Podcast Archives - Page 20 of 31 - The Andy Social Podcast

120 – Adrian Griffin (Lo!, Session Drummer, Digital Designer…

March 22, 2018November 27, 2020
by andy

While it might be an exaggeration, Adrian Griffin has probably played in every single metal and rock band that has ever existed.

Yes, a slight exaggeration but for many musicians finding and holding onto a drummer is really difficult and Adrian certainly has helped out many Aussie bands over the years and thankfully (for many of us) he really enjoys it.

His long list of bands include playing and recording for the likes of 28 Days, Free or Dead, Degeneracy, Handasyd Williams, AgaugeFor (bass), Killerhertz and also filling in with Gvrlls, Truth Corroded, Daemon Pyre, Hell City Glamours, Tom Ugly and many more.

Adrian’s mainstay however is Sydney’s Lo! who have not only extensively toured in Australia and overseas but have released a number of killer albums with some of the most intense video clips to have ever come from an Australian band (see episode 113 with Odd Studio who helped bring songs Orca and Locus Christ to life).

I caught up with Adrian at the Salisbury Hotel in Stanmore to chat about being in high demand over the years as a drummer, playing in a wide range of bands over the years, touring and living overseas in both Hong Kong and Singapore.

We also chat about his life as a self employed web designer/digital content creator through his business Abepe. Adrian actually helped (saved) me with revamping the Andy Social website and created my Self Starter site as well. Behind the scenes he’s been an integral part of my projects and has helped alleviate a lot of the stress I have had around getting my digital presence up and running.

A great chat with an awesome guy! Be sure to check out Lo! and their new album Vestigal as well as his business Abepe.

Show notes:

Check out all of the Lo! video clips below;

Locust Christ (from Vestigial)
Megafauna (from The Tongueless)
Orca (from The Tongueless)
Bastion (from Look and Behold)

Fire at the Child Actors Guild (from Look and Behold)

Photo by Adam Davis-Powell

Photo by Nic Bezzina

Providing the blast beats for Truth Corroded in #wellington #newzealand #ontour #blastbeats #thrash #deathmetal #drumming @truthcorroded

A post shared by Adrian Griffin (@acedrum) on May 11, 2017 at 9:20pm PDT

Chuckin’ a cheeky last minute fill in on drums tomorrow night with @daemonpyre at The Bald Faced Stag. Come for the blast beats, stay for the dad jokes!

A post shared by Adrian Griffin (@acedrum) on Aug 18, 2016 at 4:34pm PDT

Podcast

119 – Cliff Reid (Doctor/Specialist – Emergency and Intensive…

March 15, 2018November 27, 2020
by andy

Cliff Reid is a Doctor and Specialist who works in both emergency and intensive care as well as pre-hospital retrieval medicine.

To put it simply, Cliff provides emergency care to people who experience sudden unexpected extreme forms of physical suffering.

I got the chance to meet Cliff out at the brand new multi-million dollar Helicopter base at Bankstown airport which not only dispatches several helicopters and fixed wing aircraft for the entire state of New South Wales but also a road team that services large areas of Sydney.

The facility also has a large training centre which Cliff is also the Director in charge. This facility is filled with training rooms that replicate various real world medical environments including emergency rooms filled with mannequin patients (often also using real life actors) and also a wave pool that simulates helicopter crashes in ocean water with a fuselage being dropped into a deep pool with heavy waves. Personnel are constantly challenged to ensure they can successfully free themselves from the cabin in treacherous conditions.

In some cases, the training provided to the team links to highly unlikely events, however the continual preparation and readiness for these situations are critical to those split second moments that could mean life or death.

I sat down with Cliff to chat about his journey through medicine, his early interests in science (well, science fiction to begin with), working as a junior in the UK, relocating to Australia and the focus he has placed on resuscitation to train other physicians to continue to provide a higher standard of care for patients that continues to progress and evolve.

For those of you who are crossing your fingers, yes Cliff shares a couple of gory stories of what they have to do at times to keep patients alive. While these stories are definitely amazing, the more impressive parts of my chat with Cliff are around the level of training, preparation and care that goes into looking after their team. If the team is supported both in psychical skill and as well as psychologically, then they are able to continue to deliver a high standard of care for those patients in urgent need.

It’s often said and thought of as a bit of a cliche but these guys are the real superheroes. While it’s completely justified to idolise people in entertainment and sport for their qualities and achievements, I think we should continue to search out inspiring people like Cliff who work with complete dedication to take care of us when in need. I will certainly do my part to highlight more of these impressive people through the podcast as well as in my everyday life.

You can follow Cliff on Twitter and check out his Resus website to learn more about what he is all about.

Show notes

Follow Cliff Reid on Twitter.
Check out Cliff’s Resus (Cutting Edge Resuscitation Medicine) website HERE.
Blog post by Cliff: The Area Under the Suffering Curve
Blog post by Cliff: No Picnic? Really?
Book recommendation: Richard Branson – Losing My Virginity
Book recommendation: Steven Covey – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
What is ECMO?
Article – ECMO at The Louvre

Check out episodes 35 with Sinclair Newey and 36 with Mick Goddard who have both had experience with an ECMO machine.
Want to support Mick Goddard’s son Kai and their family? Pick up a copy of Kingdom of Kai for your CD/metal collection!

Podcast

118 – Gary Carson (Screaming Symphony, Vegan, Die-hard Metal…

March 9, 2018November 27, 2020
by andy

In the metal community it’s not uncommon to meet people who are die-hard enthusiasts. It’s the appeal of not only music and lifestyle but the community aspect which draws people in from all over the world.

One of those is Gary Carson. If you’re a big metal fan, in particular melodic metal, you might know Gary as the co-host of the weekly Screaming Symphony radio show which has been on air for the past 19 years from Melbourne and last year streamed from Wacken.

Speaking of Wacken, maybe you’ve bumped in Gary at one of the many European metal festivals. A pilgrimage that Gary has taken almost every year.

In addition to talking about the metal community and Gary’s first introduction to metal, we cover his background in Behavioural Science and Sociology with his fascination in human behaviour including his own.

Gary doesn’t drink alcohol and has been a vegan for the past 10 years. Two things which go against hefty social norms, especially in the western world. Gary’s strong minded approach and values have helped him flourish amongst others who may not always see eye to eye. That’s what metal is all about, isn’t it?

If you love metal and what it all stands for, you’ll love Gary. A dedicated, honest and genuine guy who doesn’t go half in on anything.

Be sure to check out Screaming Symphony, say hello to Gary and also his video recommendations in the show notes.

Show notes

Check out Screaming Symphony via Main Website | Facebook |
Listen every Thursday night from 10pm via 106.7 PBS FM in Melbourne or globally via PBS.

Gary was going to do a top 5 power metal song list but instead put together 6 recent prog/power songs that you may not have heard before. Let us know what you think!

Podcast

117 – Chris Porcianko (Vanishing Point)

March 1, 2018October 17, 2021
by andy

For the past 20 years, Chris Porcianko has been the key song writer and guitarist in the legendary Australian melodic metal band Vanishing Point.

In that time, Chris and the guys have experienced many ups and downs over the past two decades. From label and band member changes, to internationally acclaimed albums, tours with some of metal’s finest, playing Wacken to the band evolving as years go on with individual priorities continuously changing.

We spent a lot of time digging into the earlier beginnings of Vanishing Point and the many chapters which make up a great story that still continues on. For me personally, Tangled in Dream is one of my all-time favourite Australian metal albums so I got a real kick out of hearing how that album came together that included inspiration from old warehouses and meat hooks. Don’t worry, I’ll let Chris explain that one further!

We also talk about family, how life has changed the focus of the band, having a Vanishing Point song covered by Sonata Arctica, and we reflect on our shows together at ProgPower USA in 2016.

Chris is one of those guys who wears his heart on his sleeve and has no shame in doing so. I think we could all take a page from his book on how to be genuine and show gratitude to all that’s great around us.

Be sure to follow Chris and Vanishing Point who are working on their next album due out later in 2018.

Show notes

Photo by Norrsken Photography

With members of Gamma Ray and Sonata Arctica

Podcast

116 – Oscar McMahon (Young Henrys, The Persian Drugs,…

February 22, 2018November 27, 2020
by andy

Oscar McMahon is Newtown through and through. Whether it be growing up and attending high school in the area, playing in the Hell City Glamours, or working the local bars, Oscar is a part of Sydney’s Inner West and continues to call it home.

Several years ago, Oscar decided to step it up a notch and launch a beer for the people of Newtown. Beginning with an early concept of a simple beer for a tight circle of good folk, Young Henrys has grown to be one of Australia’s more popular craft beer brands. As Oscar likes to call it ‘Pub Craft’.

A recent indicator of Young Henrys and Oscars success comes with a collaboration with the Foo Fighters where Young Henrys released an exclusive limited edition beer called Foo Town. This was celebrated with the Foo Fighters 9th album “Concrete and Gold” and their 2018 Australian tour. This included two pop up Young Henrys bars in Melbourne and Sydney and distribution of the beer across the country. Not bad company to have!

I caught up with Oscar at Young Henrys HQ where we spoke about the links between playing in a band and launching a brewery. There are many DIY elements that cross over and Oscar was able to reflect on a number of experiences that have help shape him to who he and what Young Henrys is today.

You guys know my love for beer so this was a real treat to talk to Oscar and any excuse to head to the Young Henrys HQ is not to be passed up (see episode 102 with Sindy Sinn).

Be sure to get your lips around a nice cold Young Henrys beer, crank some old Hell City Glamours and also give Oscar’s (and Sindy’s) current band The Persian Drugs a crack!

“Beer is for everybody” – Oscar McMahon

Show notes

Young Henrys art by Sindy Sinn (check out Episode 102 with Sindy HERE)

Young Henrys in Newtown (76 Wilford St, Newtown NSW 2042)

Foo Town – Limited Edition Beer for the 2018 Australian Foo Fighters Tour

Podcast

115 – Peter Hodgson (I Heart Guitar, ex-Seymour Duncan,…

February 15, 2018November 27, 2020
by andy

Peter Hodgson is one of those guys that I would have been in awe of as a teenager. The guy is a total guitar nerd, running his popular blog I Heart Guitar, he’s a music journalist writing for publications such as Australian Guitar, Guitar World, Gibson, Premier Guitar, Mixdown Magazine, Blunt, and Beat (to name a few) and he’s also the Social Media Manager for Seymour Duncan.

Forget the teenager, I’m in awe now! Peter gets to totally immerse himself in his love of music/guitar and make a living from it. What a winner!

I caught up with Peter to talk (you guessed it) guitar, his recent trip to NAMM which was his 9th year in a row, becoming a music journalist and also his first couple of jobs working in small town music stores. Lots of great insights for others who are interested in diving into writing and working in the music world. We also touch on Peter’s challenges with anxiety and depression which I’d certainly like to highlight more in this podcast in the months/years to come.

Be sure to check out Peter’s blog and if you want get all guitar nerd, hit him up for a chat!

July 2018 edit – Peter has since moved from Seymour Duncan and is now the AR guy over at Ormsby Guitars!

Show notes

Follow Peter via I Heart Guitar – Main Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Patreon |
Check out the I Heart Guitar Podcast on your favourite podcast player and HERE.
Book recommendations – The Inner Game of Music, Barry Green & The Art of Learning, Josh Waitzkin
What is Synesthesia?
Peter’s Blog on Social Phobia here.

Podcast

Episode 114 – Sarah Lim (Electrik Dynamite, Earth, The…

February 8, 2018May 20, 2018
by andy

Sarah Lim is a Jiu-Jitsu grappling, keytar slinging legend who has been a part of the Melbourne music scene for over half of her life.

From starting out playing local all ages shows at the age of 14, Sarah has played in a long list of bands over the years including her current long stays in Electrik Dynamite, Earth and The Night Terrors. In fact, Sarah has never not been in a band since starting out all of those years ago.

In more recent years, Sarah has broken out of her comfort zone and immersed herself in mixed martial arts, notably Jiu-Jitsu. For me, I’m a complete wuss when it comes to physical/contact sports so I was intrigued when Sarah was able to break down the steps she took in the beginning to overcome her own fears, build confidence and find not only an enjoyment from Jiu-Jitsu but also many self improvements that have been valuable in other areas of her life.

This was a great chat covering a lot of music from what it has been like playing with so many musicians over the years, getting different opportunities, a quick stint playing bass and her story of taking up martial arts.

Follow Sarah Lim through any of the Electrik Dynamite, Earth or The Night Terrors pages.

Show notes

Sarah with band mate and bestie Duane Jackson (Remember episode 38 of the podcast with Duane? Listen here)

Electrik Dynamite Photo by MickG Photography

The Night Terrors

Old school photo of Earth

Podcast

113 – Adam Johansen & Damian Martin (Odd Studio…

February 1, 2018November 27, 2020
by andy

Odd Studio has a resume that many can only dream of. Client projects include blockbusters such as Mad Max 4 Fury Road, Star Wars Revenge Of The Sith & Attack of the Clones, Alien Covenant, Wolverine, Farscape and many more.

Established close to 15 years ago, Damian and Adam have built Odd Studio into what is now a beast in the business of special effects, creature creation, animatronics and complex prosthetic work that is in high demand not only in the world of film but also television, commercials and music videos (see video clips for Orca and Locus Christ from Sydney band Lo!).

I recently caught up with Damian and Adam at their studio in Marrickville to talk about their early beginnings and inspirations, how they built their team and find the right people. Also, to my surprise but now understanding we spoke of their love for some of the more ‘subtle’ prosthetic human pieces that can often fool an audience.

I really enjoyed chatting with the guys who are both brilliantly talented and super generous with their time. I would highly recommend giving their Instagram a follow to get a real taste of what they are all about!

Show notes

Adam sculpting and designing the adult Neomorph head

From the Locus Christ video shoot – Photo by Adrian Griffin

Podcast

112 – Andrew Craig (Rise of Avernus, Metal Drummer,…

December 25, 2017November 27, 2020
by andy

He was the first ever guest on The Andy Social Podcast and now Andrew Craig, school teacher by day, heavy metal drummer by night is the last guest for a big 2017. Since we spoke back in 2015, Andrew has been kept busy with Rise of Avernus, touring with other bands crewing as a Light Tech and continuing to juggle his two worlds between the musician lifestyle and the responsibilities of being a role model for his students in school.

Andrew and I caught at the Southern Cross Hotel in St Peters for an end of year/xmas chat to do a bit of a recap on the last couple of years and also to see what 2018 will bring. As always, Andrew is as busy as ever with another huge year ahead.

Andrew is one of my best mates and was the perfect guest to cap off an awesome year for the podcast. Beers, chit chat, and great times.

Be sure to check out Rise of Avernus’ new album Eigengrau released 18 January 2018 and follow Andrew via the social media links below;

Show notes

Photo by Eastshot Photography

Podcast

111 – Nat’s What I Reckon (Video Series and…

December 21, 2017November 27, 2020
by andy

Good on ya champ! Nat’s videos on Facebook alone have totalled nearly 5 million views to date. Ranging from excursions to a car exhibition in Los Angeles, to various Sydney expos and general day to day observations (see: ‘Fuck it’s hot‘), Sydney comedian Nat provides an in-depth analysis and documents his experiences at these special events.

Nat and I caught up at the Union Hotel in Newtown on a Sunday arvo for a couple of hair-of-the-dogs. We had a chat about his videos, getting bailed up in public, annoying messages he gets online, people ripping off his videos and more.

Check out some of the videos below and be sure to follow Nat on Facebook and YouTube. Hassle him for some merch!

Show notes

Check out Nat’s What I Reckon on Facebook and YouTube

Episode 111 of The Andy Social Podcast is with Nat’s What I Reckon who has nearly 5 million of collective views across his videos on Facebook. Listen on Apple, Android, RSS and https://t.co/T0I2KLxt71 #podernfamily pic.twitter.com/KdkQz2dloK

— Andy Dowling (@AndyDowling) December 22, 2017

309 – Rohan Stevenson (I Built the Sky)
Rohan Stevenson is the man behind I Built the Sky. An instrumental guitar project which Rohan has been self releasing music under since 2012. Follow Rohan via the I Built the Sky pages. New album coming soon in 2022. Show notes Follow Rohan/I Built the Sky via Main Website | Bandcamp | Patreon | Facebook |
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308 – Shep Hyken (Customer Service Expert)
Shep Hyken is a Customer Service and Experience Expert as well as the Chief Amazement Officer of Shep Presentations. I’ve been a big fan of Shep’s books for a while now and use a lot of his teachings to improve the way we run our band LORD. In particular, how we interact with our friends
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307 – Ben Hamilton (Kickin’ the Punt)
Ben Hamilton and his wife Jasmine formed Kickin’ the Punt in 2020 which encourages honest conversations about gambling addiction, as well as exposing the predatory behaviour of the gambling industry. Ben has battled a gambling addiction himself over the years and is now using his platform to help others. If you want to learn more
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