Podcasts don’t kill people…
Goldie Lookin Podcast review
Rating – 
Aaaaah, Wales. My homeland. The land of poetry and song. Let the valleys ring with colliery choirs and the windswept shores inspire verse. Cardiff has Shirley Bassey, Pontypridd has Tom Jones, Swansea (my hometown) has Bonnie Tyler, and Newport? Well, Newport has Goldie Lookin Chain.
Like so many great artists, once the initial hype wave passes, and the media looked to the “next big thing” the GLC were faced with a fork in the road. Do they all get day jobs and enter the boring 9-5 world? Or do they carry on, honing their skills and doing what they do best. Well, it’s the latter, obviously.
So what’s it about?
The Goldie Lookin Podcast sees three founding members, Rhys From GLC, Adam Hussein and Eggsy reminiscing about the history of the group. From first meeting as kids, to recording albums before their mainstream success.
Due to the size of Adam’s studio/shed/bar, other members of the collective show up at separate times to offer their (hazy) memories of inspiration and anecdotes of recording. To be honest, the GLC collective rivals the Wu Tang Clan for size, and not everyone appeared on every album. Their appearance is nice, seeing as the feeling you get from the show is that most of the creativity was in “states of relaxation or refreshment”, and any help they can get remembering events is much appreciated.
Is it any good?
Like the group themselves, it’s brilliant in its self deprecating humour. It’s genuinely funny (if you find that stuff funny like I do). Taken at face value, the music, and indeed the podcast, could be written off and a bunch of Welsh stoners chancing their arm and seeing what they can get away with.
This is unfair though, as they are actually very good. I’m reminded of a story about Les Dawson playing the piano. He was a brilliant pianist, but was well known for playing badly. It turns out you can only play like that if you have the skills to play well. The GLC certainly have the skills to pay the bills.
I think its strange that the big names in rap now seem to be slurring xanax addicts who rap about cars and planes with the minimum of effort, yet some of the best flows out there are about people who wear Dry Robes, drink rosé wine and spray male genitalia on chip shop walls. Yes, those are all topics of GLC songs.
Like their music, the podcast is very funny indeed, and the stories are littered with the kind of creative nicknames that seem unique to Welsh culture. Bands like The KLF have a backstory that seems too ridiculous to be true. Some of the stories told in this podcast are just as unbelievable, although undoubtedly the GLC would never burn a million pounds although I suppose they might, in a roundabout way (how much soapbar could you get for a million quid?)
Final thoughts
If you’re a fan of the group then subscribe now. It’s a fascinating insight into the groups history. If you don’t know the GLC, but like a laugh, then also subscribe now. Look, just listen to the show, it’s great. Cymru am byth! You knows it clart.
You can get the Goldie Lookin Podcast here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods