We kick off with some new music and also ponder "do we all do opposition research?" This episode our tales are about those pubs we've entered with a sense of trepidation. Should we be scared of the locals or are they (maybe rightly) wary of us? We're joined by Ross McMinn for our trip to the bar and the jukebox and to help us come up with our movie pitches for a Thriller. www.podcastsfromthepub.com www.morefuzzylogic.com

We started by talking about the end of The Good Wife TV show. This got us talking about the best and our favourite conclusions to TV shows. Then films. Then films. Then reboots. Then about our attempts to reboot our lives. And then our end.  No, not our deaths (not yet) but the end of Diamond and Human. Is it due a reboot? www.diamondandhuman.co.uk

There are many different lies and according to studies, on average we lie approximately 10 times a week. It would seem that some people take up more than their fair quota. In this episode of Let The Music Play On we talk about fibs, lies, whoppers, telling porkies, and pulling the wool over people's eyes. We are joined by special guest Dan Orton and we start with those apparently innocent tall tales we create in childhood to the yarns we spin as adults as well as look at the wider prevalence of lying in our media. Find out who had more than average levels of saliva as a child, and who creates alternative lives for their work colleagues.  Music from Kraftwerk, Fleetwood Mac, and Henry Rollins. CAUTION: Explicit language. Licence from PRS for Limited Online Music Licence for www.morefuzzylogic.com

We often try to see a year as "good" or "bad" but we know it doesn't work like that so we decided - like the zeitgeisty pair that we are - to look back over 2015 and present our highs and lows. However, it quickly became obvious that James would have the highs and Nathan would bask in the lows. So let's play some music, pour a drink, and have a chat about nonsense on the internet, the triumph of underdogs, climate change, and...beer.  www.diamondandhuman.co.uk www.morefuzzylogic.com

You would be forgiven for thinking that with the prevalence of social media that everyone and everything has become more amazing. Whether you feel this is uplifting or find it annoying; what is clear is that it's easier and faster to now publicly pay tribute. Well, certainly quicker than hiring a town crier and putting up bunting. In this episode we pay tribute to those who maybe missed out on recognition years ago as well as those who maybe could have been more in the public eye and received acclaim. We also think about the smaller good deeds that make a big difference.  We take in mountains, classrooms, and sporting prowess, and use music from Divine Comedy, Prince, Pearl Jam, and Public Service Broadcasting. www.diamondandhuman.co.uk Licence from PRS for Limited Online Music Licence for www.morefuzzylogic.com

We thought we’d (sort of) get into the spirit of Halloween. Recorded live at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton in front of a studio audience. Apart from a late 80's early 90's blip in the genre, Horror has been a reliable genre at the cinema. If you're a fan of classic horror this episode of The Pitch will deliver in buckets as we chat about the sub genres of horror, which ones scared us as a child, hear from the audience and listeners about their stories of watching horror films, and present to you our ideas for two new horror films. This slightly longer than normal episode also features an extra pitch from one of the audience, Jonathan Arnold. CAUTION: Contains strong language. Licence from PRS for Limited Online Music Licence for www.diamondandhuman.co.uk

This latest episode of Let The Music Play On was recorded live at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton in front of a studio audience. In vague honour of Halloween, James and Nathan decide to regale the audience with stories that lean towards the lighthearted side of things going wrong. We tell the tales of our first hangovers, recall a trip that went wrong, as well as well picking the piece of music that creeps us out the most. We also have the joy of a story from one of the audience! The music veers from the annoyingly catchy, to obscure pop, via some movie classics.

In previous episodes we've picked out some stories around the "First Time" we've done or seen things or visited places so this time we're bringing it up to date with "The last time I..." We talk about the last time we thought human beings were amazing, the last time we Hulked up, the last time we felt inadequate, and the last time we did something nice for a stranger. Music comes in the form of nostalgic TV themes, some classic 90's indie, and some hip hop.

In our last episode we looked at Rom Com and included parts of an interview with international best selling author Mhairi McFarlane. Here we have the longer interview talking with Mhairi about how she approaches writing in terms of planning and plotting, what she thinks are the key ingredients for a rom-com, and - something we whole heartedly agree with - the value of doing some solid pub research for your locations. We also chatted about sexism within the film industry and how this relates to the romantic comedy genre in particular. You can find out more about Mhairi and her work here: mhairimcfarlane.com and we recommend starting from the beginning with her debut novel "You Had Me at Hello" and then reading "Here's Looking at You" and "It's Not Me, It's You" ready for the release of "Who's That Girl?" in April 2016.

This episode was made with autumn in mind and the return to school. We wanted to look at the idea of returning to something and this led to thinking about comebacks. We talk about songs we used to hate but now like (well, tolerate), our memories of going back to school, and positive stories from trips to the hospital.We couldn't resist ending on what have been our favourite comebacks ever. A lively pub for this and an even livelier song list!

A quick update on the next episodes, a special event, and a grovelling apology for the delay,

Two quite sensational stories for this episode that at times seem hard to believe including daring escapades and larger than life characters. Life really is stranger than fiction. Biopics might not always be the biggest draw at the box office, but they always seem to be a favourite around awards season. What are the ingredients for a good biopic? There are a couple of common links between the pitches this episode and some casting choices that bounce from Oscar winners to hit French TV actors. Theme by Jackson F Smith Additional music by Adam Selzer: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Adam_Selzer/

Episode 16 of Let The Music Play On Dive under the covers with Diamond and Human as we talk cover versions. Are they cynical commercial opportunities by failing bands and ambitious celebrities? Or they cool calling cards by artists letting us know their influences? What about the songs we didn't realise were cover versions? With a seemingly endless supply to choose from, join us in the pub as pick our choices and tell some stories, including the time we pretended to be someone else... Theme music by Digi G'Alessio Licence from PRS for Limited Online Music Licence for www.diamondandhuman.co.uk

Spectre is out in October and the trailer was just released, so obviously this seemed like a good time for us to pitch our ideas for the film that comes next. What are the Bond elements you have to keep? Can you mess with the Bond formula? As well coming up with a new story we also have the fun (pressure?) of casting Bond and picking our own theme tune. Who has got the best pitch, or did we both get Bond wrong? Theme music by Jackson F Smith Licence from PRS for Limited Online Music Licence for www.diamondandhuman.co.uk

In this episode James and Nathan share some quite frankly very dubious sounding stories about sporting triumphs alongside some far more plausible tales about getting away with it. These stories from the pub are mixed up amongst some cracking music including current ear worms as well as those tracks that we once hated but now...well, now we quite like to boogie along to. Licence from PRS for Limited Online Music Licence for www.diamondandhuman.co.uk Intro music by Digi G'Alessio