Welcome to The Listening Post, where each week we get an insight into the radio listening habits of a guest contributor. Once each person has made their picks, we ask them to nominate someone for the following week's Listening Post...
Our previous Listening Post was provided by Jim Salveson, who is currently hosting the XS Manchester Football Show, alongside pursuing many other radio and audio interests. You can view his recommendations here.
Jim has nominated Rob Rouse to provide the next Listening Post. Rob is a comedian, actor and podcaster who Jim worked with on a few XFM shows. Rob is also on tour through the Autumn and next Spring. If you'd like to check him out, his dates can be found here
Check out his recommendations below...
Read moreThe long form interview master
1. WTF with Marc Maron
"I’m sure many of you will already know of Marc Maron and his remarkable podcast WTF, but if you haven’t, it’s an incredible catalogue of interviews with fascinating stars of stage, screen and music. I subscribed for the year and chewed through hour upon hour of Louis C.K, Keith Richards, Mel Brooks, Jack White, Susan Sarandon, Brian Cranston, etc. The list is endless. And of course, he ended up with Barack Obama sat in his garage, a brilliant gateway episode for new listeners. Maron himself, is complex, needy at times, frequently troubled, but ultimately, an open human being and his desire to really connect with his subjects and have a real conversation with them makes this podcast really sing. I guarantee if you go through the episode list there will someone on there that you’d be desperate to listen to".
>> Listen here
Issues of the day
2. The Moral Maze, Radio 4
"This show tries to look at the underlying morality of the big issues that we face in the world today. The panel cross-examine expert witnesses and the whole bun fight is chaired by Michael Burke off of BBC news. Some of the core members of the panel make me scream at the radio, but I love that. With social media, we run the risk of only ever listening and talking to people who we’ve decided are on exactly the same page, but the world isn’t like that. We’ve ultimately got to find a way of getting on with each other and maybe the key to that is at least trying to understand where other people are coming from. Oh Christ, I sound like Miss World this morning! So just to balance it out, I hate all animals and don’t think children are the future - just to make sure I don’t get hung drawn and quartered for that on social media - as is the way nowadays - I love my dog and children. And your dogs and children are wonderful too".
>> Listen here
A couple that plays together, stays together?
3. Rob and Helen's Date Night
"Basically, I live in the countryside and sorting podcast guests out was becoming a nightmare. So my wife Helen suggested that with the kids both now at school and us kicking round the house in the day - coupled with the fact that statistically this is the time when most couples end up getting divorced - we should have a date each week and record that for the podcast. Since then I’ve nearly broken all her toes at dancing lessons, had pins stuck in me (acupuncture) seemingly for her amusement, attended yoga classes with old ladies and most recently did some impromptu life-drawing of each other in front of the fire (deeply humiliating) to name but a few. Also the podcast has the ultimate cliff-hanger element to it. Will we stay together or will we get divorced?! Obviously, I’m hoping we stay together, but it’s fun going for the ride eh? Also, my wife has absolutely no issues taking the piss out of me and we’re having a lot of fun making it and generally ‘arseing’ about with each other. If you fancy something a bit different, please give it a try. We’ll still have guests on the show (threesomes!) and we’ve booked in a few couples (other comics and their partners) - as double dates, I think we’re going to a knife throwing class next. Let’s hope it’s not the last episode!".
>> Listen here
The solo rant
4. Monday Morning Podcast - Bill Burr
"In my humble opinion, Bill Burr is just about the best stand up out there at the moment. He’s challenging, pin sharp and really really funny. His podcast is a complete ramshackle, it’s like having him in the passenger seat just spouting off and spinning out for an hour. Out of nowhere, he’ll trip over himself, wander down a blind alley and potentially say something potentially offensive, surprising, but really funny. There’s warmth behind his anger and an incredible ‘animal’ intellect at work. Again, he’s someone who I don’t always agree with, but love to listen to because he’s as self-effacing as he is challenging and for me that makes him even funnier and more fascinating. If you have 10 minutes, YouTube ‘Bill Burr Night of too many stars’ where he rants about Apple and Steve Jobs in front of a media savvy crowd, utterly sails against the wind and alienates them, then monumentally wins them back and you’ll understand the man".
>> Listen here
Comics pretty much on the psychiatrists' coach
5. The Comedian's Comedian Podcast
"I’ve selected Stuart Goldsmith’s podcast as his aim is to get under the skin of comedians and really find out what makes them tick. He’s done Bill Burr and at the other end of the scale, he’s done me! And everyone in-between. He’s a terrific interviewer because he’s a real listener and has a disarming and charming belligerence to get to the crux of the matter. When he interviewed me, I was in the middle of a house move, surrounded by my life packed up in boxes, so I think I rolled over pretty easily and showed him my belly! He’s also found a way of doing live versions of the show which are very entertaining, whilst he manages to retain all of his interviewers tenacity and rigour, which I find really impressive. There’s an episode with Stuart Francis, where he absolutely refuses to be serious which is both fascinating, at points uncomfortable and hilarious and a recent episode with Bill Burr in fact, where he a Stuart really ‘butt heads’. It’s Stuart’s ability to sit in these moments, not panic and keep the conversation going that I think is emblematic of what’s great about podcasts. They’ve got people talking".
>> Listen here
The next Listening Post
"I'd like to nominate Stuart Goldsmith for the next Listening Post. He is a comedian, actor and of course podcaster. His podcast is in my top 5!".
Keep an eye on our Twitter for Stuart's post next week...
