September 2026
Sons of Mu
Neil Marsden
Instrument(s) Played: Vocals and Keys for SOM, but I like to experiment with other instruments as well. Horses for courses….
Favourite Instrument ever owned: Just bought a 1965 Farafisa which is lush, owned a Roland Juno once and sold it, like a twat. The akai mcp pro is my current favourite though – so much fun
Five, in no particular order, of your favourite albums: (Band Name – Album Title)
1) Here come the warm jets – Brian ENO
2) Rust in Peace – Megadeth
3) Scott 4 – Scott Walker
4) Forever Changes – Love
5)Dummy – Portishead
Current “Hot” album playing in your system: ‘Mob II’
Favourite Quote:
“Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.” OR better yet: “Everybody gotta to live, and everybody’s gonna die!”
Person (Living or dead) you’d most like to share a beer / coffee with and really get to talk to: My Grandad
Person / band (Living or dead) you’d most like to have the opportunity to jam with:
Brian ENO
Five words that best describe your personality:
1) Creative
2) Intensive
3) Loyal
4) Wild
5) Loving
Favourite food: Most things with spice.
Favourite Drink: Rioja
Favourite sport: I watch tournament football and Wimbledon but like to play any sport; not too athletic these days though!
Favourite Place: Berlin
Favourite Venue Played & Why: Shacklewell Arms, London. Tiny place so always packed and your green room is the toilets
Favourite Film(s): Blade Runner, The Pianist, anything by the Cohen Bros, John Carpenter, Wes Anderson, Hitchcock, etc…
Favourite TV Show(s): Sherlock Holmes (80’s) with Jeremy Brett, Game of Thrones, Race across the world
Favourite Book(s): The Count of Monte Cristo, anything by Orwell or Steinbeck, Steven King, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut!
Favourite Website: Bandcamp
Favourite Vehicle ever owned: 1985 Burgundy Ford Escort
Best Job ever had: Paperboy, Market trading; to be fair my current job is interesting, but it’s soulless as fuck
Worst job ever had: My current job is turning into a career… it’s not music related so…
Hobbies: Cats, drinking, art, reading, music, food, cinema, travelling, cats!
Likes: I can tolerate almost anybody and only get preachy when i’m too far gone.
Dislikes: Abuse of privilege
Piece of trivia / info about you that most people don’t know about you: I once crossed swords with James Coburn
Nick Venables
Instrument(s) Played: Guitar & Vocals
Favourite Instrument ever owned: My “Idiot Bass” a £100 bass guitar I bought in 1992 and toured with in the 90’s playing Glastonbury with it in the band Idiot Joy. Everywhere it went people painted on it and stuck things on it.. It is more a work of art than an instrument. It means more to me than any other of my many guitars.
Favourite band(s):
Cardiacs, James Brown, David Bowie, Captain Beefheart, Miles Davis, PJ Harvey, Beastie Boys, Sparks, Fugazi, Rage Against The Machine, Velvet Underground, Butthole Surfers & Ivor Cutler.
Five of your favourite albums: (Band Name – Album Title)
1) Cardiacs – “On Land and in the Sea”
2) Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band – “Clear Spot”
3) PJ Harvey – “Let England Shake“
4) James Brown – “The Payback”
5) Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Axis: Bold As Love”
Current “Hot” album playing in your system: Role Model Hermit by Mary in the Junkyard & Pyromancy by Furii
Favourite Quote: “It is better to regret something you have done, than something you haven’t”
Person (Living or dead) you’d most like to share a beer / coffee with and really get to talk to: Akira Kurosawa or Ray Harryhausen
Person / band (Living or dead) you’d most like to have the opportunity to jam with: God rest his soul.. Tim Smith from Cardiacs.
Five words that best describe your personality:
1) Open
2) Honest
3) Creative
4) Funny… Funny How?
5) Thoughtful
Favourite food: Steak Au Poivre
Favourite Drink: Amarone Italian Red Wine
Favourite sport: Football – sadly I had to retire from playing a few years ago.
Favourite Place: Too many to list…I love Italy, but Conwy in Wales is currently my happy place
Favourite Festival:Kozfest !!!
Favourite Venue Played & Why:
Kozfest Daevid Allen Stage a couple of years ago..It is all about the crew and the people.
Favourite Film(s): Seven Samurai, Tokyo Story, Withnail and I, Psycho, Jaws, Let The Right One In, Grand Budapest Hotel, Yojimbo, Onibaba, Gojira ……the list could go on and on
Favourite TV Show(s): The Thick of It, Game of Thrones, Trauma Zone
Favourite Book(s): Moby Dick, I Am Legend, Dune, The Moon’s A Baloon
Favourite Website: Youtube
Favourite Vehicle ever owned: Audi A5 Quattro Sportback
Best Job ever had: My Current one ! I manage leading Music Technology brands Focusrite, Novation, Adam Audio, Sequential & Oberheim across Europe, Middle East and Africa
Worst job ever had: As a teenager in the 80’s as an admin assistant at Solihull Metropolitan Council.
Hobbies: Reading, Cooking, Films, Video Games, Dog walking & travelling.
Likes: Red Wine, being by the sea, my family and my animals.
Dislikes: The Far Right, People who are bullies, Baby Sweetcorn.
Piece of trivia / info about you that most people don’t know about you: I once worked as a fire eater and juggler
Benedict Bloikman
Instrument(s) Played: Bass Guitar / Synth
Favourite Instrument Ever Owned: Arp Odyssey
Favourite Band(s): The Stooges – PIL – Dead Kennedys – Gong – Hawkwing – Black Sabbath
Five Favourite Albums:
1. Dead Kennedys – Pastic Surgery Disasters
2.The Stooges – No Fun
3.PIL – Metal Box
4.Black Sabbath – Paranoid
5.Gong – Angels Egg
Current “Hot” Listening: DONBLEAKO – DOUBLE DROP
Favourite Quote: “ Time to die ”
Person (Living or Dead) I’d Most Like to Share a Beer/Coffee With: David Bowie
Person/Band (Living or Dead) I’d Most Like to Jam With: Ian Paice
Five Words That Best Describe Your Personality: 1) Driven
2) Caring
3) Patient
4) Awesome
5) Legend
Favourite Food: Spag Boll
Favourite Drink: Beer
Favourite Sport: Snooker
Favourite Place: Lake District
Favourite Festival: Bearded Theory
Favourite Venue Played & Why: King Arthur Glastonbury, Good Craic
Favourite Films: Scanners
Favourite TV Shows: Canal Boat Diaries
Favourite Books:
Trainspotting
Favourite Website: Bandcamp
Favourite Vehicle Ever Owned: VW T2 Campervan
Best Job Ever Had: Recording Studio Owner
Worst Job Ever Had: Machine Printer
Hobbies: Playing Gigs, Writing, Recording and Producing Music. Going on Holiday
Likes: Family / Music
Dislikes: Time wasters / Flakey People
Something Most People Don’t Know About Me: Mind your own business . lol
Peter Morley
Instrument(s) Played: Drums and backing vox in SoM. But also sing, play the guitar, bass, dabble on keys and I do sound engineering and production.
Favourite Instrument ever owned: Vintage Slingerland drum kit from the 1960s
Favourite band(s): Radiohead, Sons of Kemet, Led Zep, Goat, Fela Kuti, Bowie, The Smile
Five of your favourite albums: (Band Name – Album Title)
1) Fela and Ginger Baker live – Africa 70
2) Bowie – Aladdin Sane
3) Led Zep – Untitled
4) Goat – Levitation sessions
5) Sons of Kemet – Black to the Future
Current “Hot” album playing in your system: Fontaines DC, A Hero’s Death
Favourite Quote:“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”
Person (Living or dead) you’d most like to share a beer / coffee with and really get to talk
to: Alistair Campbell
Person / band (Living or dead) you’d most like to have the opportunity to jam with: Damo Suzuki
Five words that best describe your personality:
1) Curious
2) Creative
3) Thoughtful
4) Wry
5) Independent
Favourite food: Steak Frites with peppercorn sauce
Favourite Drink: Red Wine
Favourite sport: Football/tennis
Favourite Place: Paris
Favourite Festival: Green man
Favourite Venue Played & Why: Rock City in Nottingham. My home town big venue
Favourite Film(s): Goodfellas, 2001, Dune, Aliens, Apocalypse Now, Little Miss Sunshine, Oppenheimer
Favourite TV Show(s): Breaking Bad / The Wire
Favourite Book(s): Papillon, The Picture of Dorian Grey, The Sun Also Rises, Perfume, American Psycho, The Outsider
Favourite Website: Youtube
Favourite Vehicle ever owned: Toss up between my Sprinter camper van and an Alfa 147 2.0 Tspark.
Best Job ever had: Current one at an environment / active travel NGO
Worst job ever had: Night shift mail sorting
Hobbies: Cooking, films, reading, kayaking, cycling, galleries, improving my French
Likes: Thoughtful, kind, moderate, creative, effective, innovative people
Dislikes: Extreme populist views on both left and right, growing inequality, social media owned by the mega rich and the control of information fuelling hatred, racism and division.
Piece of trivia / info about you that most people don’t know about you: I’m getting married next year, on my 50th birthday, to my first ever girlfriend, when we were between the ages of 15 and 18.