I've got an extra special guest joining me for Episode 330 of Life In The Stocks. It's my dear friend Lzzy Hale from Halestorm. I've known Lzzy for 13 years, but this is her first official appearance on the podcast - the Soundtrack Apocalypse episode during the pandemic doesn't count! And we make up for lost time by diving right into it. We discuss growing up and getting older, moving through life, self-improvement, self-development, being a role model, inspiring others, paying it forward,...

Mike Kroeger from Canadian multi-platinum selling rock band Nickelback joins me for Episode 329 of Life In The Stocks to discuss life in the band people hate to love. Check out the excellent new documentary of the same name, which is out now. It's an honest, engaging and entertaining peak behind the curtain of one of the world's biggest and most beloved / maligned rock bands. Mike is an absolute top geezer as well. Enjoy! Follow me on Facebook / Instagram: @mattstocksdj My first two books...

Photographer and graphic artist Jesse Fischer joins me for Episode 328 of Life In The Stocks. We have a fascinating chat about skateboarding and punk rock, the rise and peaks of those movements, developments in technology and the music industry, how the scenes and society have changed, the lasting legacy of those early punk bands and Jesse’s favourite memories from those times, the creative process, influence and inspiration, working for Thrasher, Epitaph, Fat Wreck Records & Hellcat, and...

It's been a lone time since I've had a visual artist on the show, and I'm thrilled to welcome agitprop artist, illustrator, record sleeve & band logo designer and master of the medium of collage, the iconclastic Winston Smith as my guest for Episode 327 of Life In The Stocks. We discuss all things art, creativity, counter-culture, punk rock, and Winston's longstanding relationship with and connection to bands like Green Day and the Dead Kennedy’s, who he’s created iconic album art, band...

Cult rock 'n' roll guitar slinger Kid Congo Powers joins me on Life In The Stocks this week for Episode 326 of the podcast. We discuss his upbringing as a Mexican American in East LA in the 1970s, playing in The Gun Club and the genius of Jeffrey Lee Pierce, creativity, experimentation, addiction & recovery, the inspiration and lasting legacy of Poison Ivy and The Cramps, the band's recent renaissance period after Goo Goo Muck appeared on Tim Burton's TV show Wednesday, energy, escapist...

We've got a very special guest on the show this week. Joining me for Episode 325 of Life In The Stocks is John Reis aka Speedo aka The Swami from Rocket The Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, The Sultans, The Nightmarchers, Back Off Cupids, Plosivs, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and more. The singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, DJ and underground music guru discusses his experiences with Gene Simmons and Johnny Rotten - two pasts LITS guests and two of my favourite rock ‘n’ roll...

Life In The Stocks Episode 324 features Jen Razavi from The Bombpops. I first met Jen last summer at SBAM festival in Austria. We've shared many great conversations since then, culminating in the podcast that you're about to hear. We discuss creativity, vulnerability, self-expression, personal development, online presence, the greater purpose, gratitude, calmness, contentment, fulfilment, friendships, hustling, building a community, making a living, performing live, playing in a band versus...

We also discuss Stacey’s upbringing and history with depression and addiction, and her non-profit organisation The Sidewalk Project. And we get into her battle with cancer and overcoming that whole ordeal. Finally, we talk about the new Bad Cop record and Stacey's upcoming guided tours at the Punk Rock Museum, tickets for which you'll find here: https://www.thepunkrockmuseum.com/guided-tour-tickets If this podcast is anything to go by, Stacey has stories for days!!! Follow me on Facebook /...

The Yorkshire tri-factor that began with Joe Elliott three weeks ago is now complete, as renowned gun for fire, underground guitar god, singer-songwriter, solo artist and all-round nice bloke Chris Catalyst joins me for Episode 322 of Life In The Stocks. Chris has played with everyone from the Sisters of Mercy and Ghost to The Wildhearts and Ugly Kid Joe. He also has his own band Eureka Machines. And he's a prolific solo artist. And we try and cover as much ground as possible in the allotted...

Mike Vennart from Empire State Bastard, Biffy Clyro & Oceansize joins me for Episode 321 of Life In The Stocks. We had Joe Elliott on the show last week and Mike Vennart on the show this week - from one Yorkshire rock legend to another. Amongst many other topics, we discuss Mike's love of Jane's Addiction, his lifelong love affair with heavy metal, coming up on the UK music scene alongside Biffy Clyro, watching their meteoric rise and eventually joining the band, starting Empire State...

Ladies and gentlemen, the Mighty Joe Elliott from the multi-platinum-selling Def Leppard joins me for Episode 320 of Life In The Stocks. This actually marks Joe's third appearance on the podcast, but there's never any shortage of fun stuff to talk about. Joe's one of the chattiest guys around. Here, we discuss everything from stadiums tours with Motley Crue and the shenanigans that went down on the road to the working class roots of Def Leppard and what's held the band together over all these...

I can't believe I lost this file for so long. But I'm very happy I found it and I get to share it with you this week. The awesome Kim McAuliffe from the equally awesome Girlschool joins me for Episode 319 of Life In The Stocks to talk all things punk rock, glam rock and rock 'n' roll. Enjoy! Follow me on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram: @mattstocksdj My first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy from all reputable online book stores. Signed...

From one bad ass bass player (Duff McKagan) to another, my guest on Life In The Stocks this week is Sami Yaffa from Hanoi Rocks and the New York Dolls. Sami has led an incredibly rich and interesting life, and it's all documented in his amazing autobiography, The Road Bends. He's also got a couple of great solo albums out, and we talk all about the book, the solo records and his time in Hanoi Rocks. Plus a whole lot more. Follow me on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram: @mattstocksdj My first...

Today is my birthday, and what better way to celebrate than by welcoming one of my all-time favourite rock stars and humans onto the show. Duff McKagan from Guns N' Roses & Velvet Revolver joins me this week for Episode 317 of Life In The Stocks to talk all about his storied life and career, leading up to the release of his new solo album Lighthouse, which is out now. This is absolutely one of my favourite episodes to date. I always love talking to Duff and this interview is, I think, the...

My guest this week is one of my favourite people on the planet, Australian singer, songwriter & musician, Dallas Frasca. And we have an honest and vulnerable discussion about creative and personal development. It's a conversation all about evolution and growth and finding your purpose and fulfilling your potential. Dallas is a brilliant woman and a truly amazing musical artist. This is actually one of my favourite ever episodes. It’s a beautiful reminder of how lucky I am to get to do...

Another Aussie podcast for you this week, as I'm joined by none other than Alan Fletcher, aka Dr. Karl Kennedy from Neighbours, the longest running and most beloved TV show in the history of Australian television. Once again, it's a bloody great chat with a bloody great bloke. You can also catch Alan on tour throughout the UK this July. Follow me on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram: @mattstocksdj My first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW and available to buy...

I've got a great guest for you this week: Ross Knight from Cosmic Psychos. If you haven't seen the Psychos documentary Blokes You Can Trust, you need to check it out. It will tell you everything you need to know about this iconic Australian band. Ross is a bloody great bloke as well. I think you'll really get a kick out of this conversation. I know I did. Follow me on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram: @mattstocksdj My first two books (Life In The Stocks Volume One & Two) are also out NOW...

Welcome to Episode 313 of Life In The Stocks. My guest this week is Joe Escalante from The Vandals. I had the pleasure of Joe's company and friendship on the Flogging Molly Cruise last year and it was wonderful to welcome him onto the podcast. We talk about discovering punk rock, switching Fat Mike onto punk rock, and building a life and career out of punk rock. We also discuss how the classic Vandals line-up of Joe Escalante, Dave Quackenbush, Warren Fitzgerald and Josh Freese came about,...

Karina Deniké from NOFX and Dance Hall Crashers joins me this week. We talk about growing up in England, moving to America, the East Bay Gilman Street and Third Wave ska scenes, her 18 years with the Dance Hall Crashers, being a female on the punk rock scene, coming up at the same time and playing shows with No Doubt and Sublime, her relationship with her former Dance Hall Crasher band mates today, her friendship with Fat Mike, playing in NOFX, The Final Tour and a whole lot more. It's a...

Exene is someone else I met on the Flogging Molly Cruise - we actually met on the 2022 Salty Dog Cruise, it's just taken me until now to invite her onto the show. But everything happens for a reason. All in due time and all that. I genuinely believe that to be true. This was such a soul-stirring and inspiring conversation.We discuss sobriety, recovery, relationships, heartache, creativity and so much more. It actually felt more like an exercise in life advice than an interview, and I'm very...

I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Vic from The Slackers on the Flogging Molly Cruise. And I knew right away I had to get him on the podcast. The Slackers are not only one of the best (and most criminally overlooked) contemporary ska bands, Vic is also an incredible songwriter and musician, not to mention a real old school New York character. I'm sure he has stories for days. We get into a few of them here, from growing up in the Bronx and the New York music scene to the...

Merry Christmas boys and girls!!! I thought I'd do something a little different for this special Christmas episode of LITS and share with you an episode of my other podcast Stoke The Fire, a show that I co-host with my best friend Jesse Leach from Killswitch Engage. We launched the show during COVID as a means of connecting in a time of much division and unrest, and something we've continued (albeit sporadically) into a post-COVID world. Many of the guests that've appeared on Life In The...

I've had the pleasure of interviewing Mark Tremonti many times over the last 12 years, for Kerrang! Radio, Scuzz TV and Metal Hammer, but this is his first appearance on Life In The Stocks. We talk a little bit about Creed and Alter Bridge, obviously, but the main focus of this conversation is the last couple of solo records that Mark has put out, namely his Frank Sinatra covers album and the Christmas album he just released, Christmas Classics New & Old. As a big fan of both Sinatra...

The wait is finally over. Whit Crane is probably the most requested guest in the history of Life In The Stocks. We've been friends for over ten years now, and people are always asking me, "When's Whit Crane coming on the podcast?" We were just biding our time for the right moment, and this was truly it. An Evening with Whitfield Crane, as recorded live at the West Hampstead Arts Club October 26. Thank you to everyone who made it out to the show. It was an incredibly special evening filled...