Luckily that’s exactly what Ishbilia in Belgravia / Victoria does, serving up the largest menu of traditional Lebanese dishes which will leave you both feeling like you’ve indulged in some kind of fairytale-esque kingly feast, and like you’ve hit not just your five a day but your 30-a-week.

One of London’s longest-standing Lebanese restaurants, Ishbilia has just re-opened in Belgravia following a big old refurb and a slightly refreshed menu. We escaped the sweltering London streets, swapping the tube for the terrace and tested out some of the marvellous mezze and traditional dishes on offer.

Where is it?

Tucked down a Mayfair side street, Ishbilia’s closest station is Knightsbridge, but it’s just a short (and scenic) walk from Victoria station too. It's conveniently placed for people trying to meet halfway between both their home and their office, or people coming into central for the day.

What’s special?

As mentioned, Ishbilia is one of London’s longest standing Lebanese restaurants and the broadest menu serving up almost every traditional (and reimagined) Lebanese dish you can think of. Seriously, the menu is like the culinary equivalent of War & Peace, but less daunting to get stuck into and less Russian to learn. It’s proper, authentic Lebanese food done ridiculously well. No gimmicks, no tricks, no fancy collabs, just the kind of high quality food from knowledgeable lovely people that reminds you why food is community.

What's new?

After kicking off way back in the late 90s, Ishbilia recently took a quick break as it had a wee spruce up and refreshed its look and feel. So although it’s not a new new place, it’s got that just-opened feel without any of the teething problems that can come with the realities of going to a freshly opened spot.

Who should you bring?

There was a bit of a mix when we went, from families of four to friends catching up with cold glasses of wine, and even a date or two. From our visit, it seems like a lovely spot to catch up with a friend, where you can actually hear each other talk (no thumping music, no noisy car engines) and the atmosphere is that alchemistic mix of calmly laid back but gently busy so that it’s not devoid of a vibe.

What should you wear?

Like most haunts in the more affluent areas of London, the general dress code seems to go up a level. In translation: no ripped jeans, no tracksuits, no outfits that you wouldn’t wear to see your Gran who still gets a blow out every week.

Whilst jeans are okay, you want to lean toward the smarter end of the jean spectrum with a nice top. If you’re coming straight from the office which requires smart-casual attire then you’ll be grand. It's a low-key classy place so tailor your 'fit to match.

What will you pay?

It’s not a cheap spot, and there is a minimum spend of £50 per person for dinner. Whilst that sounds pretty steep, you’ll find it (perhaps too) easy to reach; cold mezze like Hummus, Labneh, and Moutabal are priced around £11 and £12 per plate. Hot mezze like grilled halloumi, falafel, and lamb or Makanek (lamb sausages) range between £13 - £17 per plate depending on what you’re going for, with veggie options on the lower end.

Whilst you’ll probably associate traditional Arabic cooking with a lot of mezze style plates, and fresh vegetarian dishes, there are plenty of meaty mains from their BBQ, and their mixed grill is priced at £30 to give you a ballpark of how much these will set you back.

What should you drink?

For a spot that is known for its food, Ishbilia’s drinks are not to be overlooked. They keep the cocktail offerings short and surface level simple: a trio of classics were on the menu when we visited, but they all had their own twist. We kicked off with a Saffron Negroni and a Pomegranate Margarita, both of which were as fresh and flavourful as each dish we ate. There’s an attention to detail in the cocktails and a craft that you don’t often find in restaurants. Or some London bars, even.

Cocktails aside, the drinks menu spotlights beers and wines from the Levant, like a Palestinian golden beer, and a Lebanon Pilsner. We tried Massaya – a traditional Lebanese Rose, which comes by the glass. Whilst it's not something we would naturally go for, it complemented the food well, with a darker colour and stronger taste than the more floral blush Rosé's usually downed by the magnum.

Three must try dishes

Okay, we’re going to sound like that basic girl coming back from her gap year and asking everyone if they’ve tried Pad Thai and Mei Goreng before. However, there is a reason these particular dishes get talked about so much — they were incredible. Honestly, we could recommend everything we tried, so narrowing it down to just a couple was difficult enough. When we arrived, our wonderful server Mahmood gave us the option of ordering for ourselves, or he could select a range of their bestsellers for us to try – and obviously, we went with his recommendations over our own stabs in the dark.

It felt borderline illegal to go there and not try some of the classic cold mezze, and now we have sampled it, our opinion is only heightened. You have to try their hummus which comes topped with toasted honeyed pine nuts, and has the texture of silk. Dip in their fresh, claybaked pittas and you’ll start hearing angels singing. Moutabal was another winner – it’s a little like a Baba Ganoush as its hero ingredient is aubergine, but unlike Baba Ganoush Moutabal is much smokier, thanks in part to the char-grilling used on said aubergine. It’s like the mezze equivalent of mezcal after only trying tequila. The final jewel in our saucy trio was Muhamarah – a blend of mediterranean nuts which get blended with red peppers and chilli. Imagine a red pesto but with far more flavour and chunky texture. Don’t underestimate the punch it packs too, thanks to the chilli you’ll get a wave of fresh spice which brings a little bit of fire to the plate.

The star of the show (and by that we mean the plate we fought over who got to finish) was the Fatoush. Although we were somewhat au fait with Fatoush thanks to a Mob style salad recipe hastily experimented with during lockdown, this Fatoush put our concoction to shame. For those not in the know, Fatoush is a traditional Lebanese salad, which uses the leftover lebanese bread and toasts it with plenty of spices and oil in small chips to bring a crunchy, aromatic kick to a base of tomatoes, cucumber, radicchio, cabbage, and mixed leaves. This was our number one "do not forget to order” dish.

Otherwise, our final must try would be the falafel – again, don’t think us basic bitches and forget any memories of supermarket discounted tubs of bready, cold, starchy balls. This falafel is a croquette style offering blending chickpeas and fava beans with a delicious tahini dipping sauce, hot and fresh straight from the oven. Our only complaint was now they have ruined all other falafel for us.

The lamb in particular was the star meaty dish, with the Koftas just pipping the post for the favourite. We had them alongside some traditional Lebanese vermicelli rice (10/10) and a veggie moussaka which was reminiscent of a spicy bean stew (again, excellent).

If it was legal to marry a food, I think I’d probably present a ring to Ishbilia’s hummus and pitas. And Fatoush. And Falafel. Polygamy has never looked so good.

Get on the Guestlist?

Ishbilia is one of those smart and sophisticated places that you’ll be pleased to know about. It’s not trend-chasing, it’s not hyped, and somehow it’s all the better. It’s unassuming in decoration, and on first glance you might think you know what the menu will hold as familiar names like hummus and falafel wash across the page.

However, the food is stunning, and the quiet hubub, plus knowledgeable whilst incredibly attentive staff, elevate it from “this place I know” to this “seriously underrated gem”. No gimmicks, just joy — it has stood the test of time for a reason.

(The Fatoush. That’s the reason).

“That’s not how wine is meant to be enjoyed — we’d rather it was sipped than sprayed,” laughs Matteo Lunelli, the CEO of sparkling wine brand Ferrari Trento. It's the sponsor of sports events as varied as the America’s Cup to the Italian Open tennis tournament, from the matches of Juventus FC and, up until last year, when it was succeeded by Moet & Chandon, of Formula 1 too.

“But the fact is that the drink has become associated with moments of joy, like victory in sports. I mean, we’ve partnered with art events too, and for official state events, and you certainly won’t see much spraying there”.

On paper, taking a bottle of expensive liquid and spritzing everyone around you with it is a strange idea. And, indeed, the first time it happened wasn’t planned. Sure a relationship between champagne and Formula 1 goes back to 1950, when Moet & Chandon gifted a bottle to the legendary Argentine racing driver Juan Manuel Fangio, winner of the French Grand Prix that year at the Les Amis De Gueux circuit in Champagne. But it was 60 years ago this year when the Swiss driver Jo Siffert, winner of the Le Mans 24 Hour race, first took a bottle and soaked his fellow podium people.

There’s more to that story though. Siffert always claimed he hadn’t meant to — the bottle had been sat in the sun and the cork popped unexpectedly, he reckoned. But not so the following year, when 1967’s Le Mans winner, American driver Dan Gurney, quite deliberately gave his bottle a good shake (this wouldn’t have worked with anything other than champagne or sparking wine, of course, and a can of Fanta just wouldn’t have cut it) and let rip. He was, as he would later explain himself, “beyond caring and just got caught up in the moment”.

'The ultimate celebratory moments'

Thus the tradition of the winner receiving a bottle of champagne became one of spraying it, a tradition deemed so iconic that in countries where alcohol isn’t permitted (across the Middle East mostly) a sparkling fruit juice is used, which introduces drivers to a different kind of sticky moment. Mercedes team head Toto Wolff even claimed that Sprite was used at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix. There’s no getting away from the fact that it’s a great moment to watch, too.

So when doesn’t it happen? On occasion there is politics. In 2005 a number of race teams pulled out of the United States Grand Prix after the assessment by Michelin that their tyres couldn’t safely navigate a banked final corner. Fans were somewhat pissed off with the greatly diminished race and booed the podium, leaving winner Michael Schumacher and runner-up Rubens Barrichello, who shared the fans’ disgruntlement, refusing to spray. Not so the third place finisher Tiago Monteiro. It was his first (and, it would turn out, only) time on the podium. He wasn’t going to miss the opportunity. But on other occasions there is sadness. It has also become tradition that the wine isn’t sprayed — isn’t even opened — if a driver has been killed or seriously injured during the race.

“Champagne is all about celebration and I think that podium moment in Formula 1 must be one of the ultimate celebratory moments. It’s a reflection of the feeling you get when drinking it,” says Rachel James, head of partnerships for Silverstone, the birthplace of the modern Formula 1 World Championship.

'The Elevated Option'

From a business standpoint of course, having your bottle on the podium is about as high profile a moment as any marketing team could wish for.

“There’s a huge visibility to the celebratory moment, especially given social media now. It’s more joyful to see an image of someone spraying wine than it is just holding a trophy,” explains Ferrari Trento’s Lunelli. An estimated three billion people — over a third of the global population — watched the World Cup final, while F1 reaches almost two billion over a season.

No wonder competition to win the various Formula 1 contracts, be that for track or team sponsorship deals, is intense. Big name G.H Mumm was a sponsor for a long 15 year run, but so too Chandon — a much less well-known Argentine sparkling wine maker — who soaked the podium for two years, followed by relative newcomer Champagne Carbon.

And the commitment for a smaller player can be daunting. The kicker to the high profile is that, while any champagne or sparking wine brand that signs a sponsorship deal will sell a lot of its tipple, it also has to be a big enough operation to guarantee the supply of vast quantities of it. And, since high rollers who have paid big bucks for hospitality are going to be drinking it, at a very high quality too.

But there’s another reason why we should get used to seeing more fizz at the football, or any other big sporting event: because, as Lunelli puts it, “they’re becoming more like curated entertainment events beyond whatever the athletes are doing”. The synergy, to use some PR-speak, between luxury, high-end hospitality and sports is intensifying, as the world of luxury is said to move from being about buying stuff to more about access to exclusive experiences. Not for nothing is Silverstone, for example, set to unveil a partnership with the Michelin-starred Park Lane restaurant Labombe by Trivet this summer for its ‘ultra-premium’ trackside hospitality lounge The Vale.

“There aren’t many moments that can be so emotional to so many people at once, and sport delivers on that. It’s something a lot people want to be involved in,” says James.

“And increasingly I think when they go to these really big sports events they associate it with the elevated option — champagne has to be there”.

• From Clubcard steals to Aldi specials: The supermarket champagnes giving the region’s most famous houses a run for their money

It’s that desire for a home cooked meal that doesn't require you to actually make said home cooked meal. We've all felt it. Luckily, living a big beautiful city means we’re greeted with a bounty of brilliant alternatives.

• How to become a Michelin chef in 30 minutes: Indulge Dining meal kits can make anyone a master cook

Apart from the sheer quantity of banana bread, at home meal kits were one of the few good things to come from the Covid pandemic, with a lot of seriously gourmet London restaurants turning some of their most ordered dishes into easy-to-make at home kits. With them, you can have all the joy of having made a seriously impressive and tasty meal without any of the lingering in the aisles of Tesco having a minor breakdown on where to find Ketjap Manis or shelling out £78 on some obscure flavoured vinegar which you only use a teaspoon of.

Think handmade pasta made from Croydon, fresh buttery pastries, and Michelin starred fare, all being made in local London kitchens and just a careful bike courier away from being dropped at your door. The big smoke is packed with local companies offering up a cheat code: home cooked, pre-prepared foodie goods which basically deliver an almost-made meal to your door. We’ve rounded up a few of the best ones, for when you don’t feel like cooking but still feel like being cooked for.

1. Nonna Tonda

You may have seen the pretty blue bikes parked up around affluent areas of London doling out leaflets that will make your mouth water. Husband and wife duo James and Rebecca French started it back in 2020, and it delivers fresh pasta and homemade sauces straight to your door, giving you the feels of having gone out to a nice Italian restaurant whilst being able to eat it in your towel / pyjamas / in the nude (but be careful of hot sauce).

It’s not your average spag bol either, but a range of different options from Devon crab ravioli to a creamy Bucatini. You pick your different dishes every week from the listed options which update frequently, making the best of the seasonal produce. There are also pizza options and desserts to add on if you fancy it.

Each dish is fully pre-prepared, and you only need one pan to boil the pasta in (for three mins) before reusing it to heat the sauce and mix. It costs around £6.75 per head for two different dishes a week.

• Prices start at £8.25. Find out more here.

2. Butter & Crust

If you thought bougie foodie deliveries were reserved for dinner, think again. Butter and Crust are the patron saint of people who want to lie in on a Sunday, but also want to be the early bird who gets the bougie, 24-hour leavened pastries.

From signature sourdough, to pain au chocolats and artisan juices and coffee, you can build a bundle of your favourites, and wake up with it dropped at your door. It’s sort of like Father Christmas, but better: solely for breakfast goods and more than just once a year (should you please).

Each delivery will arrive before 9am, and similar to Nonna Tonda, the delivery day depends on your postcode to maximise efficiency. Prices depend on whether you’re doing a one time purchase or subscribe and save (AKA a weekly drop). The range is fairly simple but broad enough to make you feel like you’ve got lots to choose from without being overwhelmed – the Goldilocks of size. The simplicity of Butter & Crust makes it a great (and creative) new home / new baby gift for friends who need anything but yet another mug or babygro.

• Prices start at £25. Find out more here.

3. Modern Milkman

Remember the days of getting a lovely glass bottle of whole dairy milk being delivered to your door? And, if you listen carefully, that’s the sound of a hundred thousand Gen Z’s fainting in shock at the thought of both dairy milk, and unsolicited strangers with whom they have to make eye contact / small talk with.

But they’ll likely get back up off the floor when they hear about the cute and sustainable glass bottles. Modern Milkman does what it says on the condensed milk tin, bringing back that old-school breakfast delivery system, but with a suitably hipster upgrade, delivering oat, soya, almond milk and premade non dairy iced coffees too.

Since starting up in 2018, they’ve expanded their range, dropping off everything from homemade milkshakes, fresh coffee beans, and even small batch jams and spreads. Basically, imagine everything cutely organic, fairtrade, and villagey that you’d find in a garden centre or farmshop in the Cotswolds and that’s basically the range on offer at Modern Milkman.

Rather than a direct delivery kit, it’s more like a bespoke Deliveroo, perfect for bougie brunches and curated foodie collections without having to move from bed.

• Prices start from £5. Find out more here.

4. Aktar

Imagine Michelin starred Indian food that you actually made yourself. At home. Sort of.

Like many beautiful creative projects, Aktar was born out of lockdown, after chef Aktar Islam was awarded his first Michelin star for his restaurant Opheem. Seeing all the bland, overpriced takeaways on offer, Aktar at Home was created, and it will ruin your weekly at-home microwaved curries for good (in a good way).

From curry boxes for the family to tandoori boxes for your next big barbecue, Aktar At Home has it all and for the quality and quantity, the prices are staggeringly good.

• Prices from £9.45, minimum spend £35. Find out more here.

5. Riverford Organic

The OG crunchy-almond-family crew have been bringing their meal delivery kits to front doors for years now, but they remain some of the best.

Rather than just dumping a whole load of earthy veggies on your doorstep in a recyclable box, Riverford has a surprisingly large range of different ready-to-cook meal kits, with different accolades like “quick” “super quick” and “seasonal star” to help signpost you to what will be best for you.

There are plant based, veggie, and meaty options which all sound suitably indulgent yet healthy. Most of their recipe boxes are £15 for two, so roughly £7.50 per person.

• Prices from £15, minimum spend £25. Find out more here

6. Koya

Koya made a name (and queue) for themselves thanks to their delicious bouncy udon noodles which have reached pretty cult status in Soho. The wait times for a seat at the restaurant speaks for itself.

Luckily, you can bypass the queues and also have the inbuilt smugness of feeling like you’ve cooked for yourself by opting for Koya’s at-home udon kits, which come with noodles for two as well as all the ingredients for some of Koya’s most popular broths.

• Find out more here.

• This tiny South London boozer has just been crowned the best in London

At 48 years old, there are few feats in the world of club culture that the artist born Kieran Hebden has yet to achieve. His early records made him a critical darling and cult icon. A decade of elite remixes and sprawling, heady LPs in the 2010s made him a mainstay on any DJ’s USB drive. And in 2023, he attained true superstardom as a Coachella headliner alongside protégé Fred Again and dubstep provocateur Skrillex.

To his fans – this writer included – Four Tet has long represented the archetype of "The DJ’s DJ". He’s a truly prolific and proficient artist that has always found a way to merge the sound of the moment with the sound of his mind. In 2022, Hebden would extend his creative and curatorial energy to the first Four Tet All Dayer in London’s Finsbury Park, where it’s been held every year since.

For the fifth annual Four Tet All Dayer, Hebden had recruited pals and peers from across the scene, from certified legends like Ben UFO to underground faves like Aurora Halal and Barker, to play on two stylishly designed and immaculately lit stages. As a long-time Four Tet fan, this was all too tempting to miss – read on for the five best sets from the Four Tet All Dayer 2026.

5. Sofia Kourtesis – Eat Your Own Ears Stage

While Four Tet set the scene for his four hour set, Sofia Kourtesis’ party on the Eat Your Own Ears Stage was well underway. The Berlin-via-Peru DJ and producer sprinted through genres like they were going out of style, playing ghettotech, electro, and disco in breakneck blends.

Kourtesis’ set was more of a selection session than anything else, with some fairly random transitions between tracks, but the mood stayed high as she broke up stretches of obscure trance with the classics. Sometimes, after hours of heady two-step, you just need to hear “Music Sounds Better With You”.

4. Four Tet – Main Stage

Fourth place for Four Tet at this year’s All Dayer. Hebden’s extended headline set was a tour through his own catalogue and leftfield takes on today’s club soundscape, ranging from moments of depth to unbridled bass-heavy chaos. He’s got an uncanny ability to read a crowd; I watched arms fly up from the congregation on the drop of each new tune, as new groups constantly joined the fray, falling in from the pathways and hillsides around.

As ever, Four Tet remains one of the world’s most interesting selectors. He opened with a stretch of heady dubstep, tapping into the genre’s recent resurgence, before tilting into his usual mix of off-kilter tech house and garage. Having such a massive catalogue of original bangers makes Hebden an agile force on the decks, and throughout his set he shelled out edits and remixes of his own tunes – I heard a mashup of ‘Baby’ and ‘Baby Again..’ somewhere in there, fragments of ‘Only Human’ and ‘Anna Painting’, and even individual drum samples that gave away tracks as the artist’s handiwork.

I found myself enjoying Four Tet’s performance more as a listening experience than a dance. Where other DJs on the lineup had a way of calling me to the front-left, I was perfectly content to sprawl out on the dry grass and let Hebden’s tunes find my ears. Whether that’s worth buying a ticket for is up to you.

3. Barker – Main Stage

Techno without drums might sound like blasphemy to devout ravers, but Sam Barker has made a career out of weaving glittering melodies in the absence of the rumbling kicks and lingering dissonance that define the genre. Barker, as he’s mononymously known, played a truly propulsive set at this year’s Four Tet All Dayer, blending elements from various studio recordings with live improvisations from behind a table of synths and controllers.

I’ve been a fan of Barker for years, and hearing the Berlin-based artist build fragmented sequences into towering crescendos with the full power of the Main Stage sound system was truly immersive. I was surprised at how danceable the music turned out to be given the artist’s restraint with percussion – but rules are made to be broken, and Barker’s ambient tones eventually gave way to crowd-shaking bass and irresistible kick patterns.

2. Aurora Halal – Eat Your Own Ears Stage

New York underground staple Aurora Halal closed out the All Dayer’s second stage with 90 minutes of undeniably stylish club tunes. By the time Halal took to the decks, Four Tet was already a half-hour deep into his headline set, meaning those still massed at the Eat Your Own Ears section were committed to the party in motion. A smaller, looser, more hypnotised crowd willing to keep going till the end, so long as the music kept coming.

Handing over from Sofia Kourtesis, Halal understood the assignment and then some, playing a no-frills techno set that took influence from American main-stage EDM and the minimal, groove-focused sounds of continental Europe. The DJ, producer, and promoter mixed techno and tech house fluently, with an emphasis on rolling basslines and cathartic drops.

1. Ben UFO – Main Stage

One of the first unspoken rules you learn in the world of DJing is to not go too hard in the warm-up slot. To the great benefit of everyone at this year’s Four Tet All Dayer, Ben UFO didn’t get the memo.

Ben UFO is one of the UK’s few top-flight DJs to never have released a track of his own. In his fifteen year career he’s focused exclusively on selecting, playing, and mixing records. His set at this year’s All Dayer was a masterclass in the most fundamental of all DJ skills – choosing the right tune for the moment.

As the undercard on the main stage, Ben UFO was tasked with building the crowd’s energy without breaking the wave. What followed was an hours and change of seriously tasteful club music, as the Rinse FM resident and Hessle Audio co-founder mixed four-by-four garage, wobbling bassline, drill edits, techno rollers, and baile funk with mechanical precision.

Every track had a flavour of something new. Every track had phenomenal low-end. Every track just hit. See him when you can.

• Junction 2 review: The 7 best acts from London’s techno and house link-up

In Sunny Dancer, Ramsey plays Ivy, a rebellious, self-isolating teenager trying to return to everyday life after going into cancer remission. Her parents decide to send Ivy to a summer camp programme, which she dubs “chemo camp,” to inspire her and allow her to make friends with teens who have been through the life-changing experience of living with cancer. Sunny Dancer takes a more light-hearted approach than most other cancer stories, showing Ivy and her campmates doing normal teenager antics like sneaking out of camp and raving in their cabins. And to great effect: it's currently riding high on a 91% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes:

Shortlist sat down with Ramsey and the film’s director, George Jacques, to ask how their collaboration began, the journey behind the film’s iconic dance scene, and why they weren’t worried about audiences finding the wholesome movie too cringe.

Shortlist: What specifically drew you to this film, Bella? And to George, what made Bella the perfect Ivy for you?

Bella Ramsey: I find really challenging, dark stuff really fun. But the idea of getting to do that — do challenging, dark, really emotional things — and also do that at the backdrop of a summer camp where I got to go on a water slide and run around and play games. Yeah, that just felt like a really perfect combination.

George Jacques: Bella's name got suggested to me by our casting directors. So I'm so sad I can't take the credit of coming up with you as my first lady, but that's their job, and I listen to them. But, you know, I never thought Bella would do this film. They had just come off The Last of Us and had huge success.

I watch everything that my actors work on, so from Catherine Called Birdy all the way. And I think for me, what I was so blown away by was just the range. And then what I was so excited and nervous about was putting Bella in an utterly stripped-back world where there was nothing to hide behind. This is very much just on Bella's shoulders, this whole movie. And I was just so excited about that and felt so lucky that they said yes and just felt like I had the best number one ever.

SL: My favourite moments were the scenes where Ivy does the group dance to I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ by the Scissor Sisters with her family and friends. What was the process for creating that dance?

BR: It was facilitated by a choreographer called Polly Bennett, who came and worked with us during the rehearsal week. And it started as just random movements and thinking about how we would hold cancer in our bodies. And then progressed into us being partnered up and doing stupid dance games that I was like, “This is a bit cringe.” And then we did it, and then by the end of it, Polly was picking moves that we'd done and we'd all do them as a group. And she stitched it all together beautifully and created a cohesive thing out of us messing about, basically.

GJ: But that's why she's a genius. I brought Polly on to do movement coaching, as you sort of said, to sort of look at cancer and what I might do. But I remember my producing partner was like, “I don't know if we need a choreographer.” The budget was tight for our movie, and it was like, “George, you could do it.” And I was like, “I can't do that. Like, there's no way.” And it was the way that Polly managed to get you all dancing in a really non-cringe way that you kind of slipped into dancing as well. I was watching this happen and being like, “I didn't even know how you… Now I want to dance!” And hopefully that energy is in the film.

SL: You both mention cringe in the last answer. Were you ever worried the film may cross the line between cringe and not cringe?

GJ: What I love about this movie is anytime it slips into cringe, it's called out. There's a moment where Daniel Quinn-Toye, who plays Jake, Ivy's love interest in the film, says…

BR: "I want you to feel like you can tell me anything."

GJ: Yeah, that's it. And then Ivy goes, “Ew, I was about to start having feelings for you. And then you start saying that.” In some of those young romantic films that we see a lot of, that line would just be allowed to slip, whereas in our film we were like, “Let's call it out.” That's so icky.

BR: And that was why I was worried when I got the script there. I was like, this is either gonna be really cringe or, like, really depressing. And I didn't really know how it was gonna work out, and it just wasn't. And that's what I liked about it. Every cringy moment was flipped on its head and made really funny.

SL: Bella, you are often paired with older, American actors in other projects. Did you feel slightly similar to Ivy on her journey to find her community when you had this rare opportunity to work with a cast of young, British actors?

BR: I, like Ivy, was a bit nervous about it and was resistant to it initially, being like, “I don't know how this is gonna go. And I think they're all gonna get on really well, and I'm just gonna be kind of on the outside and not cool and a bit weird.”

But actually it was not that at all. Immediately it felt like everyone fitted into the different roles within the group, but we all got along really well. It was really refreshing and really life-affirming in a way to be like, “Oh, I can really connect with people the same age. We can go out and go for a drink at the pub and then go home and go to bed and get enough sleep.”

Sunny Dancer hits UK cinemas on 14th August.

• The BIG London Cinema List 2026: Film festivals, seasons, Q&As and rep screenings

Dominic Sessa of The Holdovers seems perfectly cast as a 19-year-old Bourdain, an arrogant and entitled aspiring writer who washes up in a seaside town due to a crush. There he falls into the cheffing world after he takes a summer job at a seafood restaurant.

The late great food and travel presenter was a frequent visitor to London, visiting the UK capital four times throughout his televisual career – and evidently many more times in between shoots.

He took time during each visit to speak of his abiding love for the city and its distinctive old world energy, not to mention its uniquely rambunctious pub culture and underrated (back in the noughties at least) cuisine.

Bourdain visited a varied selection of the capital’s eateries and bars between 2002 and 2016, and a number of of them continue to operate today – a miracle in itself, given the parlous state of the hospitality industry in 2026.

Here, then, are seven spots Anthony Bourdain rated in London that can still be visited today. Bon appetit – or rather, tuck in.

1. F. Cooke Pie & Mash

Bourdain was well known for seeking out the most authentic, locally significant joints in any city that he visited. For London, there was nowhere more authentic or locally significant than F. Cooke – a proper East End pie and mash shop that had been run by the same family since the mid-1800s. Sadly, the original Broadway Market site that the presenter visited in a 2002 episode of A Cook’s Tour closed in 2020, but you can still visit the Hoxton site, which remains true to the spirit of the first venue and under the guidance of the Cooke family.

2. Sweetings

Anthony’s 2012 London visit for The Layover didn’t yield too many practical recommendations – the star seemed a little frazzled for this one following a bad flight – but Sweetings was a standout. This 130-year-old London institution was introduced to Bourdain by Fergus Henderson himself, and you can detect more than a hint of the St. John chef’s old fashioned English eccentricity in its approach. That includes opening only during weekday lunch times, making it a sort of high-grade canteen for city boys and print journalists. Come here for the British classics, as they’ve been served for centuries, washed down by tankards of black velvet (Guinness and champagne).

3. Pepper & Spice

The presenter’s last televised visit to London in 2016 proved to be a fruitful one, despite the downcast post-Brexit vote tone that pervades the Parts Unknown episode. It supplied several spots that Bourdain evidently enjoyed, including Pepper & Spice – a Caribbean restaurant in North London that was recommended to him by The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince. The two chowed down on curry mutton and saltfish callaloo, which supplied the necessary ballast for a boozy night out that visibly broke our hero. Thank goodness for Nigella Lawson and her restorative fried bread.

4. Rochelle Canteen

Rochelle Canteen is a beautiful East London restaurant owned by Margot Henderson, one half of the London food scene power couple that also includes her husband Fergus, of St. John fame (see elsewhere on this list). Margot takes a similarly stripped back, but rather softer and more European-inflected approach to cooking. During Tony’s 2016 Parts Unknown visit, he sat down with Henderson to feast on vitello tonnato and lamb chops with lentils and green sauce. The combination of hearty food, warm company and good white wine visibly lifted Bourdain’s spirits, and the restaurant is still around to perform the same task for you.

5. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Back in 2002, when Gordon Ramsay was an actual working chef rather than a self-promoting meme, Bourdain visited his three Michelin star flagship restaurant in West London. According to the late presenter, it supplied “one of the best things I’ve eaten – ever” in the form of a shin of beef with sautéed foie gras. Ramsay’s eponymous restaurant continues to operate to this day, and has even managed to retain its prestigious three-star status – though it’s now under the command of Chef de Cuisine Kim Ratcharoen, leaving Ramsay free to mug for the camera and advertise food delivery services.

6. Princess Victoria

During his last visit to the UK capital, Bourdain joined his erstwhile The Taste colleague and British national treasure Nigella Lawson at the bar of this posh West London pub for an afternoon pint of Guinness. While there, he was deeply impressed by the accompanying selection of elevated bar snacks, expertly ordered by his classy companion. These included super-crunchy pork scratchings, freshly fried whitebait, and the kind of scotch egg you don’t tend to find at service stations up and down the country.

7. St John

It would be impossible to construct a list of Bourdain’s favourite places to eat in London without mentioning St. John – which is probably why we’ve already done so twice. Fergus Henderson’s legendary Smithfield restaurant made as big an impact on the New Yorker as it did on the UK (and indeed international) dining scene, putting the concept of nose to tail eating firmly on the culinary map. Bourdain called St. John “just about my favourite restaurant in the universe” during his first ever on-camera visit, and the fact that he returned on every subsequent London trip suggests that his opinion barely wavered.

8. Bar Italia

The legendary, family-run Italian espresso bar Bar Italia is a London institution in its own right and hardly needs the seal of approval from anyone, let alone a starry chef. However, great places attract great taste, which is exactly why it made the list with Bourdain being a fan of the Soho spot, calling it "the best cup of coffee, or damn close to it". Bourdain sat down for a round of macchiatos and shots of Fernet Branca (a traditional herbaceous Italian liqueur) with friend and fellow chef Fergus Henderson for a quick refuel during the London episode of The Layover.

• This tiny South London boozer has just been crowned the best in London

Think 'punk', think its 1977 explosion. But if you want the precise moment punk went from three chords and a spittle-sizzled spark of anger to a full-throated rock revolution, it’s those opening words of The Damned’s 1976 ‘New Rose’ — the first punk single release, the genre line-in-the-sand which would change the face of popular music forever.

Fifty years ago, from humble beginnings on the streets and in the clubs of London and NYC, a raw, volatile blast of noise tore out of speakers and permanently rewrote the rules of modern music. What began as a fierce underground rebellion defined by DIY ethics, sweat-soaked basements, and pure anti-establishment fury soon grew into a global phenomenon. Half a century later, that initial spark hasn't faded — it’s slashed its way into every level of pop culture, from fashion to film to, of course, today’s most innovative music.

To mark 50 years of punk, Shortlist is taking a comprehensive look back at where the genre came from, where it’s going, and why its unapologetic spirit is needed now more than ever. We’re tracking the movement’s fascinating trajectory, examining how raw underground aggression smoothed out into multi-platinum pop-punk, and counting down the 50 greatest punk albums and anthems of all time as selected by today’s biggest stars.

We’ve also cracked open our archives to resurface legendary conversations with pioneering trailblazers — from punk's high priestess Patti Smith to sharp-tongued poet John Cooper Clarke — alongside brand new, exclusive insights from modern torchbearers like Frank Carter.

Whether through grime-infused modern crossovers or classic vinyl cuts, punk proved that anyone could pick up an instrument and make noise. Five decades on, that ethos is louder, faster, and more vital than ever.

Hey! Ho! Let’s go!

50 Years Of Punk: A Shortlist Celebration

50 years of punk: Why the DIY ethos still matters five decades on (and why the punk spirit is needed now more than ever)

"The first time I saw The Clash I couldn’t understand a word they were singing but the look and the energy and the attitude captivated me instantaneously."

From garage bands to cultural force, the unlikely legacy of punk, as told by those who were there at the start.

• Read More

The 50 best punk albums of all time

Three chords and the truth — as punk turns half a century old, here are some of its greatest ever records from across the eras. Put them on at full volume. Get pissed. Destroy.

• Read More

The 50 greatest punk songs, ever: Today's biggest punk stars pick the most influential songs

Got three minutes to spare? This list will change your life, 50 times. From first-wave firestarters to modern pop-punk anthems, we've enlisted some of today’s biggest punk and rock acts, alongside punk culture pioneers, to help us rank the 50 punk tracks that changed music forever.

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Exclusive: Frank Carter on Sex Pistols, Grime and his “unfinished business” with Gallows

Former vocalist of Watford punk legends Gallows, leading man in rock n’roll upstarts The Rattlesnakes and the current singer in the modern reincarnation of The Sex Pistols, few living musicians can boast the same punk pedigree as Frank Carter. From punk upstart to frontman of the most famous punk band of all time, here's Carter's story — in his own words.

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From punk to pop-punk: How the most raw musical movement of all time went bubblegum

Heartbreak, teenage bedrooms and dick jokes — did punk lose its edge when the snarl turned to snark?

By the early Noughties, punk looked and sounded very different from the movement that had exploded in Britain and New York in the Seventies. This time, the guitars were polished, the choruses anthemic and the songs were way more concerned with crushes, breakups and suburban boredom. Pop punk had arrived — and the genre had gone bubblegum.

Still, millions of teens wanted a taste. Had punk really lost its bite, or just found a sweeter way to deliver it?

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Punks on punk: How the OG era of three chords rock shaped the music of today's biggest acts

Fifty years after four snarling teens took to the stage and changed music forever, the UK punk scene’s influence is still inescapable. Touching everything from fashion to activism, spawning multiple musical subgenres, and with its DIY ethos embedded into the DNA of hip hop and even indie filmmaking, the ‘70s punk explosion didn't just birth a genre – it kickstarted a creative revolution.

We hand the mic to five musicians who've lived with punk's influence for decades. From their favourite UK punk tracks to the modern London scene and the movement's enduring legacy, here's what they had to say.

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From The Archive

Patti Smith's Ultimate Playlist: The tracks that inspired the punk icon

Playlists at the ready: We're revisiting an incredible chat with the high priestess of New York punk, Patti Smith, as she runs through the soundtrack of her life, in her own words.

• Read More

“I didn’t want to follow them, it was too good”: Iggy Pop on how his fear of Queens of the Stone Age led to his greatest album in decades

"Most people, once they hit 60 and they’ve got some bucks are not gonna put themselves in this situation, where you’re testing yourself and you’re not sure if you can handle it. But with this, I kind of wanted to see what I could do. I wanted to prove something to myself.”

Iggy Pop on how a chance meeting with Josh Homme resulted in his greatest album in decades.

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Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge on UFOs, Bigfoot, and his debut film Monsters of California

Forget all the small things. If Blink 182's Tom DeLonge was to sit down and write the hit song today, it'd more likely be called ‘All The Mysterious Things’, or ‘All The Secret Things’. Maybe even ‘All The Government-Conspiracy-Military-Industrial-Complex-Cover-Up Things’.

In the years since DeLonge's rise to pop punk superstardom, the Californian songwriter has been a vocal public advocate for transparency around supernatural topics that many would consider "out there". He's staked his reputation on it — and told us all about it.

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Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock picks his 5 all-time favourite punk songs

What does it take to make a revolution-sparking, rabble-rousing, total-anarchy-inducing punk record for the ages?

“The attitude, the delivery, the subject matter, the sound, and the trousers. You've got to wear the right trousers,” reveals godfather of punk, Glen Matlock.

As the bassist of the Sex Pistols, writer of the greatest punk anthems of all time and a trailblazer whose snarling basslines and razor-sharp riffs launched a cultural revolution, he should know. Here, he talks us through the genre's best cuts.

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"It takes a lot of work to look this bad": Poet John Cooper Clarke on punk, inspiring Arctic Monkeys, and getting blagged by Lou Reed

Ready for a trip through Chickentown? We're looking back here at a 2014 chat with the original punk poet and sartorialist extraordinaire John Cooper Clarke. From inspiring the Arctic Monkeys to encounters with Lou Reed, the man’s lived.

• Read More

Malcolm McLaren considers the question coolly. “Aren’t you just more interested in sewing chaos?” asks the presenter of the BBC’s Nationwide TV show in 1976.

“Well, that’s an accusation by people who don’t really understand what kids want,” he replies.

“They want excitement, they want to transform what’s basically a very boring life for them right now. And rock music is the one thing they thought that they controlled. But if you look at the charts they don’t really have anything to do with it. Bands like the Sex Pistols are making music from the streets, born out the frustration to get something across, that is their own.”

The presenter then challenges these bands’ “bizarre clothes”.

“They’re only bizarre to old people,” McLaren counters.

“What about the nasty word ‘punk’?” she asks.

In the background a pale and lean 20-year-old John Lydon, struggling to make eye contact, pipes up in that robotic tone: “No, the press gave us [that name]. It’s their problem not ours”.

What about the Rolling Stones and The Who? “Are you against those sounds?” the presenter asks.

“Of course,” says Lydon, “because they’re established. They just do not mean anything to anyone”.

It’s an encounter in ways far more revealing than the much more famous car crash of an interview on The Bill Grundy Show later that year when Grundy, said to be a few sheets to the wind, repeatedly goaded the band members to swear to his London audience live on TV. They kindly obliged.

Yes, The Grundy Incident brought punk to national attention — the newspapers reacted as though the entire country was up in arms, though in reality relatively few people would have seen the programme. But the reasons why punk, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, still leaves its impression on pop culture so many decades after its brief flowering are more complex than confected outrage.

"A sense of agency and the stimulus to do something"

As, indeed, are its uncertain, underground origins: whether in the US, with bands the likes of MC5, Television and The Stooges, or in the UK, with the likes of X-Ray Spexs, The Adverts, The Slits, Siouxsie and The Banshees - “and then a whole bunch of copycat wankers,” as Lydon would put it - or the consequence of a cultural exchange between the two, one in part presciently repackaged by impresarios the likes of McLaren. McLaren, recall, managed the New York Dolls before he discovered the Sex Pistols.

“Certainly the cultural impact punk had in the UK was extremely acute,” argues Matthew Worley, professor of modern history at the University of Reading, who teaches a course on the topic.

“Punk gave young people a sense of agency and the stimulus to do something. And it’s still a template of how to take what’s around you and do something with it. But it wasn’t just about the sound. Punk still resonates in part because it was so visually exciting. We’re so familiar with the tropes of punk now we forget how striking it was in the 1970s when everything was flared and beige, not colourful and tight”.

Many have certainly argued that punk was a counter to the British political climate of the time: runaway unemployment, racial tensions, a disaffected and divided government, an economy in desperate free-fall, the three-day week and the ‘Winter of Discontent’. Punk built on the shock sensibility of glam rock before it — in its way a more artsy, fantastical form of proto-punk — and, arguably, before that, on the paradigm shifts brought by artists from Little Richard to Jerry Lee Lewis at the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. But, given such national instability, as the next big youth culture punk was bound to break with pop’s more romantic inclinations in favour of being angry, nihilistic and disenchanted.

According to Stephen Palmer, author of The History of Punk: Punk & Pistolry , punk just happened to have its origins in music rather than street protest. “But what made it critically important was that it would become an English, working-class, council estate-led movement,” he argues.

“The punk ethos was ‘be yourself’, but its giving permission to express fury against privilege, deference and so on alone made it important. It expressed this chaotic anger that nobody in the middle-class knew was there and which came as a massive shock to many. Punk was a polemic, one that was highly influenced by US bands — the word ‘punk’ was popularised by American culture, after all — but which could only have happened as it did in England, where it exploded”.

"Every generation needs its own sound"

Yet "punk has to be understood in context - not just that it was a time of economic crisis but that popular music [on the radio and TV] seemed to be a million miles from what was going on at street level. And every generation needs its own sound,” adds Don Letts, the DJ, film-maker and co-founder of Big Audio Dynamite who, more by happenstance than intent, documented the punk years with his The Punk Rock Movie.

“That said, the first awareness of punk for me actually came visually — the people walking up and down the King’s Road near where I worked at the time. The first time I saw The Clash I couldn’t understand a word they were singing but the look and the energy and the attitude captivated me instantaneously.”

A dark, seditious, individualistic aesthetic of rips, fetishwear, provocative and contradictory political symbols, meets the cut-and-paste ransom note graphic style of Jamie Reid — all set, in time, to be co-opted by the corporate world, as Reid predicted it would be — well, it was, at the least, fresh and surprising. More deeply, it felt like punk was the bastard lovechild of the avant-garde, and channelled a new kind of otherness.

Worley, however, reckons that the idea of punk as inherently revolutionary has been overplayed in the writing of its history. He suggests that punk’s birth was less a critique of society — lyrically it was broadly anti-establishment, but far from directed towards the end goal of a better world; punk was as apathetic as it was urgent — so much as a critique of culture's failure to reflect the disaffection felt by every generation, sometimes inherently, sometimes with whatever circumstances it finds itself facing.

“Pop music, for example, just wasn’t the preserve of young people anymore," he says, and as McLaren stated.

“It wasn’t ‘relevant’, to use a favourite word of Lydon’s. It was more about light entertainment: more predictable, more tepid, with novelty songs and excessive AOR. It certainly wasn’t providing the larger soundtrack to young people’s lives. Punk injected the thrill again. Punk recaptured what rock ’n’ roll had in part been about at its inception: disruption."

No barriers to entry

Punk was, as Jack Miller, punk historian and guitarist with Diesel Boy, has it, a kind of “lost youth music, of a different flavour but akin to heavy metal - unusual sounding, shamelessly and unapologetically itself, but also very much the basis of a community of the like-minded”, with a cultural impact, he laughs, in proportion to its loudness.

Critical to its disruptiveness was not just the volume but that the music was welcomed in spite of its performers’ ability to use the available tools of disruption, those guitars and drum sets. Its restless, sometimes abrasive, three chord style was for many, if certainly not all, punk bands, a product of rudimentary playing skills, ones that would routinely get them booed off stage, while violent antics on stage and in the audience would see them banned from venues, or from the radio or repeatedly dropped by successive record labels. Still, all the negative publicity from throwing beer glasses only helped punk grow.

That punk had such low barriers to entry — unlike the professionalism and production values espoused by the era’s prog rock, for example — made it that much more immediately accessible, argues Miller. Small wonder that punk would likewise drive an alternative media of independent record labels and lo-fi fanzines the likes of the UK’s Sniffin’ Glue. As the caption of a cartoon in one such fanzine, Sideburns, put it: “This is a chord. This is another. This is a third. Now form a band”.

That’s why “punk is a genre in which the efforts of underground and garage bands that never made an album or onto Top of the Pops are just as important to its story as these that did,” reckons Ian Glasper, bassist with hardcore punk band Stampin’ Ground and author of Burning Britain: The History of UK Punk 1980-1984.

“It’s also why I tend not to think too hard about whether or not ‘the first punk band’ was The Ramones or The Damned, because what matters was that there was this energy developing around the world,” he adds.

“But it was The Damned…”

DIY attitude and "a cultural ladder"

Indeed, rather than being about the music, arguably punk’s most important legacy is the oft-cited DIY, have-a-go mentality — through the music — and the idea that creative self-expression didn’t require anyone’s permission. This was, as Letts calls it, “punk’s greatest gift”. Seeing his mates pick up guitars with no idea how to play them — “and with the stage filling up pretty quickly” — he picked up a film camera with the same mix of ignorance, curiosity and sense of potential.

“One reason we’re still talking about this four letter word so many years later is the sheer number of people who left punk gigs inspired to do something themselves,” says Letts.

“It wasn’t just a soundtrack, or just a style or just an attitude. It was all of that. In fact, I don’t think anything has been that complete since. Of course, nobody at the time was predicting it would have its cultural impact. At the time we were just doing our things, man.

“And in a way punk painted itself into a corner. But the point is that some took that attitude and ran with it,” Letts adds.

“Punk provided a cultural ladder. Some people stayed stuck on the first rung. Others started climbing. It became bigger than a moment. It became a living thing. Like the force in Star Wars, you just had to have a feel for it”.

“As with any explosion it didn’t last long, but in a way by then punk just wasn’t needed anymore anyway,” adds Palmer. “It had already provided the touchpaper for this vast ecology of creative forms. Punk had done its work”.

For all that punk was in one sense starting to fizzle out just three or four years after it started — the Sex Pistols disbanded early in 1978, while other bands went on to be denounced as sell-outs, or to just grow up — that artistically enterprising spirit had fractured and diffused throughout the culture. Punk would prove formative to the likes of New Romanticism, Two Tone and Oi!, to cite just three wildly different youth culture movements that followed it, and not just to music but to art, fashion, film-making.

“Goth, polymorphous sexuality, a kind of laddishness, EMO - these are all lines that stretched out of punk,” Worley suggests. Meanwhile, punk itself mutated into various multiple waves of musical sub-genres throughout the 1980s and beyond, all proudly retaining the ‘punk’ heritage label: ska-punk, afro-punk, skate-punk, the more serious anarcho-punk — bolshily against anything ‘the system’ proposed — as well as many other punkish experiments. Punk could be by turns a product of music business hype, excess exuberance and deeply-felt radicalism.

Punk politicians, punk teachers, punk everyone

But then perhaps core to punk’s strange longevity has been its very nebulousness, its chameleon quality.

“The thing is that punk means something different to almost everyone touched by it,” says Glasper.

“Some see it as deadly serious, a means to convey an anti-authority message. But to others it’s always just been about jumping up and down and having fun." Protest for some was just laughs for many others. It was the Pistols’ Sid Vicious who was said to have invented pogo dancing.

Yet that very nebulousness, he adds, is also important for allowing the essential psyche of punk — rather than some nostalgic revisiting of the 1970s — to be embraced by every generation.

“I grew up in the 1980s, in a boring town, in the shadow of nuclear armageddon, and punk was for me a way of venting my frustrations then too,” says Palmer. “If we all lived idyllic lives there wouldn’t be the need for punk. But unfortunately there’s always something to be angry about."

Is there the same determination to do something about it though, even if that’s just to sneer into the wind? Maybe punk’s dark secret is out: that its hardcore acts of uncomformity didn’t really change much. Don Letts worries that the punk spirit is, if not lost, then at best hibernating and proving hard to wake.

“The problem for me is the aspirations of people creating now,” he says.

“We got into punk to be anti-establishment. Now it’s to be part of the establishment, to be on red carpets and MTV. I know it’s hard to take a chance when you have rent to pay. It’s hard to be a rebel if you’re 30 and still living with your mum. And obviously London isn’t built for people without money anymore is it?

"But we really need the punk spirit now. We need punk politicians, punk teachers, punk expressed though all aspects of life”.

• 50 years of punk: A Shortlist celebration

If the late 1960s were a time when the youth of America and the UK put a flower in the hair of the elder generation, entreating them to chill out and join them in peace and love, then 1976 was the year they took that flower right back, snapped its stalk and stamped on it. No longer were kids going to blithely conform to societal rules, or authority figures, or organised education.

That year, almost simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic, something changed. In the US, there was a complete distrust of politicians thanks to Watergate, Nixon and the Vietnam war, while in the UK there was total economic crisis and rampant inflation while the country baked in a (then) unprecedented heatwave. Conditions were ideal for righteous anger and indignation, and the younger generation responded by picking up the traditional weapons of the non-criminal — electric guitars.

Punk was born, and with it came a volley of spit in the face of five years of soft rock and masturbatory solos, replaced by two or even three chord exclamations of outright dissatisfaction and a rejection of corporate greed. The spirit of punk has lived on for fifty years now, and has produced some of the most vital, exhilarating and ‘quick, turn this up right now’ music in history.

Here are half a century’s worth of glorious albums that capture it all, in no particular order, all shot through with the kind of vitriol that Johnny Rotten would approve of.

Put them on at full volume. Get pissed. Destroy.

50) MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (1969)

There’s ahead of their time, and then there’s MC5. Summoning the violence of Altamont and the death of hippies, the Michigan band released a live album as their debut, a mix of garage rock, metal and punk before anyone knew what it was, the title track featuring vocalist Rob Tyner screaming ‘Kick out the Jams, motherfuckers’. The upscale department store chain Hudson’s promptly banned it. MC5 took out a full page ad in the national press stating simply: “Fuck Hudson’s.”

49) New York Dolls - New York Dolls (1973)

New York City in the early 1970s was not a safe place to be; Manhattan was practically bankrupt, violent crime spiralled. Out of this backdrop came the New York Dolls, a hard-drinking American counterpart to the Rolling Stones, with songs about kids feeling repressed and like ‘whipped dogs’, all spiky guitars and shouted choruses, while the band would dress in full drag and make up amidst a culture of rampant homophobia.

48) Television - Marquee Moon (1977)

If ever there were a more thoughtful side to punk, this is it — an album that is packed full of gloriously accomplished music, complex guitar lines, stunning melodies and poetic lyrics. Graduates of lower Manhattan’s infamous CBGBs club, Television’s Marquee Moon would go on to influence the likes of U2, R.E.M and Pavement.

47) Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material (1979)

Formed in Northern Ireland as the country was reeling from the violence of the Troubles , Stiff Little Fingers swallowed up the brutality and deprivation of daily life, vomiting it back out with vengeance on this scorching debut. Within one minute of the opener you’ll hear the roots of Green Day’s Welcome to Paradise. “It’s time the bastards fell” screams the frontman Jake Burns. Furious stuff.

46) The Runaways - The Runaways (1976)

Godmothers of punk is a very cool title to have, and a deserved one for a ‘no f**ks given’ all female group led by Joan Jett who grew up playing the Whiskey a Go Go in LA and produced a fantastic, hard rocking debut that featured Lou Reed covers, plus the incendiary, rebellion-on-record, Cherry Bomb.

45) Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)

Double albums are not often punk albums, more often associated with the excesses of prog rock. But inspired by Pink Floyd, Californian trio Minutemen went against that and combined jazz, punk, poetry and country with lyrics that explored war, violence, the American day to day graft, but mostly, brilliantly, just driving different cars around.

44) Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987)

Punk in genre they may not have been, punk in mentality they certainly were. Chuck D et al basically threw a political hand grenade of a record into capitalist, ‘80s greed-obsessed American culture and didn’t care less who it upset. Angry, confrontational, it was a debut rap album that won the traditionally guitar-obsessed NME’s album of the year.

43) Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady (1979)

A compilation album put together to introduce Bolton’s Buzzcocks to the US it might have been, but such was the strength of songwriting on display from Pete Shelley here, it ended up forever sitting with LPs like London Calling and Setting Sons as a bone fide punk classic. Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve) is one of the finest pop songs in all history.

42) Green Day - Dookie (1994)

As the 1990s began in California, Billie Joe Armstrong was taking most of the records you’ll read about here, ignoring the grunge all around him, and writing his own breakneck skate punk anthems - fiercely melodic tunes that just worked perfectly on the radio. He zeroed in on his own anxiety and boredom and in doing so found an empathetic audience of millions - the album went 20 times platinum.

41) Husker Du - Flip Your Wig (1985)

A decade that was summed up by corporate greed, cocaine and shoulder pads was always going to need a counter-measure, and in Minnesota Husker Du were trying to make hardcore punk rock into a viable living, adding a far more melodic element while turning down major label attention. On this album you can hear all the signs of singer-songwriter Bob Mould’s defining Sugar album Copper Blue, seven years early.

40) Black Flag - Damaged (1981)

Black Flag were the band that noticed Husker Du, and would sign them to their label, but in 1981 they were busy taking several attempts to record their own debut album because none of them had been in a recording studio before. Once they managed it, they produced an angry, hardcore classic that influenced everyone from Nirvana to Soundgarden to My Chemical Romance.

39) The Misfits - Misfits (1986)

Another compilation, this time from Glen Danzig’s New Jersey horror punk rockers, Misfits is a twenty-song burst of fuzzy guitar on which you can hear elements of almost every remotely similar band ever since. The group had already split up by 1983, but did enough that Green Day and The Offspring cite them as a massive influence.

38) The Jam - All Mod Cons (1978)

Nobody worked faster in the UK in the late ‘70s than a 20 year-old Paul Weller, and he’d already written two superb Jam albums by the time this one came around. But the tracklist on this is just frightening frankly. Brilliant song after brilliant song, with highlights including To Be Someone, David Watts, English Rose and Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.

37) The Stooges - Fun House (1970)

Not a commercial hit when it came out, probably because nobody knew what on earth it was, Iggy Pop and his mates continued in the vein of fellow Michigan-ers MC5 and tried to make everything sound as loud as possible on this second album. Two minutes into this and you know they succeeded in some style. Raw, primal, a true predecessor of punk.

36) The Distillers - Coral Fang (2003)

LA punk rockers The Distillers didn’t last long in their first iteration. But it was long enough for Aussie export Brody Dalle to front three albums with her growling snarl, including this foot to the floor effort that featured breakthrough single Drain the Blood which was championed by Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. Dismantle Me and the title track are the real highlights though.

35) Patti Smith - Horses (1975)

The story of punk is littered with trailblazers, and Smith is undoubtedly one of those. Horses was her first album, a combination of poetry and punk, with a man steeped in anti-establishment garage rock at the controls in the shape of Velvet Underground’s John Cale. “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine” is the opening line, and it continues in that vein.

34) Fugazi - Repeater (1990)

Fugazi were a band you would hear a lot about in the early ‘90s amidst the Pearl Jams and Nirvanas, but not one that ever quite broke through. One listen to this however will underline why they were so often referenced by the bands that did. Underpinned by an awesome rhythm section, songs that speared consumer culture and the annoyance of having to work for a living made for an album that gets better with each passing year.

33) The Who - Live at Leeds (1970)

Pete Townsend has a decent shout for being the original punk; nobody else in the mid 1960s was trashing their own equipment and this album captured his band’s pure on-stage adrenaline like nothing else. Keith Moon is gloriously unhinged behind the drums, Townsend’s guitar a wall of noise. My Generation is a stuttering punk anthem spun out to an astonishing 15 minutes here.

32) Devo - Freedom of Choice (1980)

If you ask anyone to come up with a Devo track they’re going to say Whip It, and this is the album it comes from, written under pressure from their label that if it didn’t succeed they would be dropped. They responded by making a collection of songs with an ironic title that, alongside Talking Heads, crossed punk energy with unusual arrangements and lyrics about how bizarre working life could be.

31) Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)

Widely considered the first ‘proto-punk’ album, this is New York garage rock, heroin chic, dark sunglasses, talk-singing, and playing so laid back it's basically horizontal; Lou Reed and Nico with the coolest vocals of all time. Plus that peelable Andy Warhol banana sleeve. This is the sound of telling someone “sorry, you’re in our seat, we pre-booked it”, and getting a response of just a silently raised middle finger.

30) Blondie - Blondie (1976)

Along with the Velvets, Blondie were yet another New York City product, another CBGB standard, and in Debbie Harry had a truly generational icon up front. Their debut, while not featuring many, if any, of the hits that would make them globally famous, is still stacked with melodies and attitude, like the opener X Offender and their first UK single, Rip Her To Shreds.

29) Idles - Joy As An Act of Resistance (2017)

Anyone who saw Idles breakthrough with their festival appearances in 2018, the year this album dropped, will have recognised, as Joe Talbot prowled the stage mic in hand, the air of danger that outlined them as modern day punk royalty — a band ready to take on all comers. It felt like anything could go off at their gigs, and this record reflected that uncertainty perfectly, especially on Never Fight a Man With a Perm.

28) Meat Puppets - II (1984)

After their debut album proved too scuzzy and too hardcore to bring them any attention, California’s Meat Puppets tried pretty much everything on their second, including a Stones cover, country, rock, punk, bluegrass and more (including what some called ‘cowpunk’.) The result was an album that inspired the really big bands to come - hence their on-stage invitation in the middle of Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged.

27) Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort To Me (2021)

If you want female-led punk rock with attitude to spare, then head down under and share a stubby with Amy Taylor and her group, whose gigs have become legendary. In 2021 they threw this into the mess of Covid, led by the brilliant Hertz, which combined Electric Six’s ‘Gay bar’ with the desperate wish we all had to get the hell out of dodge.

26) Turnstile - Glow On (2021)

And the spirit of punk continued on to yet another generation; Turnstile made that same trip as their forefathers in going from hardcore to something more accessible, in the process making an album that earned Grammy nominations and topped many album of the year polls. Semi-shouted vocals, genre mash-ups, urgent, slammed drums and shades of the ‘90s in Jane’s Addiction made this a must-download for tens of thousands.

25) At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command (2000)

If you want to see modern (if 2000 counts as modern) punk in action then a quick google to witness ATDI perform One Armed Scissor on Jools Holland will do the trick. The Texans put all of that energy and more into their third (and best) album, which starts off thunderous and basically continues in that mode without ever letting up.

24) Rocket From the Crypt - Scream Dracula, Scream! (1995)

Much of the 1990s was not a big time for punk in general, but in the middle of it Rocket from the Crypt appeared from San Diego, armed with the superb single On a Rope which was everywhere for a while, putting on outrageous live shows at which anything could happen, from fire breathing to prize raffles. The album is similarly unpredictable, with sax, violas and chaotic riffs galore.

23) The Offspring - Smash (1994)

Together with Green Day, The Offspring emerged from California in ‘94 and brought with them an army of skate punk teens who snapped up their albums in the millions. Smash was packed with tunes, providing three hit singles, and guitar-wise sounded like the natural progression to where the heaviest of grunge bands had left off a year previously.

22) Bad Religion - Stranger than Fiction (1994)

The same year as punk went mainstream in the US, LA’s Bad Religion, who had been going for 14 years already, did their best to sound like the originals doing it in the UK in the 1970s, especially on the title track. In doing so they had their biggest hit to date, getting certified gold.

21) The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & the Lash (1985)

Shane MacGowan was a punk at heart, a man who belied his private school background by fully embracing the folk songs of Ireland and allying them with table smashing, drink-fuelled live performances. On this second album the recipe was perfected, MacGowan putting all of himself into the laureate level lyrics, twinned with inspired covers like Dirty Old Town.

20) Gallows - Orchestra of Wolves (2006)

When hardcore punks Gallows unleashed the single Abandon Ship on the UK it was with a music video that summed up their live shows; within five seconds lead singer Frank Carter simply launches himself bodily into the crowd. The album was huge, it sounded like it could be American, Warner Bros duly handed them a million quid to make another.

19) Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (1995)

This is punk played as it should be played — breakneck tempo, spiky three-chord guitars, vocals spat rather than sung, and impossible to stand still to. The single Ruby Soho was the song that gained them MTV exposure, and Rancid remained the cool underground California cousins to Green Day and The Offspring in the mid-90s.

18) Siouxsie and The Banshees - Juju (1981)

Formed exactly fifty years ago in London, the Banshees released their first record right in the midst of punk, then used their live experiences and burgeoning musicianship to make two fantastic albums at the start of the new decade, including Juju, which featured the superb Spellbound and Arabian Knights.

17) Rise Against - The Sufferer and the Witness (2006)

While in the UK Gallows sounded distinctly US in their music, the same year over in Chicago, Rise Against were doing American punk rock better than they had in all their seven years on this fourth album, which demanded radio play. Injection is an absolutely brilliant song, Roadside might be even better.

16) Wire - Pink Flag (1977)

If you thought Connection by Elastica was an original composition, then have a listen to track three on this album and report back. Britain’s Wire were seen as post-punk barely a year into punk and this stands as their epitaph; 21 songs smashed into 34 minutes, not a second wasted on it.

15) Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (1980)

Like New York City, California proved fertile ground for punk bands and the Dead Kennedys were one of the first out of the traps in 1978. Their debut album echoed the sound of the Sex Pistols from over the pond, and if artwork makes a statement, theirs featured several police cars on fire.

14) Bad Brains - Bad Brains (1982)

So many punk bands were initially hardcore groups, and Washington D.C.’s Bad Brains were pioneers of the genre, across nine albums proving also masters of almost limitless artistic directions. On this, their first LP, they attempted to capture the insanity of their CBGB live performances.

13) Descendents - Milo Goes to College (1982)

Yet more Californian punk alumni, Descendents added surf rock elements and never sounded better than on their first album, a yardstick of pop-punk that is referenced by the likes of Fall Out Boy, The Offspring and Blink 182, whose drummer Travis Barker has a Descendents tattoo.

12) The Replacements - Let It Be (1984)

The Replacements had been going for five years by the time they released this album, and the band had grown out of their punk roots, wanting to find genuine success with more complex songs. They did so in spades, creating a catchy tune-filled record that often features in greatest of all time lists — perhaps the only time they managed to hold it together long enough not to totally self-sabotage.

11) Fontaines DC - Romance (2024)

Fontaines DC’s earlier albums certainly sound more ‘straight punk’ than this, the album that took them from side stages to main arenas, but what they did here was go in a completely unique direction against all expectations. Starburster sounds like absolutely nothing else around.

10) Parquet Courts - Wide Awake (2018)

And still, in the 2010s, New York City continued to produce bands that tapped into the sound of the underground and brought it to everyone’s attention. Parquet Courts were eight years in when they made Wide Awake! And yet it sounded as fresh as a debut, topping end of year lists and prompting one reviewer to state it was ‘the most woke punk-rock record since the heyday of The Clash’.

9) The Strokes - Is This It (2001)

A millennium needed a completely new musical movement and The Strokes duly provided it, reaching to steal the best of Tom Petty and the Velvet Underground, sticking on leather jackets and making a New York album that influenced pretty much every guitar band on the planet at the time.

8) Blink 182 - Enema of the State (1999)

Often unfairly derided as simply American locker room fare due to the humour present in their work, Blink were in fact very, very clever and accomplished musicians, and this was packed with punk-pop-rock tunes that swept the radiowaves and sold 15m copies.

7) The Wipers - Is This Real? (1980)

Nirvana were probably the closest to punk in ethos of the mainstream early ‘90s guitar bands, and Kurt Cobain would at one point opine that everything they knew they learned from The Wipers. This album is raw, scuzzy, and poorly recorded, but the melodies shine through regardless.

6) Gang of Four - Entertainment! (1979)

Slotting into the void left by the explosion of the Sex Pistols, Gang of Four introduced British punk to more musical styles, at times sounding similar to The Jam. Heavily political, they might have been even more famous had they not cancelled their own Top of the Pops appearance when the producers wanted them to change a lyric about condoms.

5) The Clash - The Clash (1977)

One of the most influential bands in history, The Clash’s debut was recorded over three weekends and marks a total shift in guitar music — Hate and War providing a direct rebuttal of peace and love, White Riot telling the story of British race politics and London’s Burning doing what it said on the tin. Angry, frantic, urgent, it is all of Joe Strummer and Mick Jones’ talent unleashed on the world.

4) Bob Dylan - Bringing it All Back Home (1965)

If you want an early example of someone facing pearl-clutching anger at his actions and doing whatever he wanted anyway, this is it. Amid cries of Judas, Dylan ignored the acoustic folks fans and plugged in to an amp, managing to heavily influence not just The Beatles, but the Stones, The Who and therefore The Sex Pistols and Ramones in the process.

3) The Undertones - The Undertones (1979)

Feargal Sharkey might have been naff as anything by the 1980s, but at the end of the decade he and his band had gone from their Irish bedrooms to making a proper, timeless punk anthem with Teenage Kicks, a classic that focused on youthful frustrations rather than the troubles that went on all around them. Plus Jimmy Jimmy, which is just as good.

2) The Ramones - Ramones (1976)

And again from New York City, in April of 1976 came the birth of punk in the United States thanks to four leather clad young men singing about violence and drug use across 14 songs, none of which made it to three minutes in length, most of which are north of 160bpm. “Hey! Ho! Let’s go!... The kids are losing their minds” shouted Joey Ramone, and they duly did just that.

1) Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)

The album that completely changed the culture of the UK. Suddenly, it was not a strange sight to see young people on the high streets with green hair and safety pins through their noses. The band were on the telly, swearing and smashing sets up. The record itself was a call to arms, huge guitars, thunderous drums, that nasal whine of malcontent. Nothing was the same afterwards.

• 50 years of punk: A Shortlist celebration

In Shortlist’s 50 years of punk series, we’ve celebrated the bands that started it all. Yet in the last two decades there’s been one frontman who’s been just as vital to UK punk as The Damned or The Buzzcocks of yesteryear — Frank Carter.

The former vocalist of Watford punk legends Gallows, leading man in rock n’roll upstarts Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes and the current singer in the modern reincarnation of The Sex Pistols, few living musicians can boast the same punk pedigree.

To celebrate London punk still snarling 50 years later, we sat down with Carter to talk about his journey from destroying dive bars in Gallows to performing across the world with The Sex Pistols.

From punk upstart to frontman of the most famous punk band of all time, here's Carter's story — in his own words.

1984 - 2000: The local legends that inspired Frank to pick up a mic

I must have been 13 when I started wanting to play music. There was a punk band from Watford called Captain Everything, and bands like Fire Apple Red and My Dad Joe from the West Harts scene. They made more of a difference to me than the big bands, because there was punk rock in its purest form, directly in front of me, and I could touch it.

It wasn't in pages in magazines, it wasn't on MTV, I wasn't having to steal a CD from a record store, it was right there. I remember thinking, "Okay, this is what I want to be doing!"

2000 - 2004: From cover bands to a bold new sound

I was around 15 years old when I was really trying to pursue a band. I'd had a few bands where we’d have a few practices, play some covers, and then it always just fell apart before the first gig.

Gallows was the first one where we really toured. For Gallows, I got a call from Lags [founding guitarist] And he was like, "Look, I’ve seen you around and you play like me. I want to start a punk band that sounds different from anything else.” And that was exactly where I wanted to be.

At the time it was a lot of nu-metal bands, pop punk bands, and then really techie metal bands — that wasn't for me. I grew up listening to ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s pop music. So I think I brought a pop sensibility that most people would shy away from. I was trying to find the hook.

2006: ‘I remember the whole ceiling coming down’ — the sweaty seafront set that got Gallows noticed

We recorded the album and the record company sent us on this month-long tour of every fucking dive.

We played a show in Southend, right on the fucking seafront, and we just tore that fucking place apart. It was a function room at a pub, there was like six regulars just sitting there and then a bunch of gothy punk kids, and we all just fucking shredded the place.

I remember the whole ceiling coming down… The venue were just like, fuck the ceiling, this is the best thing we've had in here in ages!

From Nu-Metal support slots to Nu-opportunities

We opened up for Papa Roach and it was just a fucking disaster. Just Gallows, doing Gallows things, throwing equipment in the crowd, pure chaos. I actually love Papa Roach — I was at Papa Roach's first London gigs— but by this point when I was on stage, I was out for blood.

I think it fell apart within 20 minutes.

When we were off stage getting told off by security, this guy just comes bowling through — a short, stocky fella — and he just puts me in a headlock, and was like “That's brilliant, let me take you out for dinner!” He was a manager and he’s like “I'm setting up this new label, I've got some great bands, and I want you guys!

In September 2006 Gallows debut album ‘Orchestra Of Wolves’ releases, turning heads across the country.

The gig that made waves in the music press

We played London’s Mean Fiddler for a Kerrang! Halloween party. It was us and Bring Me the Horizon — I think Oli [Sykes, Bring Me the Horizon vocalist] was Scooby Doo — but we went as the droogs from Clockwork Orange. We felt like a team, a proper unit because we had this uniform.

We played a great fucking gig. It's easy when you've got a cane in your hands, you can really cause some chaos!

At one point, one of the boys was like, we should just play in this getup all the time, but I didn't want to wear a fucking jock strap for the rest of my life!

2007: Spit by South West — grafting in Texas and performing in front of rock icons

We flew to South by South West in Texas, and we played something crazy like 15 shows in four days. We played in a taco bar in the middle of the day, and I remember looking up and just seeing [Metallica drummer] fucking Lars Ulric! Dave Grohl [Foo Fighters] was there, Tom Morello [Rage Against The Machine] was there…. I remember being like, "I'm fucking out of here!"

We played three songs and I just climbed out the window mid set. I was like, "Nah, I can't do this shit, not in front of them." And it turned out that they liked that. They were just like, "Yeah, that was great. I remember you climbed out the fucking window, you just fucked off, you'd had enough, and we were like, 'We've had enough too, it's too hot for this shit!'"

Gallows goes Grime — Lethal Bizzle x Gallows

“It’s quite simple how this came about — I just love grime. I remember bumping into [Lethal Bizzle] at some award ceremony and saying "We’re gonna do this cover of a Ruts song. Do you know the Ruts?" And he's like, "Yeah, I just did a cover of Babylon’s Burning", so I’m thinking this is the guy, he just fucking gets it!

So we decided to come together to do a cover of ‘Staring at the Rude Bois by the Ruts. It was definitely the most pop sounding song we'd done but it just worked really, really well.

Staring at the Rude Bois went onto be Gallows’ highest charting UK top 40 single, appearing at number 31 on the chart on 25 November 2007. Gallows also won a Kerrang! Award in 2007 for Best British newcomer.

2009: Great Britain, Grey Britain

Warner Bros had signed us, and we had got the unthinkable — we'd managed to secure a two album firm deal. So we were guaranteed a second record, no matter what.

They wanted to re-release Orchestra Of Wolves — so they bought that as the first one — and then Grey Britain was the second record. Korda Marshall is pretty much a genius A&R who was responsible for some of the biggest British rock bands — bands like Ash, and Muse — and he was the one that saw something in us and said, "Yeah, Gallows is going to be the next big thing”.

Grey Britain, however, was the antithesis of Orchestra Of Wolves’ catchy three minute bangers. A prophetic concept album about the tide of hatred and division slowly consuming Britain, it was a dark, cinematic and confrontational record that to this day remains a misunderstood masterpiece.

I remember sitting in the listening party for Great Britain, and it's like a fucking film — it's a movie, that record. It's not supposed to be a hit album. It's supposed to be an atmosphere. It's our odyssey. I remember seeing all their faces [at Warner Bros.] and just thinking, "Right, yeah, well, we're fucked here, they don't get it."

So we made the record that we wanted to make, they fulfilled their obligations, and then they let us go. I’ve got to give some credit to a major for even allowing that to happen.

I was out last night, and someone walked over to me and said "Great Britain changed my life" and that's pretty amazing, 17 years on. We were trying to make a cult classic, we were not trying to make a mainstream hit, and I feel like we did that.

2011: The fall of Gallows

One of the last tours Gallows did was labelled as ‘Back to the Dives’. It was supposed to be this cool thing, us returning to small venues after selling out venues like Brixton and returning to our roots. But it was a market test, to see if there was still love for the band. And I just hate that. I think that's the biggest betrayal.

In some ways I was quite eager to do something different, and I wanted to start moving towards a rock-centred world, and I'm not sure the boys did.

I think the reality was we probably all could have just used a year off, to be honest. Then when the boys said that they were going to carry on, it was a shock to me, because I think at that point my ego was probably quite out of control and maybe that pushed me even further to do my own thing.

2011 - 2014: From all out aggression to new band Pure Love

It was fucking hard. It felt disastrous at the time, if people did come to Pure Love shows [it was] to see the fall of Frank from Gallows. They came to fuck me up and say, "What the fuck you doing?"

But the reality was, I was tired of singing about hate at that point. It was poisoning me, and that's because I wasn't releasing it in a positive way. It was really, really hard work. I had an amazing time, but there's a lot of people there that didn't want it to happen.

In 2014, after releasing just one album, Pure Love disbanded.

2015 - 2024: Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes strike

[The Rattlesnakes] was supposed to be one record. We took it all really in our stride. I think five albums in 10 years is an insane amount of work, and we'd had some crazy highs and lows.

We'd sold out Alexandra Palace. We'd survived fucking Covid as a band. Even on our last tour, we sold out two nights at the Roundhouse, back-to-back, which is an amazing feat for an independent band.

2024 - 2026: Never Mind The Bollocks, Here Comes Frank Carter and The Sex Pistols

Towards the end of [Rattlesnakes], I think we needed a break, and randomly that's when I got a call from Louis Matlock, who's Glenn Matlock's son. He's like, "My dad wants to meet you.” I'm thinking, "I don't want to meet your dad. I love the Sex Pistols. Don't ruin this for me!"

[But] Glenn is lovely. He's very quiet, very softly spoken, but a legend of music. He says "Hey, we want to do this reunion, but we can't seem to make it work with John [Lydon, original Sex Pistols frontman]. So we thought...could this work with another singer? Is that something that you would be interested in?"

I was really blindsided. I just thought he wanted to hang out and maybe write a song together, and immediately I was just like, "Yeah, I'll do it". I just knew in the very soul of me, and I gave it no thought.

The first practice I did with Paul "Cookie" Cook and Glen I thought I totally fucked it. I was really struggling, but! After that Steve Jones flew over and we had, I think, maybe two rehearsals, and then we would just go straight into three gigs. It was a beautiful, beautiful week, amazing shows.

Right off the back of that, they were like, "Hey, we've been offered this gig in Italy, do you fancy doing that?" At that point, I was like, "Yeah, cool, fuck it".

I think off the back of that, they really saw who I was and what I was about, and the next thing I know, they're like, "We're thinking about doing some gigs next year. You busy?" So it just all kind of fell together. Here we are in 2026 and we're still fucking still doing it.

[With Sex Pistols shows] rather than switching off, I switch on more. I think maybe when it's when it's your own stuff it's a lot easier to switch off and just go with the motion, but this I've had to really work at. I want to do them proud.

I've not met John, and I'd love to, but I want to do him proud as well because without him, I wouldn't be in music. I remember seeing him back in the day, skinny orange-haired maniac, and I was like, that's me! The greatest gift is being able to walk on stage with them and make them all smile. I'll be thinking about that on my deathbed. The band that gave me so much, helped me find my people, helped me find my identity, the band that gave punk rock to the world, I'm able to put smiles on their faces.

They're also all very big characters, and I'm not trying to diminish any of that. What the world needs is their fucking songs, the world needs that music more than ever now. If one young kid comes to the show with their dad or their grandparent, and they see one guitar, one bass drum, and a singer sweating, and they think "I'm going to start a ban"? Then it was all worth it.

When it comes to new Sex Pistols music, you'd have to ask the others about that. I'm ready. I've written some bits that I think would be cool with them, but l think they just really enjoy playing live. I think it would be a lot harder for them to make some new tunes now, because the whole world is watching. So, I understand the pressure. There's no pressure from me, and if they ever want to, I'd love to.

Will Gallows ever return?

With Gallows, what happened in four years with that band, it's pretty iconic. For me, I feel like there's still unfinished business there. The way it ended was sad. My brother and I, we healed, it's water under the bridge between us now, and so I don't know what the future holds.

But I think at some point, I've at least got to take those lads to dinner and see where their heads are at.

If Gallows got back together, though, I could never call it a reunion, because to me it never stopped.

Just because they went and did other records, that band is still my band, you know? If we ever went back, it wouldn't be a reunion, it would just be a return.

A teenage breakup can feel like the end of the world. For Set It Off frontman Cody Carson, it became the beginning of something even bigger.

It started with New Found Glory’s ‘Sticks and Stones’.

“I was going through a breakup – the kind of high school breakup where it hurts you unbelievably — and they really found me,” the pop punk singer opens up.

“Them, and Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance… that was my breakthrough into punk.”

Like most punk fans’ route to rebellion, his wasn’t through a political manifesto or a spikey mohawk. It was through a record that truly understood why he was crying in his bedroom.

By the early Noughties, punk looked and sounded very different from the movement that had exploded in Britain and New York in the Seventies. This time, the guitars were polished, the choruses anthemic and the songs were way more concerned with crushes, breakups and suburban boredom. Pop punk had arrived — and the genre had gone bubblegum.

Still, millions of teens wanted a taste. But had punk really lost its bite, or just found a sweeter way to deliver it?

Punk has always been pop

Punk has always been poppier than it might appear.

The Ramones wrapped catchy pop melodies in buzzsaw guitars, and made no secret of where those hooks came from.

“I hate to blow the mystique, but at the time, we really liked bubblegum music, and we really liked the Bay City Rollers,” Joey Ramone once admitted. Heck, the punk icon even revealed that the Scottish boyband’s chant-heavy hit ‘Saturday Night’ helped inspire the “Hey! Ho! Let’s go!” hook in ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’.

For Adam Lazzara, frontman of 00s emo pop punk superstars Taking Back Sunday, punk was never about following a strict musical formula, anyway.

“I think punk, to me, is that when everyone else says no, you figure out where ‘yes’ is and you go get it,” he shares as we sit down with the band.

His is a definition that feels closer to the spirit of punk than any argument about how distorted the guitars should be.

Pop punk didn’t invent punk’s sweet tooth. It just polished the production and brought those hooks to a new generation. The sound was changing, but the instinct behind it arguably hadn’t.

But, that route between punk and pop wasn’t necessarily a straight line. For American punk rock band The Menzingers, the brighter American version of punk proved to be a path back to the British bands who started it.

“I think as teenagers, the first American punk bands that we started listening to were pop punk bands like Blink-182, Green Day and then even bands like Rancid,” vocalist Greg Barnett explains.

“But when we got into The Clash, we were like, ‘Okay, there’s so much more you can do with this music than just a few chords and some pop melodies.’ The UK punk bands that we got into really expanded what we started to do musically.”

Pop punk hadn’t cut them off from punk’s past — it had led them to it.

“English punk was really huge for us, especially The Clash,” bassist Eric Keen adds, “We built the band around The Clash. We are Clash historians in a kind of ridiculous way. We love everything about them.”

The deeper they dug, the greater the punk influences that came, with Eric also naming The Specials and Cock Sparrer among the British bands who shaped them.

Fifty years on, it is the culture surrounding the music that The Menzingers’ bassist believes is still going strong.

“So much has changed, but the energy and the community, I feel, have stayed the same,” Eric explains.

“People are still going to the shows and building a community around it. That’s the most important and exciting thing to me.”

Pop punk goes mainstream

The Nineties saw Green Day and The Offspring break into the mainstream, before Blink-182, New Found Glory, Sum 41 and Fall Out Boy carried punk’s poppier side into arenas, skateparks and millions of teenage bedrooms.

For Set if Off’s Cody Carson, the appeal of this new generation came down to individual songs. “On Sticks and Stones, ‘Understatement’ was my favourite track. It probably still is,” he says.

“With Fall Out Boy, I think I’d go for ‘Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year’. And for My Chemical Romance, ‘Mama’ is one of the most interesting tracks ever written.”

Pop punk’s growing commercial power also made it easier than ever to discover. You could find it on the radio, television, a film soundtrack or the T-shirts in H&M. It became an accessible way into a much wider musical history.

What’s punk anyway?

Not everyone welcomed punk’s glossy new era. As major label budgets grew, music videos dominated MTV and choruses became increasingly radio friendly, others loved to toss around “sell-out” insults.

Motion City Soundtrack guitarist Joshua Cain has little interest in joining in.

“Who are we to police what is punk and what is not?” the rocker asks.

“We wanted to do the right things, go with our gut and make music that meant something to us. It wasn’t ever done for anybody else, and I think that’s what punk is, for me.”

“As long as your band is true to what you fucking want, I think that is pretty punk,” Cain adds.

For the US rock band’s frontman Justin Pierre, being true to yourself doesn’t have to mean staying the same forever, either.

“Being true to yourself can also mean, ‘We’re going this way with what we’re doing, and then we’re going this way with what we’re doing,’” he says.

“The systems in place want to put you in boxes. I think there is something very punk rock about doing the opposite of that.”

Set It Off’s Cody Carson has an even more direct response to anyone who says pop punk isn’t “real” punk.

“Stop putting labels on things. Stop being elitist. Stop gatekeeping,” he shares with us.

“Let people like what they like. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t affect you. Let people enjoy things!”

For all its pop punk leaning, for Minneapolis-hailing Motion City Soundtrack, punk’s meaning has become even more political today.

“We were staying out of being a super political band because it would have felt a little forced,” Joshua Cain admits, “Not that we aren’t political, but it just didn’t feel like it worked. Now, the world’s changed so much.”

With “the system so broken”, Cain tells us, “you basically have to fight for your rights at this point”.

Frontman Justin Pierre brings that fight back to something even closer to home. “Try not to look at people as the problem. It’s the systems in place,” he says, “Help your neighbours. Work in your community — just start there. It’s really simple.”

Born in the teen bedroom

Now, Set It Off are becoming the pop punk gateway band for a new generation.

“It’s surreal and it’s weird,” Carson tells us.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of bands come out that have referenced us. Friends of mine in the industry will say, ‘Dude, I keep hearing your name being used as a reference for what to work towards inside a studio when other bands are writing.’”

The songs have travelled further than he ever expected, too.

“There are so many songs where I’m just writing about what I went through specifically, and then you look out into the crowd and see someone angrily singing it back at you,” he says. “You’re like, ‘Wow, you really tied this to something in your personal life.’”

“You never expect how it’s going to reach somebody or how they’re going to connect,” he adds. “It makes us so happy and truly grateful that anybody can see us as a gateway, a connection or a way to cope.”

Sure, punk went bubblegum. But it gave another generation something to sink its teeth into all over again.

• 50 years of punk: A Shortlist celebration

HEY! HO! LET’S GO!

Fifty years after punk tore up the rulebook, its greatest songs are still as loud, shouty, catchy and as relevant as ever. Five decades of punk has democratised popular music letting anyone armed with just three chords and the truth get on stage, find their people, and change the world.

And these are some of punks best cuts. From first-wave firestarters to modern pop-punk anthems, we've enlisted some of today’s biggest punk and rock acts, alongside punk culture pioneers, to help us rank the 50 punk tracks that changed music forever. We couldn't resist throwing some of our favourites into the mix, too.

Crank up the volume, don your best Billy Idol snarl and get ready to pogo…

The 50 best punk songs, ever!

50. Rise Above — Black Flag (1981)

"Rise Above by Black Flag is one of my favorite punk songs. I grew up with The Clash and Black Flag as huge influences, and the energy of the crowd shouting 'Rise above / We gotta rise above!' gives me the adrenaline I need from punk rock sonically.

"And the statement is the truth. Every lyric to this day still resonates with me and I think shows how timeless punk will always be."

- As chosen by TX2

49. Identity — X-Ray Spex (1977)

“It’s incredible how Poly Styrene, fifty years ago, in this fast paced, danceable visceral track, epitomises the plight of many modern day young people, in the social media age especially. To the point where one’s own reflection, not living up to the desired self image, or validation that comes with the commercial and media attention, invokes an immediate response of violent self harm.... all in a 2 minute 17 second track.”

- As chosen by Joe Sangre, artist and owner of Eighties punk boutique, Pure Sex

48. Linoleum — NOFX (1994)

“One of the first songs that like really changed my world was Linolium by NoFX. But of course, it's hard because I feel like everyone might have a different definition of punk. It’s so subjective.”

- As chosen by Adam Lazarra, frontman of 2000s emo rockers Taking Back Sunday

47. MakeDamnSure — Taking Back Sunday (2006)

"Taking Back Sunday’s - MakeDamnSure, was a track that really helped shape my musical journey, it was the first time I can remember hearing lyrics that made me really feel something other than ‘Oh that’s nice’

"It was a totally new approach to storytelling that I had never witnessed prior to this song. It wasn’t cookie cutter, the toxicity, the rawness and shifts from light to dark really spoke to me. Twenty years later this track is still as current as the day it came out, in my mind!"

- As chosen by rising Australian pop metal stars Melrose Avenue

46. Ain’t Got A Clue — The Lurkers (1978)

Hailing from Uxbridge and Fulham, and proof that literally anyone could pick up an instrument and make a record, The Lurkers caught lightning in a bottle with this Ramones-style foot stomper. A definitive early punk single by the West Londoners, and an important record for label Beggars Banquet (aka Beggars) which would go on to become the home of imprints Rough Trade, XL, and Matador, paving the way for the indie explosion to come.

45. One Chord Wonders — The Adverts (1977)

Not true. The Adverts could play three chords. Just not necessarily in the right order. A John Peel favourite, and an important seminal track for Stiff Records — the eventual home of 2-tone, and organisers of the legendary Stiff Tours.

44. I’m Stranded — The Saints (1977)

They may have been Australian but this debut single from The Saints was a pitch perfect fit for the UK punk scene. Sounds writer Jonh Ingham declared it the "Single of this and every week", with The Saints kickstarting the DIY scene in their native Australia.

43. Orchestra of Wolves — Gallows (2006)

"The riff. The vocals. The absolute chaos of the whole track. It's the kind of song that makes you want to start a fucking riot. This was one of the biggest inspirations during the earliest days of MOSKITO.

"We were obsessed with chasing that same raw, guttural sound that Frank Carter's [Gallows frontman, .ed] producer at the time, Thomas Mitchener, managed to capture so perfectly. Getting to record our first two singles with Thomas was a full-circle moment for us, and he absolutely brought that same intensity into the studio. We've never been shy about our love for Frank and the impact he's had on us as a band. His music has shaped so much of what we do, and in our eyes, he goes down as one of the best to ever do it."

- As chosen by rising British rock ‘Shouty boy band’ MOSKITO

42. Jet Boy, Jet Girl — Elton Motello (1977)

“It’s outrageous, obscene and forces you to dance!”

- As chosen by Harry Martinez, singer from British rock ‘n’ rollers, Split Dogs

41. Right to Work — Chelsea (1977)

One of the major punk singles from ‘77, a rousing chorus with a political punk message, too, addressing youth unemployment, strikes, and economic decay under James Callaghan's Labour government. Chelsea's original line-up featured the soon-to-be-known-as Billy Idol on guitar — the band fractured, with Generation X rising from its ashes.

40. How Will I Rest in Peace If I'm Buried by a Highway?// — KennyHoopla (2020)

"KennyHoopla's 'How Will I Rest in Peace If I'm Buried by a Highway?//' is my favourite punk track. The first time I heard it, it felt unlike anything I'd ever listened to before, yet somehow deeply nostalgic at the same time.

"It captured the same melancholic dreamy atmosphere that bands like Joy Division created but fused with an explosive energy that felt completely fresh and magic. This song even inspired a whole era of PAVÉ's writing. Rather than hiding from feelings of anxiety or uncertainty, it embraces them, releases them, and leaves you feeling lighter by the end of the track. That wave and release of emotion is exactly what punk is about."

- As chosen by Manchester alt rock band PAVÉ vocalist Alayna-Jade

39. Where's Me Jumper? — The Sultans of Ping FC (1992)

“His mother is angry. His brother is angry. His girlfriend is angry. Even the dog. This is not a song about a jumper. This is a song about a man completely alone in the world because he misplaced an item of clothing.”

- As chosen by Otto Rot, one half of art rock-pop-comedy duo, Otto and Astrid

38. Where Have All the Boot Boys Gone? — Slaughter & The Dogs (1978)

Manchester punk legends take no prisoners with this Pistols-inspired rant which sums up the teen tensions of the time, reflecting on the broiling violence of 'suedeheads' and 'skinheads' — a subculture being increasingly being co-opted and hijacked by the far-right National Front political party of the time. There's a touch of glam here, with the band taking inspiration from Bowie, T-Rex and Slade.

37. Emergency — 999 (1978)

Led by lovable Nick Cash, 999 were masters of punk pop, and this is a belter. A huge chart hit on both sides of the Atlantic for the London punk band, it's got as much in common with the likes of Talking Heads as it does Magazine and Buzzcocks. The rest of the band's output set the stage for bands like Blink-182 and Sum 41.

36. The Possibility of Life's Destruction — Discharge (1982)

"AWAP as a band were brought up on punk, hardcore and crossover. Bands like Suicidal Tendencies, Minor Threat , Bad Religion and Dead Kennedys were joined by death metal, thrash and Motorhead in making us think and jump around in equal measure.

"One track that unites us all is by Discharge. The Possibility of Life's Destruction is razor sharp, has the pounding D-Beat that dissects a fucked up 80's world that has not changed 30 years later. Truly seminal and fucking raging."

– As chosen by Matt Mason, singer of British thrash punk band AWAP

35. Sunday Bloody Sunday — U2 (1983)

“I don't even really listen to U2, but I feel like Sunday Bloody Sunday is a pretty fucking great song that's anti-horrible things.”

- As chosen by Joshua Cain, guitarist in emo rock band Motion City Soundtrack

34. Drain the Blood — The Distillers (2003)

Brody Dalle delivers pure gravel-throated fury on a defining anthem of the 2000s punk revival. From the still-astonishing Coral Fang album, it's produced by Gil Norton, famous for his work with Pixes and Foo Fighters. That The Distillers never put out a follow up album is one of modern punk's great tragedies.

33. Shot by Both Sides — Magazine (1978)

Howard Devoto leaves The Buzzcocks and drops a scintillating slice of avant-garde punk, pointing the way to a post-punk future. Angular guitars and intellectual lyrics, but with that same vein of alienation being tapped, it's been covered by Radiohead and acts as a bridge to the new-wave 80s era to come.

32. Warhead — U.K. Subs (1980)

OG punks, led by the indefatigable Charlie Harpergargle razor blades for this dark punk anthem. The Subs play their final gig in 2027, when the frontman hits 83. Someone give this man a knighthood.

31. Understatement — New Found Glory (2002)

“My entry to punk music was pop punk, and specifically the album ‘Sticks and Stones’ by New Found Glory. I was going through a breakup - like, the high school breakup where it hurts you unbelievably - and they really found me. That was my personal breakthrough into that. Understatement was always my favourite track on the album.”

- As chosen by Cody Carson, frontman of Floridian pop punk stars, Set It Off

30. Rebel Girl — Bikini Kill (1993)

The riot grrrl anthem: raw, revolutionary and pure girl power, this is feminist punk at its sharpest. Joan Jett was in the producer's seat for this one — a real torch-passing moment for two generations of women in punk.

29. Five Corporations — Fugazi (1998)

“It’s one of the later Fugazi songs I really love, that’s so fun to listen to. I love it. It’s a fucking great song. I would advise everyone to listen to Fugazi, and to watch the Jem Cohen Fugazi documentary, Instrument.

"It is incredible. School yourselves on Fugazi because we need more Fugazi. Be the Fugazi you want to see in the world.”

- As chosen by Justin Pierre, vocalist of emo rockers Motion City Soundtrack

28. Hanging on the Telephone — The Nerves (1976)

“This is just a perfect, perfect song. Blondie’s cover of it is so good, and to me, it's just like a classic. It’s like pop punk, right? That is such a great song.”

- As chosen by Eric Keen, bassist in US punk rock outfit The Menzingers

This one's not on Spotify, so here's the original '45 version as uploaded to YouTube:

27. Boredom — Buzzcocks (1977)

Before the Buzzcocks went pure punk, this was a mantra for the time. The Deveto-era tune was self pressed in a debut batch of just 1,000 copies, the song an early, self-lacerating parody of the punk movement.

26. Top of The Pops — The Rezillos (1978)

Scotland’s finest (don’t tell The Skids), punk at its most feel-good. There's a B-Movie energy to this scathing attack on the '70s record industry, and the lip-synced era of the BBC's titular Top of the Pops. Fun fact: Guitarist Jo Callis would go on to join The Human League, and write all-time Top of The Pops classic, Don't You Want Me.

25. Come Out and Play — The Offspring (1994)

The song that launched The Offspring into the mainstream, full of anthemic punk chants and powered by that unmistakable “keep ’em separated” refrain (spoken by Jason 'Blackball' McLean, a buddy of the band who was paid $200 and a doughnut for his efforts. Hopefully he got a little more later down the line — the massive radio hit helped turn its parent album Smash into the highest-selling independent label album of all time).

24. Alternative Ulster — Stiff Little Fingers (1979)

“It's a protest song. It's unbelievably catchy; it's gruff… and Stiff Little Fingers are fucking awesome.”

- As chosen by Greg Barnett, vocals in Pennsylvanian punk band The Menzingers

23. Holiday in Cambodia — Dead Kennedys (1980)

A spine-tingling riff, coupled to a searing vocal from Jello Biafra that escalates to a brutal climax. One of the most political bands of the 80's US punk scene, Holiday... sets its sights on the hypocritical liberal college students of the era who couldn't put their protest into action.

22. Sheena Is a Punk Rocker — Ramones (1977)

The Ramones gave punk its own party anthem with this irresistible two-minute blast of bubblegum hooks, teenage rebellion and pure New York cool.

21. Ruby Soho — Rancid (1995)

A huge ’90s punk anthem, with more than a passing nod to OGs The Clash. Underneath the punchy riffs there's a soppy side to this one, with singer Tim Armstrong talking the strains of navigating life on the road while in a relationship.

20. Sound of the Suburbs — The Members (1979)

The definitive (sub)urban anthem — if The Sex Pistols were Soho, The Members were Surrey, giving voice to the boredom felt in commuter towns and middle England.

19. Search and Destroy — Iggy & The Stooges (1973)

A foundational epic that was to inspire punk on both sides of the Atlantic, from the album Raw Power - and produced by none other than David Bowie. It's original mix was so low-fi and visceral as to become legendary (and somewhat self-destructive — considered unlistenable by some quarters, a later remaster revealed Search and Destroy's more nuanced majesty. And it still kicked arse.)

18. This Is Not A Love Song — Public Image Ltd (1984)

"One of my favourite punk songs of all time is Public Image Ltd’s This Is Not a Love Song. It was one of the first punk songs I discovered as a teenager and one of the first tracks I ever learned to play on guitar. But not the original version. The version that first captivated me was this raw live recording from the Rotten to the Core bootleg, where the song feels even more chaotic and twisted.

“It’s John Lydon’s voice, the sarcasm, the aggression and the feeling of someone completely unwilling to play along. To me the song feels like a rejection of the expectations placed on artists and the contradictions of the music industry. I resonate with that a lot… The battle between authenticity and success.

“But beyond that, there is this emotional tension in the way he delivers the vocals that has always resonated with me. There is a sense of detachment, frustration and conflict, the feeling of being trapped in a game where the rules keep changing. So if you interpret the song as a love song, the song resembles the darker side of love; obsession, illusion, the power struggles and the feeling of being caught in a game where nobody really wins."

- As chosen by punk-metal-trap trailblazer, Mimi Barks

17. White Riot — The Clash (1977)

“It's got to be The Clash. They’ve got that real great punk energy. I did a movie called The House of Tomorrow, and in that film my character joins a punk band called The Rash.

"Making that movie and working with one of my best friends now, an actor called Alex Wolff, who's also an incredible musician, introduced me to all sorts of punk music for that whole shoot.”

- As chosen by actor Asa Butterfield

16. Gary Gilmore’s Eyes — The Adverts (1978)

TV Smith’s earworm about a US serial killer probably has the finest final lyric in punk history: 'Gary and his eyes have parted company', documenting the real-life story of US murderer Gary Gilmore, who donated his organs to medical science before his execution. Despite the subject matter, it still made its way to Top of the Pops — and caused a tabloid outcry in the process.

15. Ready Steady Go — Generation X (1978)

The West London punk band that kick started frontman Billy Idol’s firm icon status - Ready Steady Go is fast, fun and full of more energy than you can shake a (Billy Idol-style) fist at.

14. Another Girl Another Planet — The Only Ones (1978)

A perfect combo of punk attitude and power pop romance, driven by one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time. Covered by every good pop-rock band worth their salt (The Replacements' live version might even surpass the original), this one's not only one of the great punk songs, but the best pop songs, period.

13. Anarchy in the UK — Sex Pistols (1977)

Look up punk in any dictionary and we can guarantee you’ll see one thing: a picture of the Sex Pistols. The definitive snarling punk anthem. "I am an Antichrist / I am an anarchist", an opening line for the ages, setting a confrontational, nihilistic tone that challenged 1970s British establishment values. A few days after its release, the band were a last minute replacement for Queen on the prime time Today show, hosted by Bill Grundy on Thames Television. It's a classic TV meltdown, with the Sex Pistols shocking middle-England to its core with their vulgar language and tearaway image — and acting as a wake up call to a generation of TV-glued disaffected youth across the nation.

12. Neat Neat Neat — The Damned (1977)

The second Damned single and another solid gold punk classic. Frantic and fabulous, a breakneck track that showcases drummer Rat Scabies lightning-fast work behind the kit.

11. Cherry Bomb — The Runaways (1976)

A snarling teenage rebel anthem that paved the way for generations of women in punk, it's a tail-end-of-glam clarion call for the punk era just over the horizon. That 'Hello daddy, hello mom / I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!' line? Delivered by the then-15-year-old Cherie Currie, with the song written on the spot for Currie's audition by Joan Jett and Kim Fowley. Madness.

10. Amyl and the Sniffers — Jerkin’ (2024)

The Aussie outfit are arguably the greatest punk band to emerge in at least the past twenty years, and frontwoman Amy Taylor’s shouts of “Keep jerkin' on your squirter / You will never get with me!” are pure punk perfection.

9. Oh Bondage Up Yours — X-Ray Spex (1977)

Wildly original, with a startling vocal from Poly Styrene. Feminist, original and a total punk icon. Spearing the consumer culture, corporate commercialism, and societal expectations placed on young women, X-Ray Spex were true pioneers, a mixed-race, mixed-gender band bringing saxophones, jazz sensibilities and the kitchen sink to the guitar-focussed punk scene.

8. What’s My Age Again? — Blink 182 (1999)

Bratty, ridiculous and insanely catchy — the song that helped pop punk explode into the mainstream. It's tale of arrested development saw them leading the pop punk charge, in no small part thanks to the band's knack for a funny video at the height of MTV's power — this is the one where they're legging it down the street in their birthday suits.

7. Teenage Kicks — The Undertones (1978)

Three minutes of perfectly told teen longing - all in one perfect pop song. The influential DJ John Peel's favourite song ('Teenage dreams so hard to beat' is engraved on his headstone), its lovelorn lyrics an antidote to The Troubles tearing The Undertones' native Northern Ireland apart.

6. Buzzcocks — Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) (1978)

Inspired by a line from Guys & Dolls, Ever Fallen in Love isn’t just a punk classic - it’s clever, and one of the catchiest songs ever written. Bisexual Pete Shelley moves away from punk's nihilism for a heart-on-sleeve lyric about unrequited love and silent longing — written at a time when male sexuality was viewed in mono as simply focussed on 'booze and birds'. There's never been a better song about heartbreak.

5. American Idiot — Green Day (2004)

The rousing punk anthem spurred a whole new generation of punks, with just as much attitude… and even catchier riffs. A challenge to the dim-witted George Bush Jr. presidency, the Iraq War and sensationalised news cycle, it reinvigorated the band, seeing music fans re-evaluate Green Day as no mere pop-punkers, but as the politically-charged punk flag bearers of the era.

4. Blitzkrieg Bop — Ramones (1976)

“Oh gosh, it’s so fun! I feel like my favourite punk songs started when I played Guitar Hero as a kid - which is weirdly what got me into like rock music initially. That was kind of my first exposure to music.”

- As chosen by US metal singer Scene Queen

3. God Save The Queen — Sex Pistols (1977)

“For me, the greatest punk record of all time is the Sex Pistols' 1977 single God Save the Queen. I believe you should always judge a record by its cover, and Jamie Reid's artwork has become one of the most iconic record sleeves ever created.

“While fiercely anti-establishment, it cleverly uses the Queen's portrait and the Union Jack, giving it an unmistakably British identity. These striking graphics spoke to me personally and perfectly captured a defining moment in British history. The artwork reflects the anger, energy, and attitude of the music itself, becoming a powerful symbol of youth rebellion and the punk movement.”

- As chosen by Endless, acclaimed artist famed for his punk window takeover for Liberty

2. London Calling — The Clash (1979)

“Punk is the textbook of my life. It’s my Bible. Choosing one song is tough, but for me, London Calling is the best. It doesn’t sound like punk - that’s why I love it!”

As chosen by Japanese metal band, SiM

1. New Rose — The Damned (1976)

“The first British punk single, and still the best, New Rose arrived with a bang in October ‘76, months before the Pistols ‘Anarchy…’ made its debut, in the process creating a template for hundreds of bands to follow. It’s two minutes of pure, perfect, punk adrenalin. Rat Scabies’ machine gun drumming, Brian James’ chopping guitar, Captain Sensible’s bouncing bass and Dave Vanian’s rollercoaster vocal, captured in all their chaotic live brilliance by producer Nick Lowe.

“The first time I heard vampire wannabe Dave Vanian ask ‘Is she really going out with him?’ it was instant inspiration. I knew I had to form a band - or write a fanzine. I chose the latter. Unlike the Pistols, The Damned weren’t interested in anarchy or monarchy. They were rock ‘n’ roll funsters. Suddenly my Pink Floyd records sounded very old. New Rose grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, and 50 years later, it still hasn’t let go.”

- As chosen by Steve Keaton (nee May), influential former Sounds magazine punk journalist, and publisher of Tales of Dayglow fanzine

• 50 years of punk: A Shortlist celebration

On November 6th 1975 in a half-empty London art college, four snarling teens took to the stage and changed music forever. Building on Reggae’s rebellious spirit, borrowing MC5’s energy and channelling The Velvet Underground’s spiky abrasion, these caustic kids called themselves The Sex Pistols.

Their snarling, uniquely scrappy sound immediately turned heads - and it was swiftly labelled ‘punk’. Inspiring The Buzzcocks, The Clash and The Damned to dash out and pick up guitars, The Pistols’ slimy sonic concoction cut distortion-soaked anthems with intoxicatingly unadulterated London swagger.

Fifty years later, the UK punk scene’s influence is still inescapable. Touching everything from fashion to activism, spawning multiple musical subgenres, and with its DIY ethos embedded into the DNA of hip hop and even indie filmmaking, the ‘70s punk explosion didn't just birth a genre – it kickstarted a creative revolution.

So rather than look backwards ourselves, we handed the mic to five musicians who've lived with punk's influence for decades. From their favourite UK punk tracks to the modern London scene and the movement's enduring legacy, here's what they had to say. Happy 50th, punk - here’s to another 50 years of power chords, politics and provocation.

Steve Sladkowski (PUP)

• Standout UK punk track: "I'm So Bored With The USA" – The Clash

PUP have spent the last decade cementing themselves as one of modern punk's most vital bands, carrying the genre's DIY spirit from Toronto dive bars to festival main stages around the world.

For guitarist Steve Sladkowski, though, it all starts with Britain. From discovering his dad's Clash records as a kid to standing on the legendary Roundhouse stage himself, he explains why London's punk legacy still casts a long shadow over music today.

What was your first memory of hearing UK punk?

Steve Sladkowski: My Dad! I found his record collection when I was a kid, and The Clash and The Sex Pistols were tucked alongside other UK new wave stuff like Elvis Costello, XTC and Squeeze.

What does the phrase 'London punk' mean to you?

Sladkowski: LLondon punk is anti-capitalist and cosmopolitan. It understands the indelible influence of the Windrush Generation on the aesthetics of punk. It’s The Roundhouse and Vivienne Westwood and the Brixton Riots. It rules.

Who are the most important UK punk band?

Sladkowski: The Clash.

How has the London punk scene influenced you?

Sladkowski: PUP headlined the Roundhouse. Where the London Calling album cover photo was taken. Are you fucking kidding me?!

What do you think of the London punk scene today?

Sladkowski: It’s dynamic and noisy and progressive and endlessly fascinating. Bob Vylan, ‘nuff said.

It's now been 50 years since the UK punk explosion. What do you think is its greatest legacy?

Sladkowski: Class and racial solidarity scares power.

Steph Carter (Former Gallows guitarist)

• Standout UK punk track: "Pretty Vacant" – Sex Pistols

Steph Carter has lived punk from almost every angle imaginable. He helped define one of Britain's fiercest hardcore bands with Gallows before taking that same DIY philosophy into one of music's biggest brands as the Director of Culture Marketing for Marshall. For Carter, punk's greatest achievement wasn't simply changing music; it rewrote the rules for culture, creativity and self-expression.

What was your first memory of hearing UK punk?

Steph Carter: Hearing a friend’s band cover Pretty Vacant at school. I knew the song already, but seeing it played live like that really connected for me - it had an energy that felt different. That moment sent me down a rabbit hole, discovering the original bands and everything that came with them.

Who is your favourite band from the original era of British punk?

Carter: I’ve always loved The Clash - they’re a very close second - but for me, it has to be the Sex Pistols. ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’ is such a seminal record. There’s something about Steve Jones’ guitar playing that really stands out - it’s deceptively simple, but incredibly intentional. Every note feels like it’s there for a reason. Having had the chance to play through Steve’s rig myself, it really struck me that no one quite sounds like him. The moment he picks up a guitar, it’s instantly recognisable.

What does the phrase 'London punk' mean to you?

Carter: Cultural impact. It goes beyond the music: it’s art, fashion, and activism all rolled into one. It’s rooted in the bands that kick-started the genre, but just as importantly, it’s about the path they created for everyone who’s followed.

How has the London punk scene influenced you?

Carter: The DIY ethos is something that’s always been ingrained in me. In every band I’ve played in, I’ve been involved in recording and producing the music in some shape or form. When we were making ‘Grey Britain’, Frank and I actually recorded all the vocals in our mums’ house - we drilled a hole through the wall between our rooms, used one as a live room and the other as a control room. Then there’s the performance side - there’s a real freedom in the energy of playing punk rock. It’s raw, immediate, and completely honest.

What do you think of the London punk scene today?

Carter: The familiar stereotypes, like punks hanging out on a bridge in Camden, are still there, but the scene has moved forward. What really stands out today is the strength of new music and how it continues to push boundaries. Punk isn’t just a genre, it’s an attitude. There’s a new generation coming through that’s challenging the status quo. With everything happening in the world, there’s no shortage of fuel, and punk remains a powerful platform for bands to stand up, speak out, and say something that matters.

What's your favourite moment in punk history?

Carter: For me, it’s about how punk constantly defies expectations - how bands take something raw and make it resonate with bigger and bigger audiences. Punk keeps reinventing itself, pushing beyond what anyone thinks it can be. There isn’t a defining moment in punk history, because the best one hasn’t happened yet.

Charlie Longman (Clobber)

• Standout UK punk track: “That’s like picking a favourite strand of fucking hair! Off the top of my head: ‘Clampdown’ - The Clash …NO! ‘Love Song’ The Damned… Oh, fuck off.”

Nobody in this feature embodies punk's refusal to self-edit quite like Charlie Longman. The Clobber frontman delivers equal parts humour, honesty and chaos, bouncing from the Sex Pistols' cultural impact to modern political punk without ever sounding rehearsed. If anyone proves punk hasn't lost its bite after 50 years, it's him.

What was your first memory of hearing UK punk?

Charlie Longman: My mum and dad used to watch a weekly documentary series called “I heart the 1970s’. Every week was about a different year from the ‘70s. The first exposure I ever had to punk was 6 years old watching the episode that covered the Sex Pistols. I was terrified but excited by them. I had no interest in music really before that but that half hour of telly blew my fucking brain open. Ugly, can’t play, dress like a cunt. Well done. Punk is for you!

Who are the most important UK punk band?

Longman: Of all time? The Sex Pistols. Opinions on them aside, the legacy of that band is the reason the world knows about punk and the reason you’re writing this article. Without the Bill Grundy interview, the story of Sid’s death and the whole saga I truly don’t think it would have evolved beyond the grassroots. People paying to go see them now with Frank Carter on vocals is a testament to that as well.

Right now? The Menstrual Cramps. That band take no prisoners, never compromise, talk about stuff they actually fucking live and do grass roots political movements without showboating or for clout.

What does the phrase 'London punk' mean to you?

Longman: A white guy with dreadlocks in a Subhumans T shirt asking me for guestlist because he spent all his money on K and Buckfast.

It's now been 50 years since the UK punk explosion. What do you think is its greatest legacy?

Longman: That there is a punk scene in any corner of the globe. Kids from different walks of life are taking it in cool new directions every day. It’s the voice of the revolution, the party, the struggle, the pub, the terraces, the attitude behind your favourite movie or comic book series. It’s the reason you had friends in secondary school and the reason you left your hometown. It never sleeps and it keeps on getting better.

Ian Shelton (Militarie Gun)

• Standout UK punk track: "Mannequin" – Wire

Few modern hardcore bands have bridged the gap between melody and mayhem quite like Militarie Gun. But for frontman Ian Shelton, that balancing act didn't start in California—it started with Britain's first wave of punk.

From The Adicts to Wire, Shelton explains why UK punk's humour, hooks and refusal to play by the rules still influence everything his band does today.

Who is your favourite band from the original era of British punk?

Ian Shelton: The Addicts. I saw them when I was in eighth grade and they're one of my favourite bands of all time. The singer [Keith Warren] wears face paint inspired by A Clockwork Orange and I was obsessed with that film as a teenager. When you're a fucked up kid in a small town getting in fights with other kids, you watch a movie like Clockwork Orange and it really resonates with you that they're going down a bad path. The parallels of that film to punk, and the embrace of it in punk by The Addicts I thought was really cool. I think they're kind of brushed under the rug as far as the first wave of punk goes.

How has the UK punk scene influenced you?

Shelton: Something that The Addicts do that we do as well is have a dark subject matter over a really poppy song. A song like ‘Easy Way Out’ is so catchy, but it's about killing yourself. It's that pairing of dark subject matter and poppy melody that I think the sex Pistols also do well …It’s the British humour that goes with it. It's very tongue in cheek -very aggressive if you're not on the inside of it - and that’s something that I really respond to.

What do you think is UK punk's greatest legacy?

Shelton: The wit and biting nature of it. The sense that you're not involved, the ambiguous ‘you’ - pointing at the world and saying that you are not one of us. I think that's great!

What do you think of the London punk scene today?

Shelton: We love bands like Chubby and the gang and UK punk as a whole because it just gives you a certain feeling. I remember hearing The Flex and Violent Reaction, and falling in love with those bands really quickly, because it’s unmitigated aggression paired with the littlest bit of melody. That’s very UK punk to me. Another big part of UK punk that bleeds over into my life is the tradition of Oi. I think that the current moment of Oi influenced punk and hardcore is completely due to the UK punk scene.

What does the phrase 'London punk' mean to you?

Shelton: It means melody, it means rock and roll, it means protest - and at its core - upsetting people.

Daniel P Carter (BBC Radio 1 Rock Show host, and member of Reclus.e, A, Krokodil, and Bloodhound Gang)

• Standout UK punk track: "London Is The Reason" – Gallows

For nearly two decades, Daniel P Carter has been one of Britain's loudest advocates for alternative music.

Whether introducing listeners to tomorrow's breakthrough bands on the Radio 1 Rock Show or performing himself, he's watched punk evolve without ever losing sight of what made it special in the first place. Fifty years on, he believes its influence stretches further than ever.

Who is your favourite band from the original era of British punk?

Daniel P Carter: I’d probably say The Damned. I love that they have such a broad palette musically, especially with the darker, gothier stuff. I think you can really hear their influence on a bunch of early US Hardcore bands as well, which rules. I would also maybe add as a caveat that I am partial to the new incarnation of the Sex Pistols with Frank Carter fronting it.

What's your favourite moment in punk history?

Carter: Ian MacKaye [Minor Threat] hearing ‘Expensive Sound’ by [British punk band] Empire for the first time.

What does the phrase 'London punk' mean to you?

Carter: I guess it’s weird how certain cities have massive music scenes attached to them. Be it Seattle with Grunge, Berlin with Krautrock, Kingston with Ska and Reggae, Manchester with baggy, but Punk just feels tied to London. Even though there’s probably a bunch of older New Yorkers who would have something to say about that…

It's now been 50 years since the UK punk explosion. What do you think is its greatest legacy?

Carter: That to this day it’s still influencing musicians, artists, activists, designers and creatives the world over.

Reclus.e play Outbreak London August 23rd alongside Deftones, AFI, Interpol and more

• 50 years of punk: A Shortlist celebration

Here we're revisiting an incredible chat with the high priestess of New York punk, Patti Smith, as she runs through the soundtrack of her life, in her own words.

Playlists at the ready...

As a singer, songwriter and poet, few artists have been as influential or iconic as Patti Smith.

Launched into the wider consciousness with her legendary record Horses, she played a huge part in defining the punk rock movement of the mid-70s. Since then she has worked with a variety of artists, inspired another generation and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

We spoke to Patti to discover her Ultimate Playlist. Read on for some great selections, and the fascinating stories behind them.

Favourite Movie Soundtrack Song

"Well that I had trouble with because I tend to like the music in a song and I had to really go back to think of songs that I like — like Shenandoah or something from old movies, or High Noon - Do Not Forsake Me O My Darlin

"But in modern soundtracks maybe like the Naked Lunch soundtrack or Philip Glass's Mishima, or the soundtrack to Melancholia, which has a lot of music from Tristan and Isolde.

"I quite like instrumental tracks. I'm friends with Philip and I often perform with him. But just as a fan the Mishima soundtrack is, I think, one of his great pieces."

Favourite Sad Song

"There are so many beautiful sad songs, but I think Skeeter Davis' End of the World. To me it expresses all young girls' heartbreak, that we've all experienced.

"I'm just speaking as a female, but there's something so plaintive and so sincere about her delivery and I used to listen to it when I was a young girl, probably crying over a boy that I liked in 11th grade. Even when I hear it now it produces a pain."

Favourite Dance Track

"Again, I would have to go back —I think Heatwave by Martha and The Vandellas. I love to dance to that.

"I love to dance, y'know? To all different eras — I just have to find the right rhythm, but if I find the right rhythm I can just dance all night. But that's a song when I think of, just total abandon as a teenager, that was a great song to dance to."

Favourite Song That No One Else Has Heard Of

"Two songs come to my mind. One is a song by a Scottish girl, it's called John Anderson. It's a little song that a woman is singing about her husband who is now old, but was once beautiful. The other song that I think of is If I Can't Have You by Etta & Harvey. Etta James used to sing with Harvey Fuqua and it's an awesome song.

"No one knows about it — I've asked a million people. There's just something so... It's a very sensual, badass song!"

"And another! It's called Today's the Day by Maureen Gray. This song is, for me, one of the greatest songs, a young teenage girl singing it, it's just the exuberance of this song. I used to dance to it when I was like 15.

"When I hear that song, I have to stop and dance, it's incredible. I forgot about it for years and then I recently told my daughter about it, I said 'wanna hear a great song?' And I found it on YouTube and I leapt up and started dancing and she went 'Mommy!' I was just so excited to hear it.

"What's beautiful about this song is she's singing about her boyfriend, who is leaving — I don't know if he was drafted or what, because there were a lot of songs when I was a teenager about boys going off to Korea or then Vietnam. But she's singing it — 'Today's the day that you're going away' — with such exuberance, but she's heartbroken."

Favourite Wedding Song

"I was thinking about that and I could say something more esoteric — at my wedding we played very classical things like the music to Tristan and Isolde. But Today I Met The Boy I'm Gonna Marry is such a great song. I think Darlene Love sings it, it's such a nice little song."

"When I think about it, those are the kind of songs....all those Darlene Love songs or a song like He's a Rebel. Because for me, when I think of my husband, when he was young, when we first met, that song suited him. He's a rebel — and I would just as much like to hear that at my wedding, because I married my rebel."

Favourite Modern Song

"I'm really not so connected with current music. I don't know what's around because I get hooked on a song for a long time — like I was hooked on Rolling In the Deep for a year, and it was all I listened to. And the last song I was hooked on was Stay by Rihanna, I love this song, and I'm still listening to it.

"When I'm hooked on a song it's usually a very popular song that I'll hear on the radio, or I'll hear in a store and I'll go 'What's that?' And it's usually a song that, as a singer, I relate to. I don't really buy that many records, because I'm still listening to Jimi Hendrix!

"Being devoted to a certain singer or a certain group is one of the joys, I think, of being young. At this time in my life I have so much work I'm doing, so many things I'm preoccupied with, so I don't find myself devoted to new bands — it doesn't mean I don't like them, it's just that I'm busy with my own work. So I'm more likely to be seduced by a certain song on the radio.

And I loved this little song Stay — the quality of her voice is so touching — it harks back to these 60s R&B songs we've been talking about, she has that quality in her voice. Usually I'm attracted to a female voice, like the first time I heard Amy Winehouse, I didn't know who that was and I thought 'That is a voice, that is a very, very special voice' and certainly if Amy was still here, I'd be saying 'Whatever Amy is singing'.

"Also, Neil Young has a new album and there's two songs on it. One is Love and Only Love — that's song's awesome. But the song I really love is Walk Like A Giant. I toured a bit with Neil so I got to hear it live — I actually bought the record of this album.

"This one particular song, it's like a song that speaks for his generation — which was also my late husband's generation because Fred played with the MC5, they were a very political band, they wanted to change the world. I'm really a 70s artist, even though Neil and I are the same age, I started later in the 70s. But when they were teenagers, people like Fred and Neil were creating our cultural voice and this song is so deeply touching. He's just like 'I wanna walk like a giant'. To me, I interpret it as Neil remembering that feeling of when you're young and you feel like you can change the world, you're a young giant. And then you suffer so many setbacks and you're trampled upon and Neil's standing up again and saying 'I'm not gonna sit back', he's reclaiming this sensation and this mission.

"So it's quite great. Not the kind of the song you're going to hear on the radio a lot, but it's current and it's relevant and wonderful."

Favourite Song From Your Childhood

"When I was a little girl, like any child I listened to songs like Big Rock Candy Mountain — these songs that were popular — Ugly Duckling... y'know, children's songs. But I remember quite clearly being about 5 or 6 years old and hearing, while walking with my mother to Bible school and some teenage boys were playing a record on a record player outside, The Girl Can't Help It by Little Richard.

"And I was really just 5 or 6 and... I don't know what happened - I can still feel it, even though it happened like, what, '62, 60..some years ago? I let go of my mother's hand and just ran toward the record player.

"This song, it just connected with me. Something about the rawness. I didn't know rock 'n' roll, rock 'n' roll was still evolving, I didn't even know the word rock 'n' roll, but that made a huge impression on me."

"The other song that I deeply connect with my childhood is the Aria Un Bel Di from Madame Butterfly.

"The first time I heard that on the radio I was around 7, and I had the same experience. The same intense sense of recognition. I've always thought that interesting, that the two songs that so deeply attracted to me, both have strong vocals: the passion and beauty of Un Bel Di and just the raw energy of Little Richard. These were the two poles that attracted me as a child."

Favourite Lyric From A Song

"There's a million of 'em, so it would change, like 10 minutes from now! So I didn't know how to answer this. It's so hard because every Bob Dylan lyric in the world is running through my head — 'I got nothing, Ma, to live up to' — what a great line. And then I think about 'Nothing is real and nothing to get hung up about' from Strawberry Fields, I just love that."

"But maybe on the other side — because they're two dark lyrics — my favourite, if I had to take a lyric and put it on my tombstone, I would take Jimi Hendrix, 'Hooray I awake from yesterday'.

"Every day I think of that line. It gives me hope, it also reinforces how wonderful it is to be alive, no matter how rough things are. I often think that when I wake up — sometimes I have aches and pains, or a little headache, or I feel down or something. I think y'know, 'you're alive — hooray I wake from yesterday'.

"It's from my favourite Jimi Hendrix song, 1983...A Merman I Should Turn To Be. It's my favourite song I think — if I had to only pick one song in the world, it would be that. It also has the line which I took and borrowed for Horses: 'It's much too bad that our friends can't be with us today.' That's from that song."

Favourite One-Hit Wonder

"So many songs I have loved, I never knew anything else that the artist ever did — like My Hero by The Blue Notes, I Love You Truly, Dead Man Stroll or Endless Sleep. There's probably more modern ones that I like, because even though I don't write hits myself, if I could write them I would! What's more wonderful than a song that everybody loves and everybody wants to dance to?

"I came from being a lower middle class kid in Southern New Jersey — where would we be without our songs? Without the radio, without the songs that we danced to that spoke to us?

"I went a certain path, or I have the ability to improvise, or maybe write songs that are interesting. Hopefully they're compelling or make people think — but I don't have that Smokey Robinson gift. It's a true gift, people that write songs that touch the public consciousness, that just connect with them, it's a different kind of artistry and I marvel at that. Even if you only write one hit though, it's pretty great! You write one hit, you can live your whole life on that hit!"

Favourite Song From Your Own Music

"That's difficult, because I have parallel thoughts about that. I have to say though, the pieces I'm most proud of are usually the improvisation pieces. On almost every record there's been one song that's been completely improvised. Whether it's Birdland, Radio Baghdad or Gandhi, or Constantine's Dream. I would be more likely to gravitate toward them.

"It's funny because I rarely listen to my own records. Sometimes it's hard to listen to one's own voice — you think 'I'd rather be listening to someone else's voice'. But I do them with everything that I have to give. I'd rather other people choose their favourite track! But I'm proud of our records, we do the best we can.

"I like the improvised songs, because since I don't write hits — I don't do that, I don't know how to do that — I know that's something I can do. I can go into a studio and be concerned about the Bush administration going into Baghdad and create a 14 minute improvisation in Radio Baghdad. I study, contemplate and think about these things and then we offer an improvisation. I'm proud of that because that's something that we do, that's our speciality."

• 50 years of punk: A Shortlist celebration

Across three seasons, and against all expectations (having started out life as an annoying NBC Sports commercial), Jason Sudeikis’s endlessly optimistic coach has won over a huge global viewership.

In the unlikely event that you have no clue what it’s all about, the show follows the travails of a clueless American sports coach airlifted in to manage a struggling English football team. Our bumbling hero doesn’t only need to learn the customs of a strange new land, he also needs to learn the rules of a sport for which he has no working understanding.

It’s classic fish-out-of-water stuff, delivered in a decidedly non-confrontational tone. You could even say that it’s a little cheesy from time to time. OK, a lot of the time.

But there’s a certain well-meaning spirit – an unabashed sense of positivity and empathy – that makes the show feel weirdly revolutionary. Or it did, at least, during its first two seasons.

• "It's the best you're going to get on set": Ted Lasso's new S4 stars Faye Marsay, Abbie Hern, and Jude Mack go offside

After a slightly rocky season three, we’ve got all our appendages crossed that the series can return to form.

The show’s popularity and its rose-tined vision of a particularly affluent slice of London has led to a huge uptick in Ted Lasso tourism. Sure enough, you can visit many of the locations that have formed the backdrop of Lasso’s gently amusing misadventures.

Thankfully, there’s no need to sign up to an oversubscribed Ted tour. Check out the following places you can visit from the show, and form your own Lasso itinerary.

1. Selhurst Park stadium

Lasso’s AFC Richmond play at Nelson Road Stadium (aka "The Dog Track") – a fictitious stadium for a fictitious team. Apologies if that’s shattered the illusions of any of our American readers not totally clued up on UK football. The good news is that the stadium used to stand in for Nelson Road in the show is very much real and open to visits, albeit located an hour or so away from Richmond in South London. Selhurst Park is where Premier League stalwarts and 2025 FA Cup winners Crystal Palace play their home games.

• Holmesdale Road, London, SE25 6PU

2. Paved Court

That cobbled alley leading to Ted’s apartment is just too darned quaint to be real. Surely it’s a set, you might be thinking?

Nope.

Type ‘Paved Court, Richmond’ into Google Maps, and you’ll be taken to a delightfully narrow street in a wealthy South West London suburb, flanked by art galleries, perfumeries, delis, and other delightful independent shops catering to the monied middle classes. Rather conveniently, it also leads you to two of the other iconic locations from the show...

• 1 Paved Ct, Richmond, London, TW9 1LZ

3. Richmond Green

You know those scenes where Ted and Coach Beard sit on a bench in a picturesque English park? Or where Ted wanders through said park, conversing amiably with another cast member or interacting with a member of the Great British public? That’s generally Richmond Green – a park right in the middle of Ted’s neighbourhood, right around the corner from his apartment (in real life as in fiction). Richmond Park is technically owned by the British monarchy, and has been a going concern ever since the Middle Ages, when it used to play host to jousting tournaments.

• The Green, Richmond, London, TW9 1LX

4. The Prince's Head pub

The name of this pub probably isn’t ringing any bells, but it’s the 300-year-old watering hole used for the exterior shots of Ted’s local pub, The Crown & Anchor. And yes, it really is situated right next to Ted’s apartment, as well as his local green.

By all means, head in and sup a pint of London Pride – it’s a Fullers pub after all – but do bear in mind that the interior is not used in the show. They switch over to a set built at West London Film Studios when the action heads indoors. Talking of which...

• 28 The Green, Richmond, London, TW9 1LX

5. The SkyEX Community Stadium

AFC Richmond’s training ground turns out to be yet another real working football location. Ted’s chaotic training scenes are put together at The SkyEX Community Stadium, which is the 3,000-seater home ground of Hayes & Yeading United Football Club.

As you’d expect from these more humble surroundings, it belongs to a team situated much lower in the football pyramid than AFC Richmond, plugging away in the eighth tier of English football. It’s also right next to West London Film Studios, where many of the show’s interior scenes are shot.

• Beaconsfield Rd, Hayes, London, UB4 0SL

6. Richmond riverside

From Ted’s Richmond Green hub, head south-west towards the Thames river. At this point, turn left along the river and you’ll find yourself encountering many of the locations and background elements used in the show, including the Gaucho Argentinian steakhouse and Richmond Bridge.

Keep walking for 40 minutes or so and you’ll eventually come to Eel Pie Island and the Twickenham Rowing Club, where a scene with Roy, his niece Phoebe, and Keeley was shot in season two.

• Richmond, London, TW9 1EP

7. Rivoli Ballroom

Remember the scene in the first season where the team attended a charity gala and aired out their grievances at the dinner table? That was shot in Rivoli Ballroom, a Grade II listed building and the last remaining 1950s ballroom of its kind in the capital.

You’ll need to head over to the South East of the city to see it, but it’s a real slice of history and a frequent cinematic prop. The venue has been used in numerous TV shows and movies besides Ted Lasso, including Killing Eve, Wonka, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

• 350 Brockley Rd, London, SE4 2BY

8. Wembley Stadium

Two thirds of the way through season two of the show, AFC Richmond play Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Which venue is used to fill in for the prestigious home of football, you might wonder? Well, there isn’t one. That really is Wembley Stadium that the team steps out onto ahead of the game.

It's home of the England national team, host to pretty much every major cup and promotion playoff final in the country’s professional club game, and the go-to stadium stop for any travelling megastar. Hallowed turf, in other words, and well worth a visit regardless of the Ted Lasso link.

• South Way, Wembley, London, HA9 0WS

• The best Apple TV shows you really need to be streaming (August 2026)

When I first moved into my current London flat five years ago, there wasn’t even a hint of a problem. We happily connected our aerial cable and had everything we could want right on the telly.

But, as the years went by, my precious channels started to disappear; at first gradually and then all of a sudden, leaving only the BBC HD ones guaranteed to be working without the picture going and turning into pixelated blocks.

It was every telly addict's nightmare. But a new streaming solution might just save the day (and your binge-watching evenings, of course).

The problem with apps

Of course, I’m perfectly happy with streaming TV, but it doesn’t always work the way you hope. Not everything streams live; certain apps (looking at you, ITVx) are a bit of a nightmare to navigate, and there’s a whole cohort of mid-range free channels (the likes of Really, Dave and Drama) that don’t even have a streaming home.

Beyond that, there’s nothing quite like channel hopping around for some light entertainment; there’s a comfort in having everything at your fingertips in an all-in-one guide to browse when you’re indecisive and have no idea what to put on.

"Watching telly is still a huge part of our culture," says Alex Arbab-Zadeh, COO of Manhattan TV.

"Watching live broadcasts gives people a shared experience – big news events, sports, or even just trending shows that everyone watches and then talks about. Some experiences are just more meaningful when you know you're watching along with everyone else."

As a gameshow fan, that always used to mean throwing on Challenge and watching some reruns of The Chase in the background. Sadly, that’s not an experience that’s easily available via streaming services, where you actively need to have something in mind that you want to watch. I didn’t just give up on terrestrial telly immediately (after all, I’m paying my TV license), but after months of chasing building management to get the aerial working led to nothing, we eventually just stuck to watching The Traitors over iPlayer.

I wondered why nobody else in our building had complained about this, but it seems they all mostly watch streaming TV too, so it’s never been a priority to fix. In fact, this is all a bit of a “grey area” for renters. Of course, a management company should mend a communal aerial, but if they don’t, it’s not like there’s a law requiring landlords or building companies to sort these things out. There are likely obligations in a lease agreement, sure, but management didn’t bother with repairs and, unsurprisingly, it’s not something any renter can tackle themselves.

Enter Freely

Thankfully, Freely is not only the answer to my specific issue, but also to a long list of TV woes — whether your aerial cable is dodgy, you don’t have an aerial connection in a particular room, you have poor weather, signal interference, or a lack of HD channels over the terrestrial signal.

What is Freely, then? Think of it as the long-overdue upgrade to Freeview. Created by the UK's core broadcasters, it streams live TV straight over your Wi-Fi into a unified programme guide, so you can watch things as they’re broadcast.

It also offers a great range of channels including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5, and saves you from needing rooftop aerials, satellite dishes, or set-top box installations.

Small box, big upgrade

Given that most solutions with baked-in Freely are built into televisions themselves, and I was very much happy with the TV I already had, just a tiny box full of channels was what I needed.

And exactly what Manhattan has made with its Aero 4K. It costs £89, and affordably brings the Freely service to any TV, even my ageing Samsung.

I got the Manhattan Aero 4K up and running in about five minutes; you just plug it into the HDMI and power, and you’re sorted, with no subscription to worry about. And, yes, although it really shouldn’t need to be said: yes, of course you still need to pay for your TV license!

Using the Manhattan Aero 4K is as straightforward as it gets. It runs on TiVo OS rather than Android TV, and I find that a cleaner, simpler and more integrated experience that’s less about streaming-first. You have a “Guide” button on the remote that takes you straight to your old-school electronic programme guide (EPG) and I’ve found channels load fast, and it’s great that you also get access to TiVo+'s 400-plus free FAST channels (that means “free ad-supported TV”) including Sony Action Hits, the Pokemon channel, Bloomberg, CNN, plus movie and sports channels, too.

"People can buy a very affordable device like the Aero, then find that it has upgraded their viewing experience to such an extent that their old TV actually feels like a brand-new set," Arbab-Zadeh told Shortlist.

While Freely itself is in HD rather than 4K, this hardware supports 4K streaming and brings you all the services you expect too: all the UK catch-up platforms (integrated into the guide) and Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and YouTube are all present. The only major omission I noticed was Apple TV, which is a shame, and one that's hopefully rectified soon. Size-wise, it’s similar to a Sky Stream puck and a little smaller than an Apple TV box, so you won’t have trouble placing it anywhere.

There aren’t many downsides. I did notice it’s not as fast as the Apple TV device that I’m used to using for my streaming; the remote can be temperamental, and I do experience a little lag hopping between menus. It also doesn’t play along with my TV audio quite as well as I hoped, and it’s worth remembering you can't record telly from it. You'd need a different box that probably requires an aerial connection if you care about that. For Freely and getting proper TV over the Wi-Fi, though, this is perfect, and any drawbacks feel minor.

For me, it’s been the solution to my years-long struggle. In the past, I’d had to contend with unreliable live streaming and have missed certain events entirely (yes, not all live streams are available on iPlayer and ITV). This just feels easier than fussing with cables and aerials, and means you can put your TV anywhere in your home, not only where you’ve got a socket.

For renters, the Aero costs less than a couple of months' Sky subscription and requires no one's permission to install. And, much to my delight, it has an entire channel devoted to reruns of The Chase.

• Sky Glass gen 2 review: 7 reasons to buy this superior-sounding TV

After doing his first comedy gig at Durham university after fellow comedian Ed Gamble signed him up for it, Nish has featured on every comedy outlet you can imagine – hosting Radio 4’s Newsjack, touring his solo stand up shows, digging in on Taskmaster, and hosting his own political satire show The Mash Report. Is there anything in TV he hasn’t done?

“Got Hulu to make a second series of High fidelity” he laments. Safe to say, having been doing comedy for over 10 years, he's basically reset the rules of what a successful comedian looks like. Just get that timeline right.

“Over 10 years? That’s a nice way of putting it," he jokes

"It’s been twenty years. I’ve been doing comedy – and this is a horrible phrase – but I’ve been doing comedy for most of your life. It’s weird when you meet voting age adults who say 'I’ve been watching you on TV since I was a child' and they’re 25.” A backhanded compliment if ever we've received one.

Alongside his current tour Angry Humour From A Really Nice Guy, Nish co-hosts the weekly Pod Save the UK along with Coco Khan. And if you listen you’re in good company, as Nish points out — Sarah Jessica Parker mentioned she was a fan.

After touring his last show Nish Don’t Kill My Vibe “seemingly across the entire planet” Nish is back and has already kicked off his next tour. But he still had time to stop by for a pint in our joint local Hope & Anchor in Brixton to chat about his best and worst career moments, what sitcoms he’d bring back, and some Indian-dad-approved curry spots in Croydon

1. SKETCH COMEDY IS A LOST ART

In a world of TikTok comedians and shock comedy it's easy to forget about the glory days of sketch comedy, when it was one thick roster of Monty Python and The Fast Show getting you through the week. And whilst there's a plethora of fantastic sitcoms gracing the tens of streaming platforms, it's that bygone era of OG sketch comedy Nish misses.

“If we’re talking individual sketches, I really grew up in a golden era of sketch comedy in the UK because there was a lot of money being put into it. Things like Goodness Gracious Me, The Fast Show, Harry Enfield's show. There was a lot of stand alone sketch comedy, and hopefully we’ll see a resurgence with things like SNL UK and so many brilliant comedians doing things on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.”

When it comes to individual sketches that stay with him there's one he hasn't forgotten.

"Goodness Gracious Me was a really seismic piece of television for me growing up in the late 90s in the UK as a British Asian," he recalls.

"The premise of that sketch was 'What if Indians went for an English meal in the same way that White Brits went out for an Indian?', and behaved the same way. It was an inversion and it did all the jokes brilliantly."

2. RANTING IS MORE THAN JUST A TOUR TITLE

Non-comedy laymen (such as us) forget that tours have to be named months and months in advance, meaning that their seemingly incongruous names aren't trying to be cool and detached — they'd just been conjured before any of the actual content had been written.

Saying that, Nish's current tour title Angry Humour From A Really Nice Guy is pretty evergreen. In fact it could describe his entire career in a nutshell. As Nish puts it, "It felt pleasingly cumbersome and also the most accurate description of what I do onstage." But what is he currently ranting about? Well, there's a couple of things...

“I don’t understand Huel, why do you want to drink your dinners, why do you hate joy? What do you have against chewing? That much Huel can’t be good for you," he starts.

“Your mistake here is assuming there are things I rant about off air which I don’t talk about on stage," pondering his other current pet peeves.

"There are certain things people assume I’ve said which were part of a hot mic snafu but they were actually 100% intentional," he adds.

"I think the last thing I ranted about was the whole Clacton by-election – that whole situation is a total mess but I also don't want to talk about that man [Nigel Farage] more than we have to. It’s a classic type of post 2015 conservative who spends 5% of their time saying 'everyone takes offence' and the other 50% saying 'How dare you say that I am upset, I must take action.'

“I think it’s funny that it’s him versus Binface — like, in England, even our joke candidates have to be members of the landed gentry. Even Binface had to have inherited money — we just can’t fathom someone being in politics without a title.”

3. HE'S GOT MORE THAN A COUPLE OF FAMOUS FANS

As someone who started out his solo living years with fellow comedian Ed Gamble, and has since collaborated with almost every famous funny face in the UK, we thought it was pretty safe to assume he had more than a couple of famous fans of his own.

“There have been some cool ones," Nish admits when probed.

"The coolest was when I did a talk show with Eric Idol – Monty Python is totemic in British culture – and someone went to introduce us and he went 'No, I know who you are, I watch the Mash Report, I really like it.' That was pretty mad.

"I’ve worked with most of the writers from Goodness Gracious Me as well. Sarah Jessica Parker said in an interview that she listened to Pod Save the UK which is the funniest thing I’ve heard," he laughs.

"No idea if it’s true or not."

4. THERE IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES HIM PATRIOTIC

Nish Kumar and patriotic aren't natural word associations, as anyone who has listened to some of his stand up probably will have gathered. However, that doesn't negate his love of Britain – or rather, some of the things that Brits produce.

“There are few things I’m patriotic about," Nish agrees, "But our comedy scene is so brilliant and produces so many fantastic people.

"There has been a deficit in TV comedy but potentially there's a resurgence coming," he reflects, nodding to the young talent of the new SNL UK cast in particular as a signpost.

"If I could revive one thing..." he ponders. "The thing is, you don’t want to invest in too many revivals, you want something that feels new.

"My honest answer is I’d like to revive the premise of giving artists money and creative freedom. I’d bring back a properly funded BBC. If you have public broadcasters they can take risks . We used to have a good televisual ecosystem with people taking more risks. Then if they did well, they'd get picked up by other channels."

But on a lighter note, "the Hulu reboot of High Fidelity" also made the list. "I didn’t think we needed it, then I watched it and I loved it."

5. UK AND US AUDIENCES ARE MORE ALIKE THAN YOU THINK

English humour and American humour are notoriously different. Ask any comedian how they calibrate their sets and they'll outline how they have bombed on stage trying to do it the same on both sides of the Atlantic. For Nish though, it's less about politics and more about pints.

“The only genuine difference I can say is American audiences are louder. They’re more immediately convinced that this is going to be good. In a lot of British shows the audience has to warm up into it whereas the Americans come in quite hot.

"I think my [international] audiences would get along with one another, they’re quite similar unrelated to nationality. I look out to my crowd and I see a lot of Big Thief tee shirts, a lot of t-shirts with left leaning politician slogans on there. I know my guys."

6. HIS WORST DAY ON THE JOB ENDED IN A NEWS HEADLINE AND AN 80 MINUTE EXPLAINER

On paper Nish is the modern benchmark for what a successful career in comedy looks like. But somewhat reassuringly, there's just as much failure that has pitted his path there.

“I had a gig so bad that it was in the news," Nish points out. "Failure is interesting because it’s part of the process."

"I’ve been chased off stage by a heavy metal band. I’ve been escorted out of at least three venues by security staff because there were people waiting to beat me up. A man once unplugged my mic during a set. He went and found the tech booth, and unplugged me," he laughs.

"This gig [in 2019] was so bad," he reminisces.

"The headliner was Brett Goldstein and he and I planned to go for a drink after. What’s funny is no matter how many Emmys he wins, and movies he makes with Jennifer Lopez, he can still physically recall the tension in that room. He’ll just bring it up, recounting the trauma. Even working with JLo and Harrison Ford can’t erase that trauma – and it didn’t even happen to him!"

7. A NISH TRAVEL DOC COULD HAPPEN – BUT IT WOULD ALL BE ABOUT COFFEE SHOPS

"In October 2026 it will be exactly 20 years since the first time I did stand up comedy," Nish says.

"What an absolutely pointless thing to have devoted half your life to. It’s like being good at the recorder. It’s like why have you done that?” he laughs.

But how have things changed in that time? Heading into his latest tour, he shared the things that have been upgraded and the traditions that have stayed the same in that time.

"Zero megabuses. Call me Mr Bigtime. Sleeping in an actual hotel," he counts off. "Touring was hard 15 years ago when we were all driving through the night, sleeping on university hall floors or on all night megabuses," he adds.

"Tour essentials nowadays are still the same — I like to get into a specific album or artist’s discography, because you're spending a lot of time in transit. And the cinema, going to the movies is a pretty essential part." It's pretty rock n roll stuff.

"The things that have changed are my fancy dinners, and my nice coffees. I've sort of got a working network across the UK of the cool, delicious coffee shops in whatever city I'm in, and it's great."

Does it sound like the tamest Netflix travel documentary ever?

Yes.

"Me going to hipster coffee shops doesn't even touch Jack Whitehall's [Travels with my Father]," Nish rebuts. "That's not even pejorative."

8. HE IS A SOUTH LONDONER THROUGH AND THROUGH

Finally, we can't leave a chat with a born and bred Londoner without asking them for their favourite spots, and refreshingly, as Croydon-born and South London-stayed guy, Nish's recommendations are largely South faves:

"Singnburi has moved, it was in Leyton it's now in Shoreditch. There are various coffee shops I love, like F Mondays, and Stir in Brixton. And Kaffeine, with a K, cause it's 'Kool'. Everything with a K is cool, apart from the KKK.

"There's a restaurant called Tindli in Croydon and that is, and I cannot stress this enough, Indian food that meets the approval of my father – the crankiest and most Indian man in human history. There's also a restaurant called Fern in East Croydon, really great."

Basically, just head to Croydon. And no, he's not on their tourism board, we checked.

You can catch Nish on his tour Angry Humour from a Really Nice Guy across the UK from 9th September until 27th November 2026. You can find more information and tickets via his website.

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This year’s Junction 2 was especially packed with talent as the organisers – led by Drumcode label boss and day two headliner Adam Beyer – celebrated the event’s 10th anniversary. Though technically downsized from last year’s five-stage outing, the main Bridge stage, secluded Woods stage, and minimalist Beatport Live ‘The Block’ stage had more than enough on offer for a crowd that tilted a little older, and perhaps a little more discerning, than your usual club night.

Each of the five days had a slightly different tilt to its lineup in an attempt to capture the full spectrum of techno and house, spanning heady minimal beats, American-influenced EDM, and drop-focused hard techno, often called TikTok techno in reference to its relentless pace.

I’m typically a fan of the groove-driven, slightly atonal techno influenced by Detroit and Berlin that dominates sound systems at London parties like Unfold and Midweek Session. With that said, I was surprised at how much I connected with some of the other sets at Junction 2, from atmospheric afrohouse to tripped-out trance.

I attended Junction 2 on three of its five days – 25th July, 26th July, and 2nd August. With that in mind, keep reading for my picks for the seven best acts from Junction 2 2026.

7. Tripolism – The Woods stage – 26th July

It takes a lot to get me dancing to afrohouse. Far from its diverse rhythmic roots, the genre is currently best known for an overprocessed and smoothed out timbre, the soundtrack to airbrushed flyers and package holidays to Dubai.

With that said, Danish trio Tripolism had me putting my pretentiousness aside and actually enjoying myself, spinning warm, melodic afrohouse that shone a new light on a genre I had thought lost to the highlight reels of aspiring influencers. A great fit for the cool and connected vibes of The Woods stage.

6. Miss Monique – The Bridge stage – 26th July

Miss Monique’s set on the main Bridge stage was pure cinema; the Ukrainian DJ’s clear expertise on the decks kept her theatrical flair and striking techno selections in perfect balance.

While her set was built around drops and the moments leading to them, Miss Monique’s performance was galvanised by sheer commitment to the bit – hands in the air, visuals flashing, shimmering echo effects and pure celebration at the moment of release, proving that commercial doesn’t have to mean compromised.

5. Leo Pol – The Woods stage – 2nd August

I know Leo Pol from his deep house records and chilled social media jam sessions, so rocking up to the Woods Stage to find the French DJ and producer rolling through a high-tempo trance and techno set was the best kind of shock.

Pol kept things fun and flowy across his two-hour slot, shelling out bouncy techno beats, rolling psytrance basslines, and the odd UKG breakdown to keep us on our toes. Most importantly, the tasteful silliness of his set cut right through the melodrama of the day’s harder sets, offering a much-needed alternative to the TikTok techno takeover on the festival’s final day.

4. Kikelomo – Beatport Live ‘The Block’ stage – 26th July

Festivals are a great place to find new artists to follow, and at J2 this was UK-born DJ Kikelomo, who brought a stylish approach to modern tech house to Beatport Live’s undeniably cool shipping container-turned-DJ booth (which had the best sound system of any stage at J2, thanks to its Funktion 1 rig).

Like Leo Pol (see above), Kikelomo’s smartest move was to keep the pressure low and energy high – while the day’s headliners chased ever-higher euphoric peaks, Kikelomo dialled in on groove, sleek basslines, and just enough of a percussive edge to keep the crowd locked. I’ll be looking for her name on flyers going forward.

3. Jeff Mills – The Bridge stage – 25th July

What is there left to say about Jeff Mills? The 63-year-old Detroit techno veteran once known as The Wizard for his supernatural abilities on the decks stepped up to fill in for an absent Nina Kraviz on Friday, closing out the first day of Junction 2 2026 with his signature blend of hypnotic loops, slamming kicks, and fragmented percussion.

Armed with four decks, a mixer, and a Roland TR-909 drum machine, Mills unleashed a trademark fast-and-loose techno set across 90 glorious minutes. As a small-time DJ and long-time lover of techno, I was ecstatic to see one of the architects of the genre work in real time, and when he wasn’t arguing with the sound technicians over volume, Mills’ performance was truly powerful.

Unlike the DJs before him on 25th July or those in subsequent days, Mills paid more attention to the tracks themselves than precise beatmatching or laser-accurate phrasing. His rapid-fire mixing spoke to the ethos of the generation of clubbing that he helped to define; the music matters more than the man.

2. Peach b2b Gabriela Kwarteng – The Woods stage – 25th July

I really love discussing and analysing dance music – but every now and then, I need a reminder that this scene is fundamentally about having fun.

At Junction 2, that reminder came courtesy of Canadian selector Peach and New York-born DJ Gabrielle Kwarteng, who came together in my favorite back-to-back set of the festival. The pair played a stylish set of tech-ish, classic-ish, hard-ish house music, deftly walking the line between bouncing beats and breathing room.

Both artists put their intuition and talent on display in blending tunes that felt both playful and a little off-kilter. Peach and Gabrielle Kwarteng have played together before at Fabric and KOKO, and their chemistry really came through – Junction 2 was full of great music and talent, but I don’t think anyone had more fun behind the decks than these two.

1. Ben Klock – The Bridge stage – 25th July

In the pantheon of modern techno, few names carry as much cache as Ben Klock. The long-time DJ, founder of the heavyweight Klockworks label, and Berghain resident is known as a must-see for any fan of techno, or dance music in general.

As the sun fell onto the crowd under the M4 flyover in the afternoon of day one, Ben Klock clocked in. If this year’s Junction 2 was defined by a tension between classic, commercial, and hyper-modern techno, then Ben Klock’s set was the moment that pulled everything together. An underlying pulse of hypnotic low-end movement pushed the stage’s massive sound system to its limits, while spiralling threads of alien sound design and off-beat hi-hats ensnared wandering minds in a double helix of listening and movement.

Each seamlessly blended track felt hand-picked to capitalise on our rising emotion and energy. As such, the crowd for Ben Klock was the most locked-in of any set I attended, and a few minutes into his performance I traded my spot backstage for a chance to get amongst it in the pit. The best dance of the festival, by far.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Set around the world of the fictional team AFC Richmond, it looked as though Ted Lasso had come to a natural ending point with season three: the men’s team had won a hard earned victory, Ted was heading back to the US, Trent Crimm had wrapped up his manuscript, and Keeley’s PR company was back up and running thanks to angel (and bestie) investor Rebecca. Everything was tied up with a bow, except for one thing — a mock press release reading “AFC Richmond: Women’s team” courtesy of Keely.

Luckily for fans, Sukedis and Waddingham fought for another season, picking up on the story of the women’s team for a new batch of episodes that sees Ted “taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women’s football team.” Season four now kicks off on Apple TV on August 5th.

So what else is new? As well as Sex Education star Tanya Reynolds joining the coaching side of the cast, we also have a whole new team of players, including Faye Marsay, Abbie Hern, and Jude Mack who play vivacious Lizzie, hard-core Gemma, and ambitious Boots.

We sat down with the trio ahead of season four’s release to find out what it was like joining the cast, the relief to be in tracksuits over tights and corsets, and their (okay, our) plans for a Sport Relief x Ted Lasso special.

SL: Hey guys congrats on Season 4! How did it feel joining such a beloved show?

Faye Marsay: I used to play as a kid so it was like being able to live out my childhood dreams. As a kid I always wanted to be the first woman to play in the Premier League.

Abbie Hern: You still could...

Faye: Yeah, it’s not happened yet, but that’s okay we’ve got our own league, and some would argue it’s somewhat better!

Abbie: Maybe it’s because they’re waiting for you to join it?

Faye: Maybe!

SL: I’m sure a lot of people will be asking about the training and how much work you had to do to get ready for actually playing a footballer. But I want to know if you had to do a three legged race with any other player from AFC Richmond, men’s or women’s, who do you think your character would make a good pair with?

Abbie: Could you imagine [my character] Gemma and Jamie [Tartt] in a three legged race? It would be the most incredible thing you’d ever see.

Jude Mack: I think you’d snog each other.

Faye: I would pick Lizzie going with Boots [Jude Mack's character] because I think Boots is deliciously ambitious and Lizzie has been lacking that at home and needs that so I think they’d smash it.

Abbie: And then Sam [Obisanya] and Siobhan [played by Rex Hayes in S4].

Jude: Yeah they’d smash it.

Faye: They’d win.

SL: Every couple of years we get SoccerAid, where celebrities come and play a big charity match against each other. Is there ever a world where we get the AFC men’s and women’s team playing a match against each other IRL?

Faye: I would love that to happen

Jude: If you wanna organise it we’ll turn up. Is this actually just a pitch?

SL: 100%

Faye: Sign us up!

Jude: I will say that we’d win.

Abbie: We did once play [the boys] at darts and sorry but we beat them – we kinda wiped the floor with them.

Faye: We are just better at football, and that’s fine, that’s okay no one needs to get upset about that...

SL: Ted Lasso has a lot of celebrity fans, and although you’ve got a great cast, I reckon you could get some seriously cool cameos. If you could have anyone – actor, comedian, singer – making a cameo who would you love to see and as what?

Jude: [Immediately] Cher – Cher in the Ted Lasso universe just feels like it makes sense.

SL: As Ted’s Aunt maybe? In a custom sequinned football kit?

Faye: I would love to see Daisy May Cooper and I’d want her to be the opposing team’s manager and have a fight with out Tanya [Reynolds].

Abbie: Write that down!

Jude: Get the producers on!

Abbie: If I don’t meet Ella Toone now I'm in the world of football then there’s kind of no point.

SL: I’m seeing a kind of Sport Relief comic relief sketch happening... This is a slightly random question, but Abbie and Faye you’ve both been in period dramas where there’s a lot of corsets and uncomfortable costumes. How did Ted Lasso compare? Was it bliss being in sports gear?

Abbie: It was trackies every day!

Jude: It was unbelievable!

Faye: Yeah it was phenomenal. The kit designs this year are incredible too. There are three designs and they’re all beautiful.

Abbie: I’d arrive at work more uncomfortable than I’d be whilst filming. It was take your jeans off and put your trackies on when it’s usually the other way round.

Jude: It’s the best you’re ever going to get on set.

Ted Lasso season four is available to stream from 5th August on Apple TV .

• Get hyped for Nolan's The Odyssey with these 8 epic Greek mythology movie and TV adaptations

In fact his newest film, Our Hero, Balthazar, may be his most challenging yet: After an online troll becomes convinced he's uncovered a potential mass shooter, the film spirals into a razor-sharp dark comedy about loneliness, internet culture and the dangerous search for belonging.

Hot off the back of international acclaim for the latest role, Shortlist caught up with Butterfield to get real about tackling his darkest character to date, why Hollywood isn't speaking to young audiences, his favourite London hometown haunts and the action movie still sitting at the top of his bucket list…

Shortlist: How do you sum up Our Hero, Balthazar?

Asa Butterfield: It's a very, very dark comedy about two lost young men in America who bond over the most unlikely - and borderline - problematic subject matter.

Speaking of problematic, the subject is obviously dark, but it's also a comedy. What kind of research went into that for you?

Being a Brit, I'm blissfully removed from this specific American experience. I didn't go through these shooter drills at school. I never have and I will never have to worry about that or think about that.

So, it was about getting into the mindset of what could drive a young man to do something like this, and then to empathise with them. Solomon [Butterfield’s character, .ed] is a complex and tragic figure who is totally misunderstood and mislabeled to the point of driving him to really consider doing something awful.

For me, playing a character unlike anything I'd got to play before was really exciting. It was a challenge to step into the shoes of someone with a totally different life experience to myself, and to showcase what I can do to audiences who perhaps think of me in other ways, because of the roles I've done.

The film has had fantastic reviews. How has that reaction felt for you?

It's always really great to see how audiences connect with the film, particularly young audiences, because it really is for them.

It feels like there aren't enough films being made that speak to young people these days. This film feels so in touch with the lived American experience, but not just American - around the world there's this sense of isolation, this annihilation mentality, this desire to be seen, connected and be a part of something, and the extreme lengths that some people can go to if they're driven to.

Is that something you've noticed in the scripts that come your way - that there isn't a lot being made for young people?

Well, it's not that it's not being made for young people. It's that people think it is being made for young people, but young people are watching these trailers and seeing these movies and being like, "So what? What is this? I don't see myself in this.” We are getting some young filmmakers who are able to do that, but I think people are so scared to invest in these more daring, independent films.

Having said that then, would you ever want to direct and get behind the camera?

Maybe one day! It scares me, directing. I've had the privilege of working with some incredible directors and seeing their process, and their ability to have this entire film or TV series in their head and really understand every facet of it. I don't know if I'm ready yet, but I hope one day.

At Shortlist, we're always looking for the best London recommendations. Being a Londoner born and bred, what are some of your favourite spots in the city that you always take visitors to?

I went to school in Hackney, so a lot of East London. Clissold Park is my favourite park in London. Walking down Regent's Canal is great. I love Brick Lane for some vintage shopping, or to get a bagel, or a curry.

Dalston's got some great locations. I’ve discovered Gillet Square lately - some people love it, some people hate it. It’s a residential block, but there's often open food markets, good music events and a couple of jazz clubs on either side of it. Then, the Dalston Curve Garden is a really cute spot near Dalston Junction station. It's relatively low-key.

It's just been announced you're going to star as The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein in the upcoming series, Hamburg Days. What are you most excited about for it?

I just think the character's fascinating. Getting into that world; the costume and the voice... I'm a big music fan, so just being part of a TV show where music is so in its veins is exciting.

You've worked on so many different projects from such a young age. What's something you haven't done yet that you'd still love to do?

Let's do a proper action movie, with some cool fight scenes! Or a swords-and-sandals type of thing. That'd be fun. I haven’t done any sword training yet though - not other than just swinging around stuff and imagining it!

Our Hero, Balthazar is out on digital release from 11th August 2026.

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“Yes, people are willing to pay that for a coffee now,” says Peter Dore-Smith, of Fitzrovia’s Kaffeine, which he founded back in 2009, making him one of the pioneers in London’s independent coffee scene.

“Of course, a price like that is down to the coffee and the expertise and time of the barista who has to make the drink. It’s not like a sommelier recommending a great wine and then just opening the bottle. But demand for such extra-special drinks is also a testament to how interest in coffee — its origins, its flavours — just keeps growing”.

That’s not to say more accessible prices won’t still be around: the industry is constantly flirting with the £5 latte, a psychological barrier for many drinkers but perhaps a coming necessity given the growing coffee cultures of the global south, where coffee has historically been grown and sold at suppressed prices to the global north. Yes, like any commodity, the price of coffee is in no small part a matter of geo-politics.

More so, it’s suggestive of how the retail landscape for the black stuff was pretty much non-existent 20 years ago — “back then most people had no idea what a flat white was,” notes Dore-Smith — but now encompasses an estimated 12,000 independent coffee shops across the US. People, says Dore-Smith, want more of an experience from their coffee, both in terms of the drink and the environment in which it’s served, than ever before. No wonder more specialty shops are rotating their coffee menus, offering specials and even coffee classes.

Peak coffee

But might we be at peak coffee? It depends where you are, suggests Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, founder of Leather Lane’s Colonna Coffee, three time winner of the UK Barista Championships and author of The Business of Specialty Coffee and the forthcoming Coffee Lovers’ Guide. Coffee shops compete not by area but by street, so while some streets are seeing the business seemingly eat itself (unless the shops can stand apart by being distinctly speciality in their own way) others remain under-served. It’s like those weird clusters of Turkish barbers, or vape shops.

Still, Dore-Smith expects some contraction, especially among the big chain brands. But, in no small part down to the increased access to knowledge made possible by YouTube aficionados, he also expects a second wave of coffee appreciation. Of the 600 of so coffees he makes a day, more than 10% of them are now filter or cold brew. That may not sound like a lot, but it perhaps marks the beginning of a trend for appreciating coffee as an ingredient in its own right, focused around origin and flavour, and maybe not so much drowned in milk.

“Milk and sugar — all the drinks formats that are heavy on both — have in some sense detracted from appreciating the most important ingredient: the coffee, the quality of which has counted for less as a result. Milk got in the way,” says Colonna-Dashwood. As have, he concedes, some of the industry’s own obsessions: a ‘good’ crema, for example, meaning the velvety foam on top of a fresh espresso.

“Crema was popular because it looked pretty and suggested an intense espresso, which encouraged people to connect it with quality,” he says.

“But it doesn’t actually taste very good and acknowledging that is a sign of how the coffee industry is moving away from being prescriptive to being more culinary”.

Coffee's creative future — and a replacement for pubs?

None of this is to say the latte is over (it’s still the UK’s most popular coffee drink) even if Colonna-Dashwood thinks the oat milk boom is. More that, “as with all fields that we like to label as a bit snooty because they’re complicated, interest in coffee is growing precisely because it’s a subject you can get your teeth into."

Certainly coffee isn’t just coffee any more. Expect more experimentation. Coffee might be made from a dose that’s been kept frozen, for example, for added freshness. Meanwhile, former World Espresso Champion, Ian Kissick, of Victoria’s Formative, for instance, has developed a Fizzy Apple coffee using a co-fermentation technique, repurposed from beer brewing, with green apples added to the mix. Kissick has also come up with Parma Violet and Lollipop-influenced coffees.

OK, so Colonna-Dashwood might not have much time for ‘flavour notes’ (“they’re rubbish,” he offers) but undoubtedly coffees are being appreciated for their very particular aromas and tastes. Cognac, anyone, or tropical fruit?

And these, in turn, are being foregrounded thanks to an ever-shorter gap between coffee farmer and consumer. With greater transparency to the coffee production chain, farmers are more able to play an active part in shaping the coffees being produced.

“People are even starting to know the names of coffee farms now,” Colonna-Dashwood adds.

“But there’s no way round it: as with wine or cheese, to appreciate ‘gourmet’ coffee now you have to put the time in. The fact is that there’s still a huge mass of customers who are only just now catching up with the idea of coffee being gourmet, and that will take several years yet to filter through. Chocolate is even further behind coffee.”

In the meantime, record prices are being achieved for all kinds of rare coffee micro-lots: if a typically average coffee wholesales for anywhere between £9 and £40 per kilo, £8,000 per kilo isn’t unheard of these days; last year a rare lot from the legendary Panamanian estate Hacienda La Esmeralda was bought by one cafe in Dubai for a record-setting £22,804 per kilo. “Every year the numbers just go up,” says Colonna-Dashwood.

These though, are outliers - and shouldn’t encourage you to feel too resentful at paying what seems to be an ever rising price for a coffee, even if we’re some way off the £7 — “what you’d pay for a nice pint in a nice pub,” as Colonna-Dashwood puts it — that he suggests as being the tipping point that would give many coffee drinkers pause for thought. That’s especially so with technology, with subscription models for unusual blends, allowing for ever better coffees to be made easily at home.

Most drinkers are not aware that it’s still remarkably hard to make any money from a coffee shop while people aren’t much minded yet to cross that £5 latte hurdle. It’s a volume business: You have to sell a lot of coffees to make a decent profit but, to drive sales, that requires keeping cup prices artificially low relative to the cost of production.

But then, Dore-Smith argues, a coffee isn’t really about a coffee anymore anyway. Even as they get more high-end and curated, coffee shops are increasingly about filling the role of community hubs once served by pubs, and especially as younger generations are shunning alcohol in greater numbers.

“The coffee shop is an integral part of any high street now,” he suggests. “It’s a place for people to gather. But we still need to give people reasons to go to coffee shops, no matter how good or interesting the coffee itself may be”.

• Four London restaurants added to the Michelin Guide in globe-trotting update

A binman in Montreal quotes Victor Hugo. An Amazon worker wants to change the world. And a journalist investigating online scams in Nigeria finds teenage boys with phones and night-time data plans.

Plus: the psychology of tennis, our new cloud overlords, a fresh lens on Hitchcock & heaps more.

Trash! A Garbageman’s Story (Simon Paré-Poupart)

Simon Paré-Poupart’s Trash! has really made us re-think our bin situation. His refreshing and brilliant memoir/treatise on life as a garbageman in Montreal has already become a best-seller in Canada. Why? Because he takes us right into the clanking truck, as he and his teammates run through the streets, hauling bags, recycling and food waste in sweaty heatwaves, ten feet of snow and just about everything in between. He captures the characters, the stigma, the smells, the men who turn up for a shift drunk or high and the brokers who exploit workers’ debts.

He also quotes and references Hugo, Balzac, Zola, David Graeber and poet Jacques Prevert as he considers how class, race, unions, conglomerates and the environment intersect with his chosen profession. Paré-Poupart went to university and worked for a while as a journalist and in offices before returning to this subculture. And at times he turns our dirty, stinking rubbish back on us to say: look at all your overconsumption. Pair Trash! with George Bass’ recent book What The Bouncer Saw. More working-class stories like these, please.

• Out now / Buy it here

The Common Good Economy (Mariana Mazzucato)

The star economist Mariana Mazzucato has a book out and it’s a big picture argument full of positive, constructive strategies around rebuilding our economies to work for all citizens. Mazzucato has noted recently that Keir Starmer used her language about being a mission-driven government but couldn’t get it done. Here, she takes ideas from the history of political philosophy, indigenous knowledge and even biological ecosystems to construct her definition of what a ‘common good’ economy actually looks like. She then provides a detailed framework to help us actually get there. Mazzucato has worked with policymakers all around the world and her case studies range from Barcelona’s data commons and Camden’s public wealth funds to the Amazon Fund, the Seed Treaty and dynamic spillovers from school meals in Sweden.

A key principle informing Mazzucato’s toolkit is that policy can be used to *shape* markets, not just swoop in when they fail - firstly, by setting the direction for ‘good growth’ to align with bold, long-term priorities. Another, that we should aim for ‘pre-distribution’ of the benefits, securing it in public investments and procurement, since value is co-created by all sorts of workers and communities (not just private companies) and risks are taken on by various stakeholders, including the state, too. With climate change, healthcare and the future of AI on her mind, she argues for co-creation and participation (vs; collective learning and knowledge sharing, and vs; strong, wide IP and patents) and suggests how transparency and accountability could work in practice. Sign us up for a Mazzucato-planned world.

• Out now / Buy it here

The Cruelest Game (Matthew Futterman)

Oof, being a top-tier tennis player sounds rough. This is a deeply reported, wonderfully insider-y book by veteran US sports writer Matthew Futterman, who’s currently at The Athletic. It’s full of conversations with Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic, Gauff and Osaka, at Grand Slams, in stadium tunnels and on practice courts. It’ll serve (...) readers best who already follow tennis but regardless, it’s perfectly timed as we move from one generation of sports stars to the next.

Futterman writes with drama and suspense about shot-making, ball striking and the body maintenance required for top ten athletes to pick up the trophies. But he’s particularly obsessed with the psychological side of things. He closes in on the minds of say, Świątek and Sabalenka - the toll, the tool-kits, the breaking points and light-bulb moments - all based on countless chats with players, coaches, therapists and family members. He also deploys conversations with legends like Federer, Agassi and even Björn Borg to illuminate what this current cohort is going through. So infectious, this will have you looking up the latest Tour dates late into the night.

• Out 4th August / Buy it here

The Yahoo Boys (Carlos Barragan)

Stories about internet scams tend to lean on dry stats, dollar amounts and anonymous victims. Carlos Barragan’s propulsive page-turner The Yahoo Boys couldn’t be more different. The Spanish journalist originally went to Lagos, Nigeria, to try to track down ‘Brian’, who romance-scammed Barragan’s unsuspecting mother, and whatever sophisticated operation was behind him. Instead, he ends up embedding with a bunch of young men in their teens and twenties, who stay up all night, chatting and sexting with lonely Americans, coming up with any excuse to ask for gift cards.

Barragan, and his fixer Bukola, take us right into the heady mix of the Ikotun neighbourhood, by focusing on four “Yahoo Boys”, their wild scams and everyday struggles. (Yep, that Yahoo - the name comes from the original email scams pre-social media.) Victims are ‘clients’, getting cards or Bitcoin from them is ‘cashing out’, copy-and-pasted scripts are ‘formats’ and the proceeds go on swag, gifts, hotels and bottle service. Barragan weaves Nigeria’s current inflation crisis, colonial history and spiritual ‘juju’ customs into the story, making clear just how much a couple of hundred dollars can get a Lagosian boy used to living in poverty. The Yahoo Boys often hand out money, drinks and food to neighbours and friends who can’t afford proper meals every time they ‘cash out’. Jaw-dropping stuff.

• Out now / Buy it here

When The Revolution Comes (Chris Smalls)

A few years ago, we were standing at the back of a tent listening to a talk by writer Gary Younge when who rocks up but this undeniable superstar, radiating charisma, with sunglasses on and dripping in gold jewellery. Younge spotted the heads turning and shouted him out: it was Chris Smalls. He’s the guy who spear-headed the first ever Amazon warehouse union in the US, JFK8 in Staten Island in 2022, and his new book is all about making labour organising 1) cool as hell and 2) actually work for the people who need it most.

Smalls nicely blends the personal and the political throughout. It all just flows as he gets into stories of visiting his father in prison, playing sports and running from bullets then working a huge range of blue-collar jobs, putting on parties and even being functionally homeless at points. But the real juice is how it all started with a walkout against Amazon’s non-existent Covid safety policies, his Union Drip fits on Capitol Hill, the union busting, the in-fighting and, most importantly, the slog and grind of showing up with music and food day after day, getting signatures and battling million-dollar lawyers. Potent, inspiring stuff. Chris Smalls for president and we’re not even joking.

• Out now / Buy it here

A British Childhood (Frank Cottrell-Boyce)

Frank Cottrell-Boyce has used his two years as Children’s Laureate going round the country with the charity BookTrust, championing reading in schools, libraries and prisons, and he’s come back with a lot of stories. He’s using this unique position - and book - to call for more attention to, and action on, what austerity has done to harm many kids’ day to day lives. There’s plenty to make you angry here: bed poverty, hygiene poverty, children not knowing how to ‘work’ a book, temporary accommodation and in one heart-breaking case in Barrow-in-Furness, a whole temporary, site-less primary school.

Cottrell-Boyce is a generous guide, corralling these stories with tales of his own upbringing, quotes from literary classics, thoughts on TV, YouTube and a nuanced take on riots. He also shines a light on some incredible teachers, carers, volunteers and librarians. Cottrell-Boyce is now squarely in the category of national treasure and so his anecdotes include delightful encounters such as a small girl coming up to him in Liverpool, reciting the Jabberwocky and then walking off. It’s a beautiful book. We’d quite like this to land on the desk of Lucy Powell, newly running education (and the new chancellor and housing ministers etc etc..)

• Out now / Buy it here

The Polyester Book of (Bad) Taste (Ione Gamble)

This essay collection is such a joy. Put together by Ione Gamble, founding editor of ace feminist zine Polyester, we raced through it. Zarina Muhammad’s ‘Notes on Kitsch xoxo’ is outstanding: a whirling tour de force on avant garde vs kitsch art via cringey WhatsApps, Biedermeier decorative arts and.. a whole lot of other stuff. But there are no weak links here and with one-page scribbled lists, alt-mantras and drawings throughout, (Bad) Taste is full of fun, zine-y energy.

Tavi Gevinson looks at problematic faves, including one she dated. Kieran Yates takes us to Poundland. Gina Tonic hates poetry (or does she?). Annie Lord riffs on OTT glam and Nicola Dinan puts a nice spin on what the algorithms are feeding us. Gamble and her conspirators beautifully capture the spirit of the legend Diana Vreeland, who she quotes in one of her essays: “no taste is what I’m against”. Volume 2, when?

• Out now / Buy it here

The Next Fix (Kojo Koram)

We picked this one up on the strength of Kojo Koram’s last book, the must-read Uncommon Wealth, and The Next Fix did not disappoint. Koram is a law professor at Loughborough University and if you get the chance to see him speak live, take it! Here, he manages to make a book about the past, present and near-future of drug policy reforms vital and human and fascinating. From an overdose prevention van in Glasgow to transitional justice for those affected by the ‘War on Drugs’ in Colombia, Koram travels around the world, modelling a curiosity-led open mind when it comes to all sorts of possible paths forward.

This isn’t a survey of the latest science, clinical trials and case studies. Instead, it’s a convincing argument around why — at a point when the legalisation of cannabis and psychedelics is becoming more mainstream, commoditised and financialised — we need drug policy reforms that work for everyone, including Ghanaian farmers, British patients and Americans with criminal records, i.e. not just Big Pharma and VC investors. An important book from an expert who sees the patterns clearly and offers an alternative roadmap for what’s next.

• Out now / Buy it here

The Rulers (Cecilia Rikap)

Try saying this in Alex Turner’s voice: epistemic totalitarianism. Cecilia Rikap is an economics professor and head of research at UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose - working alongside Mazzucato (above). And in The Rulers, she methodically lays out how Big Tech — particularly the ‘cloud hegemons’ of Microsoft, Google and Amazon — wield control of satellite startups and other large corporations. Even OpenAI and Anthropic! ~Even 20th century mega-brands! In other words, large chunks of economies, via their intellectual monopolies and subordinated supply chains. Basically, everyone has already locked in to renting more and more cloud-picks-and-shovels forever, or else their data-gold and AI-gold will become worthless pretty quickly.

Back to those long words: epistemic totalitarianism refers to Rikap’s argument that Microsoft, Amazon and Google control what gets researched, published, prioritised and ignored in university AI departments and seemingly independent institutions via funding, dual-staffing, brand-building and partnerships. That means ethics and safety, too. She uses dozens of honest, anonymous industry insider accounts to illuminate her thoughts on AI and cloud chokepoints, panopticons, ‘bullshit innovation’, automation and sovereignty. If you thought Shoshana Zuboff’s Surveillance Capitalism was terrifying, this is just as brutal. Required reading for anyone interested in tech policy and the future.

• Out 4th August / Buy it here

A Century of Hitchcock (Tony Lee Moral)

If you want a straight biography or critical analysis of filmography and craft, you can get those elsewhere: Tony Lee Moral has previously written four books on Alfred Hitchcock. No, this one’s for the real Hitch-heads. Because, while we do get rich detail on the director’s early cinema work, key collaborators and influence on subsequent auteurs, the bulk of A Century of... hones in on the ‘myths’ and ‘legacy’ of the subtitle. Specifically, Moral set himself the task of investigating and debunking the accounts of actress Tippi Hedren, who starred in The Birds and Marnie, as told to (and seemingly warped by) the late, sensationalist biographer Donald Spoto.

That’s because this one pairing of source and writer has clouded the reputation of the Master of Suspense since his death, despite family, friends and Hollywood dismissing it. Now, obviously, believe women. Hitchcock may have been ‘obsessed’ with making Hedren into his new Grace Kelly, kissed her in the back of a car, even ‘put his hands’ on her, as alleged: we’ll never know for sure. And all of Moral’s meticulous research into Hedren’s and Spoto’s motives, together with shifting memories and numerous other unlikely offences, that Hitchcock blocked Hedren from getting work or Oscar noms, could still stand. As readers, we can make up our own minds. The drama on the set of The Birds alone, which Moral colours in via many interviews with cast and crew, makes this one worth a read.

• Out now / Buy it here

Want more reading recommendations? Check out...

• 10 new fiction books everyone should read this Summer

For Yahya Kitana, who was cast three years ago in Ish, his first film, aged 12, one day that sticks in his mind was shooting a pivotal scene in which his character Maram is alone on the street.

“They mugged me so bad,” he says, shaking his head, “the angle they got me was just nuts.”

We’re chatting on Zoom and at this point producer Dhiraj Mahey jumps in with “what happened after the cameras turned off? Everyone clapped you.” His co-star Farhan Hasnat, who plays the titular Ish and is just two years older, now 17, remembers it differently too: “He’s saying that but I was sitting next to Imran as he was doing that particular scene. Everyone was in tears at Yahya. Imran was crying, everyone on set, tears were falling down.. and as I was watching him act, I was like, this kid’s sick, he’s got talent.”

Imran is Imran Perretta, a visual artist, composer and now feature film director - Ish is his debut. And while he’s now in his 30s with a wife and two kids of his own, this coming-of-age story set in Luton pulls from his own upbringing in Streatham, South London — specifically how children like him were seen by themselves and their communities versus how they were seen by the state.

We talked in an air-conditioned green room at BFI Southbank during a sweltering London heatwave at the start of July. Perretta, cool and calm throughout, explained how he wanted to look at how young men from marginalised backgrounds are “so often framed as adults.”

(Note: Discussions about plot, character and themes ahead, so read on after you’ve seen the film if you want to keep it 100% spoiler-free).

The film follows 12 year-old boys Ish and Maram as they mill about, make a den in the forest, button bash at fighting games and smash berries for pretend fist-fights one long summer.

“When you spend enough time with those boys, you see the love and care and affection they have for each other and the playfulness,” he says. “And, of course, some of that can be a little bit edgy or it can be physical but it comes from a place of love. Their play is treated as dangerous and a moral aspect is pushed onto it.”

Is he talking about the characters or the actors? Not enough has changed since Perretta was that age for that question to matter all that much. The pair of first-time actors got the parts after Perretta and casting director Lara Manwaring auditioned 900 local schoolboys in Luton - Farhan jokes that when it got down to the last four, he told Yahya to “be as shit as you can” with the others. The director has credited Farhan with ‘co-creating’ the central character of Ish and a lot of the relationship-setting between the two boys was captured as naturally as possible. In real life, their families have been friends since they were “in nappies”.

“Imran was like an older brother on set, he was like our safety net, we’d be like ‘yo, help us out’”, says Farhan.

“I would struggle mentally about not doing it right. Imran would be there like, ‘just have fun with it, be true to yourself’’. It was much the same for Yahya: “The way I performed was all ‘cos of Imran, from how he made me feel comfortable in that space.”

For such an elegant, assured film as Ish, one concerned with moods, feelings and images more than on-the-nose political debates, there’s a lot bubbling beneath the surface. When Perretta was around 13 years old, he was out with a friend and suddenly pulled into a police van for a stop-and-search. This was not long after 9/11, with all the over-reach by the state of the ‘hostile environment’, which followed for British Muslim, South Asian and Middle Eastern communities in the UK.

It’s hard not to feel the spirit of both Satyajit Ray’s classic Pather Panchali and the British social realism tradition, complementarily, within Ish. But narratively, Perretta is also threading a different, fine needle. A similar incident of police aggression to the van stop, followed by the subsequent impact on Ish and Maram’s friendship, works as an emotional hinge-point for the whole story, a la Jean-Luc Godard’s Le Mépris or Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women. Both Ish and Maram have stuff going at home too: Maram’s father appears as a harsh disciplinarian and Ish’s mother has recently died. His wise, old Nanu, always-at-work father Naeem and warm, no-nonsense sister Samira (played sweetly by singer Joy Crookes in her acting debut) offer both relief and confusion to the young boy.

To do justice to these layered emotional stakes for the characters, with two street-cast child actors more than carrying the lead roles, marks Perretta out as a major new voice in British film-making.

Imran Perretta’s Luton

Perretta cleverly intersperses the film with unsettling surveillance footage from police vans — which would hound certain areas like Luton — with timestamps, radio noises, bleeps and blurred out or targeted faces on passersby. Its memorable opening shot is of a bicycle and a single trainer in the middle of the road, then suddenly, whoosh, black as the door slams shut: we’re inside the van. He says they didn’t crack the “visual language” of the van the first time round on the main shoot in 2024 so additional footage was shot later during pickups. “It just became really clear, once we’d done the majority of the edit, that we needed to establish the ‘bad guy’ so to speak, imply what the stakes are early without really understanding what it is we’ve looked at.”

Citing Lacan’s ‘mirror stage’ theory, which suggests how babies first come to recognise themselves and an ‘identity’ arises, Perretta has, as an adult, dug into what those police stops — the racial profiling happened multiple times — did to his psyche.

“It was a moment of coming to understand how the world saw me,” he says.

“There was some sort of ego death or existential reckoning there and I totally quietly, privately melted down about it. Because I was like ‘oh shit, outside my family home people see me as a threat and I’m not a threat.’ A formative brain just goes mental with that information. That moment politicised me and gave me an art practice.”

That classic coming-of-age ‘loss of innocence’ we so often see in cinema comes across beautifully in Farhan’s mournful eyes and Yahya’s defensive posture, with a shot of Ish’s feet not quite touching the bottom of a swimming pool making its scene full of peril.

“Don’t get me wrong, they wind each other up like no-one’s business,” Perretta notes, “but they both have this sort of worldliness to them that was just immediately obvious through the audition process. They’ve both seen a lot in their lives and you can feel that.” Perretta jokes that they’re both “a foot taller and a lot hairier” now than they were back at the start but they’ve taken this “incredibly bizarre life experience”, of playing versions of themselves to an extent on-screen, in their stride.

The alienating distance of the roaming van camera feeds are thrown into sharp relief by the way Perretta has chosen to shoot Luton: in luminous black-and-white. He was partly inspired by the work of documentary photographers like Tish Murtha and Chris Killip, whose monochrome work felt “timeless” compared to colour images.

“It made Luton feel monumental, the concrete felt like marble,” he says. “I take a lot of photographs when I’m researching a place, what you saw in colour was urban decay and that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to flatter the place.” The choice to “recast” Luton as a “classic, cinematic landscape” was also bound up with Ish and Maram’s point of view: “It’s not a small town to them, it’s a big town, that’s their manor.”

The counterpoint to all this is Perretta’s conception of a Luton pastoral, right on the edge of the M1 motorway: “There was this view that I became really obsessed with, through the hoardings where you come out of the forest. I love the idea that you come out and you’d just be hit with this main artery.” It’s a stunning shot in the film, almost the classic John-Wayne-in-the-open-doorway composition, only it’s Ish climbing through a gap in some fencing. For the director, Ish and Maram’s makeshift den in the forest is “where they could be the fullest version of themselves”, climbing trees and getting up to mischief sure and yet “where you can feel part of nature but also sheltered and enclosed”.

Making Magic

The crescendo to Perretta’s love letter to the forest comes with a sublime sequence that makes the monochrome film-making really sing. Ish, Maram and three other boys have got their hands on a bunch of fireworks (nicked from a shop) and they’re running through the trees, waving flares, setting them off and causing mayhem. When your actors are all under sixteen, you have to abide by strict working hours and this was a night shoot... on the last day.

“So we had seven minutes left with the boys,” Perretta says. “Jermaine, the DP, and I were just like ‘fuck it’ we’re just going to get them to run around and we’ll just follow ‘em, like you just do your thing.” Perretta shouts out Jermaine Canute Edwards, his director of photography who also shot Akinola Davies Jnr’s My Father’s Shadow last year: “In every way he’s a genius but his handheld I would say is particularly unique, the way that he moves with people, he does this incredible dance with the camera that I just find extraordinary.”

The team lit everything, all ready for the fireworks and then two minutes into their final seven minutes…

“All the generators conked out, so we were in complete blackness, all the monitors went. And we’re just following them in the pitch black, there was no additional lighting, just them running with the flares. To me, it’s one of the most magical parts of the film. Visually, and performance wise, it’s just so free and it feels so true. The film gods decided to pull the plug and they gave us the greatest gift.”

Hearing about the young actors’ complete ignorance of the technical glitch makes the whole night sound even more surreal. “All five of us were running around,” says Farhan, “and we just hear Imran in the background, talking to people like ‘generator’s gone’. But we just carried on what we were doing. We heard Jermaine, he was stressed about somethin’ but we were just running around with fireworks, jumping around, so much fun.”

'A Family Show'

The film family that Perretta and his producers put together for Ish included Irish playwright and screenwriter Enda Walsh, who co-wrote the script after seeing a first draft. There’s a Steve McQueen rhyme to this set-up here: Walsh co-wrote Hunger with McQueen, alongside collaborations with Lynne Ramsay and Clio Barnard. And Perretta is primarily known as a visual artist, with exhibitions including A Riot in Three Acts at Somerset House and Manchester’s Home. His film work ‘the descendants’, which won him a Turner Prize bursary in 2020, has just opened at Tate Britain, showing until June 2027. But Perretta originally encountered Walsh’s plays back at art school. “Enda’s a real hero of mine,” he says. “The material was so close to me. I’m just so grateful for how much of himself he brought to it. We’ve already started to write some other bits together.”

The final element which makes up Perretta’s multi-hyphenate practice is music. He’s made audio-visual and music concrète works in the past and he composed the score for Ish, working closely with Jens Rosenlund Petersen and Nina Hartstone on the sound design. Using percussion and choral voices, the music really ratchets up at points until it feels inescapable.

“So much of the sound design that Jens and I worked on was about amping up those everyday sounds. You could feel the atmosphere getting on top of the boys, particularly Ish,” he explains.

“My intention with one motif was to make it sound like an old-fashioned siren. Our ears are just really tuned to it.”

A couple of times during our chat, Perretta notes that it’s not just Farhan and Yahya who are first-timers, he’s a first-time feature director too.

“I never thought I’d get to do anything like this, I didn’t think I was capable of doing it,” he says.

“And I’m not because you have to make it with lots of people. It’s a family show.”

From Grime Vids To The BFI

For all the awards and acclaim, Perretta still gets stopped at airports. It’s reductive to lump works of art together based purely on the heritage of the artists but Ish and Perretta’s installation works can be seen as part of a positive wave, shifting the narrative away from ideas that all brown boys and men are dangerous and instead looking deeper at the individuals. Especially when Reform UK and Restore are intentionally whipping up hate in deprived neighbourhoods at the first opportunities.

There’s Sufiyaan Salam’s Manchester-set novel, Wimmy Road Boyz, which follows three friends and shares some of Ish’s rhythms and concerns about what goes unspoken among friends — in this case, they’re in their early twenties. And there is, of course, Riz Ahmed and his recent TV show Bait, starring Guz Khan as his character Shah’s cousin Zulfi, whose big business idea is ‘Muber’. (“But Uber in London is already Muslim?”) Both of these lean more towards comedy than Perretta’s film but they share an underlying melancholy in how these men understand they are perceived by strangers.

Perretta says he’s always two years behind on movies and albums; he’s still catching up on the films that did the festival circuit with Ish in 2025. For the BFI Player — the film is distributed by the BFI, co-developed and financed by BBC Film — he’s picked out a few classics including Wim Wenders’ seminal Paris, Texas.

“So often when I see films, I know that I couldn’t make them. I couldn’t get that feeling because that’s someone else’s signature. It’s like that with Wim Wenders’ slightly hallucinatory thing. It’s got a big heart, there’s so many memorable images.”

He’s been listening to a lot of grime this summer, a callback to his teen years. In fact, it wasn’t an auteur that got him into cinema in the first place, it was music videos. And not the big-budget Spike Jonze ones, but the homemade videos shot on cameraphones and playing on digital channels like Channel U.

“There’s a huge visual culture around grime,” he says. “There were all these DVDs that used to do the rounds. And that’s when it felt achievable to me. So I made basketball videos with my friends and that was the beginning of it.”

The Boys

Farhan and Yahya are bothered by the fact that the iPad they’re using to Zoom keeps automatically zooming in and out. Later on, Yahya’s phone starts interrupting and Farhan tells Siri to “chill, bruh”. It’s an infectious, friendly chaos that’s impossible to fake and one that translates wonderfully on-screen in the film. They listen to each other carefully and when Yahya says out loud that he should stop answering the questions with slang, Farhan responds straightaway with a reassuring “it’s calmed down though”.

Their film and TV faves right now are a fabulous mishmash of jokes, teen staples and exploration. Farhan loves the shows The Vampire Diaries and Teen Wolf and he’d love to be in “supernatural stuff” in future, as well as potentially pursuing voice acting in animation and gaming. He aspires to be like actor Dylan O’Brien in particular: “he’s so sick, everything he does.” Yahya rates Blackish and Spider-Man — “the one that’s coming out the same day as ours” — but it's the 2000s and 2010s “schoolboy” American comedies that he really likes. He shouts out Big Momma’s House and the pair of them pitch me an inspired UK version of the Wayans brothers’ White Chicks, set in Hackney and starring themselves.

As for what’s next, Farhan already has an agent and has done some modelling work — “don’t believe him” — and he’s currently working on a book project. “I just wanna put myself out there, maybe the book that I’m writing, I might be able to direct or act in one day.” And Yahya has joined the Next Generation Youth Theatre in Luton. “Everyone’s got haters, but I’ve only just started in this scene, moretime I got more haters, you get me? I wanna fly through this industry and show people what it’s really about.”

A Premiere in Luton

It’s something that’s on Perretta’s mind too when I ask about the reception to Ish so far and what he hopes for when the normies get to see the film. He’s expecting all sorts of responses: “You’d be surprised. Haters gonna hate.” But it’s all positive vibes, really.

“It feels like there’s a lot of great energy around the film,” he says, “and I hope that people feel some way about it, whether they like it or not, they take something from it.”

Ish just got a ‘premiere’ screening in Luton, for locals and close family and friends of the cast and crew to watch ahead of the wide release, which the boys were psyched about when we chatted. Otherwise it’s all about Imran: “He changed our lives,” says Farhan. And as for Yahya: “Working with Imran was a blessing and a half.”

Ish is in cinemas from 31st July and on BFI Player from 7th September.

• The BIG London Cinema List 2026: Film festivals, seasons, Q&As and rep screenings

I’m catching up with the singer/songwriter/festival-anthem-conductor the morning after the big game and its midway/mid-tier entertainment — a rather underwhelming schmaltzfest featuring Shakira, Madonna, Justin Bieber and Coldplay, among overpaid others.

“Football won in the end,” jokes Pizzorno, who is at his home in Leicester, working out how tracks from the band’s new, ninth, album, Act III, are going to work into Kasabian’s upcoming live shows.

“I almost approach it like a soundscape, like a soundtrack,” he tells Shortlist over a Zoom call in his home studio.

“In my mind, it runs as a score, basically. It's almost like a way of templating, how songs go in and out of each other. I really, really want this to feel like a real journey through the eras of Kasabian.”

Would Kasabian have done a better job at the half time show? Pizzorno is, afterall, renowned for his own not-too-shabby skills on the pitch.

“I think absolutely yes,” he laughs.

“I mean, honestly, we're made for it. We've got the tunes and the energy. But do you know what I did at half time? Because it's half an hour, I had a few pals over, so we did a 'Dad's v Lads' football game. It's a good time to get a decent game in. So I didn't watch it... but we'd play that for sure.

“But I'd say we only want 15 minutes. Get the lads back on the pitch! 30 minutes is a joke. 15 is enough — no one's got more than three good songs anyway.”

‘Three good songs’ does the Kasabian back-catalogue a major disservice though, and Pizzorno has become the perfect frontman to channel them through. Following the dismissal of former frontman Tom Meighan in 2020 (Meighan was convicted of domestic assault the same year), Pizzorno has taken on the talismanic mantle at the front of stage for Kasabian, steering the band for the last half decade through more than 150 shows.

Swapping the guitar for the mic has led to some of the most memorable gigs in the band’s history – and London has played host to some of the best, from a barn-storming outdoor show at Finsbury Park to an arena-shaking masterclass at the O2 in Greenwich.

“The Finsbury Park show was, I say this in all honesty, and not to take it too lightly, but it was probably one of the greatest shows we've ever played,” Serge beams.

“The atmosphere was just really truly special, and I've seen some of the footage back. I'm still on a massive high honestly — I can still go back to the stage and every now and again sort of get flashbacks of it. I've still not really come down from it. To see the next generation of Kasabian fans, and then the people that have been there since day one together, just vibing together. It was honestly absolutely amazing, it was an absolute pleasure.”

London crowds (unfairly) have a reputation for being standoffish and chin-scratchy, but that’s never been the case for Kasabian, who see the capital’s fans as among the most up-for-it in the world.

“Everyone’s always ‘Oh, you know, it's a London crowd, so expect it not to go off as much as it does anywhere else'. But we've never felt that — especially like when we played the O2. It was like a full on '90s rave. It was mental — the O2 does not go off like that, that gig was crazy, it was big,” says Serge.

“Our experience of London shows has always been just chaos, even from playing the Camden Monarch back in the day. There's a sort of dancier vibe, I would say. People have just got that little shoulder turning.”

That’s in no small part thanks to Pizzorno’s ever-growing stage presence. The band (completed by Tim Carter on guitars, Ian Matthews on drums, and Chris Edwards on bass) have become a formidable unit, despite the trials the last decade has thrown at them. Serge likens his performance to “a martial art.”

“I just gave my heart to it,” he says of having to step up to the mic.

“I had no real idea on how or why. Great rock and roll is just from the heart. So if you go on stage and you just go, 'I'm gonna give you everything I've got, every single part of me you're gonna have every night'. That's kind of where you start because that's all you've got, right? And then over time, like anything, you start to learn the craft. And then you learn how to stand in front of 50, 60,000 people and entertain.

“Now I feel like I legitimately kind of have a little bit of a clue what's going on!”

“I do genuinely see myself as just someone in the crowd listening,” he explains.

“Like, if I was in the crowd now, this is what I want to happen. And the crowd probably sees themselves in me on stage. Because that's the way I'm trying to harness them — that kind of takes it to a really big level.”

“A little bit of every Kasabian era”

Act III then represents a culmination of the graft as much as the craft. The past decade has been a proving ground for the band, and Pizzorno on more than one occasion has said the album is a “clean slate” for the band.

It leaves next to nothing on the table. Act III takes a pick-n-mix approach to sound and genre — there’s the rock and the riffs, obviously, but also hip-hop, soul, psychedelia and rave weaved across its tracks. A musical magpie, is there anything Serge doesn’t like to listen to?

“I have a sort of physical reaction to things that I really like,” he explains.

“If something touches me emotionally, there's goosebumps, I can feel overwhelmed, joy. Music can really move me. It could be a weird old folk song, and I'd be sitting there going, 'Whatever this is, I am just in'. It could be a classical piece, or it could be drum and bass. I think why I've always made music the way I've made it is that I've just instinctively followed what I like.

“There are times where a lot of Kasabian records, they can jump, they jump! Sometimes it can be a bit jarring — some industrial techno followed by a really sweet acoustic ballad. But it's just the way in which I react to music.”

The record “feels like a little bit of every Kasabian era” says Serge. “There's a little nod to all the little places that we visited in the past.” But it also dips its toes into social commentary more explicitly than in previous work.

‘One nation under one retail park / There’s nothing here for you’ Serge sings on Soulmate. “The line… I just thought it would look great on a t-shirt!” he jokes — but there’s a deeper longing for a lost sense of community he sees across the UK today, dominated by mega-corp brands and uncaring local governance.

“I live in Leicester, and the centre was just such a vibrant, beautiful, interesting place to be 20 years ago, because there were independent stores. I do wish that landlords and councils would make rent for premises doable, so we can have places to go and interesting stores.”

“Maybe this just sounds like such an old fashioned idea,” he muses. “But I do think community is based around people just hanging out and sharing ideas. In Leicester now, we've kind of lost the city centre, and I wish we hadn't. It's not gone forever — if there were art centres and places for people to show work, music venues for people to just go and play… I just feel like that's the start of something in your own community that you could start.”

The album also takes a shot at online bad actors and ill-intentioned influencers on the track The Guru and the Crypto Time Machine, a wave of characters Serge likens to 60s cult leaders and snake-oil salesmen.

“I was just noticing a sort of new wave guru — masked behind trying to help you out, getting you fit, improving your wellness and mindfulness and... then charging £10 a month at the end of it,” he says.

“In terms of social media, I just fight against the attention that it dominates, and I just worry about the creativity that's lost on time spent scrolling. You look at your own screen time and it's ridiculous. I could have learnt five languages! I could have made eight more albums! I'm not saying everyone should switch off their phones, it's just all that energy being lost into essentially stuff that's just trying to sell you something.

“I've got kids, and without sounding like a fucking nagging old twat, I want them to know your attention is yours.”

And AI? If the entirety of the Australian music-loving public can be taken with an algorithmically generated cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer, we’re all doomed, right? Serge remains pragmatic.

“If you're interested in the commerce, if you're an artist that thinks about units and algorithms and shifting money around, then something like AI is brilliant for you because you can have it do a million things, you can have it copy whatever you want, and you can just keep pumping the system with more and more music. Same in fashion, film, everywhere,” he argues.

“But I'm not a songwriter because of that, you have no control over any of that. I write music because I fucking have to, and it makes me feel incredible, and it makes me feel excited every morning I wake up. I think, 'Today's the day I might fucking write that song that changes the world,' or 'I might write that melody that that is as good as Strawberry Fields'. I don't want that taken away from me because I could just go online and say 'Write me a melody like X, Y, Z'. Then I've done nothing. I make music because I love making music.”

Shaking off the shackles

Act III is eclectic and thoughtful then — and a million miles from the ‘lad rock’ labelling that has unfairly hung around Kasabian’s neck for much of the later part of the band's existence. For Serge, that label has been both frustrating and a tool with which to defy expectations.

“I do find it hilarious,” he laughs. “But I also think it instantly reveals the listener that hasn't even listened to it. After all these years, they kind of sound like they don't really know what they’re talking about if they say that.

“So I was patient and I just bided my time, I just kept my mouth shut and watched it play out. I knew where I was going, I knew what I wanted to make. We were taking things from Kraftwerk, the Silver Apples, David Lynch, Jodorowsky.

“Sometimes it's nice to play with it. We could use it — certainly when you first start out. It's a fight to get out of Leicester. It's a fight to be noticed — to be in a band, you know, wasn't a cool thing.

“When you first do your interviews, you're still in that mode — you don't really know how to communicate with journalists, you feel like they're from another world, and then you retreat back into your fighting mode. So I can understand the miscommunication at the beginning. We sat with journalists and they'd try and catch you out, you'd feel it coming, but then rather than sort of try and talk your way out of it you'd just double down on being a bit of a shitbag! Which is kind of punk, like, 'You know what? Yeah, we are fucking lads. Fuck you.' You retreat into that mentality.”

With ACT III in the bag, “all bets are off” for Kasabian’s next move, says Serge. But there’s a couple of things on the frontman’s to-do list that hint as to where his creative energies are pointing.

“I would love to make a pure orchestral record,” he reveals. “I don't know whether that would be a Kasabian thing, but I would love to follow that side of what I like to listen to and make something heartbreaking. Something that would fill the Verona amphitheatre — candles, just pure emotional music. I would love to do that. Writing the third record, I listened to [Love's] Forever Changes a lot. I really enjoyed that album.”

And the silver screen calls, too — but in front of the orchestra, rather than the camera.

“I scored a film over 10 years ago now. So I'd really like to do that again. I would really love to do a score for a Shane Meadows, that would be the dream, or a Steve McQueen film.

“But in terms of Kasabian, all bets are off. It's good times, man. Good times.”

Kasabian headline Leeds Festival on August 27th, and London’s O2 Arena on December 18th as part of a nationwide UK tour. New album ‘Act III’ is out on September 4th, and new single ‘SUPERPOWERS’ is out now.

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Duvel 666 Belgian Blond

Duvel was founded in 1827 by Belgian brewer Jan-Léonard Moortgat, although it was his sons who shaped the company. Albert Moortgat was particularly passionate about English and Scottish ales and in the early 1900s obtained a sample of yeast used by a Scottish brewery. That same strain is used today, including in Duvel 666, which uses a precision-engineered blend of six hop varieties to create a beer which is fruity and aromatic, with its hit of citrus pairing especially well with its fabulous hoppiness. It’s a deliciously drinkable tipple, even if its ABV comes in at 6.66 per cent (which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly high for a Belgian beer).

Chouffe Cherry Beer

Chouffe is one of the brands you’ll probably have seen on posters around London’s various undergrounds. Founded by Pierre Gobron and Chris Bauweraerts, is known for its high-ABV beers, but does things a little differently. Take the logo. When the brewery was founded in 1982 (more specifically, in a garage owned by Chris’s mother-in-law), images of monks adorned the labels of most Belgian beers, but Chris and Pierre opted for a gnome, instead. Although it’s one of the sweetest beers in our round-up, the notes of almond and strawberry add a wonderful balance. The experts at Chouffe suggest pairing it with game dishes, or ones containing red peppers, red cabbage or fennel. In our experience it pairs just as well with a Mr Whippy from the ice cream van on Tooting Common too.

Vocation Brewery The Surrealist Belgian Witbier

This is one of the fruitiest Belgian-style beers we’ve come across for a while – and it’s gorgeous. Hits of grapefruit, orange peel and coriander give it a crisp brightness which makes it a joy to drink on warmer days, but there’s also a gorgeous smoothness. We were somewhat nervous to read that this beer has bubble-gum nuances, but it wasn’t a note we could identify. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing (we suspect the former) remains to be seen, but this is an all-round winner perfect for summer sessions, especially if they’re accompanied by a local lido. Oh, and bonus points for the very cool label, depicting a hop-themed take on Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte’s Son of Man, with a hop replacing the famous apple.

Chouffe alcohol-free beer

Far too many alcohol-free beers simply don’t cut the mustard, but this is one we’d be happy to drink during periods when we’re giving our liver some time out. It’s a golden beer with plenty of bubbles, a hit of spice and a subtle fruitiness which is guaranteed to keep you coming back for more. We’ll be honest – alcohol-free beers are hard to get right, and we generally avoid them, but Chouffe’s offering is a reminder of how far this type of beer has come.

Fruli Strawberry Beer

Fruli’s brewery is near the historic Belgian city of Ghent, and the brand’s speciality has always been strawberry beers. This is one of the beers we were most sceptical about (despite having a weakness for strawberries) but somehow the flavour combination – strawberries, coriander and orange peel – works unexpectedly well. Its ABV comes in at 4.1 per cent, which is just enough to let the strawberry notes shine, rather than overwhelm. Interestingly, fruity notes are becoming increasingly common in today’s Belgian beers. “Brewers of Belgian beers have been smart about embracing new ideas without throwing away tradition, combining established Belgian techniques and flavour profiles with modern ingredients,” says Rob Beck, head Brewer at Vocation Brewery. “For example, we're now seeing more aromatic, fruit forward hop varieties used in Belgian beer. These perfectly complement the fruity, spicy yeast character that makes Belgian beer so recognisable.”

Hoegaarden Belgian Lager

Famous for its wheatiness and cloudy appearance, Hoegarden is one of the world’s most famous Belgian beers, and it’s a recipe which has remained largely unchanged since 1445, when monks created a wheat beer using orange peel and coriander sourced from the island of Curaçao. They used these ingredients to offset the bitterness of wheat beers brewed prior to the 1500s, and their tipple was an instant hit. We’re huge fans of this lager’s smoothness, although we’ll also impart a top tip which left us loving it even more. When pouring, tilt the glass to a 45-degree angle before pouring two thirds of the bottle into the glass, then swirl the bottle around to liven up the yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Delirium Blonde Belgium Ale

Brouwerij Huyghe, founded in 1654, is the last remaining brewery in Belgium’s Ghent region. Its bestselling beer is Delirium, a triple-fermented (a process designed to improve clarity and reduce so-called hop debris, which can affect the various flavour notes) delight packed full of flavour. There’s a soft maltiness, a hit of spice and an aftertaste which has a slightly bitter dryness – although in this case, that’s not a bad thing. For us, it’s a beer best drunk on colder nights, maybe whilst tucked into a proper old style London boozer, or when you’ve swapped the club for the sofa and some telly. It’s the boozy equivalent of a hot chocolate, and one which pairs brilliantly with blue cheeses and dark breads.

Chimay Triple Blond

This is a Trappist beer in every sense – it’s made by monks at Scourmont Abbey in Chimay, Belgium. The majority of the brewery’s profits go towards various charities (including ones which support disabled adults, and others which focus on education). Yes, it packs a punch with its 8 per cent ABV, but the slightly bitter notes of the hops are expertly balanced by the dash of fruit and spice. Fancy another serving suggestion for Belgian beer? This one relates to glassware, and the reason Belgian-style beers are traditionally served in curved glasses. “The shape helps with the delivery of the beer’s aromatics,” says Rupert Ponsonby, founder of the Beer and Cider Academy. “The shape of the glass is crucial to the delivery of these notes – the yeast, the hops and the barley aromatics. If the glass is too tight the scents can’t be delivered correctly. Too wide and they escape.”

M&S x Huyghe Belgian Cherry Wheat Beer

Cherry Belgian beers, it seems, are having a moment, but if they all taste as gorgeous as this one we’re fully onboard. This particular beer, which has a low ABV of just 3.5 per cent, is a collaboration between Marks and Spencer and the Flanders-based Huyghe Brewery (which also produces the Delirium beer we’ve recommended). Expect a full-on cherry blast – the fruits’ sweetness does a brilliant job of cutting through the bitterness of the hops, and the cherries’ tartness pairs perfectly with this beer’s maltiness. Our only gripe? We wish Marks and Spencer provided more information about this gem on the Ocado website.

Heverlee Premium Pilsner

This delicious Belgian beer is brewed using a recipe discovered in historic records belonging to the Abbey of the Order of Premontre’s monks, who used it to brew beer in the 1100s. In 2013 the recipe was used to create what’s now Heverlee’s most popular pilsner, largely due to the fact it’s made with Noble Saaz hops, regarded as the best in the world. It’s a complex but incredibly drinkable pilsner, with notes of sweetcorn and malt alongside hints of bitterness, but the sweetness of the tropical fruit notes do a fantastic job of bringing balance to this gorgeous brew.

Blue Moon Belgian Belgian-Style Wheal Ale

We’ve got a healthy amount of scepticism when it comes to beers which are Belgian-style but not actually brewed in Belgium, but this one’s one of the few exceptions. After completing a PHD in brewing at the University of Brussels, Blue Moon’s founder and head brewmaster Keith Villa set about creating his famously crisp brews, and Denver-based Blue Moon was founded. What sets Blue Moon ale apart is the sweetness – the beer is brewed with orange peel to ramp up the sweetness while dialling down the tartness associated with Belgian beers. We loved the way the citrus notes cut through the wheat notes while still letting them shine, resulting in a beer which is perfect for year-round sipping but especially well-suited to warmer weather. It’s the kind of one it’s good to have in your cupboard all year round, and whacking a couple into the freezer pre picnic-in-the-park antics.

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"For years I went up and down this country wrestling in workingmen's clubs, in church halls, in filthy, filthy nightclubs with some very questionable people on the outside," he tells Shortlist. "I did it because I was so in love with pro wrestling... It wasn't ever about making money for me. It was all about getting that thrill and getting that excitement. And then when I found out I could make money, it was even better."

On 30 August, the Essex native goes from those nightclubs to the top of the poster at Wembley Stadium, headlining AEW's biggest show of the year, All In, in front of a massive crowd in the UK’s biggest venue. It is his third appearance at the stadium, and the first in a main event slot.

"It fills me with a lot of pride and joy," he says.

Speaking to us the morning after the World Cup final — caffeinated, cheerful, and armed with an early Starbucks — Ospreay is in the strange position of being a lifelong Wembley pilgrim who now works there. Ask him what image the stadium conjures and the answer isn't a wrestling one.

"Oh, honestly, Oasis," he says. "Oasis performing in Wembley Stadium was something that I'd watch on YouTube all the time. But there are so many other different moments in time like football, concerts, or just that iconic archway."

What he misses about the church-hall years, it turns out, isn't the wrestling at all.

"The car journeys with some of the people that I used to travel with," he says. "I genuinely had such a great time hearing stories and just getting to connect with people you didn't know you had so much in common with. It was always fun whenever you got a car full of Essex boys going up to Birmingham or to Cardiff."

He still gets the travel, just with better legroom and different company. Ospreay lives in the UK and works predominantly in the United States, and he and his wife make the trip together. "Nowadays, we sit on the plane next to each other and get the old Mario Kart out."

Coming home

He did watch the final, for the record, and he was not on Argentina's side. "I was so happy that Argentina lost," he says, of a match in which Spain's Ferran Torres settled things in extra time and Enzo Fernández had already been sent off. "I've never seen such cheating and horrible play — unsportsmanlike to a T. I'm so glad Spain won. ¡Viva España!"

The football framing is his own. At Forbidden Door (AEW’s June PPV), Ospreay described his match as his World Cup semi-final. England, as it turned out, didn't get past theirs. So: is the AEW World Championship coming home at Wembley?

"I don't ever want to say 100% yes, because anything can happen on the night," he says. "But what I can tell you is I'm going to leave every single little bit of me in that ring to make sure that I bring home the most important championship in pro wrestling back home to England."

Peak Wrestling

So we put the pitch to him directly: what would he say to a Shortlist reader who has never watched AEW, or who hasn't watched wrestling since the Attitude Era? Why should they buy a ticket?

"If you've not watched since the Attitude Era days, we have far surpassed those days with just how our athleticism and our in-ring action take front and centre spotlight," he says. "It's so important now to present wrestling in a sports environment, for myself anyway, to show people that there are different ways of telling different stories in wrestling.

"There are so many people now from every walk of life that get to come through as a fan and celebrate all together. It reaches out to different cultures, different races, different religions. It's something that bonds us all, and the fact that it's all going to culminate in Wembley Stadium is such a momentous thing."

He is realistic about the limits of a sales pitch, mind.

"If you're not interested, I can't convince you otherwise," he says. "The only thing that I can tell you is this is something that I've wanted to do since I was a 14-year-old boy, and I could never imagine that this was the dream in front of me. I couldn't tell you that this was it, because it was never done before. There was wrestling once upon a time in Wembley Stadium. It was in 1992, and then that was it. AEW has come along and has rewritten the book of what professional wrestling is, and if you want to give it a chance, or even just give me a chance, I think I might be able to change your mind."

Give him a chance where, exactly? If a newcomer were to watch precisely one Will Ospreay match, he wants it to be his 2024 Dynasty bout with Bryan Danielson.

"That matchup at Dynasty was something where I felt like I finally became the guy that I wanted to become," he says. "And to be in there with a legend that is Bryan, I think it is a perfect mix between the technical ground style of professional wrestling and the high-paced hybrid style that I was able to bring into wrestling."

Since we spoke to Ospreay, the Wembley main event has been made official, and it comes with its own back catalogue. He will challenge Kenny Omega, the Canadian who holds the AEW World Championship and has a claim to being one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. The two met twice in 2023, most recently at Forbidden Door in Toronto — Omega's home country, where Ospreay cheerfully played the villain and took the IWGP United States Championship off him in a match heralded as one of the best to ever grace North American soil. Wembley completes the trilogy.

Hidden Blade

Ospreay is relentlessly loud about British independent wrestling, so we offered him a hypothetical: teleport one current UK indie name onto the Wembley card. He immediately began negotiating for more.

"Can it be two?" Told he could have as many as he liked, he went bigger. "I mean, in that case, the entire EVE roster (Pro-Wrestling: EVE is a British independent women's professional wrestling promotion). But if I have to pick, then Lana Austin and Hollie Barlow. I get so much joy from watching those two wrestle.

"Lana especially, just because I feel like our careers have kind of been next to one another. When we first came up, I just really wanted to see her do well, wanted to see her get more opportunities, and she has just found this incredible partner in Hollie, who — they both know how to yin and yang off one another. They're brilliant. I love them."

Ospreay is closer to EVE than most, too, he helps produce it, and there is a Wembley-weekend plug ready to go. "It's just my brainwave. Of course I want people to come to see it over Wembley weekend. We'll be at Walthamstow in the Big Penny Social on the Friday."

He is just as keen to point people down the road on the Saturday, where RevPro runs Wembley Arena. "I had such a great tenure with RevPro; they were the backbone and the foundation of my career, and I'll definitely be in attendance just to make sure they're all doing everything okay. I just want to support from the sidelines."

Through the Curtain

Home-turf shows do not come with a ritual, or at least not a pub-based one. Ospreay doesn't let loose until the job is done — and he doesn't start thinking about the match until the last possible moment.

"For me, I just don't think too much about it. I like to think about it the moment I'm about to walk through the curtain," he says. "A lot of people do headphones before they wrestle; it just never was for me. I see how it can get people in the mood, because when I listen to music when I work out, it gets me in a mood for that.

"But for me, I like to listen to what the audience is feeling. Do they feel tired? Am I performing to more men? Am I performing to kids? Am I performing to women? I like to just close my eyes and listen to what the audience is kind of saying and what energy I can feel. In that way I can transform myself into whatever I need to be before I walk through the curtain."

And after? This is where the interview took a turn.

"Probably something sweet, like a bunch of Original Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts," he says. Pushed on a number, he treated the question with the seriousness of a man who has genuinely thought about it. "So that's an open-ended question, because what are you giving me? Are you giving me 24 hours to eat as many doughnuts as humanly possible? As long as you're talking Original Glazed, I think I could eat 100 in one day. I'm not even joking. I think I could easily do it."

He has, he admits, looked up the calories. "It would be astronomical."

Then, unprompted: "I want it to rain Original Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts if I win at Wembley on August 30th."

Beyond the Mat

Between shows, the wind-down is video games — in short doses. Ospreay is currently working through the Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake in half-hour instalments.

"I only play games for like 30 minutes at a time, because it just hurts my brain after a while," he says. "It's very good for me to shut off. If a lot is going on around me, I can just put my video game on and blend into the background there. But it does something to my brain — I just can't look at the screen too long. It winds me up a little bit, and I think it's because I'm focused in so hard. When I'm watching a film, I just relax. But when I'm playing a game, my brain is so stressed out trying to complete some of these things."

Ospreay has spoken before about having ADHD, and the same hyper-fixation applies to the day job — with a much steeper drop on the other side.

"It takes me a while to come down from any type of wrestling high that I get," he says. "It's so difficult, because when you get so hyper-fixated on something, and then you do it and it's done, you don't really know what to do with yourself. You just have to find something that brings you down to a level where you can function as a human.”

Asked whether he has any advice for conquering that post-achievement burnout, Ospreay points to his family.

"Honestly, a lot of it was my son. Becoming a stepdad was such a crazy thing in my life that has helped out my ADHD so much, because it was a way of separating the two worlds: this is my personal world; this is my real world."

Working alongside his wife might sound like it collapses that partition, but he insists the opposite. "We're able to separate it very well. Sometimes things will trip you off, and it will impact your day at work. But at the end of it, we're very happy people, and we love our job, and we love the family life that we're able to have because of our job."

Finally, because it seemed rude not to bring things back to food: the ideal London night out. Ospreay has a shortlist of one, and he is fairly sure of the name.

"There's a place in Mayfair. I think it's J.W. Steakhouse. It's the best steak I've ever had in England. When you've had steak in Las Vegas and Tokyo, it's very hard to beat the level of deliciousness of that food," he says. "In fact, I might actually go there the Monday after Wembley, just to say, 'Well done for all the training. Well done for all that hard work.' Have a steak."

Doughnuts on the night, steak by the Monday. For a man about to headline Wembley Stadium, the post-match plan is reassuringly ordinary — but then, so was the church hall he started in.

AEW All In: London takes place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 30 August at 4:30PM. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster, with standard admission starting at around £31. The show also airs on pay-per-view via MyAEW.

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That’s a whole lot of narrative baggage to be dragging around with you. If you’re not au fait with the character’s films to date (where have you been?), or have simply forgotten all the ins and outs of his reality-warping escapades, a little light revision might be in order.

We’re not suggesting that you wade through Marvel’s entire cinematic and televisual back catalogue on Disney+. Rather, we’d suggest that you hone in on as many of the following movies and TV episodes as possible.

Between them they’ll introduce you to all of the characters, themes and plot points that seem to be feeding into Spider-Man: Brand New Day – going by the trailer footage we’ve seen and the rumours we’ve heard, at least.

Work your way through these entries over the coming days and weeks, and you’ll be able to enter that blissfully air conditioned theatre with confidence.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Let’s get the obvious ones out of the way first. Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears to represent the end of Spidey’s original arc in the MCU, as well as the start of a possible new one. To that end, the best revision you can be doing for the new film is to rewatch the original trilogy, which started off in 2017 with Spider-Man: Homecoming. It’s here that we meet gifted high school student Peter Parker, potential love interest MJ, and best buddy Ned, as well as establishing the tone and themes that will run through the entire tetralogy.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

The second Tom Holland Spider-Man movie is the first to have a direct relationship to the major plot points of Brand New Day. It’s here in Far From Home that events are set in motion that will result in our hero cutting such a lonely, forlorn figure at the outset of the latest film. It’s also, unfortunately, the worst of the first three Spidey movies, though it has its moments. In particular, it shows our hero contending with the loss of a major mentor figure, Tony Stark, and the burgeoning of his relationship with MJ.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

We’ve boldly stated that you should be watching all three Spider-Man films in the series ahead of Brand New Day, like we don’t all lead busy lives. If time is of the essence and you need to take a Spidey crash course, however, just watch the last film. Not only is Spider-Man: No Way Home a really good movie in its own right, the events contained within lead directly into those of Brand New Day. Specifically, we learn why Peter is so isolated in the new film, observing his friends from afar and scrabbling around for guidance from senior figures.

Daredevil (Season 2)

Some of the most striking footage of the Brand New Day trailers has been of our favourite web slinger going head to head with a gang of red-clad ninjas. These would appear to be The Hand, a shady organisation that we previously ran into during Charlie Cox’s original Daredevil run on Netflix (and now on Disney+). They were heavily featured in The Defenders crossover series, but we wouldn’t put you through the ordeal of having to watch that. Check out The Hand’s introduction in the second season of Daredevil instead. The season also helpfully introduces us to another key character...

The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026)

Brand New Day’s packed cast list includes John Bernthal’s The Punisher. You could watch both seasons of the made-for-Netflix Punisher series if you really wanted to do a deep dive on this iteration of Frank Castle. But given that Daredevil Season 2 doubles as a handy introduction to the character, you can probably learn everything else in this one-off Disney+ episode. It only launched a couple of months ago, so it should offer the ideal lead-in to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with our grizzled vigilante finding a new (dare we say heroic?) purpose.

The Avengers (2012)

Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner is all set to inherit the role of Spidey’s senior Avengers advisor in Brand New Day, while his Hulk alter ego will seemingly face off against Spidey at some point. Given that there is no standalone movie featuring this version of the character (come on Marvel), the best showcase for his whole Jekyll and Hyde dynamic remains the original Avengers movie from 2012. It’ll grant you a neat introduction to the character and his unique (often mutually exclusive) combination of brains and brawn.

Dark Phoenix (2019)

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is heavily rumoured to serve as a narrative stepping stone into Marvel’s X-Men reboot. Not only is mutation a prominent theme, judging from the trailers, but team member Jean Grey is tipped to feature in some sort of antagonistic role, potentially played by Sadie Sink. If you want to head that possibility off with a cinematic introduction to the powerful telepath, you could always check out the original X-Men movie from 2000. We’ve picked 2019’s Dark Phoenix, not because it’s a particularly good film, but because it features a younger, more dangerous Jean Grey at the centre of it.

Captain America: Civil War

This one’s more of a bonus round than essential viewing, but it might just dot the final few i’s and cross the t’s for the uninformed. If you’re at all curious as to how this iteration of your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man came to rub shoulders with the wider Marvel universe, take a look at Captain America: Civil War. The second standalone feature for Chris Evans’s time-displaced super soldier is a de facto third Avengers movie, and also pulls Spidey into his first scrap with his fellow Marvel heroes.

• Get hyped for Nolan's The Odyssey with these 8 epic Greek mythology movie and TV adaptations

Luckily, Jake Johnson is here to fill the void with his new film The Dink. Written by Sean Clements, directed by Josh Greenbaum and with Ben Stiller on board producing, it follows in the fashion of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, bringing a ridiculous sports framed comedy to our screens.

The Dink follows Jake Johnson as washed up former tennis prodigy Dusty Boyd who has been reduced to coaching unruly children at his father Chuck’s (Ed Harris) suburban country club. Desperate for his father’s approval, Dusty blindly supports Chuck’s vendetta against the new craze taking over the club: pickleball. But when Dusty re-aggravates an old injury, taking away his ability to play tennis, he resorts to the unthinkable in the name of rehab. He not only tries pickleball, but, thanks in part to his enchanting new partner, Candace (Mary Steenburgen), he finds himself actually enjoying it. Torn between two worlds, Dusty is forced to finally face the ghosts of his past athletic failures, including his childhood nemesis, Andy Roddick (Andy Roddick). Ultimately, Dusty is drawn into a desperate battle for the future of the club, his father’s affection and his very identity.

Over Zoom, we chatted to the film’s leading trio – Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, and Aaron Chen – about the new film, and got them to play a little game to put how well they know each other to the test.

SL: Hello from the UK! So we’ve got a game for you three, it’s called Virtual Strangers and it will hopefully take your friendships up a level. We’ve got some of the most random fun questions you can ask to bring you closer together – how do you feel your knowledge of one another is at the moment?

Jake Jonson: High

Aaron Chen: 100%

JJ: The three of us are best friends, we travel together, we live together, we’ve only been separated four fourteen hours since we filmed

AC: We have a triple bunk bed

JJ: And this is the order [Aaron, Mary, Jake]

Mary Steenburgen: These two keep me up all night

JJ: We’re debating major topics!

SL: Obviously. So we’ve got our work cut out for you to feel closer at the end of this than you currently are. What is your least favourite household chore?

JJ: I’m going to go putting dishes away from the dishwasher

MS: Putting clothes away after they’ve been washed and dried

AC: I’d say changing the sheets – it’s the hardest one, it’s technical

SL: Do you get confused turning it inside out?

AC: I turn it inside out

JJ: In our apartment - where we all sleep - it’s just sleeping bags, and we all have little flashlights so we can all read and stay up late

SL: I hope you’re reading to one another

AC: Oh yeah, usually Mad Max

SL: Q2, what is the best pasta shape in your opinion?

MS: Cavatelli, because I make it by hand. It’s like a little curly Q, like a spiral. I have a little board and dowel and you roll the pasta off it

AC: That’s a fancy shape

MS: I’ll make it for you next time you’re round

AC: Mine’s a fusilli

JJ: I think my favourite is a Luca Del Trecce

AC: Is that a friend of yours?

JJ: He’s the writer of Sunset PI…

MS: Are you promoting your next show??

JJ: Yes

SL: What fictional detective do you think you’d make a good duo with?

JJ: [Since you bring it up] I think Sunset PI… A PI show I’m doing that’s coming out soon

AC: Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed if you watch that show…

MS: Stop promoting his other stuff!!

JJ: Come on that was a good one

MS: Mine would be Happy Doll – there’s books about him, he’s a character in Jonathan Ames detective novels which I love

AC: Mine would be Inspector Rex, do you know that guy?

MS: IS that a T-Rex?

AC: He’s like a dog, but we’d watch his TV show in German class to learn German but sometimes there were nude scenes and the teacher would have to come and cover the screen

MS: How’s your German then? Come on, let’s hear some

AC: *mumbles in German * I stopped in eighth grade…

SL: Next up, do you guys ever get shows you’ve been in come up on streaming platforms as part of you ‘For You’ algorithm? And do you ever watch them?

MS: Oh it’s definitely happened – I don’t usually watch them though. I usually watch things I've been in once and then don’t watch them again. Apart from Step Brothers. I do like to occasionally indulge in. And Elf at Christmas. May have to watch The Dink more than once…

JJ: None for me, I’m not my own demo. I never come up on my own algorithm

AC: You’re lying, this is a lie detector test now

JJ: And I just failed. I watch all my own shows, they’re the only shows I watch. Home videos, anything

MS: Old podcasts?

AC: I will actively look for it each morning which definitely affects the algorithm

JJ: [To Mary] Wait speaking of podcasts you just passed on my podcast

MS: No I didn’t!!

JJ: You were supposed to come in person

MS: I am going to come in person, I worked it out with Natalie – you’re so behind. See women run things. You have no clue what’s going on

[*Everyone communally makes clock it snaps*]

SL: I think that’s all we’ve got time for, but do you feel like you know each other any better?

AC: A lot better

MS: I think it’s more the living and sleeping in the same room and hearing them snoring

JJ: It’s the bunk beds, but also this

SL: We'll take it

The Dink starring Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, and Aaron Chen is streaming on Apple TV from Friday 24th July.

• Get hyped for Nolan's The Odyssey with these 8 epic Greek mythology movie and TV adaptations

With hundreds of games available for one monthly subscription, Microsoft's service is arguably the best deal in entertainment. The only problem for subscribers? Figuring out what to play first. Between massive RPGs, indie gems, multiplayer favourites and all-time Xbox classics, it's easy to spend longer browsing than actually gaming.

It is admittedly, however, a strange time to be an Xbox fan, and that’s in part down to the Game Pass concept itself. Microsoft bet the house on its subscription service pulling in gamers looking for a value proposition, and hoovered up studios to support that goal and bolster the library with exclusive titles. And though the games are there — there are literally hundreds on Game Pass, at least on its top ‘Ultimate’ tier — the profits seemingly haven’t been. Xbox is undergoing a massive restructuring program that’s seen it let go of thousands of staff members, and the jettisoning of entire studios.

It’s an ongoing gamble then for Microsoft and the developers it represents, but, with prices recently reduced, Game Pass subscribers remain definite winners.

The beauty of Xbox Game Pass isn't simply the size of its library, but instead its sheer variety. One evening you can be carving through demons in Doom: The Dark Ages, the next you're tending crops in Stardew Valley, before disappearing into a 100-hour RPG like The Witcher 3 or Persona 5 Royal.

Whether you're completely new to Xbox or a lifelong fan, these 40 games represent the very best of what Microsoft's subscription service has to offer. Download any one of them and you'll quickly understand why Game Pass remains the cherry on top when it comes to playing on Xbox.

The best Xbox Game Pass games

1. Absolum

Modern side-scrolling beat 'em ups are enjoying a renaissance, and Absolum is among the finest examples. Mixing beautifully animated hand-drawn visuals (remember the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon? This is for you) with roguelike progression, every run unlocks new abilities, weapons and tactics. It captures the pick-up-and-play fun of arcade classics while giving you plenty of reasons to jump back in for another run.

• Best for: Players who love classic arcade action with plenty of replay value.

2. Assassin's Creed Origins

Origins didn't just move Assassin's Creed to Ancient Egypt, it reinvented the franchise as a full-blown RPG series. Sure, that’s been for better and for worse in recent years, but Origins remains a series high point. That’s largely down to its setting: vast deserts, bustling settlements and towering pyramids provide one of Ubisoft's most beautiful open worlds, while Bayek's heartfelt story gives the series one of its strongest protagonists. It's an adventure that still feels fresh years after release, and arguably hasn’t been bettered by the Creed RPGs that followed.

• Best for: Fans of huge open worlds, history and exploration.

3. Avowed

Obsidian has spent decades making brilliant RPGs, and Avowed continues that tradition. Set in the fantasy world of Eora, it combines surprisingly-meaty first-person combat, meaningful dialogue choices and richly written companions. Every decision feels important, while magical abilities encourage plenty of experimentation throughout your journey. Eora is really well realised too — more colourful and densely packed than Skyrim, or even Obsidian’s own darling, Fallout New Vegas.

• Best for: RPG fans who like shaping their own adventure.

4. Batman: Arkham Knight

Rocksteady's Batman trilogy reached an explosive conclusion with Arkham Knight. The free-flow combat system remains one of gaming's best, stealth encounters reward careful planning and Gotham has never looked better. Ignore the criticism surrounding the Batmobile — this is still one of the greatest superhero games ever made, and I’d argue the best ever iteration of the Batverse in any medium. Come at me, Nolan-heads

• Best for: Anyone who's ever wanted to be Batman. Which is all of us, right?

5. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

One of the biggest breakout surprises of recent years, Expedition 33 blends turn-based combat with perfectly timed real-time actions to create something genuinely fresh in the JRPG world. We say JRPG, but JRPG inspired would be more accurate, as it’s actually been made by a French studio (Sandfall Interactive), enamoured with the Final Fantasy series. Combined with stunning art direction, superb performances and an emotional story, it's the sort of RPG that stays with you long after the credits roll.

• Best for: Players who value unforgettable storytelling alongside brilliant combat.

6. Control

Imagine The X-Files directed by Christopher Nolan, then turn it into an action game. That's Control. Remedy's supernatural thriller fills every corridor of the Federal Bureau of Control with mystery, while telekinetic powers make every firefight surreally chaotic. Few games are stranger, or more entertaining. With a sequel on the way, it’s a good time to dive in, too.

• Best for: Fans of weird sci-fi and spectacular supernatural action.

7. Cyberpunk 2077

Forget its rocky launch. After years of updates, Cyberpunk 2077 has become one of the finest RPGs on modern consoles. Night City is packed with memorable characters, side stories and incredible world-building, while the combat allows you to become anything from a stealthy hacker to an unstoppable cybernetic powerhouse. It’s an all-timer, and shouldn’t be missed.

• Best for: William Gibson fans who love immersive role-playing games.