Litopia All Shows

Seventy thousand dead.  Twenty thousand disappeared.  Severed heads with threatening messages dumped by the side of the highway. A terrorist insurgency on the verge of toppling governments. Iraq?  Syria?  The Congo?  Ukraine? No. This is Northern Mexico— one of the most violent places on earth.  Why?  Because Western culture likes to take drugs.  Tons of them.  Drugs we brand illegal and on which we’re waging war. To walk us through the kill zone— from the peasants picking coca in the hills behind Bogota to the contract killers of Ciudad Juarez— tonight we’re joined by the amazingly-still-alive Ioan Grillo, acclaimed journalist and author of El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency. Intimately familiar with the deadly cartels, Ioan breaks down Mexico’s bloody “trampolines”, the reality of Breaking Bad— in the form of Mexican crystal meth “super-labs”— the splashy death of Pablo Escobar, and the largest cash seizure in

They won our coveted track of the year award on our last show, and now the Bar Stool Preachers are playing live in the Hungry & Hunted studio. The hot young Brighton band are as bracing as a 6am plunge in the English Channel. Influenced by 2-Tone and streetpunk, the Preachers are in the vanguard of the new south coast sound that is as passionate as it is authentic and melodic. A proper alternative to mainstream pop pap. Other great bands this edition include Alan McGee’s new signing Alias Kid who are latest of Manchester’s swaggering terrace pop likely lads. Will they follow Oasis into the charts? McGee certainly thinks so. On Trial, Reading punks with brain and punch Christine ‘Sugary’ Staple, with her ‘Original Rude Girl Sound’ New Hampshire’s granite-hard Iron Chin, where streetpunk meets arena rock Punk veterans Sonny Vincent & Spite, including members of the Damned, the Sex Pistols and the Stooges Glasgow’s boisterous Amphetameanies who marry 2-Tone with 1977 energy and backstreet attitudes

At the end of his days, sitting in his villa outside Rome, the Emperor Hadrian writes a long letter to his adopted son, and next great leader of Rome, Marcus Aurelius. In Hadrian’s world, thoughts duel with power, ideas with reality, books with life. Aurelius often gets praise as the first philosopher king, but in this telling it’s Hadrian who is as much thinker as conqueror. Marguerite Yourcenar’s towering intellect and faultless prose bring Second Century Rome to life. Yeah, it’s good. Photo: FraserElliot >>> Download the mp3 file Subscribe in iTunes >>> From recent débuts to classics, fiction to non-fiction, memoirs, philosophy, science, history and journalism, Burning Books separates the smoking from the singeworthy, looking at the pleasures (and pains) of reading, the craft of writing, the ideas that are at the heart of great novels as well as novels that try to be great, but don’t quite make it. https://litopia.com/shows/burn/  

At Last – The Litopia After Dark Xmas Family Murder Show is here!  Yeah – it’s a tad late, folks (or early, for next Xmas).  But hardcore Yule like this is worth waiting for. This is the show that puts Fifty Shades in the shade.  That makes your office Xmas party look sophisticated.  That cracks your Xmas nuts and then asks damn fool questions about Ants. There is no mercy; for Agent Cox is the quizmaster.  And you are his prey. Don’t miss this unique chance to relive precious childhood Xmas trauma! Thrill as our panelists succumb to Stockholm syndrome – live, on-air and during the show! In true Saturnalian style – and for this show only – Ian Winn’s customary role of ringmaster is playfully usurped… throb to his gibbers! And since its the Roman winter solstice orgy we’re celebrating, our very special guests tonight are very specially-imported from the land of Chianti, bottom-pinching and speaking with your hands… we’re proud to present none other than Daniela De Gregorio and Micha

Another terrific Debriefer, full of insider poop from the pub biz and informed speculation about everything else! Harper Lee to Publish Sophomore Novel Taylor Swift Owns 1989 'American Idol' Winner Files Bold Legal Claim to Escape 'Oppressive' Contracts South Florida Man Seeks Trademark on Slogan 'Je Suis Charlie' Sold-out Charlie Hebdo issue coming to Barnes and Noble My GRAVITY lawsuit and how it affects every writer who sells to Hollywood - Tess Gerritsen Warner Bros. Knocks Down Best-Selling Author Tess Gerritsen's $10 Million Lawsuit Over 'Gravity' Hotfile Agrees to Settle Piracy Lawsuit With Major Book Publishers   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Download the show as mp3 file Subscribe in iTunes

When US and UK forces invaded Iraq in 2003, millions of people took to the streets to protes – to little effect. The bombs of Shock and Awe kept falling. By some estimates the civilian death toll stands at over 150,000. Like many people, tonight’s guest David Gross had a crisis of conscience. And yet unlike many people, he’s done something about it. He’s stopped paying taxes. Not by tax avoidance, but by lowering his income below the tax threshold - and by using as many loopholes as he can find within the law. You know, just like all our much-loved multi-national corporations do! Tonight’s guest tax resistor David Gross But would his solutions work for you? His recent book - 99 Tactics of Successful Tax Resistance Campaigns - combs through history for examples of tax resistance movements that actually changed government policy (like the Suffragettes. Such tactics don't come without risk: despite Mr. Gross' best efforts, the IRS is after him for thirty grand and if his profile gets much higher he risks in

Egmont USA to Close After Sale Attempt Falls Through Christian publisher pulls heaven book after boy retracts story Human rights lawyer in Tajikistan jailed for nine years  Racial Discrimination Act would outlaw Charlie Hebdo cartoons, say critics  City of Paris to sue Fox News over on-air comments  West Virginia Delegates consider adding journalists to list of protected workers  David Petraeus: From military rock star to possible prosecution regarding biography Follow ups: Court Filing Ends AG v. HathiTrust Copyright Litigation Legal Fight Ends for James Risen of the New York Times  Photo by Hector Alejandro   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Download the show as mp3 file Subscribe in iTunes

What does it mean to be a conservative in 2015? Garry’s guest tonight is Professor Roger Scruton, one of England’s leading philosophers and the author of How To Be A Conservative, along with many other provocative and intelligent books which question the dominant left-liberalism of modern Western thought. The son of a working class Mancunian Labour Party supporter, Roger’s contrary views were shaped by the 1968 Paris uprising when he realised that he was on the other side: the side that wanted to preserve rather than destroy. Scruton went on to champion dissidents in Eastern Europe before the fall of Communism, and was banned from Czechoslovakia for his pains. One of the many subjects that concerns the professor more recently is the fate of England. He criticised English voters being excluded from the debate about Scottish independence last year, and has said that given the opportunity he would vote for English independence. His book England an Elegy was a stout defence of English values and virtues. In a fr

Gauss and Humboldt set off to the same destination in opposite directions and unfortunately this novel was written about it. Tedious. >>> Download the mp3 file Subscribe in iTunes >>> From recent débuts to classics, fiction to non-fiction, memoirs, philosophy, science, history and journalism, Burning Books separates the smoking from the singeworthy, looking at the pleasures (and pains) of reading, the craft of writing, the ideas that are at the heart of great novels as well as novels that try to be great, but don’t quite make it. https://litopia.com/shows/burn/  

Without doubt, Jimmy Jones is the biggest British comedy star never to have had his own television series. For five decades, Jimmy has been Britain’s most successful live comedian – performing around 275 sell-out live shows every year. Jimmy’s life in comedy is the subject of Garry’s show tonight – and what a life it has been.  Summoned by Michael Jackson to his suite at the Dorchester... swapping gags with Prince Philip... pouring brandy for Princess Margaret out of a teapot... performing for some of Britain's most notorious gangsters...  Jimmy  is very much in the vulgar but popular tradition of Max Miller... which isn’t surprising, since it was a youthful encounter with Max that inspired him to go into show business! The Beatles. Dudley Moore. Tom Selleck. The Rolling Stones. Iron Maiden. Pink Floyd, Benny Hill. They’re all fans, most  have been friends, and Jimmy has hilarious tales to tell.  An unforgettable, uncensored show about a true comedy legend – and a little piece of Bri

Rhoda Dakar is one of the UK Ska scene’s feistiest characters, making her mark originally with the Bodysnatchers and then with Jerry Dammers in the Special AKA. Rhoda’s talent, intelligence, and heartfelt socialist ideals made her stand out from the pack. Like Dammers, she wanted 2-Tone to mean more than a good time…cue songs like The Boiler and Free Nelson Mandela that added real politics to the movement's in-built message of racial tolerance. Rhoda was a teenage glam rocker caught up in the rush of punk. She was working in a South London unemployment exchange when bassist Nicky Summers saw her skanking to The Selecter and asked her to join her band on the spot. The Bodysnatchers, 2-Tone's first all-woman combo, were signed up quickly and burnt out fast, notching up just one Top 30 hit, Let's Do Rocksteady. Their split was not amicable and a reunion will never be on the cards, but Rhoda recently released an album of Bodysnatchers songs funded by her fans via Pledge Music. Here Garry (who was the first to wr

So here it is... our special, annual Song Of The Year Show... in which Garry and guests review the very best tracks submitted to us in the past year and - without fear or favour - pick the most excellent example of indie music in the history of the universe. Or something like that. Garry special guest panel comprises rock writer and musician Johnny Wah-Wah and London Mod icon Shona “Wattsie” Watts. And Mik Whitnall drops by to deliver a live set while the judges are out in the jury room. Altogether, a show of superlatives! All we can hope is that 2015 produces songs of equal excellence. Plus there are great numbers from The Droogettes, Tankus The Henge, Daveit Ferris, the City Saints, Ross Harper, Model Society, the Brassknuckle Boys and much more. For full track listing, see the show notes. Remember – we’re keen to discover, play and support new bands and new talent – send us a music submission via the link on the website! Download the show as mp3 file Show home page

World leaders march arm-in-arm in Paris in support of free speech. Meanwhile, back at home, our freedoms are eroded almost daily. “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety” predicted Ben Franklin, who knew a thing or two about the political mind’s unquenchable thirst for power and control. In Britain, the government is introducing a law compelling nursery staff and childminders to report toddlers they suspect of being terrorists. No, your eyes didn’t decide you – and no, we didn’t just make that up. Toddlers. Terrorists. Is there no end to this madness? On the first Debriefer of the new year, we look at the state of the Enlightenment, circa 2015. Authors, Literary Orgs Respond to 'Hebdo' Attack in Paris Planned, cold-blooded killings mark French newspaper attack Paris shooting: Cartoonists, economist among the dead in terror attack Crowds in London Stand with Charlie Hebdo After Horrific Attack U.S. determines North Korea behind Son

Fall forward into one of the stranger stories you’ll encounter this year – or any other. Maxi, a young man from the middle classes of Buenos Aires, collects used cardboard, lifts weights, busts a drug ring, but can’t seem to surprise a sleeping street kid. Makes sense, right? No? Who cares – no plot outline is going to tell you what’s actually in the book. Different. >>> Download the mp3 file Subscribe in iTunes >>> From recent débuts to classics, fiction to non-fiction, memoirs, philosophy, science, history and journalism, Burning Books separates the smoking from the singeworthy, looking at the pleasures (and pains) of reading, the craft of writing, the ideas that are at the heart of great novels as well as novels that try to be great, but don’t quite make it. https://litopia.com/shows/burn/  

She's the love child of Marilyn Monroe and Ziggy Stardust, and Kiria Le Pink is simply one of the most exciting artists on the UK's newly-revitalized rockabilly scene. Working with Camden's legendary producer Phil 'Doyley' Doyle the North London singer-songwriter is intent on making one of the earliest forms of rock'n'roll vital and sexy again. Kiria and two of her Missy Le Pink crew join Garry in the studio for a lively Xmas/New Year show.  And as usual the playlist mixes and mashes new songs from old veterans like The Boys with the fresh sounds of Manchester's next big thing The Backhanders. Plus there are great numbers from The Droogettes, Tankus The Henge, Daveit Ferris, the City Saints, Ross Harper, Model Society, the Brassknuckle Boys and much more. As usual, the show also includes new music from the hottest new bands around - for full track listing, see the show notes. Remember – we’re keen to discover, play and support new bands and new talent – send us a music submission via the link on the web

From Axl Rose to Sharon Osbourne, legendary rock journalist Mick Wall knows them all. A world-class raconteur, Mick joins Garry tonight for an evening of absolute rock nirvana. Mick’s story is a real-life Almost Famous with balls on. And goats. And many, many other substances. What a long, strange journey it’s been! Stopping-off points include The Police, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Dire Straits, Lou Reed, and many more. Currently, Mick has just concluded an investigation into the death of Jim Morrison, lead vocalist of the Doors. Love Becomes a Funeral Pyre: A Biography of The Doors carefully blows apart all the myths that have accumulated around one of the most popular and influential singer-songwriters in rock history. You will be riveted. Mick’s Kindle-only biography of Pink Floyd, The Endless Journey: 50 Years Of Pink Floyd has also just been published - timed to coincide with The Endless River, the first all-new Pink Floyd album for 20 years. >>>>>> Download the show as mp3 file Subs

 A novel that includes displaced persons, new countries, war, Cyprus, the OED, Venice, Blood Libel and Othello – this should be sweet. So why does it all taste so healthy? Caryl Phillips sucks all the sugar out of what should be a thrilling experience. Why? Granola. >>> Download the mp3 file Subscribe in iTunes >>> From recent débuts to classics, fiction to non-fiction, memoirs, philosophy, science, history and journalism, Burning Books separates the smoking from the singeworthy, looking at the pleasures (and pains) of reading, the craft of writing, the ideas that are at the heart of great novels as well as novels that try to be great, but don’t quite make it. https://litopia.com/shows/burn/  

He’s a threat to democracy, as dangerous as ISIS, and keeps bees. He’s a freaky dancer, a maestro of the maracas and a brewer of fine old, traditional ale. Oh yes - and the icon that is Bez from the legendary Mancunian band Happy Mondays also wants to be your MP. Garry’s guest tonight is Mark Berry, known universally as Bez. By the late 1980s, the Happy Mondays were a central part of the Manchester music scene and personified rave culture. Musically, the band fused indie pop with house music, funk and northern soul. In terms of style and dress, they crossed hippy fashion and ideals with 1970s glamour. Sartorially and musically, the band helped to encourage the psychedelic revival associated with acid house. Fast forward to now. Bez has won Celebrity Big Brother, twice been declared bankrupt, and is more interested in reality than in the drug-fuelled excesses of previous decades. Today, the parties he attends are more likely to be political than rave. What’s on Bez’s agenda? Fracking, for one thing. The Infra

Ian’s guests tonight are Daisy Eris Campbell and Jon Higgs who are bringing Robert Anton Wilson’s cult classic The Cosmic Trigger, The Final Secret of the Illuminati to the stage.   Impossible?  Well, when you consider that this nonfiction and partly autobiographical work covers, amongst many other topics... Freemasons, Discordianism, Sufism, the Illuminati, Futurology, Zen Buddhism, Dennis and Terence McKenna, Jack Parsons, the occult practices of Aleister Crowley and G.I. Gurdjieff, Yoga, and many other esoteric or counterculture philosophies... yes, you might well conclude that it’s un-stageable. Where other producers see problems, Daisy sees... a four-hour epic.  Listen to her long, strange but oh-so-necessary journey leading to The Cosmic Trigger. And buy tickets for the London show – on now – here. >>>>>> Download the show as an audio file Subscribe in iTunes  

One man goes against the system he helped create and the results are not encouraging. Koestler fictionalises the Moscow Show Trials of the 1930s, where parts are fused onto the whole and the whole is broken into parts. A masterful novel. >>> Download the mp3 file Subscribe in iTunes >>> From recent débuts to classics, fiction to non-fiction, memoirs, philosophy, science, history and journalism, Burning Books separates the smoking from the singeworthy, looking at the pleasures (and pains) of reading, the craft of writing, the ideas that are at the heart of great novels as well as novels that try to be great, but don’t quite make it. https://litopia.com/shows/burn/