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Too Old To Punk?

Gaz, Karl, and Darren

This podcast series explores punk not through famous bands or scene “stars,” but through the everyday lives of the people who sustain it. Through in-depth conversations with musicians, organisers, and long-time participants, it traces how people first encounter punk, how they become part of it, and how they continue to remake it over time. Focusing on ordinary experiences—forming bands, putting on shows, working, dealing with loss, addiction, and responsibility—the series shows how punk persists as a network of relationships, values, and practices that shape how people live and connect.

  • 5 episodes
  • Updated Thursday

Episodes5

  • Thursday · 1 hr 20 min

    Episode 5: Darren Bourne: Tadpole Records/zine, Ättestor, System Defector, Just One Life Collective

    This episode features our good friend Darren "Tadpole" Bourne. For more than three decades, Darren has been one of the quiet forces behind the Brihton/UK DIY punk and hardcore scene,through Tadpole Records, Tadpole Fanzine, the Just One Life Collective, Rigsby Zine, and countless gigs where he's usually found at the front with a camera rather than on the stage. We talk about growing up working class on the south coast, discovering heavy metal through the back of an older kid's denim jacket, skateboarding as an escape, and finding a home in hardcore through its politics, friendships and sense of community. Darren reflects on singing in Ättestor, running a DIY record label, becoming a father, and why he ultimately realised he enjoyed supporting bands more than being in one himself. At a time when so many people look backwards, Darren remains driven by curiosity. He's still discovering new bands, filming gigs, sharing music, and championing the next generation with the same enthusiasm he had as a teenager. Humble, generous and completely unpretentious, Darren is one of the unspoken heroes who remind us that punk has always been about far more than music, it's about community, commitment and showing up for the people around you. Ättestor https://youtu.be/t9RiGlZOmzM?is=e_8BiuwrctamTy6K/ System Defector https://youtu.be/INo2swO4yL8?is=tgu-8yjvS9YA_nW2/ Unslug https://youtu.be/iGxUB_GfBSo?is=SQZH-CdXzuVUhtJ4 Tadpole Records Bandcamp https://tadpolerecords.bandcamp.com/music/ Tadpole Records YouTube https://youtube.com/@tadpolerecords?si=HtuK1VuU-8fl2771/ Tadpole Records https://tadpolerecords.blogspot.com/2012/04/tadpole-records.html?m=1/

  • July 23 · 1 hr 38 min

    Episode 4: Eva LeBlanc: Traidora/Dead Name/Eve Libertine

    Born in Venezuela and raised in Chile, Eva LeBlanc is the frontwoman of the hardcore punk band Traidora, as well as a multidisciplinary artist, musician and writer based in the UK. Eva's upbringing was a restless one, and she started her first band as a young teenager. After a life-changing visit to the legendary Dial House, she knew she had found a home—both in a new country and within punk. In this episode, Eva discusses her pathway into punk and how its intensity, its rage, joy and uncompromising spirit, has translated into a way of living, creating and resisting. Alongside Traidora, Eva has also collaborated with Eve Libertine of CRASS and continues to be an active presence in the UK's DIY punk scene. https://traidorapunx.bandcamp.com/ https://www.lavidaesunmus.com/product/una-mujer-trans-sin-pais/ https://www.instagram.com/traidorapunk/ https://deadnamepunx.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/disforiapunx/ https://www.instagram.com/lavidaesunmus/ https://calibansounds.bandcamp.com/

  • July 15 · 1 hr 16 min

    Episode 3: Marv Gadgie: Indian Queen legend (boston not boston), zine writer, rum lad

    In this episode, we speak with Marv Gadgie: legendary instigator of gig-time rumness at the Indian Queen pub in Boston not Boston (the Lincolnshire one, not the American one), zine and book writer, and a sharp observer of both the absurd and the hidden wonders of everyday life. We trace Marv's journey into punk, from discovering Discharge to moving to Boston and helping transform the Indian Queen into an unlikely but vital stop on the DIY touring circuit, welcoming bands like Tragedy, Victims, Fucked Up, Warhead, Code13, DS13, Catharsis, Phobia, Stupids, Varukers, and Municipal Waste. More than just a venue, the Indian Queen became a meeting place where friendships were forged, ideas exchanged, and an international network of people connected through punk took shape. Along the way, we explore the rich history of Boston's punk scene, talking about hometown heroes such as Urko and the much-missed Jas Toomer, as well as newer bands like Gristle. Throughout the conversation, we reflect on how punk is sustained not simply by records and gigs, but by the friendships, generosity, and communities that grow around the music, alongside plenty of stories, humour, and an appreciation for the extraordinary hidden within the seemingly ordinary. Excuse the audio quality on this one..and the regional accents... Thanks to Rob Migone for doing his best with the audio!! Gadgie zine in the Guardian newspaper https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jul/15/uk-fanzines-zine-radical-resurgence?fbclid=IwY2xjawTEcExleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEerx2hcYMso9C0FRb7jX045qVbpJ1a4AvF3OhbZcPLErUfa9jtiNMcwGYH2b0_aem_hJudwicbDfiStR1Yc9LRGA R.I.P Jas Toomer https://iqhc.bandcamp.com/album/urko/ R.I.P Darrel Skinner https://iqhc.bandcamp.com/album/poindexter/ https://iqhc.bandcamp.com/ Intro: Gristle.....Maximum Power https://gristleboston.bandcamp.com/ Outro: Onlooker … Peaceful Protest … https://onlookertheband.bandcamp.com/ Boston Bands over the years: https://iqhc.bandcamp.com

  • July 8 · 1 hr 15 min

    Episode 2: Scoot: Doom/Extinction of Mankind/Retsu

    In this episode, we talk with Scoot about far more than punk. We discuss growing up in a poor working-class family, the perspective that came from a career spent caring for others, and how that shaped the way he viewed the opportunities music gave him. From touring the world to remembering that his first trip abroad wasn’t until he was 19 — a journey to Belgium with Doom — we explore what those experiences meant in the context of where he came from. We also reflect on Scoot’s relationship with alcohol, the challenges of navigating life on and off the road, and how gratitude, class, and personal growth have remained constant threads throughout his journey. It’s an honest conversation about punk, work, privilege, addiction, and never losing sight of where you came from. Intro:Retsu ..lessons in self destruction https://retsupunk.bandcamp.com/ Outro: Extinction of mankind...Inside my fears https://extinctionofmankind1.bandcamp.com/album/slaves-to-no-one/ https://ukdoom.bandcamp.com/

  • June 24 · 1 hr 24 min

    Episode 1 Jos Houtveen: Lärm, SeeinRed, AutoReverse Records

    In this episode, we speak with the legendary, wonderful, and towering Jos Houtveen, known for his work with Total Chaoz, The Sextons, Lärm, Staathaat, Seein’ Red, and Disturbers, as well as for being the driving force behind AutoReverse Records. Jos may be retiring this year from his job as a head teacher at a school, but when it comes to punk rock, he shows no signs of slowing down. SEXTONS : https://www.bacteria.nl/the-sextons/ DISTURBERS: https://www.bacteria.nl/disturbers/ TOTAL CHAOZ: https://www.bacteria.nl/total-chaoz/ LÄRM: https://www.bacteria.nl/larm/ Seein' Red: https://seeinred.bandcamp.com/ KUIPVREES (New 12 inch in the works): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elY1OEBKOnE/ KRIEGSTANZ: https://opiaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/kriegstanz-10/ ORWELL NATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLVu0436qM8/ STAATHAAT: https://opiaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/staathaat-s-t-lp/