The mantra today is that anyone can be whatever they want to be. I’m not sure that’s true, but I get the idea – believe in yourself, believe in your dreams, come on, you can make it.
But I come from a different generation, as does Pinko Fowler, the co-host of this episode. I never had a plan for how life was going to work out. I’d never heard of the job I ended up doing until I was 24. I made up my career path as I went along, rarely looking any further ahead than the next holiday. One morning I woke up and decided it felt right to try living in Australia.
Pinko Fowler (who has also ended up living in Australia) was working in a menial job back in the early ‘80s and hanging round the Rough Trade shop in west London on his days off. One day he asked the guy behind the counter if they had any jobs going. After that, well, one thing just led to another. He ended up as videographer to the indie stars and creating Snub TV, probably the most famous UK indie music programme there’s ever been.
I guess Pinko did follow his dreams, but like most of us, he just didn’t know what they were going to be till they happened. As it turned out Pinko career have made him the ideal host for these episodes of Sombrero Fallout.
On this episode (part one of two), you’ll hear some great, and very varied music. And you’ll hear about:
- The time Michael Gira of the Swans passed out in a loincloth with yoghurt smeared over his face
- Sonic Youth’s table manners and why you shouldn’t worry about them sleeping on your floor
- What Pinko and Lindy from the Go-Betweens talk about when they’re buying cabbages
- Pixies’ love for Pinko’s wife Mexican meals
- What Steve Albini screamed out of Pinko’s front room window
- Whether Jarvis is actually a nice guy
- Whether Nick Cave is a nice guy
- The band Pinko formed with Douglas from the Jesus and Mary Chain
Part Two – with tales of shooting guns off Hunter S Thompson’s balcony and what Mark E Smith is really like – will follow in a few weeks’ time.
