Episode 10: Melon twisting with Bez from Happy Mondays
What is the definition of 'sane'? Bez would like to know.
I interviewed Bez in Manchester this month amidst Happy Mondays' UK reunion tour.
You can still get your tickets here:
https://www.seetickets.com/tour/happy-mondays
Please be aware, this is not an interview with an academic or professional so please don't expect that. It's an interview with Bez who has his own point of views about mental health. These are his views and you may or may not agree with them. I'm really fascinated by the way he thinks and this is an opportunity to understand how his mind works.
In this episode, we talk about: fatherhood, his childhood, what it was like for him being homeless and in prison, his relationship to drugs, the time he nearly died of MRSA, his thoughts about what it means to be sane, as well as how he feels about what people think of him. It's an alternative point of view and I was really curious to understand where he gets his views from.
Please excuse the sound quality, I was recording in a cafe, the sound isn't perfect as there's a lot of background noise. I hope you enjoy this episode.
Brace yourselves...
Om Podcasten
Welcome to Sound Affects Podcast – featured in NME's Podcasts for the People series. A music & mental health podcast exploring all crossovers between music and mental health: how music and sounds affect us somatically and psychologically, the songs that see us through, what drives people to music careers/a life on the road, the music industry climate, music therapy as support for mental illness, music fandom, music journalism and research in all these crossovers. I speak to well-known musicians and figures, experts, therapists, academics, researchers, authors, journalists, charities, and music fans. Each episode is an interview with a guest centred around a specific theme of music and mental health.
Sound Affects is produced, edited and hosted by me, Katerina – a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist working professionally in both the NHS and private practice. I'm also a freelance sub-editor and writer published in The Independent, The Guardian, The Times and Wellcome Collection. Before becoming a therapist, I was a Samaritan helpline listener supporting people struggling to cope with suicidal feelings, and I worked full time as a copywriter and editor for Samaritans during the time of the charity's male suicide research launch. I've worked in magazine and newspaper publishing for many years and spent a lot of time during this time speaking to musicians and creative people.
The idea for Sound Affects came while writing about and interviewing bands – I noticed a theme emerging around existential identity and just how sad some of the so-called "rock n roll" stories of excess were. I was also aware of just how much music impacts me, and in particular, specific bands and sounds. It is no secret that I'm a huge Oasis fan, and this theme features regularly in this podcast as alongside my interviews, I occasionally pause to reflect and consider what draws me to this music and how it has shaped me. When I trained as a psychotherapist, I drew together all my interests, culminating in this podcast. I often see musicians as clients for therapy, and I routinely appear in the press and radio commenting on various aspects of therapy and emotional health. I've been a guest on BBC Radio, and appeared in OK! Magazine, Psychologies, Stylist, Grazia, The Independent and more.