#204 – How Music Can Help Deal With Trauma: Heavy Metal, Post-Apocalyptic Fiction & The We Are Melomaniacs Podcast With David Curfiss

David Curfiss of We Are Melomaniacs joins us for ep 204, for a discussion on trauma, “extreme” music, his books, his podcast and more! Please be aware this conversation contains explicit language.

In more detail, Mike & David’s conversation starts with David explaining why he started his podcast and how music and mental health/trauma go hand-in-hand, before delving into his music journey through rock, metal, grunge and the transition into heavy/death metal. The duo then talk about streaming & physical media, David speaks about the writing process for his two books set in a post-apocalyptic world. David then speaks about his trauma in more depth, including his childhood, how he’s changed over the years and more – this is a fairly deep & intense conversation but one that is really important, especially for those suffering with mental health issues.

Listen to David’s show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WeAreMelomaniacs

David’s site with info on his books: https://davidcurfiss.com

David mentioned his poem Crumb found in the Of Horror & Hope collection, which can be found here: https://horror.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/HWA-MHI-Of-Horror-And-Hope-Wellness.pdf

David also mentioned Robert Kirkham (writer of The Walking Dead), the Letrou brothers and the book “On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society” by Dave Grossman.

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The last episode was ep 203, where Mike spoke with his friend Matt about Matt’s 3 month long hike in America with his friend Cody; Matt talks food, packing, sores, washing, hitchhiking and more. Towards the end, Matt talks about his new business Bust Builders, where he makes & sells concrete busts of controversial figures!

MORE FREE CONTENT:

2 episodes of Mike, Maff & Dave’s show; Rebels Reviewed is out now, so listen to their thoughts on seasons 1 & 2 (as we get nearer to the Ahsoka series for the #RoadToAhsoka) on any podcast app or watch on YouTube: https://pod.fo/e/186b55 – https://youtu.be/Kk99oyK06ho  

Mike also appeared on Star Wars Timeline to talk about Ahsoka, as part of the #RoadToAhsoka: https://youtu.be/-qo3tVHyC1U  

Mike was the judge on a recent Comics On Trial where Tony Farina & Scott Weatherly each give their stance on whether or not Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull deserves to be held in the same regard as the original trilogy, listen or watch here: https://pod.fo/e/187e09 – https://youtu.be/8bPSFoOJ4yc

Find Mike’s other show; Star Wars: Comics In Canon on Spotify & the other podcast apps on the feed of Comics In Motion or on GCC’s YouTube channel. Episodes are out every Saturday; episodes 0-134 are out now; in 134 Mike tackles the one-shot: Quest Of The Jedi, then in 133 Mike delved into the Nameless Terror Dark horse comics and the week prior was a review of Quest For Planet X! Previous episodes include the Hidden Empire crossovers, every canon Star Wars comic by Marvel, full High Republic coverage (book reviews & comics) & much more – https://podfollow.com/comicsinmotion   

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#92 – Creating “Oof Moments”: Song Deconstruction, Genre Appropriation & Vanity With Alex & Evvi of NO:IR

This week, Mike is joined by Alex & Evvi of the alternative metal band NO:IR, discussing their new single Vanity, song-writing, alternative music and more!

For more detail, the trio talk about how the members of NO:IR me, trying to avoid being pigeon-holed when it comes to genre, “granddad metal”, the song-writing process for Vanity, band identity, taking risks as a band and exposure, live performances, Jason Butler (of Letlive, Fever 333 & Pressure Cracks) is brought up as an example of an amazing frontman, their next single and upcoming EP release as well as much more!

NO:IR’s New Single Vanity – NO:IR’s Site – Merch – Twitter & Instagram @TheBandNoir – Facebook

In case you missed episode 90, Mike spoke with Dave (of Comics In Motion) & Max (of Mandatory Marvel & DC) about the Snyder Cut of Justice League, the DCEU movies, Batman V Superman, The Batfleck, upcoming DC releases and more!

Mike appeared on Tony Farina’s Indie Comics Spotlight to talk about the comic series Second Coming (Episode 13)

Check out the podcast ROOM where Mike is in episode 1 of season 2 called “All Roads Lead To Room” as well as the episode “Jen And The Blob”!

Recently Mike has appeared on the Ask Win Podcast
He has also appeared on the Friends In Your Ears podcast

Mike has another show, called Star Wars: Comics In Canon – all episodes can be found on Comics In Motion’s podcast feed and episodes will be out every Saturday; episodes 0-13 are now out, speaking the Fallen Order prequel comic, how Obi-Wan & Anakin almost left the Jedi order, Cassian met K-2SO, Beckett before Solo, The Rise Of Kylo Ren, Darth Maul beyond The Phantom Menace, how C-3PO got his red arm, Operation: Cinder, Captain Phasma, The Last Jedi comics, Mon Cala & more – https://apple.co/39mut2Y

Genuine Chit-Chat is a part of the Brit Pod Scene, so be sure to check out the other members of the family as well as the BPS podcast – www.britpodscene.com

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You can also email us at GenuineChitChat@outlook.com with any reviews, comments or suggestions.

#68 Pt 1 – Recognising Small & Local Bands: Placeholder, Streaming Music, TV Series & Organising Gigs With Calum Stone

This week marks Mike’s return from his two weeks off while he was in Mexico with returning guest Calum Stone – vocalist & frontman of the UK metalcore band Placeholder!

Part 1 of their chat starts with a discussion on Stranger Things S3 (no spoilers as Mike hadn’t seen it when this was recorded) and Calum’s love for Gordon Ramsay, before discussing Calum being recognised for his music, using CDs and streaming nowadays, before speaking about Placeholder’s new EP for a bit and then talking about all of the music Calum & Mike have been listening (including Billie Eilish, The Plot In You, Lewis Capaldi & more) before they discuss Calum organising gigs for other bands. Their chat finishes off by discussing the importance of supporting local bands, Mike’s story of meeting a member of ‘Woe, Is Me’.

Placeholder’s new EP ‘Despise Me’ can be found on Spotify, Apple Music & the other usual music places.

The three singles from ‘Despise Me’ have music videos that fit together for a narrative so be sure to check those out, with their newest single (also named Despise Me) has Kadeem France from Loathe featured in it too.

Part 2 of their chat will be released next week and they discuss self-promoting on social media, Placeholder’s three new music videos & their meaning along with the theme of their newest release ‘Despise Me’, they then speak about some of the negative & positive feedback Calum has received, how he deals with it and that neither Calum or Mike comment on many things especially on YouTube, Calum’s dream collaboration and much more!

Last week was Mike’s solo pod where he just spoke about his trip to Mexico, a review of the new Lion King, what’s to come and more, however the week before that, he chatted with Amanda Steel – an author of novels, poems & short stories, as well as creating a quarterly written media publication called Printed Words and being one half of the Reading In Bed Podcast!

Promo by American Slacker

Genuine Chit-Chat is a part of the Brit Pod Scene, so be sure to check out the other members of the family as well as the BPS podcast – www.britpodscene.com

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You can also email us at GenuineChitChat@outlook.com with any reviews, comments or suggestions.

#59 – Don’t Judge A Band By Its Genre: Horror Movies, Music Taste, “Making It” & “Selling Out” With Dan

This week, Dan returns as a guest as although Mike & Dan were chatting for over 2 & a half hours, we’ve split this chat into two standalone episodes!

Mike’s chat with Dan continues this week with a change of subject matter as they talk about Dan’s time as a cameraman at Bestival and some of his work at university, before delving into a discussion regarding music, including Dan’s previous band experience and how bands “make it”, followed by a tangent about the perfect amount of people to watch movies with and some of their favourite horror movies, before getting into bands changing their sound & “selling out”, what one appreciates about their own music taste, “indie music” and the subjective nature of music genres and they finish it all with 3 album recommendations each, so be sure to say ‘til the end if you want to check out 6 new bands of different genres (or check below for ease)!

Last week Dan was on the show and they chatted about movies for the whole thing! They discuss Marvel & DC’s respective universes & recent movies before discussing their favourite Tarantino movies, how filmmakers often give too much exposition, before discussion other notable director’s work such as James Wan’s involvement in the Saw and the Fast & Furious franchise, followed by talks about Blade Runner & the book that inspired it (Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep), many other movies are mentioned before the chat is finished with Mike talking about Star Wars!

Before Dan was our guest (two episodes ago), Mike spoke with Frank of the Ragbag podcast about his new book One Hundred and his writing-process, what inspired him to write a 100-chapter short-story book, many of the thought experiments the book delves into, the idea of solitude not being a bad thing, what Frank & Mike define “milking” a series is, as well as discussing bad customer service, the process of recording & releasing an audiobook, what defines consciousness, the importance of community and much more – they even get into conspiracy theories towards the end of part 2!

Promo by Comedy Geek

Dan recommends: Emergency & I by Dismemberment Plan – Yank Crime by Drive Like Jehu – Four Calender Cafe by Cocteau Twins – Souvlaki by Slowdive

Mike recommends: How To Be A Human Being by Glass Animals – Fear by Arrested Youth  – STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS by FEVER 333

Genuine Chit-Chat is also a part of the Brit Pod Scene, so be sure to check out the other members of the family as well as the BPS podcast – www.britpodscene.com

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#42 Part 1 – Who Or What Is A “Lifer”?: Alternative Lifestyle, Tattoos, Heavy Metal & Social Stigma With Junior Bernucci

This week Mike talks to Junior of We The Lifers, an alternative apparel company who’s goal is to keep people proud of being “alternative” and much more (discussed in this chat)!

As well as the above, Junior discusses why he started We The Lifers, what a “lifer” actually is as well as many other topics surrounding an alternative lifestyle including heavy music and people’s issues with “screamo”, how the stigma surrounding tattoos & piercings has changed over the years, what the alternative look is all about and how one gets treated differently because of it, why Junior moved over to England from Brazil in ’97,  enjoying what you like and not worrying about other people’s opinions and so much more – if you’re not a fan of heavy music this is still a great listen as it gives some perspective on the more aggressive side of music & subsequent culture without actually having to listen to any heavy bands!

Part 2 will be released next week, where the discussion on face tattoos continues, as well as controversial & drug tattoos, the dangers of fame, the questioning of racist jokes, collaborations, the Church of Satan and many more topics!

We The Lifers site – two t-shirts that Mike wears regularly can be found here which are pictured on the Instagram of Genuine Chit-Chat which will be with the post about this episode!

In case you missed it, last week Mike spoke with Dr Glenn Livingston, about his book “Never Binge Again”, along with the power of advertising in the food industry, how one can reprogram their own mind into eating better, how Glenn got into psychology & eating, the three brains; reptilian, mammalian & human and how they affect one’s perception of diet, how the world has been changing nutritionally with an influx of fast food but also health-awareness, opinions on fat-shaming and much more!

Shout-out to the X&Y Podcast

Genuine Chit-Chat is now a part of the Brit Pod Scene, so be sure to check out the other members of the family as well as the BPS podcast – www.britpodscene.com

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You can also email us at GenuineChitChat@outlook.com with any reviews, comments or suggestions.

“It’s A Hard Industry To Get Into” – GCC #21 Part 2 – Difficulties Of Being In A Band, Plagiarism & Streaming Music w/ Ryan Payne

This week, Mike continues his chat with Ryan Payne: a musician who has been in numerous alternative bands as a guitarist and a vocalist, who Mike has known since school!

They discuss some of the difficulties around being in a band, fluking their way through their passions, writing music, plagiarism and how Ryan unintentionally wrote & released a very similar-sounding song to a big alternative band. They also discuss Spotify and owning CDs, as well as the state of modern music (including the likes of Drake & Post Malone)!

In part 1 of their chat, they discussed tattoos, the stigma surrounding them, the pain of a long session and what tattoos they both have & want to get. Following this, they talk about superhero movies, “guilty pleasures” in music, piercings & face tattoos, the difference in vocal styles and what “unclean” vocals actually are and what being in different bands over the years has been like for Ryan, including reminiscing of the good, and not-so-good times!

The last episode featured Mike speaking with Erin (a photographer friend of his), about anxiety, photojournalism, the homelessness crisis, support networks, snowboarding, individual & community change, gene memory and much more, so be sure to check that out too.

Ryan is the guitarist for the band Scars Of Protest – their music is on Spotify, so be sure to check them out – https://www.scarsofprotest.com/ 

Promo by And The Losers Are, which be found here:  http://losers.libsyn.com/ 

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You can also email us at GenuineChitChat@outlook.com with any reviews, comments or suggestions!

“Tattoos: Skin Art Is No Big Deal” – GCC #21 Part 1 – Piercings, Screamo/Sung Vocals & Being In Various Metal Bands w/ Ryan Payne

This week, Mike talks to Ryan Payne, a musician who has been in numerous alternative bands as a guitarist and a vocalist, who Mike has known since school!

In part 1 of their chat, they discuss tattoos, the stigma surrounding them, the pain of a long session and what tattoos they both have & want to get. Following this, they talk about superhero movies, “guilty pleasures” in music, piercings & face tattoos, the difference in vocal styles and what “unclean” vocals actually are and what being in different bands over the years has been like for Ryan, including reminiscing of the good, and not-so-good times!

Part 2 will be out next week, where they discuss some of the difficulties around being in a band, fluking their way through their passions, writing music, plagiarism and how Ryan unintentionally wrote & released a very similar-sounding song to a big alternative band. They also discuss Spotify and owning CDs, as well as the state of modern music (including the likes of Drake & Post Malone)!

Ryan is the guitarist for the band Scars Of Protest – their music is on Spotify, so be sure to check them out – https://www.scarsofprotest.com/

Last week Mike spoke with Erin, a photographer friend of his, about anxiety, photojournalism, the homelessness crisis, support networks, snowboarding,  individual & community change, gene memory and much more, so be sure to check that out too.

Promo by the Ragbag podcast which can be found here: https://goo.gl/ia82Wh

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You can also email us at GenuineChitChat@outlook.com with any reviews, comments or suggestions!

 

GCC #5 Part 2 – Tom Guildford – Curbing Bullying & Dealing With Insecurity

Part 2 of a great chat with Mike & Tom – they talk about bullying and potential ways to curb it and insecurity, or rather how everyone is incredibly insecure about everything and it’s all part of life, and more!
Part 1 is about the Las Vegas Shooting, Netflix series and Tom’s band Seasons In Wreckage and can be found here: https://goo.gl/Ju8UL5

Tom’s pun cartoon IG: @wittyandcolour
Laura’s makeup & prosthetic special effects IG: @prettyhorrific

GCC has a new intro thanks to the lovely Rhys Willis, the full track is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqo8yl15yQQ

IG: @Genuine_ChitChat

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Also available on YouTube

GCC #5 Part 1 – Tom (Seasons In Wreckage) – Netflix, Veganism & The Las Vegas Shooting

This week, Mike talks to Tom about the joys of many Netflix shows, the shooting in Las Vegas and gun laws in the US, veganism and his band Seasons In Wreckage.
Part 2 will be out next week!

FREE MUSIC: Perspectives EP and Courage free download:

https://seasonsinwreckage.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/seasonsinwreckageukmhc/

GCC has a new intro thanks to the lovely Rhys Willis, the full track is here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqo8yl15yQQ

IG: @Genuine_ChitChat
https://www.facebook.com/GenuineChitChat/
Also available on YouTube!

GCC #4 Part 2 – Calum (From Placeholder) – Writing Music, Lyrics & Superhero Movies

*UPDATE – Decipher are now called Placeholder, links below*
Part 2 of Mike’s chat with Calum of Placeholder!
In the first 20 minutes they chat about movies, then get into lyrical content of Placeholder, the song-writing process and veganism!

Their newest single “Cement”: https://youtu.be/3eSFuwrCJwY
Instagram: @uk_placeholder
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlaceholderUK/

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GCC #4 Part 1 – Calum (From Decipher) – Alternative Music & Starting The Band

*UPDATE – Decipher are now called Placeholder, links below*
This week, Mike chats with Calum Stone of the UK melodic hardcore band Decipher!
They speak about alternative music, starting up bands, including how Decipher was started, music channels and much more!
This is part 1, part 2 will be out in a week.

Their newest single “Cement”: https://youtu.be/3eSFuwrCJwY
Instagram: @uk_placeholder
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlaceholderUK/

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Instagram: @Genuine_ChitChat