59: Andy Crome

My guest this week is Andy Crome, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at Manchester Metropolitan University. We learn that Andy grew up in St. Andrews and studied Theology and Ancient History at Lampeter. We talk about dialects, accents and early memories, including about the history of Lampeter and the people who embodied the place and gave it a sense of continuity. We find out about Andy’s work in early modern history and fandom and how it relates to ‘Dr. Who’, and the cross overs between these areas, as when Andy talks about 'Dr. Who' episodes set in early modern history. I ask Andy whether he would fancy being a consultant for 'Dr. Who', and whether there should be a 'Dr. Who' musical, and we talk about the mystique of the lost episodes. Andy mentions the Starbucks appearance in ‘Game of Thrones’, and the potential for something to go wrong during live theatre performances. Andy recalls his musical passions, including going to see Bon Jovi in concert. He talks about Manchester being a great city for live music and we discuss what the artists think about what academics are saying about them. For instance, Andy refers to the time when Mark E. Smith didn’t think there was value in what was being written about the music of The Fall. We find out how Andy entered academia and the guilt he feels around getting jobs that other academics haven’t been successful in obtaining. We discuss what being an academic is about and the need to do several different things well. Andy discusses how not all of his memories are positive and he reflects on the sadness in nostalgia around people that we have lost. In terms of whether we can be nostalgic about negative experiences, Andy talks about the desire in apocalyptic groups for martyrdom, as well as about the fear of endings and how the history of apocalypticism is about people who have been wrong in their predictions. Then, in the final part of the interview, we learn what Andy wanted to be as a teenager and whether he’d be surprised to learn what he is doing now, which includes research on ‘My Little Pony’ fandom, as well as about how things once dismissed as geeky and embarrassing are now considered very much a normal part of popular culture. Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Andy Crome and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.