The Odditorium

We have now reached the end of our third journey through the portal labelled “Odditorium”. The two Davids reflect on the eclectic fare that has been offered and look forward to putting their feet up and consuming a celebratory biscuit, when…! Thank you for listening to this series and we look forward to returning in the new year with the fourth season of the Odditorium.

To paraphrase Monty Python, “What have the French ever done for us?”. Well, language wise, quite a lot or 74% to be precise. But is it all good? Dr Lynne Murphy asks us to reclaim our language and the two Davids try to reclaim our land.

Zoology expert, Jules Howard gives his second Odditorium talk on the sex lives of animals, the extraordinary ways some creatures have learned to extend their lives and what we can learn from them. In the studio pie, cake and biscuit lover Dave Mounfield, is doing all he can to make it past 40.

We were delighted when Rupert agreed to come and speak at one of our live Odditorium events in 2016. Here the celebrated scientist explores the importance of ritual and pilgrimage and the rise of psychedelic rituals in recent years. Inspired, our intrepid presenters take a pilgrimage to the shops…to buy some biscuits.

Something a bit different for our episode today! Odditorium co-presenter David Bramwell, together with author John Higgs, have made a special 4-part series exploring the hidden history of one of Britain’s oldest roads: Watling Street. This sample episode, recorded on location in Kent, covers everything from the Carry -On’s Charles Hawtry to Brian Haw, who sacrificed his life in a spiritual war with former prime minister, Tony Blair. If you like this episode please subscribe to Watling Street Podcast on iTunes or Stitcher etc. Abnormal service will be resumed next episode.

Psychogeographer, author and acclaimed Alpinist, Mathew Clayton argues that, even more than the synthesiser, the cowbell, was the defining sound of the 20th century. Tying in everything from Kraftwerk to Jazz he shows how the little-known genres of kling-klang and ding-dong have influenced us in a post-truth world.

Nearing the end of his journey, David heads to the Arizona Desert in search of an entire eco-city built from scratch by Italian architect, Paolo Soleri. Arriving back at his home in Brighton after twelve months he wonders how he might bring a sense of community and utopia to his own backyard, only to discover… 

David heads to California where he thinks maybe – just maybe – he’s found utopia in a New Age community conceived by Aldous Huxley and managed by Hunter S.Thompson. Does it have free wifi and stock his favourite biscuits? Is he finally over his ex? Find out in the penultimate thrilling episode.

In the heart of the Italian Alps sits the community of Damanhur, creators of the world’s largest underground temple and home to singing plants. While David is moved to tears by their architectural wonders he is there on a commission from his old friend Ken Campbell: to steal the community’s ‘fully functioning’ time machine.

In search of a little carnal pleasure David dips his toe into the world of free love and polyamory. From here he heads to the Czech Republic to spend time in a BDSM-themed kingdom run by women and fuelled entirely on Pot Noodles.

David heads to the north of Scotland to the caravan park community of Findhorn in search of giant vegetables and plant spirits. Instead he finds himself rooming with Karl, the bassist of the Belgian punk band, Demon Swallower.

After his long-term partner leaves him, David embarks on a global adventure to find his own utopia. First stop is an anarchist community in the heart of Denmark, complete with rampaging santas and a drunken bear called Ricky.

Dr Hester celebrates the life and work of the celebrated ‘supermasochist’ and performance artist Bob Flanagan. Find out how Bob fought cystic fibrosis with whips, chains, and self-carpentry. The two Dave’s meanwhile, appear to be stars of a new sitcom: the Odditorium Couple, in which Bob plays the next door neighbour. Warning: this podcast contains extreme images.

Author, magician and hirsute wonder, Alan Moore is, for many, the greatest living Englishman. Not easily lured from his home town of Northampton, Alan made a rare appearance at the Odditorium tent in Brighton in May 2016, as part of an evening exploring the theme of counterculture. He was interviewed by another podcast favourite, John Higgs

Dr Cara Courage has a love/hate relationship with the long-running Radio 4 soap opera The Archers. She shares her enslavement, the program’s appeal and why it irritates the shit out of most right-thinking people, including Grayson Perry. Meanwhile the two Davids appear to be trapped in a meta-universe where they too are in an episode of the Archers…

Daisy Campbell, (daughter of the performer Ken Campbell) takes us on a rollercoaster adventure exploring the ancient practise of gastromancy – divination from the stomach. It’s one of the most entertaining but weirdest talks we’ve ever had on the Odditorium so hang in there! Meanwhile in the studio, the two Davids appear to be having a spot of bother with the disembodied voice of Aleister Crowley.

David and David discover they’ve been on holiday in the Polish Biscuit Mines now for six months. They do, however, have some exciting news for their two listeners, Wally and Jimbob, and decide that perhaps it’s time they went home and launched the third season.

After a busy summer of creating interesting podcasts, the ever inquisitive duo head in search of the source of the biscuit. This episode may not be the longest in the series but it still contains the heady concoction of comedic banter and baked teatime accompaniments.

Eric Drass is an artist and curator whose work ranges from painting, to digital installation, to generative experiments which live on the net. Sometimes this work is political, frequently it is playful, often it is provocative or transgressive in some way. In this Odditorium talk Eric reveals how culture is being created through digital networks and, more importantly, demonstrates how he enjoys subvert these networks with his art.

QI elf, author and ex-policeman, Stevyn Colgan argues the case for a crime-free future, using only a wheelie bin and a football pitch for props. Meanwhile in the studio, Dave Mounfield is trying to steal all the biscuits.

Blogger and psycho-geographer James Burt takes us on a journey into the darkest recesses of the internet, exploring its myths, superstitions and creepiest creations, including one of its most enduring, haunting and tragic legacies: Slenderman.

In 2013 Daisy Asquith spent six weeks following the tour of global pop sensation One Direction, to make a film about their Twitter-tastic fandom. Crazy About One Direction became the most tweeted about documentary ever on television.What Daisy didn’t anticipate was the backlash from fans that followed, from hate mail to death threats. This episode is a fascinating insight into the obsessions and erotic fantasies of teenage fans! Warning: contains hardcore Larry-shipping.

This episode starts with a crash, after an eclipse and power cut in the studio leave our presenters stumbling around in the dark while Mr Mounfield later reveals himself to be a Zoroastrian. It all proves however, to be a perfect link for their guest, Gregory Sams, who puts forward a compelling argument for the sun, stars and universe, being far more intelligent than conventional science would have us believe.

The (pretend) Reverent Rohan Kriwaczek is the author of a book that controversially detailed the lost history of the funerary violin. A musical movement that has been suppressed since the 18th Century, and only kept alive through the efforts of the fusty and recidivist archivists of the Guild of the Funerary Violinists. Kriwaczek text was described as both a remarkable insight into a suppressed art form and as one of the greatest art hoaxes of the early C21st. Rohan updates us on the latest dealings of the Guild, which has led to his being expelled from the very organisation that he was responsible for creating. Also in this special extended episode we learn what David and David actually got up during their extended break this summer, as they travel together presenting talks and tales at storytelling festivals around the globe.

Zoologist Jules Howard gives a spirited and enlightening talk on the glamorous world of animal vaginas, revealing how female animals are not coy, as Darwin believed, but selective. We discover that pandas aren’t bad a sex (just bad a zoos) and that the female mallard can change the shape of hers so the ‘right key fits the lock’. Back in the studio, our inimitable hosts regale the audience with a rich range of anecdotes drawn from this episode’s topic.

Lorraine Bowen singer, songwriter, comedian and musician presents her favourite organs, or more particularly her favourite Casio organs.

Something different for this episode of The Odditorium. Donald Clark presents a story about a friendship he formed at University with a fellow student, an intense and ardent Ulsterman called Robin Pearson. Robin was his room mate, they holidayed together, drank together and argued about politics together. Then the went their separate ways and led there own lives. A decade later Donald learnt that his old University friend was actually a Stasi spy, collecting information for the Communist Government of East Germany. Clark talks about his friendship with Pearson, and about the journey he was then inspired to take travelling world investigating the actions of individuals and of governments who control and suppress their populations.

Dr Bramwell is on holiday in 1934, and has left his more funny sidekick Mr Mountfield in the studio to present the show. This episode concerns the idea, work and life of the extraordinary Scottish poet and musician Ivor Cutler. Sandy Grierson discusses performing Ivor’s life in the show The Beautiful World of Ivor Culter and gives a rendition of some of Ivor’s work. Dr Bramwell then returns from the past to delight us with his own stories and recollections about the great man.

To celebrate Monday 25th January, “Blue Monday”, apparently the most depressing day of the year, we present Angie Mariani’s talk about the ‘suicide song’.  Gloomy Sunday has been performed hundreds of different musicians and is associated with countless incidents of suicide and death.  Angie discusses the legends that surround the song, and plays us a variety of versions.  Meanwhile in the studio fat David is at the end of his tether, and Dr Bramwell works with him to find the best way to end it all.

Tim Pilcher artist, author, lecturer and comic book expert introduces the legend of The Hand of Glory.  Cut from the body of a hung man, and then dried and pickled The Hand of Glory was a talisman by robbers and thieves.  This episode features an Odditorium first, a short radio drama, entitled Something in the Water, which concerns the events of the last public hanging in Brighton.

Wrap your presents and get ready for Christmas with this special potty mouthed version of The Odditorium in which we explore the one word that is considered to be at the top of the swearing tree.  Kate Warwick discuss the derivation of the word cunt is graphic detail and asks why it is considered to be so offensive.  In the studio The Odditorium test the limits what they can say on air, testing the patience and censorial skills of the show’s producers.

Odditorium favourite John Higgs returns to challenge the ‘truth’ of one of the most famous pieces of art of the 20th century: Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’. Higgs presents the case that a bohemian sexual adventuress, Baroness Von Elsa Freytag-Loringhoven, was actually behind Duchamp’s creation, and that the history of the conceptual art movement really began with her.

Dr Goode, bearded consumer psychologist, explores man’s greatest obsession and greatest insecurity. He asks why we the possession of an oversized phallus is considered such a asset, and why certain cultures and individuals are traditionally associated with possessing elephantine sexual organs. His approach is informed by reading of contemporary psychological and a meta-social view of issues relating to sexual and physical attributes. In the meantime Dave and Dave make a series of cheap knob gags in the studio.

Dunstan Bruce, singer for Chumbawumba, takes us on the rollercoaster ride journey that saw a group of anarcho syndicalists go from singer in squat to headlining Madison Square Garden.  Dunstan’s story is filled with humour, irony, strident politics, flying ice buckets and an array from insults.  In the studio Dr Bramwell is building some shelves for the Odditorium awards, and while his idiot savant sidekick is recovering from a particularly disturbed night.

Seventeen episodes in and all is going well. Or so we thought. David and David decide to take a holiday, Lance conscientiously prepares for the next podcast and Andrew wanders around looking confused…as per usual. What happens next will blow your mind!

A composer, inventor and historian of sound and the uncanny – Sarah’s music reflects her lifelong obsession with defunct technology, faded variety acts and English folklore. In this talk she discusses the practices of training animals to mimic human behaviour, language and song.

Those little words that glue our language together should never be forgotten.

Do we actually believe in the future? How can think about 100, 1000 or 10,000 years in the future? How can plan for it? Writer and teachers, Rowan Dent introduces means of thinking beyond the end of our lives, or those of our children, or our children’s children.  

Uncovering the Nazi-space legend. Since the 1950s, In sci-fi, comics, and films, a secret Nazis space race has been a popular theme. But beyond crackpot conspiracy theories is there any evidence? David Robinson probes a murky world of rockets, rumours, and flying saucers in search of the truth. David Robinson is a journalist and works at the Financial Times