Matt Stocks - Life in the Stocks: Veracious Conversations with Musicians and Creatives

this is a genuine rare bird book

Rare Bird Books
453 South Spring Street, Suite 302
Los Angeles, CA 90013
rarebirdlit.com

Copyright 2020 by Matt Stocks

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever, including but not limited to print, audio, and electronic. For more information, address:
Rare Bird Books Subsidiary Rights Department
453 South Spring Street, Suite 302
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Set in Dante

epub isbn : 9781644282045

Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request.

For Amie Harwick

Contents

Foreword

I first met Matt in one of my favorite places in the world: the fair city of London. It was 6:00 p.m. at a sound check, and I dont always enjoy doing interviews at these things, due to the fact that they usually run pretty longall the kick, snare, hat, more monitors please, etc.and that leaves me with very little time to grab a bite, change my shirt, write up the set list, and take a breath.

On this occasion, though, I didnt mind at all. My road manager had informed me that I had an interview with a journalist to discuss my favorite songs by The Jam, a group Ive loved since I was a kid. Being in England, drinking lager in a piss-stained dressing room with their songs running through my head seemed like a perfect thing to do.

I was expecting an older blokeas they say over thereand someone who might have seen or known The Jam back in the day, when into the room walked this young kid with great, upbeat energy. It was Matt Stocks. He knew a lot of my music, and also every Jam song that I began to babble on about. It was a really fun hang; just sitting there talking to him got me even more amped up to do the show, and reminded me why I do this, and why I love it.

About a year later, I stumbled upon a podcast with Blondies drummer, Clem Burke, who is one of my favorites, and has recently become a good pal. I thought I knew a lot about Clem, and about Blondie in general, but as I listened to this interview I was totally taken in. The host had great questions, and he really knew his shit. I could tell he put Clem at ease, too. And he got him to tell stories Id never even heard before.

I called my publicist and said Id heard this Life In The Stocks podcast, and that I was blown away by it. I asked him if there was any possible way I could be a guest on this guys show, to which he laughingly informed me that Id already been interviewed by him before. And he didnt seem to think it would be a problem getting me on the podcastincidentally, podcast was a word Id been hearing for years, but still wasnt really sure what it meant. In my mind, I pictured Spinal Tap busting out of their pods on stage.

It was a sticky summer day in 2017, and I was coming down from this crazy show wed just played in Hyde Park, London, with Green Day. Matt and I had plans to meet up in the lobby of the infamous Columbia Hotel across the street. I walked into the dining room/bar areaa place Id spent many nights trying to rid the UK of its alcohol by drinking all of itand I instantly recognized Matt as the guy Id had beers with at The Borderline a year prior, whod listened as I gushed over Paul Wellers lyrics.

The next two hours would fly by, as we talked about the current state of the world, my new record, our childhoods, and where this whole music thing was going. Interviews can often be the same old boring questions over and over again, but this one was different. It was really fun, but also, in some way, felt therapeutic. Before I knew it, the van pulled up out front and it was time to hit the road. We raised our teacups, said goodbye, and I left to ride down the motorway, checking out the rest of Matts podcast episodes along the way.

I was impressed with his choice and range of guests, from Gene Simmons and Johnny Rotten to Little Steven Van Zandt, and the wide mix of actors, comedians, and artists like Ralph Steadman, whose work had been engraved in my brain since Junior High School when Pink Floyds The Wall was on every kids denim jacket.

He covered everything from hardcore to arena rock, nineties emo to classic punk, and could talk to Joe Elliot of Def Leppard one week, and Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello the next, without missing a beatand somehow make it all fit together. It also seemed like he was never afraid to ask a question that might be heavy, personal, or controversial. And he knew when to sit back and listen, and not over-insert himself like so many podcasters do ad nauseam.

Matts podcast seems to bring out the humanity, vulnerability, and true passion of the artists that he interviews. He lets us know that were not alone on our journey, and that theres beauty in the struggle, which is what makes the real art happen. Listening to his show has been motivating and inspiring, and Matt has a real warmth and a magic that brings out the best in people. We open up and bleed, as Iggy Pop once said.

Over the years, Matt and I have stayed in touch and met up in many different cities, pubs, gigs, and hotel lobbies to talk about what were listening to and what were up to. And when I dont see him, I always know where to find him: on another Life In The Stocks podcast, because this guy never stops.

I believe our rock and roll cultureboth past and presentis important, and guys like Matt are keeping it alive.

Life is for the living, kids, and were staying up late to get the whole picture.

Jesse Malin , New York City, June 2020

Introduction

O n New Years Eve 2016, I landed back in the UK after spending Christmas in Cuba with my ex-partner. Wi-Fi is basically nonexistent in Cuba, or at least it was back then, and there was no way I was paying for those roaming charges, so my ex and I made a pact: to leave our phones on airplane mode for the duration of our trip. The plan was to lose ourselves in the revolutionary charm of Cuban culture and the bygone beauty of a world pre-smartphones.

We both upheld our end of the bargain, and for two weeks we were completely off-grid in one of the most romantic and exciting countries in the world. It was a magical adventure. But the moment we got back home, everything turned to shit.

Unbeknownst to me, whilst wed been swimming in the ocean in Varadero, hiking up the mountains in Viales, and cruising along the Malecn in a 1950s Cadillac Convertible, the two companies that I worked for had both gone out of business. And I was none the wiser. Why would I be? My phone was totally out of action. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.

The second we touched down in London, however, I rejoined the world Id been so happily disconnected from, and all the texts, emails, and voicemails came flooding in. Dude, whats happened to Team Rock? Mate, have you seen the news about Team Rock? I hate to tell you this, but the Brooklyn Bowl is also closing down. Im sorry to hear about the Brooklyn Bowl, mate. Are you okay? What are you going to do now? Worst. New Years. Ever.

At this stage, Id been working as a freelance writer for Team Rocka publishing company that owned the rights to Metal Hammer and Classic Rock magazinefor the last two years. And Id served as resident DJ at the Brooklyn Bowl in London for the same amount of time. I was self-employed, but 90 percent of my annual income came from those two companies, and now theyd both gone bust. It was game over.