Culture database

The first record I bought with my own money was Adam & The Ants' Kings of the Wild Frontier. I was ten. I used to take it to school every day on the bus, before Walkmans existed, the weight of it in my schoolbag like something sacred. The fanzine tucked inside became a kind of bible. Punk flyers and badges. Black and white, cut and paste design. That Ant logo, tribal energy, was probably my first real lesson in graphic design. Years later, spotting Elastica's homage to it in their own album artwork felt like the circle closing, proof that early obsessions weren't just childish phases. I've still got my name written inside the sleeve in felt-tip. The US pressing with Red Scab on it is still a secret treasure of mine, that B-side's raw energy still catches me out. Listen to Kings of the Wild Frontier (1980) on Spotify, sadly it's the UK remaster but Red Scab is still available to listen to. Buy a copy of Elastica - Elastica (1995) on Discogs, but make sure you get the version with the Cleopatra flexi and exclusive magazine for the full experience.

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Adam And The Ants Elastica

Fanzine

New Order are my favourite band. No question. That mix of indie, electro and rock hooked me properly with Technique in 1989, I bought a NAD CD player just to hear it clearly, worked in the pub all summer to afford it. Reading Festival '89 was my first gig and it sealed it, the sticky summer heat, spilled beer and trampled grass, the bass from Temptation vibrating up through the ground into my bones. I lost my mates during The House of Love and ended up sleeping in a 2CV. I own over a hundred of their records now, and I can still recite every layered synth line from Round & Round, though I'd never admit to that kind of devotion out loud. Bernard's famously flat vocals are part of the charm, like a mate who can't sing but belts it out anyway. It's not electronic versus rock, it's just the evolution from Joy Division. Listen to New Order Technique (1989), 40 minutes of Ibiza rock heritage. Look back at every Reading Festival poster since it relaunched in 1989. Read more about the the Citroën 2CV and imaging 4 people sleeping in it. Browse the current range of NAD CD players, still cool and iconic.

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New Order

Reading Festival NAD Citroen 2CV House of Love Joy Division

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby is the book I return to, it mirrors my own music obsessions a little too closely for comfort. My original paperback has a coffee ring on the back cover and a cracked spine that falls open to the page where Rob describes his desert island top five, I've made my own version of that list a hundred times. American Psycho sits on a higher shelf, in better condition, I still go back to the business card scene now and then, a masterclass in obsessive detail, though I skip past the violent parts these days. Between the two, they're a reminder that passion, in all its messy forms, is what makes life interesting, whether that's music, design, or just the perfect mixtape. In the movie version of High Fidelity (2000) Rob delivers the classic line "I will now sell five copies of The Three EPs by The Beta Band." Give it a try. American Psycho too controversial? Listen to the soundtrack featuring Bowie, The Cure, and of course New Order - True Faith (1987)

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Beta Band New Order

Books Movies High Fidelity American Psycho

Star Wars, the 1977 original, is the film I've watched more than any other. I saw it at seven, in Sheffield, at the Gaumont, watching much of it through the eyeholes of a C-3PO mask. I still remember the scale of the screen, the Star Destroyer rumbling overhead, the shared gasp in the cinema when Vader first appeared. My rewatch order runs 4 to 5, then the prequels, then 6 to 9, carefully sequenced to protect the big reveals, Vader's confession most of all. The Falcon cockpit is the scene I'd live in if I could, that banter while saving the world. And I'm still waiting for the right moment to use Han's line, "I know". The later films have their moments, the cloud city duel, the speeder bike chase, but nothing matches the original's mix of practical effects and pure imagination. I'll sample the TV spin-offs occasionally, but they don't have that same sense of discovering a whole universe through a child's eyes. I met Anthony Daniels (C-3PO See-Threepio) and told him about my seven-year-old self watching the original through his eyes. He was genuinely touched. The Sheffield Gaumont was demolished, and a twin replacement Odeon opened on the same site in 1987, closing again in 1994.

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Star Wars

Movies C-3PO Gaumont

Objects gather meaning until, one day, they don't. The records, the comics, the things that might one day be heirlooms, most of it could go without much regret. What matters was never really the object, it's what it represents. The memory of choosing something is worth more than the thing itself. The best memories don't need museum pieces to survive, they live in how you talk about them, how you laugh at their flaws, how they shaped who you became.

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If I vanished, you'd find me at the local, corner table, decent light, a Guardian and a Guinness. I'm not there to socialise really, just to exist quietly among people. The ritual matters as much as the drink, the right amount of background noise, careful reading, a polite but firm end to any chat that starts up. It's solitude with texture, not like the sterile quiet of a café. I judge a pub on its Guinness first. And I've got no time for manufactured digital detox spaces, the pub's already doing that job.

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The Evel Knievel Christmas ads are the ones that stuck, all "boom pow wow" energy, bikes jumping, explosions, a booming soundtrack. The knockoff toys never matched the hype, of course, they'd zoom a bit then topple over on the carpet. That gap between the fantasy of the advert and the reality of the toy taught me more about creativity than any perfect gift could have, ads sell the dream, imagination has to bridge the gap. Digital hasn't killed that kind of magic, it's just changed shape, though there's no real modern equivalent to those raw, loud toy ads, unboxing videos don't have the same tactile joy.

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The shop I miss is the corner newsagent that stocked everything. Amazon can't replicate wasting twenty pence on comics and sweets, that particular kind of randomness. Whizzer and Chips with its free gifts was the weekly ritual. Physical media's not gone, it just survives in smaller niches now, vinyl being the obvious one, and shops are already turning themselves into "experiences" to survive. I buy most of my records online these days, and even the shops that are left mostly just price-match Discogs.

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The most important ingredient is the core, the reason it matters, it's the glue between what you offer, what you value, and your mission. You test that by talking to actual customers, their perspective's invaluable, happy customers rarely speak up unprompted so you have to go looking. Sell the feeling people get after using something, not just the need it meets. The core should stay consistent, like words carved in stone, but the execution around it needs to flex and evolve. Frameworks help with that consistency, but only if you let them evolve too.

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Quick fixes, the "get rich easy" promise. Crypto, real estate, marketing, wellness, anything selling transformation without the work. For every Duolingo owning its own difficulty honestly, there's a pile of crypto hucksters selling effortless riches. Most of the worst offenders aren't malicious, just creatively bankrupt. Storytelling itself risks becoming another empty buzzword unless brands remember the magic isn't in "once upon a time", it's in the messy, unique middle that earns the "happily ever after".

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A brand is the emotional connection between a customer and a business, it's the gut instinct, the reason to believe you're making the right choice over a competitor. Even the most utilitarian choices carry emotion somewhere, brands that don't chase it end up with one anyway, built through experience. Apple over Samsung for the ecosystem, The Guardian over the Telegraph for the message, Adidas over Nike for the style, Costa over Starbucks for the product, that's emotional clarity working. Apple's an interesting case of losing it though, the hardware was revolutionary, but the software now feels like a tolerated subscription rather than something to love. Emotion is the currency of choice, whether that's Apple's ecosystem or Costa's hot chocolate, and when a brand loses its way the disconnect is obvious.

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Between fake authenticity and no identity at all, no identity is the easier fix. A brand without identity is like clay waiting to be shaped, bland, but mouldable. A fake-authentic brand is more like spoiled ingredients, no recipe rescues that, you have to start again. The way through either is the same: start with how customers feel, not just what they need, carve the core in stone but leave the execution room to flex, and above all, tell better stories.

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Honestly, probably every brand I've actually noticed, if it's landed with me, they've done their job. The exception is influencer brands that seem to operate without much moral judgement. I won't name names on that, criticism should be saved for the outright liars. Legacy brands trying to modernise work best through genuine collaboration that builds real creative communities, not by copying influencer tactics that don't fit them, audiences evolve, but authenticity doesn't go out of fashion. Most of the time laziness in branding isn't malice, it's just a failure to think creatively. Storytelling isn't a device you bolt on, it's what actually makes a brand unique.

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Black and white are the foundation, simple as an on/off switch. Newcastle's stripes, the dark pour of a Guinness, newsprint smudged on my fingers. I used to wear only black or white shirts, then let in some dark greens and blues, now it's mostly dark greys. Pink gets used strategically in branding, inspired by Post-it notes and highlighters, never just casually. Brown doesn't get a look in, it's just dark beige pretending to be a colour. The design rule is absolute: if it doesn't work in monochrome, colour won't save it. Big, bold black Helvetica in white space, that's the approved starting point.

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Interior design I edge toward chaotic collector rather than clean minimalist, I aspire to "curated eclectic" but realistically there's just too much stuff. Not a hoarder, but full minimalism kills creativity for me, I need things around me for inspiration. The record collection, six thousand and counting, is organised but genuinely overwhelming, and it's the one thing that'll never go. There's "just in case" tech debris in the drawers too, and clothes that probably don't fit any more. My home office doubles as record storage, so the Zoom background people comment on is completely real, not staged, and it's a decent icebreaker, people ask about specific records. I'll spray a bit of perfume before a call too, small ritual. My remote workspace is the opposite though, just a laptop and a notebook, nothing else, and I appreciate that clean version just as much.

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My handwriting's fairly neat and uniform when I try, joined-up but clean. I use a Bic propelling pencil, a Uni-ball Ultra-Fine in black, or a Pentel fibre-tip, also black only. Felt-tip looks bolder, more designerly, pencil's finer. Odd quirk, I only do downstrokes on letters like y or q, no curls, pure efficiency, no point wasting motion on a flourish. It ranges from rushed scrawl on client notes to properly deliberate, design-mode precision for presentations. Ideas always start on paper, digital comes later, that's non-negotiable. I've lost too many physical notebooks over the years, so cloud storage's become essential, a hybrid workflow rather than a fully digital one. Handwriting fonts can work, Comic Sans hate is unfair, but a fake signature used as a logo is inauthentic, that one I don't forgive.

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Roobarb and Custard was the one. Wobbly lines, nonsense voices, silly but clever, daft but spot on. It felt like my style even then. I liked the BBC shows generally, Blue Peter, Tomorrow's World, Top of the Pops. The music shows stuck the most, Top 40 on Radio 1 every Sunday, cassette ready to record off the radio. The sound of the charts and those wobbly lines on screen, that's probably where it all started.

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While other kids played football, I was threading tape through an ancient reel-to-reel I found in a box and made my own. I spliced together nonsense, recorded myself, played it backwards, nearly electrocuted myself more than once. I loved the mechanics, the sounds, the mystery of it. Aged eight I bought a random tape at a car boot, deep gospel from the American South. No idea what it was, but it had weight, it felt different. It wasn't about music theory or fidelity, it was about texture, the crackle of voices from far away. I didn't realise it then, but I was already collecting.

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Christmas morning, aged five. I still believed in Father Christmas. I woke to a room lit blue, and draped over the bed was a new blanket styled like a vintage racing car, bright and a bit ridiculous. From that day on, lying on top of it meant zooming through imaginary circuits, wheels either side, legs tucked under a steering wheel made of dreams.

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Lego was the toy. Not the posh sets, none of the themed franchises, those came later. Classic 70s Lego: a box of possibilities and mismatched colours. I built spaceships with technical bits, then drew diagrams on squared paper so I could rebuild them after dinner. All solo, never group play. Carpet tiles, green, blue, gold, became race tracks. The limitations weren't frustrating, they were the point. Years later, in my thirties, I bought the full Star Wars Lego sets, one of those proper adulthood indulgences.

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What's a hill you'd quietly die on? The power of creativity to improve business.

What do you miss that no longer exists? The NME.

Is nostalgia helpful or harmful? Helpful, but it ain't what it used to be.

What's your karaoke song? All Seeing I featuring Phil Oakey, "The 1st Man In Space". No one knows it, but I love it. Or The Libertines, "Can't Stand Me Now".

Band you tell people you love but actually don't? I'm always honest about music.

Ever crowd-surfed? Yes, often, mainly at CUD gigs in the 90s, especially to Hey Boots!

First gig you ever went to? New Order, Reading Festival 1989, with The Sugarcubes, House of Love, Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized supporting.

What song reminds you of being 17? M/A/R/R/S, "Pump Up The Volume".

Ever skipped school for a gig? No.

Do you still own any cassettes? I bought a Lana Del Rey one by accident recently.

Favourite newsagent growing up? The one in the village, next to the hairdressers.

Could you survive one week without music? Yes, and I have (but I was in a coma).

Ever danced alone in your kitchen? Yes, why not.

Do you own anything neon? Highlighter pens and Post-it notes.

Do you read horoscopes? No, I don't need to know what's in store for me.

Ever gone full analogue for a week? No. Is that even possible?

Ever stolen a pint glass? Yes.

How do you organise your books, colour, title, or vibe? Probably by theme or vibe, and size. Records are all carefully catalogued.

VAR, love it or hate it? I'm fine with it. I don't go in for deep dives on football matches, I just watch and enjoy.

Ever cried over a game? Shed a small tear when Newcastle won the Carabao Cup in March 2025, their first domestic trophy in 70 years.

Ever painted your face for a match? No, I only wear a team shirt now and then, but I've got the classic one with the Newcastle Brown Ale badge.

What's your Sunday pub quiz team name? Black and White Boy (it's actually my fantasy football team name).

Best sandwich ever invented? Tuna mayonnaise, a small amount of tabasco and ketchup, brown bap.

What's your hangover cure? Sausage baguette with brown sauce. Brown sauce with sausage, red sauce with bacon, that's the rule.

Crisps in a sandwich, yes or no? Yes, absolutely.

Guinness or something ridiculous with foam? Only Guinness. If there's no Guinness, I don't go in the pub. Gin and tonic towards the end of the night, Negroni if I'm celebrating.

What show do you fall asleep to? Nearly all of them these days.

Movie you've watched more than 10 times? Star Wars.

If your life had a soundtrack, what song would open it? "Magic" by CUD.

What brand would you take to the pub? Guinness.

Can a spreadsheet ever be emotional? Yes, if it's communicating something. I've probably cried over a profit and loss.

Worst brand trend of the past five years? Coaches using logos styled like their own signature, when it isn't.

If a brand was a pet, what would yours be? A chameleon.

Would you rather have a typewriter or a turntable? Turntable, you can't play records on a typewriter. A Dual 505 mk 2, not a fancy Rega.

Morning person or night owl? Night into morning.

Clean desk or chaos? Bit of both. Starts clean, ends chaotic.

Tea bag left in or taken out? Out. I'm not a heathen.

Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars, every time.

Ever named your plants? No, they don't live long enough.

Favourite pen? Bic .7mm propelling pencil, Pentel Sign Pen, Uni-ball Ultra-Fine.

Socks: matched or random? Matched.

Song you secretly love but wouldn't admit to? I'd admit to loving all music. No secrets, no filter.

First band t-shirt you ever owned? New Order, from the Reading Festival, 1989.

What's more powerful, memory or imagination? Imagination. It creates new memories.

Who's your team? Newcastle United, the Magpies, Toon, Black and White Army.

Chippy's corner or a proper bistro? Chips, KFC on a Thursday, café on a Saturday morning: egg, chips, beans, two slices of bread and butter, mug of northern tea.

Favourite old ad campaign? The Silk Cut adverts. I never smoked, but they were clever and stylish.