Explore every episode of the podcast Riding The Showbiz Wave - Catching Breaks, Dodging Sharks

Dru gets gloomy about AI, Jonny remains positive about live events and we chat about the industry in general, including Ben Affleck's sale of his AI company to Netflix and Skye Newman's performance at The Ivor Novello Awards.

A short bonus update following the Eurovision final on Saturday!

More showbiz chat, including an in-depth look at the final build up to the Eurovision final, Russel Brand on Piers Morgan, AI (as usual!), radio edits and how much record companies used to lose on singles.

In this episode we discuss a load of current industry things, including TDWP2 and the importance of actually going to the cinema, the Pussycat Dolls's cancelled concert and TV broadcasters' business models. We also discuss the new Amazon Prime show, Off Campus, which Jonny has more than a small personal interest in...

A really in-depth talk about Michael, the movie, a bit about the Reading festival and a bit about factual entertainment TV

In this episode we discuss some of the current pop artists at either end of the success spectrum, the value of face-to-face meetings and why exceptional talent still cuts through in an over-democratized industry.

Should we treat celebrities with a different duty of care when they go on reality shows? How do you chase work while trying to remain cool? And lots more in-depth conversation about the entertainment business.

More chit chat about the wonderful world of show business with Jonny and Dru

We really cover a lot of topics in this episode! More on The Brits, more poorly-researched opinions about highly successful artists and more about how to be interesting as a composer for film and TV.

In this second episode of the second series we chat about the BBC's culpability in the recent BAFTA controversy, the rise in the number of millionaires in the the UK under 30, and the value of music in the streaming age.

Welcome back to the podcast! In the first episode of the new series we discuss Simon Cowell's new Netflix show, Eurovision, and the rise of the self-producing, self-promoting female artists. Expect some controversial opinions!

In this much delayed and final episode of the season we talk a little about the recent BBC controversies, pick up on yet more AI horror stories and discuss the wonders of the Wicked PR junket.

In the penultimate episode of the series, we do an update on the Group 7 trend and discuss the merits of the song involved. We move on to an in-depth chat about the recent settlement between Udio, one of the largest AI music platforms, and Universal Music Group, and ask what the future holds for AI generated music and for music writers in general.

In this episode we talk about the new Lily Allen and Taylor Swift Albums, ponder the TikTok Group 7 trend and consider the relevance and importance of albums in a social media age. As usual, we drift on and off topic frequently, hopefully shedding some insight into the industry we've worked in for 40 years.

In this episode we do a fairly deep dive into the business of awards and what they mean for artists and how they contribute to the economy. We also chat about GAS - Gear Accumulation Syndrome - and why you don't need to spend any money when you're starting out your career.

In this episode we ponder why there is so little rock music on the radio and how bands promote themselves on social media. We also address some of the comments we had about our discussion about Lola Young and Raye, and set the scene for future conversations about soap stars who become pop stars and the business of awards.

In this episode we talk about management's responsibility to protect their artists from crashing and burning from too many engagements and the pressure of sudden success. We're also talking about the mixed reviews for Taylor Swift's new album and we have a little chat about the BBC's motivation to spend so much on a celebrity Traitors at this particular moment, with the Charter renewal coming up next year.

This time we talk about the AI actor, Tilly Norwood and the implications for the industry, and the wider creative arts in general. We also discuss the Oasis tour and touch on some of the problems in the ticketing process.

In this episode we talk in depth about som of the bad contracts we've encountered. We then jump to a discussion about forensic scoring in films, TV theme tunes and the rise of TV music as a genre in its own right.

In this episode we talk more about actors, TV and contemplate the future of the BBC in a streaming world.

In the first episode we jump around a lot of subjects, including talking about some of our early experiences in the industry. Let us know which topics interest you and we'll go into more detail in future episodes.

An introduction to the podcast