Midnight Meets With Colin Murray

Joy Division and New Order drummer, Stephen Morris, on being in a band as an older man, adapting to gig audiences, memories of Joy Division vocalist Ian Curtis, Stephen’s fear at the rise of electric drum machines, and his fondness for reading instruction manuals.

Danny McNamara, founding member and frontman of Embrace chats to Colin Murray. They discuss the 25th anniversary of their debut album The Good Will Out and upcoming tour. The never-ending devotion of Embrace fans and how an unlikely friendship with Chris Martin from Coldplay led them to one of their biggest hits. They also talk mental health, and how getting married and having kids has grounded him.

In the second half of their chat, the pair go from Mark being on the MET police’s domestic extremism database, to public trust in police, Mark’s long list of pet hates, ironing his boxer shorts, getting along with people with opposing politics to your own, why he prefers small venues to arena gigs, sharing a kebab with Gil Scott-Heron, and so much more!

Comedian Mark Thomas and Colin Murray talk through the community of grassroots football, working with writer Ed Edwards, and Mark’s new theatre show England & Son. The pair also discuss new styles of wrestling shows, potential new global sports such as ‘curbsy’, and the idea of a maximum wage. Part two will be available from 25 July 2023.

“I still get that call from my sister saying, ‘Bring your scissors’, she never asks me to sing her a song!” Sharleen Spiteri, lead singer of Scottish rock band Texas, chats to Colin Murray about living with synesthesia (a condition that means she sees colours in music), maintaining her hairdressing skills, why she turned down a Calvin Klein ad campaign, collaborating with Wu Tang Clan, and why her daughter doesn’t care that Texas are playing Glastonbury in 2023!

Eurovision extraordinaire Sam Ryder chats to Colin Murray about all-time favourite singing voices, why he thinks cool is ‘the enemy’, what he’s learned since his musical success, how he maintains his ‘secret sauce’ of gratitude, and why his teachers used to call him Tigger.

Performance poet and comedian Pam Ayres chats to Colin Murray about influences like Spike Milligan, how her accent has affected her career, writing for children, and what having ‘the necessary aptitude’ means to her

Sir Tony Robinson on discovering archaic Roman mosaics, how his daughter inspired Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, what being political means to him, the emotional development of child performers, and his new history podcast; Cunningcast.

World Champion sprinter Colin Jackson on his Director role with the Wings for Life world run, being namechecked in Aswad’s track Shine, how his passion for time has manifested in an epic watch collection, how it felt to have his 60m and 110m hurdle world records broken, and why he chose not to discuss his sexuality during his competitive athletics career. Oh, and why wine gums are his go-to energy source.

The Bangles’ lead singer Susanna Hoffs shares career highlights including touring with Cyndi Lauper, having Robert Plant knock on their tour van, jamming with Prince and what Simon & Garfunkel thought of the Bangles covering their music. Susanna is currently working on her first novel and talks through the lonely, creative and escapist elements of the writing process.