RS #176 - The Epitome of Cool with Author and Historian John Robb | The Membranes

Rockstar Superhero

There aren't many surviving old school punk musicians. Many of them have gone on to that great gig in the sky, but those that have survived the last 45 years are the true legacy artists of a long gone generation. Mention Johnny Rotten, Siouxsie Sioux, Nina Hagen, or Henry Rollins and you know they changed the musical landscape forever, and their influence is far reaching.
Of all the surviving punks, John Robb is a truly influential human, known not only as a founding member of the legendary Membranes, but as a writer, a commentator, a pundit, and an industry insider for over 30 years. Our conversation today was everything I had hoped it'd be. As you can imagine, this is a man with too many stories, but we got to a few, and most importantly took the opportunity to talk about his AMAZING new book, "The Art of Darkness, the History of Goth."
So, to quote Marty DiBergi from Spinal Tap, "enough of my yakkin'.... let's boogie." This is my hour long chat with the legend that is John Robb and this, as always, is your Rockstar Superhero.
Time codes:
2:00 Olympia, K Records, and Tobe Vail
6:25 Ellensburg and Mark Lanegan
10:40 What we admire about John Robb
15:10 Books, television and media in general
19:50 Goth is a retrospective term
24:30 In the end, you are bigger than your record collection
29:20 Going the long way around
4:10 The willingness to moderate our thinking
39:00 The different bits of a city
44:00 The book is a take on Goth vs a definition
48:50 Crowley and the occult
53:15 The fast operator
58:20 Sitting and listening forever
1:03:00 Working the songs out in your head
1:08:40 Greta Thunberg and cleverness
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The Rockstar Superhero Podcast examines the personal lives and creative careers of your favorite classic rock artists. We are obsessed with understanding the inner workings of the music business and all that it takes to remain in the public eye for as long as possible. Join us as we pursue conversations with legends and legends in the making.
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