Rhodes, Greece w/ Jon Ronson | You Be Trippin' with Ari Shaffir

Hello to all the wanders the explorers the vagabonders the flanaurus and the tourists welcome to a new episode of you be tripping We got a great for you today John Ronson on the heels of his first new book in 11 years It's coming on and talk about his trip to Greece when he was a young student It's a great episode You're right also known from the books you so you're probably shamed which I loved and his podcast series things fell apart Which he just found out got a third season coming up on BBC podcast check those out. I enjoyed them immensely But his first new book the castle is out right now for you guys to enjoy but first he's gonna take his degrees guys Wherever you're watching to listen, please do me a favor the best way to support the show is to subscribe right now It's on Spotify. I just found out with full video That's a great way to watch it if you're watching on YouTube also hit subscribe leave a comment for the algorithm and just for The conversation that goes on if you've been to Greece tell us about some of your experiences Also tell me about anybody you might want to see on this show But that's it guys. Let's not delay any longer John Ronson a great episode of you would chip and taking us degrees Well nice to meet you at my point. Yeah Thank you. I'd like I know you've said really nice things about say me publishing. So I appreciate it There's a I was sawed on my friend Joe list bookshelf. I was at a party and I was like Oh, this is a Karin's told me about this. I hadn't read it and I opened it up and it was Signed by John Ronson And I was like Joe you my John Ronson and he goes whatever you're doing already. I'm not I'm not interested in this game And I was like what I don't know what you're talking about and I'm like me that was like, okay You think I made that up or signed it. I did not Someone signed it It was his buddy Chris was He was just like I'm out dude. Fuck it Today, it's you'll be tripping. Yeah Hi everybody welcome to you be tripping into travel podcast It's the only travel podcast in the world that has both American and British guests It's today I guess is a journalist fucking journalist John Ronson. Is that what you call yourself? Yeah, I guess Journalist none. Yeah, journalist. What else is there? Non-fiction writer. Okay. Not a fiction writer. I like that better Yeah, yeah, because I guess journalists like implies you're like a reporter like you news reports Whereas I do more like you know narrative non-fiction. Yeah, stories stories Non-fiction writer John Ronson Correct it. Where do we go? What do you want to go? What are we doing today? We're gonna go to Rhodes, which is an island off the coast of Greece Nice. I love it. It's almost a turkey Right, where is it? Only what they're once and it was it was rough like when when was this when you go? I would probably about 1986 Wow, maybe 87 86 or 87. Yeah, long time 35 years ago. This might be the oldest one right So I can't tell you much about the geography. I remember there was hills. Okay, and it was very hot because I got heat stroke at one point It was a disastrous trip. How were you? I was like 19. Oh perfect So I was so basically I I just become the Entertainment's officer at the Polytechnic of Central London. Like I was booking the comedy and booking the music and Yeah, this so okay, so I don't know if it's same over here, but like there's these like sabbaticals like in Britain like you can go to college And then you can take a year off college and you're paid like a very small amount of money to you get paid Yeah, you get paid to you it's like an election and I was voted the entertainment's officer at college So then would you have to do a book book the music book the comedy so like for a year I was in charge of of the music and the comedy and yeah, and I Who do you book I book like? Well, I was very good at comedy I Booked everyone who then went on to dominate the British comedy scene. Well Jerry Saddle it So I don't know how many of these people made it so funny almost none right get over here. Okay. What about Vick and Bob Vick Reeves and Bob Vick and Bob are like national treasures and Britain. Yeah. Yeah Reeves and Mortimer Vick and Bob Reeves and Mortimer. Yeah Yeah, kind of They're sort of surreal think like a kind of British these guys. Yeah, Vick and Bob. That's then now. I don't know. They are so funny And I booked them. Okay I love that we don't know we've only heard of Jimmy car and barely right. I mean, I'm out of book Jimmy car I books everywhere. It's like a weekly show. So wow I tell you it was like my my fellow entertainment's officer at the college around the corner was Ricky Gervais. No Yeah, so so we were both doing the same job at the same time Anyway, one day this is a slight tangent to the story I'll tell you but one day I was in my office This was just before it was while I was shadowing my predecessors. It was the end of his year and I'm sitting in his office and The phone rings and this is frantic voice and he says we're supposed to be playing at your college tonight But our keyboard players had a nervous breakdown Okay, he said well, I'm supposed to be playing at your college tonight about our keyboard players had an nervous breakdown and so I'm going to have to cancel Unless you know any keyboard players so I said I play keyboards and he said wow you're in I said I don't know where do you have your songs? How do you said? Can you play CF and G? And I said yeah, which happens to be the only three chords I did not play and he said wow you're in He's a by the way Frank's real name is Chris See you at the sound check So I turned up at the sound check and there's a man in the shadows wearing a big fake head With these with I believe you can put his picture with Frank's side button. Frank's side button. Yes There he is Yeah, so that's how I joined his band and I was in his band for like three years what yeah, his real name's Chris He's gone. Yeah, he died Um But when he was wearing the head you had to call him Frank. He wouldn't he wouldn't answer to Chris He was a musician. He's saying like that. Yeah, he's together like that punk but before it was slight It was more like a kind of novelty you see there I am Where in the people also search for because I was his keyboard player for And then I wrote this movie Frank which was indeed based on Frank's side button Um Where Michael fast-spendor played Frank but anyway for three years at the age of like 1819 I was in a van driving up and down Britain sitting next to a man wearing a big fake head And nothing makes a young man feel more alive than that Three in the morning turned around. He's wearing a big fake head. Have you have to call him Frank? He's just changed characters immediately Yeah, wow and he wore a nose peg so it's like like that Um, but the nose peg was big where he was No, I mean like we could play to like three four thousand people. He supported bros at Wembley one turn Who bros bros were like a big boy band at the time like a new kids on the block type thing supported bros but just did bros cover versions and got bottled off stage One time I know I'm sure it's a good idea too. We're like they'll like these songs. Yeah, we're like yeah by not you One time he supported Not this fucking guy with the nose tag. He was digging into his nose causing him agony One time he supported Gary Glitter. Whoa. Yeah, and Gary Glitter's like roadies were very rude to him This is when he was solo and said you can't you can't have our light you can't use it. You know you can't have any beer Whatever happens stay off the hydraulic stage So yeah, there's no beer rider stay off the hydraulic stage So the minute he got on stage He jumped onto that hydraulic stage was that lifted up and that set off some smoke bombs This is clearly like Gary Glitter's big entrance And he started and he's standing on this hydraulic stage was just like rising up above the audience going All right, he said he saw he told me he saw Gary Glitter's security like layering with him Sorry, I'm making do I do want to be a guy And then after he after like as he was off stage, he said he ran down the corridor taking off his head and taking off like a stage close And the balance is caught up to him. Is that if you see in front side party, but yeah, he went that way So yeah, he got away with that Nice So yeah, that was Frank so that was so that so that happened when I was the social secretary And then another thing that happened was there was like a little meeting of different Social secretaries like some kind of social secretary get together. Okay Um, and there was this woman from all the different colleges. Yeah, he's whatever you call. Yeah And one of them was at Warwick University, which is Coventry in the Midlands kind of of Peaky Blinders country. - What's Coventry? - Coventry, that's the name of the town. - Oh, oh, oh, yeah. And she was the social secretary for that. And I got talking to her, and we were both like, probably just her 19. And after about five minutes, she said to me, we should go and hold it together. Let's go to Greece, let's go to Rhodes. And I said, when? And she said, tomorrow, let's go to Rhodes tomorrow. - What? - So I was like, yes. Goddamn, 19 is a fun year. - Oh no, I know, oh, they're looking back. The sort of woman who after five minutes of meeting her will say, come to Rhodes with me tomorrow is, I would say, the kind of woman who you have a very good time with for a short amount of time. And then it becomes a complete lunacy. - Yeah, you can't live with someone like that. Also, what is that? Like an affected thing? Like, you know how when you're like 19 to 25, you're like, I feel like I'm on film at all times. - Right. - And there would be like a cool character in this movie. - Well, I wonder, I mean, that sort of impulsivity, like it was a symptom of some kind of, it's now, I think, about things and badly, like wrongly, I think about things in terms of disorder. It's like, what's that symptom of? - Oh yeah, there's this guy that, fuck, I forget his name, before my time, who killed himself, there was a strike at the comedy store for equal, or some pay, anyway, in the '70s. And the one at Los Angeles. And, I forget his name. Anyway, he broke the strike, he was a scab. And he was like, when it's done, she's gonna give me a lot of spots, she's gonna a lot of stage time. And then it was done, she's like, you're a mediocre comic, I needed you then, but I don't need you anymore. And so he killed himself, jumped off the high, the hotel next door, tried to hit the comedy store and just didn't get his-- - Oh my God. - It didn't, it doesn't keep going, it just like goes down. So, yeah, I was like, oh, because he didn't get spots. Until I was like, 35, and then I was like, oh, not just depression. It's really not about just the one thing I wanted to be about. - God, I tell you what, one of the bleakest places I've ever been is the roof of the higher in Los Angeles. - In Los Angeles. - It was actually sticks to the comedy store. I remember when I was like a kid, I'd never felt like I went to Los Angeles, and I stood on that very roof where the guy jumped off. And just all around, it's just like a sea of lights. And you're just, especially looking downtown. - Yeah, and I see the smog around the city. - Yeah, and I just felt, I just remember standing there and just feeling more alone than I felt in my life. - Yeah, did you live there ever? - No, no. Doesn't LA, all the way, your bones, the kind of loneliness of the place? If, you know, all these spectral figures are wandering up and down Griffith Park, waiting for their break? - No, it's all waiting for a break. Rogan said it once a long time ago, the problem with LA is everyone's three auditions away from being a star. - Yeah. - It's that close. - Stephen Mangan, you know, the actor who's in the extra, he said something that I've always remembered. He said in LA, they kill you with encouragement. - God, yeah, you were almost there, you were almost there. - Yeah. - I know, I know what, no, I'm here. You know, you go into a meeting, they tell you the greatest voice of your generation, and then you never hear from them again. - That was great, like, thanks. You go home waiting for it. They can't just tell you like, no way. - Yeah, no, exactly. - Yeah, it's weird. It's a weird, I loved it, but I was just starting, but it's a weird place. I keep trying to put my finger on it, but the loneliness here is different. Here's an aggressive loneliness 'cause there's so many people not talking to you. And so many of you are refusing to say hello. - In LA, you just meet a few who won't say hello. - Yeah, I love it as a place to visit. Like I love it, it's like a holiday destination. The colors. - What is great, brilliant, great. - And as a Brit, you know, when you go to New York as a Brit, you kind of get it, you know, it's not that different from London. - Yeah. - But then when you go to California as a Brit, it's like another planet, you know, the colors. There's no colors like there are in Britain. You know, those pale whites and blues. So it's much more exotic and like a dream scape than the New Yorkers for Brits. - Okay, let's get back to this. - Okay. - Sorry. - It's my only job as a host to get us on track. - So it's like, fine, let's-- - You went with her. - Oh yeah. - Tomorrow, to Rhodes. - Yeah, well then. - First of all, what a different time where you could just do that. - Yeah, just jump on a plane. - From London to Rhodes. - Yeah, it's only a couple of hours, I'd say. - How many, did it break you financially? - No, we were very, we were staying in some shitty little hotel, like a little two star hotel. Plus, I was paid to be the entertainment's officer. The college, so for the first time in my life, I had some spending money. - Oh, right. - I was 19, you know, 18 years of living in Cardiff and Wales, which is-- - You grew up in Cardiff? - Yeah. Why? How do you know Cardiff? - Yeah, it's a great, hold on, not prayer rabbit. What's it called? - Rare. - Rare bit? - Well, prayer bit. - The cheese with the, with the figment and the cheese. - I went there once before Glastamari did a show and had to get up, my job was to get mushrooms for the, my group of Glastamari. - Right, and did you find them in Cardiff? - Oh, yeah. - Really? - Yeah, two pounds. - Wow. - Yeah, everyone from London showed up with a coke and I was the, I was the shaman. - God, yeah. - I never thought, I never saw Cardiff as some sort of psychedelic paradise. - I think it's just 'cause it's moist. - Right. - I don't know, maybe, I don't know, maybe just something grunting is in his closet. - I'm not sure. - But I was like a coiled spring, like 18 years of my life, just dying to get out of Cardiff, start my life, start my living. And then, you know, within a year that I'm playing in a band, with a band, there's a big fake, I do never take it off, and this mysterious woman, who I think we should call Sam, 'cause that actually is her name. Invites me to Rhodes. - It's so fucking wild. - Yeah. - I like you enough. Was it sexual at that point? - Yeah. - You could feel it tingling. - Yeah. - Okay. - Yeah, I was definitely counting on that. - Yeah. - Like I was assuming that was part of the deal. - Also at 19, if a chick touches your knee, you're like, yeah, whatever you want me to do in life, I'll do, I'll kill anyone. Like whatever, I'm all in. - Just total gratitude. - Yeah. - And also, I was like very in love with the idea of, you know, being a kind of Alice through the looking glass type person, like having adventures go into the other side. And that was happening with me with Frank. I was Alice through the looking glass and I saw this as like just an extension of that. - Yeah. - So you went the next day. - Yeah, we went the next day. - Okay. - And it was okay for the first couple of days like we became romantically involved. - Like yeah, how fast before you fall? - I've pretty much immediately. - Okay. - Yeah. However, she had instantly started sleeping with other people like within like two days. I realized that I'm going to have to like, this isn't quite as simple as I thought it was going to be. - Yeah, yeah. Because what is it about you that makes someone go? - Yeah. - Oh my God, I'm so in. It's just like, you'll do today. - Yeah. Exactly. The sort of person will say let's go to Rhodes tomorrow is the sort of person who, what she gets to Rhodes will dump you and start, you know, sleeping with whoever. - Remember at each of my time, you know, the movie? - Oh, I don't ever saw it. - Oh, well, it's just lady walking these kids with adulthood, which is fucking one. - Right. - And then at some point she talks to you at the first like, "Wait, what?" And it's like, "Yeah, bro, it's not, you're not special." - Right, yeah. I always think like, this is like a sort of, you know, like a, you know, we were definitely different. But it's good, right? Because like, you know, you're sort of dreaming of being like through the looking glass and having these wild adventures. - Yeah. - And when you go through the looking glass, you have to then decide, well, what sort of person am I morally like? - Yeah. - And in fact, if anything came from Rhodes, it was the things that were about to happen that I'm about to tell you. - Okay, okay. - That was all about trying to figure out what kind of person am I morally? Because she, well, she loses a ring. And she said, "I've lost my ring. "Can we, you know, really help you look for it?" So we drove off on our, like, mopeds up some mountain to try and find her ring and couldn't find it. And then I got sunstroke. I was like out there looking for a ring so much. I've got sunstroke and I'm lying in bed with like all the curtains closed in the hotel room in like agony, you know, I don't know. If you ever had sunstroke. - Yeah, I'm a golf course and it was like, I remembered it was like, I was like, guys, I can't play anymore. And I'm like, it's just golf or golf carts. And I'm like, I now I can't move. - Yeah, you think you're gonna die. - Yeah, I couldn't even like, I'm like, let me just sit, it's crazy. It's just a completely devoid of all energy. - Yeah, and I remember having the worst headache. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - And I can look at light, you know, I had to close all the curtains. And then she would check on me, like, once every two days, like this one on for about four days. And like once every two days, you'd cover it and say to what, like a ginger ale or something. And she was like, oh, fly. - It was that bad for a day. - Yeah, yeah, I was in bed for probably two or three days. - Oh, yeah, well, a Welsh guy with sunstroke. And it's like, you know, you don't have to go. - Hey guys, I'm gonna break in really quick to tell you about the guest. John Watson, he's a great writer. Just a great thinker. He's got a new book called The Castle. It's his first book in 11 years. I first heard about him on a book that Karen Fisher told me about called, so you've been publicly shamed and screwed and breaks down every type of, like, of detail. Every time somebody comes after somebody, I mean, man, he breaks it down. You could apply it to any one of them. Any one of them that happened, you could apply all this stuff in there. It was really, really great. He's also got a podcast series called Things Fell Apart that I actually love that listen to it in Latin America, driving around in my automobile. Could have been Ecuador. That's Latin America too. Okay, so it counts. I think I might have impounded going here though. Man, what a great series and I just heard he got picked up for season three on BBC, but get the castle right now wherever you find books. Good reads, Amazon, Audible probably, I assume, or bookstores. Get a real book, why don't you? Plus, you can smack coming with it. Hey, if you have a kid who won't let you read, get a hardcover one of the castle. I'd say go for it. Chim-chim-chim-chim-chim-chim-chim-chim-chim-chim-chim-chim. Everybody, also, please subscribe wherever you're watching the listening. I just found out that Spotify plays full videos of this. So guys, go on and listen to this on Spotify and watch it, and it takes you like if you got to watch where you work and then drive, you can go straight to audio, then back to video, back to audio. Just subscribe wherever you're watching the listening, and if you're watching it on YouTube, leave a comment for the algorithm and just for the discussion that we have down there. Also, if you don't know this, this is the fourth week that I have demonetized my account, no ads on the account. So, I do have one ad on this episode, none last week, but those are embedded, but the ones that are YouTube, this is for the non-premium subscriber, the pores, as my friend calls them, who get overwhelmed with ads while they're watching a video. Well, I took all the monetization off that and in return, I'm asking you to donate a couple bucks. You know, give me three bucks a month. If all the subscribers did that, then I could get away with no ads on there. YouTube, I do think stick some ads up there anyway. I don't know if there's anywhere around it, but I've taken away all the ads is the fourth week in a row for you, the pores. And we're going to see, I'll tell you next week, the Tim Butterly, how it worked. That's it, everybody. Hope you enjoy it. Let's get back to Greece with a great writer, John Ronson. And check out his website, JohnRonson.com, and follow him on Instagram @JohnRonson. Also, you should reach out, DM him, tell him you really enjoyed this episode. Every time you reach out to tell a guest that you had a good time, that you really liked their episode. Like this one, it makes them want to do it again. So I've gotten repeat people. All right, that's it. Subscribe. See you. Bye. So then I got better. Yeah. And we went out one night, and that me and her and all the other men that she then hooked up with. She had like a haring by then. And we all went to a church at that time out, how hot was she? I mean, I wouldn't say like she had a kind of go-getting charisma to her, but I wouldn't say she was like, you know, she clearly had, she clearly knew how to real people in. Work it. Yeah. Anyway, so we all end up in this church, this like disused church, and they start a fire in the church, and the church goes on fire. They've set fire to a church and they're all dancing around inside the ruins of this church on a beach in Rhodes with the flames. Like there's something like, it's like something like the wicker man or something. They're like, orgyistically dancing around to this church. And I was like, fuck this. I'm off. So I, so I, um. I bet for you. All right. I'm not even going to get laid anymore. Yeah. I'm not even sure that I want to. Yeah. I'm right. I'm saying, with the whole church cart. Well, I mean, I left immediately. I just thought, was she not fucking Norwegian like metal band? I was. Exactly. Just some goth shit. So my big memory was it's like four in the morning now, and I'm walking away from the flames along the beach, because the church is right on the beach. So I'm walking away from the fire along the beach, and all of these like police and fire people all like running towards me. And I just thought, I need to just keep walking like this is nothing to do with me. So I just kept walking. Um, they'll run past me. That's the way to handle it. Yeah. Be chill and walk away. That's every heist movie. Right. Is they, they pass you as your like officer, but you're like, you're far enough away. If you run, you're fucked. Yeah. And, and that's exactly what happened. I just, in the instant, I thought, this is what I'm going to do. I'm just going to calmly walk away, and that all of these like cops and fire people all around past me to the church, arrested them all, including Sam, she ended up arrested. In Greece. In roads. Yeah. And they put out the fire, and now she's in jail. And I, and do you know how much sympathy I had? How much? None. You were already out. Yeah. I, I was nothing to do with me now. And so I fell asleep on the beach and I woke up the next morning and went back to the, to the hotel. Yeah. And I finally, at some point either that day or the following day, she got out of jail and, and came back and was a little sheepish, a little apologetic. I mean, you were out. I mean, sometimes I think about people like that, I'm like, are you a mom now? Right. Are you someone's leader, some little kid's leader? She wasn't the only woman that I knew back then who was, who was like that. Around the same time, like a year or so later, I was doing a radio show, a late night radio show and I'm just on the station called KFM. Did you discover the Beatles? No, but I, but I tell you, this was right, it's like, you know, the Manchester music scene like the Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays. Oh, I don't know who's from where but I know both of those bands. Okay. Well, they were all emerging in Manchester at the same time. So we were like the kind of radio station for Manchester. Oh, interesting. Yeah. There was a hell of a tough time getting out of the shadow of the Beatles and making them live on with, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah, I was, I was, I was Manchester that, that was originally, the big one. Joy Division, the fall, New Order, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses and Spaukarpus Oasis, but Oasis were a bit later. Yeah. Yeah. Tensey C, yeah, I think Sad Cafe, do you remember Sad Cafe? No, barely remember Tensey C, but I'm sure. Yeah. The bands that Martin Harnett did, yeah, the buscarks, good first, you know, for a print. Me too. It was a cool town. Yeah. It really is. And I was there right at the heart of all of that as the Roses and so on, and I was working for this radio show. And this woman started phoning, like she'd phone, it was a calling show, and then the records was on, she'd phone, and she'd like talk in a sort of, you know, sultry voice to be over the phone, like I'm your biggest fan. I was playing Misty for me, and then she invited me to a party at her house, so I went. What year was this? This was probably about a year or two later, like eight eighties. Damn, bro. You go for it. I know, and he said, he's a good, and he said, yeah. I mean, this is stuff you would, I don't feel like kids are not, but you'd be like, no, you're not going there. No. Absolutely not. But then she, so I'll sit outside her house in my car, and see what kind of kinds of people go into this party, and I'll see whether I feel like safe or not. Okay. So they all seem kind of pretty normal. So I went in, and I met her, and she like took, she took me downstairs to her bedroom, and I, and as she did, I heard one of the other parties go and say, well, there's Nicky taking another man down to her bedroom. So so, yeah. Yeah. Did you, you still went? Oh god. Yeah, I was fine. Yeah. Yeah. That's the second. We're like, huh? I don't know. I know well. She ended up getting, she ended up moving to France and getting impregnated by a Jean-Dame. That's why I remembered. So she didn't end up being a, a mother. Do you, uh, what about you, did, did you go for a phase where you would like, do the kind of things? No, but I remember meeting in college. I was, I lost my virginity late, so I remember in university, I was in Israel and seminary for a couple of years. And so then I kind of started to, I was like, uh, later, um, I was, I could already drink by the time I was like a normal kid. Oh, okay. Um, but I remember hooking up with this chick, Shannon. And then like, I was like, well, I'm in love, I guess, even though she's just a fucking local college slut. It's okay. It's fine to be that. But like, I didn't know. And then I'm like, oh, it's my, like, I guess my girlfriend, I'm trying to figure, and then my, I see my friend going over to like, do study with her and I'm like, I remember on like the balcony waiting for him to get out of there for hours, just waiting across the quad from the calm and getting mad or mad or, and it's just like, I just didn't know until later. It's like, she's just, she just likes to hook up, it's not a thing. But I still feel like a lot of, um, kind of, I don't have gratitude to the right word, but I definitely feel a lot of like excitement at the thought that, you know, after 18 years of living like this, you know, slightly suffocating suburb in life, what those women and, and frags, what they taught me is that there's a whole life out there, like really exciting outside of people. Yeah, like it's squashed. Yeah, yeah, living on the edge of the world, you know, making it up there. And I think I've spent my life like chronicling people like that, people who live out on it, and they were like, yeah, I mean, I don't know, I don't know, I'm just like, you know, I'm that the people who sort of introduced me to that world in a way. People who were a bit broken, a bit cracked. And they also have to be have one foot back in this world, or they're just gone, you'll never meet them. It's just people in between that are like guides, like, let me show you this. Now you're on your way. Yeah, you're like Gandalf's taking you to sort of stretch. And you know, like when she set fire to the church, it's like, okay, that's too far. Like, I don't want that's not crazy thing. It's a fire to a church. Yeah. It's like, I don't want to be that person. Yeah. But I kind of do want to be the person who lives their lives on the edge of society. Yeah. And just because I was aware you found the most interesting people. Yeah. I was squatting at the time. It's well in North London. And I can explain what a squat is. So yeah. So a squat in North America understands it. Okay. So it's basically a disused house where you'd just move in and live for free until they kick you out. You get power? You mean some sort of like power electricity? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think all the places that was power. There was also like, you know, rats and stuff like that. Yeah. It's not a great place. Yeah. But like if you were a student in London at the time, if you were living the authentic way, like red thing, you know, place or room somewhere, you'd be living miles out in places like turn and green, like some, some, I don't know, suburb of London that she'd live in turn and green, like you've never heard of it. I know. Take an hour and a half to get the subway in to college, if you say, or you could live in some fabulous, like disused townhouse. So just abandon you just move in there and where the government says that's fine. Yeah. I don't know what the laws are now, but there was a law that said that you were allowed to live there for like three months, I think it was, and then you'd have to move on. Interesting. Yeah. You know, the Libyan Embassy got squatted. There was a situation where this police woman was shot outside the Libyan Embassy in London, and so the Libyan Embassy was evacuated and like the squatters moved in. So for a couple of months, I was going to parties in the Libyan Embassy. That's so cool. That's so cool. Yeah, but it was the same thing that the people who were living in the square, so it was this guy called Shep who would smash all the crockery every time I asked no last, like this kind of crazy light. He looked like a dothraki from Game of Thrones, like a dreadless and, you know, it's huge guy. And like, I'd know that I still lost because I'd have grabbed you guys love soccer so much there. No one gives a fuck here. Yeah, I remember when I was in Berlin last time, I was talking to somebody and she was like trying to, I kind of getting a grasp on the squats there, but they were like, there was an all female squat and the cops were coming to like take it back and then everyone showed up now with the internet people like, hey, they're going to take this female squat and they all showed up to protest. Oh, wow. And that was recently. Yeah, a couple years ago. Yeah, Berlin's I think still got that culture hella, but also it's like 10 people doing apartment. Yeah, you know, I loved it. I remember that guy who would smash all the crockery every time I asked no last one time, I stormed into his bedroom. And I said, you have to stop doing this. I don't see. It's just it's disrupting. And he burst out laughing because he was like three feet taller than me. And he burst out laughing. He said, you're the only person I've ever met who's had the courage to confront me about anything. Do you remember grease it all from your time there? Do you remember roads? Not really. I remember like getting the sunstroke and some dusty. The food, the people and that's it. No, so long ago. So long ago. I mean, I've been to like other similar islands. I remember when I was in Vietnam, I went to the koochi tunnels, you know, just a little touring thing. And they were these this French family with their kids. And they were, I don't know, kids ages, seven and 12. And they were they were playing with this long stick with a leaf with this cat, and they're just messing with the cat. And I was like, they're gonna remember that time they were playing with the cat. They're not gonna remember the koochi tunnels or anything about anything. They're just gonna remember that cat. And it's like their relation to the place had nothing to do with like ban me or anything. Yeah, so I'm like, when you're there, it's like, oh no, it's just the time with the chick. Yeah, just the church on fire, the sunstroke, the dustiness. Yeah, I don't remember anything about this. Wow. Yeah. But I don't know why I wanted to tell you that story. I suppose. Well, I've never told it before for a star. And secondly, it's just like sort of formative years when you're kind of deciding what kind of person you are. I basically wanted to be a person who who who who lived in that world, but didn't become them. Yeah, so like, what do you take out of that? So you're like, okay, I get it. I get why you're too far. Right. And I want to write about people like you. Like, I'm excited about being, you know, journeying into worlds like yours. But I don't want to be you. Like, I don't want to become you. I want to be empathetic. I want to write. I want to sort of chronicle you rather than become you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do that. Like, like, uh, music, biopex or biopic, where you see somebody and they see like the helper walking out, like you're actually an asshole. Right. Yeah. You know, I loved you, but like you're actually a dick. Yeah. I'm in the Frank side button. Uh, the manager. I'm definitely listening to my loop today. Not easy to listen to. I mean, yeah. But I tell you my gateway, listen to his cover version of Anakin the UK, that, um, yeah, that's my, I think that's my favorite Frank side button. Okay. Um, but I remember, one time his manager said, you know, you're not, you're not cracked up for the music business, mainly because I could only play CF and G. And he said, yeah, he said you're going to end up being some kind of writer. Uh, and I remember thinking, gosh, God, you know, that sounds, that sounds lonely. Um, but everybody's right. No, I got into it very quickly. Now I, I want to be alone. I think I spent so much of my life alone writing that eventually I became that person. Yeah. Um, but at the time, I was thinking that sounds worse than being in a band with a singer who has a big fake editing and never takes off. Do you? Is it, I mean, you're living in these other people sort of leave travel for a second, but like you're living in other people's lives in worlds for like a short time. You're not entering it. You're just observing them. Yeah, but isn't that the best? Isn't that the, what are the job of such as somebody the other day? Like, this is why non-fiction is the best job in the world, because you get to live. I hope this doesn't sound like, you know, potential, so whatever. But you, you get to live like a million different lives. Every, every time I'm writing a book about something, I get to experience that world, whether it's psychopathy, you know, it's like a bath test or, you know, you see, you get to live a life and then you move on and to live another life. Yeah, because a lot of, the difference is like, you get like someone who writes about their whole upbringing. So them, they're ready about their being, you know, as a whatever age they are. But it's just them. And then you have like the Joan Didey and it was like, I'm going to go live with these hippies for a minute. And then I'm going to go back to like upscale California. Totally. I absolutely sort of empathize with the Joan Didey more of doing things. Because then there's other people who want, who're just like, okay, my beaters feminism or my beaters is pseudoscience. And then they just do the same thing over and over again. And there's lots of yeah, and I agree, like, I don't know, for me, not knowing something is the wind behind my sails. Like, not understanding a world is the reason why I want to tell a story, not, because I understand the world and I want to explain it to people. She figured kind of more of it out as you, as you do the research. Yeah. And I think Joan Didey was probably the same. Like, you know, she'll be with the Manson family for as long as she thinks she needs to get her story. Yeah. And then she'll probably presumably never be interested in spending the time with the Manson family again. I did, by the way, spend a little bit of time in the Manson family. Really? Yeah. I met Sandra Good. This is like, again, similar late 80s. What? Yeah. I want to do a documentary. What? Yeah. Again, I'm telling stories that I haven't really told before. I was on the phone with Sandra Good. I wanted to make a documentary about the man, where, the man. Which one is she? She was Sadie. Okay. Sexy Sadie. Wow. She was like a big hardcore member. Okay. And remains so. Like, she would have been one of the murderers, I think, but she just wasn't- Was she chosen that day? I think she was like a prison for the night or something. I can't quite remember the details, but she was like hardcore member. And I was on the phone to her and she asked for my postcode for some reason. She said she wanted to send me something. And I said, "N1, 1JX." And she said, "Say that again." And I said, "N1, 1JX. J for John. X4, you've got carved in your forehead." And she went, "That's not funny." Go on both ways. Stop funny. Wait, what'd you do with them? I ended up making a documentary, but it wasn't any good. We never did anything with it. But I met her like in some, um, motel in the middle of the desert, somewhere in California. Whoa. Yeah. Yeah, I remember Diddy and was that thing of like, these people are so cool. It's so interesting. And then, and then gets to, I guess, what you get as you discover more. Like, oh, there's just like small children doing acid. Yeah. It was actually kind of shitty. Yeah. Didn't she end up, so Linda Kasabian was the Manson girl who was like, stayed in the car. It's like, look out. So she turned state's witness and I think Joan did it and like became really good friends with her And and helped her buy her dress that she would wear on the witness stand I kind of say I kind of love that that is it as a kid growing up. What is it be a writer? Yeah, that was the sort of thing. I was like I want a You know, I want to be like that Yeah, I mean just living in it for a minute and also just said but a long minute. Yeah, but also the excitement of Getting to do something that regular people don't get to do or or go somewhere where regular people don't get to go Yeah, I mean that's what Rhodes is to I mean doing this with this chick. Yeah, it's just like it's just so much you're better than everybody I switch high schools in in 11th grade My mom was four because like I really waste half a year in the United States. You're already in college So as long as you don't fail you're fine And she's like what are ways? But there's others I Jewish high school Did double up classes for English and math and then went to Israel live on a keyboard for like six months, which is like a better use of your time And I switch I remember everybody going you think you're cool because you're going to the less religious school and I was like yeah Yes, I am I it is cool to do something different. So it was a lot reform versus orthodox orthodox orthodox was the first school And then the second school was more reformed or conservative. We had like every denomination. Oh, okay So they had religious they had orthodox services and then also reformed also concerns Observer but you can wear shorts. Yeah, it was wild Right, you can touch a woman in the hand. No one would know what would be mad at you I was Satan. I remember going to there was this club in Britain called the Jewish Lads brigade Okay, and I went to like a Jewish Lads brigade meeting and it was basically like militaristic like we were all in like a row And I think in fact this is like this is all about Zionism and you know the army and everything and I thought oh And then I joined the reform synagogue and I went to R.S. Y. like the summer camp. Yeah And it was all like Simon and Garfunko and we eat We see them as such hippies That was this is my version. This is the duty. It's under I feel comfortable. Yeah Where are where do you want to like go to like these jazz people like what's on the horizon travel wise? Oh Also, uh, do you feel like a foreigner here? Uh, did that go away? Yeah, I kind of although when I oh that it does go away except when I go back to Britain I still go back like five six times a year Okay, um, and I'm when I go back I notice this like I have like a shorthand with people That I don't necessarily have an America, you know the same cultural that word says you know use of language you know and so on so I suppose when I'm here I don't feel like a foreigner but when I'm back in England I feel probably more at home than I do here Yeah, it shows how yeah little things that you know shorthand we'll watch the same tv growing up and You know we know the differences the certain things like like um You know the certain words Like I didn't realize rage is living here that the word can't like in England Everyone just calls everyone to come all the time. Yeah, it's crazy. It's affectionate For a while anyway. It was the worst thing you could say. Yeah And that took me a little while to realize so the certain like you know Things like that's where where I just didn't quite realize the accent really makes it fine Yeah, if you have any any UK accent. They're like that's that can't doesn't mean that then. Yeah, no exactly I hope Americans realize that. I mean it's the end word here. You hear it and you turn around like black guy. We're cool You know, it's like it's a context matter. Yeah, but it has changed I've noticed a chap around constantly calling people kind so so I think that I think the word is definitely getting more um Just taking it back. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's it's being taken back Okay, so where do you want to go? Oh, yeah. Okay. Well, do you travel a lot? Yeah Yeah, I just came back the two places. I've always wanted to go and never went I went to one of them in December. That's New Zealand. Oh, I gave a talk in Wellington. I did this 30 date psychopath tour Um, so I let this book 15 years ago called the psychopath test and every few years I do psychopath night like a live show with mystery guests and so on Well, I kind of bring the book to life on stage and I just did this 30 dates psychopath show which ended in Wellington, New Zealand and oh my god. It's the biggest Nowhere country right there. Yeah, where the star is I mean look how unrelated to anywhere else it is For big countries not the Cook Islands or anything like that, but like yeah, sizable landmass But my god like I've always like idealized New Zealand. I thought this would be I bet it's the best place in the world And I went there and it was like the second I got there. I just thought this is I'd live here in a heartbeat um Everything about it that the it's like a weird mix of like a Scottish fishing village meets Bixer Like the strange mix of of geography that they've got and also the people There's a real shorthand between Britain and Australia and New Zealand like we're all quite similar personalities so I understood the people right away and Oh my god, I just loved it. I just get to the countryside a lot. No, I was just I didn't have time. I was just in Wellington But I really want to go back. You can fly direct from New York to New Zealand in 15 hours now. Really? Oh that way. Yeah, you can't You can't bring weeding Um, do they have it there? I don't know you smoke. I wasn't there long enough. Well, I edible's okay. I'll take outables I got a travel tip for you. Uh-huh take outables with you on the plane You're fine. I don't like to enter it with anything through ports. I think you're like that's where you get caught Uh-huh But before debark like before you leave the plane take a bunch take the box. Yeah, they're first. Yeah, yeah They're your first five six hours Yeah, well in New Zealand they care a lot about people smuggling and like fruit and vegetables and stuff So they're not looking for the weed or the edible's but they're looking for apples So you took that with you edible though? Uh, no, I didn't They must grow it there. I mean seems like got it right Yeah, although Australia used to have the worst weed Right and coke in the world right the weed was hard to find but the coke was like it's just pricey Right and cut to hell Yeah, I remember being a doubling not long ago and I was like can I can I get some weed and and the tour manager said Yeah, I can get you some weed and I said well is it interco or sativa and he said I'm going to meet some guy in an alleyway He's going to pull it out of his ass That's the way That's a big cultural difference in the UK and here. I don't know if it's changing is the casualness of marijuana here versus in I was thrown out of a bar and In Edinburgh for smoking outside outside the bar not even in there a little courier and then I go in the guys like no way Wait, yeah, I'm like what is this disrespectful? I'm like I didn't smoke in your establishment What yeah, they had a courier and I wasn't even in the courier and they're like no way Okay, and and it happened a bunch of times like get that the fuck out. That's weird, isn't it? Yeah happened to be in West Wales actually in this place called Lan which is where Dylan Thomas grew up Wayward under Bill Corden. I was giving a talk in Lan and yeah me and this comedian was sitting outside with a joint when I still smoked Yeah, and somebody came out of the bar and said we could all smell it Oh, you're like okay. Yeah, should be yeah Yeah, but that attitude. I mean, it's like if you're smoking cigarettes and was like hey, you're outside my window. I'm like sorry But the joint yeah that attitude of like we know what you're doing. Yeah, I'm not trying to hide it. Yeah And you try and tell them that you know, now I live in a place where it's legal I do you know, you know, the bad things that have come of it. There aren't any right you know all these people want to jail for years And it's probably still people in jail. Probably still yeah, and then you go into weed stores here It's just like The cross-section of the population and nothing bad's happened at all It's funny. I'll see just they legalize it here in New York for black people too I know Cuz always legal for white people I'll see sometimes people rolling like and like going like this and like daytime on a stoop. Yeah, if it's a black I'm like, what are you doing? And I'm like all right, all right. You're not getting trouble for this Yeah, actually, I'm gonna caveat it like I do think it's I do think legalization has done one thing one bit of damage I think that smoking it fucks up people's lungs right? Yeah, and And I think I think if you switch to airs of balls you find that nothing bad can happen But I do think the smoking probably probably are you conflict crazy? Yeah If you're coughing like crazy something for you something's gone wrong. That's why I gave up smoking cuz I was like coughing like crazy but So I just can't put anything my lungs now. Yeah, vapes. Yeah No, even vapes I can't get you to yeah, yeah balls or nothing I'm okay with it. All right, so where do you want to go? Iceland I always want to go in. You never been never been to Iceland bro. It's the it's I mean I kind of similar to be honest. That's what I'm imagining. Yeah Is it like amazing? What's it like? It's it feels habatonish to be honest Because of these like shires and so you got rake of it which is a big no a small city. Yeah I mean, yeah, probably smaller than wherever you grew up in Wales. But it's half the country is in Reykjavik and then you get out of there and also very cool, cool drinking culture, artists, all the art scenes know each other because they're all a little bit stipended by the government. So the comedians know the musicians, know the documentarians. They're all just kind of hanging together. But then outside of Reykjavik, a cool museum, but outside of Reykjavik is just this nature that's just like you've never seen, like at waterfalls and green mosses on volcanic rock and then you go to the north and it's like these other worlds. These like bubbling, like mud fields. It does sound great, the one warning I was given about Iceland is if you got the wrong time of year, you go to those places but there's just like a line of tourist buses. So you have to choose the right time. Interesting. Yeah, that's the biggest problem with travel. It's like you want to go in the right season but everyone knows when the right season is. So you've got to like, when's just the tail end of hurricanes? When can I risk the worst to get a good day by myself? Yeah. Do you know anyone who lives there? No. I mean I know all of Björk. Yeah. It's our house. Oh really? It's nice. It was okay. It wasn't crazy. It wasn't crazy. I don't know anyone who actually don't know anyone from Iceland. But New Zealand, I see everything. It's such a tiny place. The culture that comes from New Zealand. I mean Jesus. Yeah. You've got Lord. You've got Flight of the Concords. I've got into this really great. I met Kimber the other day. Some New Zealand. I met Kimber. Yeah. There's this indie singer called Princess Chelsea who I think is really great. So yeah, a lot of good. Princess Chelsea. Princess Chelsea. Yeah. There's a lot of good shit comes in tiny islands. Find someone who lives there and have them take you to secret spots. Yes. There's a comedian there named Ari also and he's, he's, he's kind of started the comedy scene in Iceland. Him and his buddies like let's do comedy and then there was none. So now he just runs runs the scene. When I was leaving they're like Ari let the comedian somebody I'm like, yeah, and they're like, you know him? And I'm like. Oh. Yes. I do. It's nice. It's not me. Okay. Cool. But he knows all these secret like hot springs like the natural ones and just like, he could actually jump in. Yeah. And you got to, he's like, I remember this in the, he's got across a sheep meadow here and there's a fence. Like it should be somewhere. It's easier to find in the, in the winter because it's like, you can see the steam. Right. And then you just go down there and you're just alone in this like hot spring down a crevasse for like a couple hours. Got it. Sounds great. And it's very achievable. It's like, we're really close to Iceland. Yeah. And also, two to three hours, if you, this is the flight path is this way, right? Right. And wow. I don't know if they're still around or Iceland. They are. They give you free layovers for days. Oh. Wow. And then you just fly on to London. Yeah. They go, you can take like a five or six day layover with no extra charge. It's part of the governmental thing where like, I mean, you'll spend money if you're here. Yeah. Did you have to do it? I've got to do it. I've been wanting to do it for years. I used to. Yeah. We used to talk about it all the time when my son was young. And now he's like 26. Oh, he'd love it too. Yeah. I've got to do it. Get a car and do the ring road, actually, I've not done the whole thing, but. Yeah. Nice guy. Look at the world. Yeah. Is there any other thing I asked people, travel tips? Oh. Oh, yeah. Well, I always get day flights. Always. Like, if I'm going to England, I'll always get a day flight, never a night flight. You know, get a flight that leaves New York, like eight in the morning and like arrives in London at eight at night. Yeah. Just way better for the jet lag. Yeah. Then you get there and you're like, go for like a big four hour, big long walk, you know, all around if I'm not too tired and then go to bed at midnight and you just eliminate the jet lag. That's not bad. Yeah. Two flights. Oh, yeah. You have to look out the window on. Yeah. There's nothing worse than, like, you know, getting on a plane at 10 at night so then you get that four hour sleep and then you feel like shit, it takes days to get over all that. If you get the flight that leaves at eight in the morning, that's all eliminated. Plus, you're getting up at five to get to the airport, so you're already kind of on London time. Oh, right. You're tired when you get there, but it's only this earlier in New York, but then like, it's not a bad one. And then if you can, yeah, so that's that's a big travel tip. Yeah. All right. I always get day flights. But it was great. Oh, that was a real joy. I'm glad to finally tell my kids. God, I want to meet that chick. I googled it this morning because I remember a name, but it's a very common name. Okay. You couldn't find her. Couldn't find her. Couldn't find anyone who might have been her. How lovely is that to, like, remember somebody from high school or college and then look them up Facebook, unites everybody. Yeah. And then just see what they become and they age, kind of like sex in the city chicks, like in no time, in a half second from your memory of them was a 20 year old to like a 55 year old. Yeah. Yeah. I kind of shouldn't be able to do that. So, no, I do what happened to her. You couldn't find her at all. No, no, no, I do happen to Nikki, either, the one who used to fold up the radio show. She, who I always kind of a quite with her because she was also like, why I would tell them person. Yeah. That's a prototype of someone who needs to guide you into manhood. Yeah. Like, um, yeah, like a song, like, like, yeah, like a sexy, like a sexy Gandalf with borderline personality disorder. Yeah. You got to be a touch crazy. Yeah. You got to be, you can't be normal to be like that. No, exactly. And then they're trying to figure it out. So they're a little too wild. Let's go to Rhodes tomorrow. What a fucking line. Yeah. Let's go. Let's go tomorrow. Yeah. And then, oh, good on you to be able to go. Okay. No, I know. Yeah. Like, saying yes to things is a friend of mine, Danny Wallace wrote a book where he spent a year called Yes, man, where he spent a year just saying yes to everything. Everything. Yeah. And they ended up making a movie with Jim Carey. Yeah, I remember. They made him in the movie. Yeah. But that's like a good experiment to just say yes to things. That's Burning Man Mive vibes. Right. Yeah. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. But then you do end up getting burned, like with Sunstroke. Yeah. Also in 19 or such an idiot, we're like, hey, I should actually get in kind of, I should get in the shade. I know. Yeah. No, I'm finding Sam's ring. We had a check out my Glastonbury camp and she got Helen, she got, uh, she got Sunstroke and she's like, I need to like, wait, like, no one's prep for it. It was also like in the 80s, which they're not ready for that. You know, and um, she's a good year for it. But like, and she's just sitting in the sun like, all right, I got to wipe this off and eventually we were like, hey, let's get in some shade. Right. And she's like, uh, just too out of it to even be able to know. Yeah, yeah. God is rough. Yeah. Do you like Glastonbury? Oh. It was magical. It's amazing, isn't it? You bet. Yeah. A number of times. I mean, it's a little, you know, it's a bit like being in a wall, you know, just kind of getting from the pyramid stage to the other stage. So it's just like kind of, I tried a few times to get in since then I couldn't get through the ticket. Right. But I'm probably going to move there, but when I do, I'll be like, I'll just like make sure to work. That's how I got in the other time was like, get me in whatever, but then I just camp with everybody. Yeah. Yeah. Watching it. I tell you, if you don't go to Glastonbury every year, I'll watch the whole thing. I'll get a video. You really? Yeah, watch the whole thing. And it's how you learn. I mean, I've learned about, you know, music, new music. It's the perfect place to learn about music. Is that in Bonaro? It's Coachella's different because whatever, but like, yeah, Bonaro now is live nation, but before it was, it was like, you passed through your clock and Glastonbury is like five times what Bonaro is. Yeah. Which is also massive. And then like, think even bigger. But you pass by a band at 3 p.m. And I'm like, they're really good. How did no one know them? And like, they're booked at Glastonbury, they're, they're, they're quality. They're known. They don't just get in there. You didn't just walk up. I agree. There's so many of the bands that I really love now are people who I just sort of randomly found by watching the Glastonbury live feed. Wow. Yeah. Like, what's it the other day? Amal and the Sniffers, the punk band. Oh, yeah. Yeah. They're about, they're playing next weekend to see. They've been around. Yeah. I'm going to go and see them. I learned about them that way. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So the first time I saw Lizzo was like that, I was like, who's this? Right. And the second time, I remember her. I remember her. Unknown Billie Eilish, Blastonbury. So her Blastonbury. Yeah. That first time when she was still kind of unknown because she did it twice. Yeah. She was like, finally Cyrus did the main stage. And then we all bolted and she did all covers, you know, and then bolted over CBL. And she's like, oh, yeah, Jimmy was there to a car and he was like, oh, you can tell this chick's going to be somebody. Yeah. Yeah. It was. It was like seeing like like 18 year old Kate Bush or something like you knew you were seeing something. Yeah. Dancing in our big jeans and like trying to cover up any, it's just like, yeah. I love that. And you're just so dirty. It's like white with wet wipes and just like, we're right by the toilets about like this hill above the pyramid stage. And so if the wind changed, it was like, oh my God. But then like you're sleeping off your drugs and then like daytime by day two or three. Like, I can't. I got into nap. And then you just hear one of the Gallagher sing Wonderwall and you're like, this is lovely. Yeah. It is great. Blastonbury is one of the great. You know, that sort of boutique festival. although Glaston is obviously massive, but Britain is brilliant, so that's one of the best things that Britain has given the world. I think that was kind of that kind of festival. Because Glaston would be started like, you know, in the 60s. Yeah, and then he's all these small versions of Glaston be like latitude and end of the road, where it's like Glaston be about 20,000 people instead of 100,000 people. Which also is still massive. Yeah, I love it. That's one of the things that I think Britain does best is festivals. Yeah, the comics, they would like go from one to one, which is like, I would do that for a summer. Yeah. Just do festivals every every weekend for a month or two. Yeah. It's for the music in your soul. It's also no advertising. Like a chat here now. But there's no advertising. I came from Bonero and other ones where it's like, it's hitting you at the Pepsi stage of this. And it was like, it was just, it was just art. Yeah, I read someone say, I remember us, but some musician who went to Coachella this year basically wrote something saying just how much he hated it, because it was, it was all about getting into selfies for Instagram. Yeah. It was all corporate stuff and just like solace. And also hard to be there. The dust in the air. All right. And the red ants. Yeah. Yeah. I took my son to Coachella and he knew like he was like he collapsed. As an adult, where he was teenager, but he was so like from the heat collapse, the heat and the dust and the lack of water. And yeah, I guess the lack of water was my fault for not getting him any water. Well, the Glacenburg water is everywhere. Yeah. I think give you those little tubes from there. Okay. The silver one behind the book. All right. I think, but it's just like fill up, fill up, fill up, reuse. There's no bottles. So just fill up your one new you have. It's really great, Glaston people. God damn it is. Just a mom farmer. Like, you know, I mean, I don't know if it's his daughter now, but yeah, but she kept the spirit alive. She could have easily gone like that. Get better. There was this moment when, when they wanted to start it, she's in that black artist and wicked and stuff, because, you know, Glaston be great, but for the longest time, it was just like rock and roll. And then, you know, she comes in and books like J.Z. Yeah, I remember one of the Gallagher's got man. Yeah. This is a rock festival or not. And now you look at it. And it's like, he was so wrong. Like, now it's just like this fantastic cornucopia of like every type of music you can think of. Yeah. And he was really crossed. You see, but rock really is the genre, but it's also like, it means like, not classical. Yeah. So rap goes into that hip hop goes into that completely. But it's funny. Like, there's some woods you can wander into when you're fucked up. There's a TPI fucking just kind of slept off of Mushroom High when it was too much. And you're just like, what is this? And you're just like in a bunch. Just wild. It's really the best place in the world. And I don't think there's that much like crime. Like, I don't think, you know, there's kids there. Yeah. Kids area. And everyone like, oh, there's the kids area. I'm too fucked up to be here. Let me get to where all the molly and the cat people are. God, what a great place. Yeah. Anyway, John. It was great to meet you. Yeah. It was really great making you. Thank you. Yeah. You made my road trips really, really great with that. What is that series? Well, things fell apart. Things fell apart. Yeah. Yeah. I'll do a bumper on here where I'd like do all your stuff later. But listen to that. And obviously, so you've been publicly ashamed. It was so fucking interesting. Cool. Yeah. Definitely. It was it was roughing in that book out. And so I'm glad that it, that it's a landed, you know, and it sort of touched people because it was a little bit of, you know, there was a lot of it felt a bit like throwing a hand grenade into the world, you know, bringing that book out. Wait, as you're all just saying, it's kind of Jesus teaching. It's like, hey, let's look at it. Be patient and curious instead of instantly judgmental and, you know, just sort of basic human stuff. But it landed with a, with like an explosion. And the way that, you know, that really happens with me because I'm quite a sort of quiet person. I'm not like an ash on provocateur. Is that your biggest most well received? No psychopath test was, but so you've been publicly ashamed had like this sort of sort of exploded in a sort of editorial cultural type way. But the psychopath test definitely was more sort of sold more. This artist to talk about that they don't ever want to be seen. They're like, go look at the painting. Don't look at me. And with the writer, I don't get that because this is my canvas. I guess it's kind of lame. But like, as a writer, it seems like you'd be like, look at that. And now with publicly ashamed, you're like, why are you looking at me? Yeah. I'm just writing what I saw. Yeah. And then it's suddenly, you know, everyone had an opinion with that book. And so it was kind of noisy. But, but, but, no easy. But good, ultimately good. Yeah. Yeah, it's very interesting. People rushed to this. I went on Tucker Carlson's podcast and just always thought it was funny. I'm not political at all. And people got very angry. Right. And I'm like, I want to be like, Hey, listen, I get it. He's your ultra enemy. Let's just say you're right. I kept him off politics for two hours. Shouldn't that be lauded? But they don't do it. They're just like, no, fuck you. That tribalism, you know, simply say, okay, well, you know, I can stand. But, you know, ultimately, I think tribalism is bad for the world. It's just bad for the world. You know, it's, it's, look at the world we're living in and look at how we got here. And it's, and it's that kind of attitude. And while I get it, you know, that, that, it's, it's comfortable to be in your own echo chamber. Yes. You, you know, that's, that's caused a lot of problems in the world. So I say, you know, I have turned down, like, I remember turning down my lawyer, Nopolis's podcast. But, but ultimately, I will go on people shows, even if I don't agree with them for that reason. I had him on my old podcast, because I, I don't know if you know what a troll is. You know, the different terms, but like, there's, it's an art form on its own. And I, I was booked with him on it, someone else's podcast. And he thought I was going to be the left wing guy that came out of him. So he was like, attack you at first. And I'm like, don't care. I've seen someone with clips. It's kind of funny. And then I'm like, dude, I'm not. And then I'm just like, oh, all right, you're offensive too. But he was telling me how they started this thing. You know, about that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And how did he say about it? He goes, so it's 4chan, which is a, it's, it's looked at as this right wing site. It's just a troll site. Maybe parts of it are, or right wing or, but it's just like, how do we annoy people? Let's annoy people. The Mary pranksters. It's kind of the same thing, but just darker. Right. And they go, let's start a symbol. That'll be this right wing thing. Let's just make one up. And they go, how about that? How about this WP, you know, white power, which is also a okay. It's ridiculous. It doesn't mean anything. Yeah. And then he said he became this conservative guy. He's in a line with Donald Trump. And they're all taking pictures with like these five or six other people behind them. It's one of those kind of pictures, you know, and he goes, oh, they're all taking pictures. And I'm in a shot with Trump. So he did it. He just goes like this in the background. And then it just exploded. And then the left goes, how dare you say that? The rights I don't take it away from us. And there's no symbol. And support guy cuts like a couple of years later, support guy. Like I think like a, like a, lessen American guy, I think. It's like it is truck. Do you remember the story? Goes by past some sort of protest. He's just driving. He's got to talk about the window. His hand happens to be like that. And his life is like ruined over that. I mean, sad to that, but just to study that idea. It's like, yeah. It's great. And just make it up. I was like, this is wild. So I had him on to talk about trolling in general. And how you go, he goes, I love liberal tears. It's fun for me. And I'm like, yeah, I get it. I got demonetized on YouTube. I got everything just to say not. I like, it's like, it's like, it's not what you're thinking. He's just not this guy. He's just trying to fuck with you. And it's funny. You get a relation to these people and people get so hard. Been out of shape. Yeah. But then it's like a real world consequence, like some poor guy, but you can't blame anyone for that other than the people who thought that is crazy or that politician that they asked him. He didn't know. He was just some old Christian Minneapolis Minisoters. I'm going to go, what do you think of Black Lives Matter? It just hadn't heard of it. It goes, yeah, of course, always matter. Like, what? And he goes, wait, wait, what did I say wrong? This doesn't seem wrong. It's just a no idea. I've noticed that thing. I've noticed by the way, a couple of times when I'm running, like if somebody, if a driver swirves to sort of avoid me, sometimes I'll give him a wave. And I've noticed a number of times. You're just doing it with that way. I've done that way, but I've got to hope people don't think I've given them the white power. Then they had to remember those kids that were like that Native American were screaming at them and smiling. And they're like, they're like, how you're laughing this guy's face. They were just uncomfortable kids later. But then while in the between the time of them thinking their villains to when they found out they're not, they found some footage of them playing basketball. And they're doing this, this sign. And was like, see, that's, but then people like, that Steph Curry does that, that means I had a three pointer. And also it just feels like a way. It's a okay. Yeah. It's been a sign. Yeah. Well, I just do it. Like if I'm waving to somebody, that's a weird way. Well, I don't know. It's just, I think my hand, I'm running along. And my hand is just naturally, you know what it is. I'm going like that running, running with my face. And then I wanted like, I'm like, back. And you look, I put it. Yeah, John, thank you very much, buddy. Yeah. Pleasure meeting you. - Yeah. - Well, that's the episode everybody. I hope you enjoyed it. Please go check out John Ranz's new book. Look at this. Well, if you're watching. Yeah, block of the sun, really changes things. This is a video podcast. Not everyone, but a lot of them really go well with video. This one, I guess not as much, 'cause the trip was from when it was, I guess, pre-cell phone days. Really splits between the cell phone days. And the not cell phone days. God, great episode, John Ranz. You got to come back. We switched places. I went to London to support fucking loser franchises. I feel nothing but pain. Talked to a lot of Tottenham fans and they're telling me get ready for some pain. Get ready for a lot of pain. It's gonna be up and down. Well, I'm used to it. I'm a Cowboys fan. Get his new book, guys, The Castles. First book in 11 freaking years. It's a great writer. He really puts everything out there in a really easy way to understand. And he's gripping his storytelling ability is like really amazing. Actually, John, I gotta get you on the episode of this, the end. If I ever, oh, I guess it was the end. Go get his book on Amazon, bookstores, good reads, audible, everywhere you find books. Get the castle right now. And I will tell you one more time. So you've probably shamed a recommendation of me by current Fisher, which I read. I mean, in like two days, it was so fucking good. And then his podcast series, things fell apart. Wild, really, really interesting, grip in. It was just like just an amazing one. Still don't have a home, but I will eventually get one, I guess, but who cares about them? I'll tell you about my trip to Greece. I loved it. It wasn't anything like that. I'll tell you the most surprising thing about Greece. It's an anarchist town. Greece is anarchy. Damn, I mean, if I can extend this to the sunset, it'll be fucking badass. I do not want to lose this fucking hat. Yeah, Greece rules, bro. I'll go off camera and do this. I'll put this hat in my pocket, actually, because I don't want to lose it. It's my favorite hat. It's an outer and glued hat. If you don't know, show it to you. Nope, nice try. Wind, nice try. There it is. Gooch, 99. Now you might not know who, might not know who, wait. Aaron Gooch is. It was a misprint by a Bangladeshi bodega owner in New York. I saw it. I wanted it really bad. And then I said, I'll get it when I get back. All the streets in New York and these fellows look kind of the same. So I was just walked up and down for hours and hours, trying to find it again when I did. Ooh, I bought two, and I don't want to lose it, because I lost the other one. It's one of the biggest, but that's why I bought two. Don't focus on the positive. Nothing negative. Yeah, Greece is like a real anarchist town. It's got graffiti on a rebellion way, on all the train cars. The outdoor seating and movie theaters, fucking what a great time, like a great time, like legitimately. I watched a movie, a film noir movie. There was a French with Greek subtitles. Couldn't understand any of it, but I fucking loved it. Out of their rolled, rolled ciggies, drank a beer. Man, I'm fucking miss Greece. I gotta get back. It's like it's own place. You have stopped, give me all the advice I needed when I went to Greece. Tell me where to go, broke down all the islands for me. Stuff rules. Yeah, if you're going to Greece, reach out to Stavros Halcios and ask him for advice on where to go, what to do. I almost went to his grandmother's island, and then I went to a different one. I talked about it on his podcast. I just did his podcast, the Stavros Halcios hour. It's not called that. What was they gonna say now? Yeah, so anarchist, the food is amazing. Obviously, there's history there. All the old ruins and stuff. But what really struck me was that, how many fucking, what's the group that it's not great in America, but it really is great there. Antifa. They do it in a different way. There's kind of like in Oppenheimer, where they were like, you're a communist. It was, no, I support Spanish communism, but not like Cuban and Chinese in America. Antifa and Greece is like a whole different, I can't even break it down. Honestly, maybe John Ronsik could break it down, of course. He probably have a better understanding. Man, great episode. Really great. Really great. Next week, Tim Butterleys on the episode on the podcast. Guys, please subscribe wherever you're watching to listen. Do me a favor, if you want to support the show, that's the best way to do it. Also, leave in the comments anyone you think I should get on the podcast. If I already reached out to Michael Kay, I think we're gonna record a podcast the next few weeks. Gonna get, we've got a bunch of great ones coming. Ari Matty, Christina Pizzitsky. Damn, who else? Small-brained Americans, sabbatical, wolf pots, all coming back. But yeah, leave in the comments anyone you think I should have on the podcast, and tell me where they've been. I'll reach out to them, I'll try to get them on. It's actually might be easier now that I'm in London. Michael Malis is back on, that was a great episode of South Korea. We did North Korea, now South Korea. But that's it. Today's episode is produced by your mom's house network is edited by Alan Kaffee. That's it you guys, until next week. Damn, I don't remember, remember I would say it. I will also tell you, right at the end, if you're in Greece and looking for a driver, look no further than Saki's. Guys, Saki's is your man and Athens. Put up a fucking, if I can find, God, I don't know if I can find his card. If I can find his card, Alan put it up on the screen right now. Guys, Saki's is the man. He's the man, he'll take you anywhere. He'll take you to the ferry, he'll take you from the airport. He'll do anything, Saki's rules. And he'll give you a history of Greece and everything you should know about it, while you're driving. He's the man. That's it guys, thank you very much for tuning in. Until next week, Sedona with Tim Butterly, bye. I guess you just love the sunset there. Yeah, I mean, have some fucking peace in your life, you know what I mean? Have some peace in your life, just watch the sunset with me. The sunset's in Greece, we're fucking sick too. Really? What a crazy place. Stop also, tell me if you want to go, here's a little tip. If you want to go piss off Greeks, go to the ones that are just off Turkey. The islands that are just off Turkey and tell them their Arabs. He said they get so mad, I didn't get to those. But I will, Greece reminds me a lot of Indonesia to be honest. That there's so many islands and they all have their own little culture. I have no idea if this is true, but let's imagine that Turkey had no navy. And Greece had a great navy. And that's how they got to like all the islands that are like a stone throw away from the mainland in Turkey, because they just dominated the oceans. Also, by the way, the Odyssey, still haven't seen it. I will say it's pretty funny when the right wing goes. I haven't seen the Odyssey yet, but here's what I'm mad about. You can't, I haven't seen it yet, but that's it. That's what they should say. I haven't seen it yet, but so I have no comment. But I didn't like this in this. God damn it. You know what the worst is, it's not the right of the left. It's the people who feel a need to weigh in every week about every subject. And sometimes they don't really care enough about the subject to actually weigh in. But they're financially invested in it, so they can't just sit one out. They gotta get involved. It's so dumb. Actually, it's what comedians do, too. Duncan Trust will tell me, goes, if you put a microphone in front of him, with a Kumail Nanjiani and say, what's better? Ford or Chevy and Kumail isn't, no, but he'll just start talking. That's what comedians do. We just go, well, Chevy is the classic American car. Ford came in later and they are, they'll just make shit up. That's what we do. We just start talking. That's not about Kumail. I'm saying it's about any comic. Should have used Kumail as a reference. It had nothing to do with him. It's the first name that popped into my head. Mark Mail rules, too. And also, God damn what a body. I mean, I'm not hard for dudes a lot, but I'm hard for Kumail. For something good to watch this week, two things. Rory Scova, as a new special on Netflix, I haven't seen it yet, but I'll still guarantee you it's gonna be a great time. Rory Scova is one of the best comedians working, honestly, in the last 15 years. Nothing he touches is in amazing. And I gotta assume the next one. Also, the new Billy Strings album is fucking sick. It has you stomping your boots, as well as pillowing at your heartstrings. Billy Strings is the man. Still waiting for that fucking Billy, Danny. I'm still waiting for that Danny Brown Billy Strings collaboration. I think you guys can put out a fucking top shelf song together. I think if you did it right, it would be a fucking massive success and it would make me happy. It would make America happy. It might make the world happy. Danny Brown, Billy Strings. Do something great together. Give back to society. Anyway, that's it everybody. Hope you had a good time. I'm Mauricio Fear. Until next week. I have nothing left to tell you, right? Subscribe. Yeah, I got nothing. All right, bye. That's cool. Isn't that weird? Sun goes down and you can see all the fucking. But this is cool to be up on a roof. It's cool. Better than a studio, right? It's maybe better to do this here than in a studio. I mean, studios are cool too, but come on. You do the color correction, right? Boom, you see what I'm talking about. Some of the city fucking rules. London's so spread out, and it's so interesting. I mean, I gotta do an episode. Once I get used to it here, I'll do an episode about everything I've learned and wondered, about London. It's everything people told me and so much more. They're like, it's very Muslim. Like, yeah, it's also pretty Indian and pretty Italian. It's a worldly city. Yeah, that's it. Wow. Not everybody. Talk to you later. Bye. Next week. Guys, this was week three of me not doing any ads on my podcast. So only for YouTube subscribers, I'm doing an experiment. Instead of doing ads, I'm still monetizing it and letting YouTube take a bunch of ads and interrupt a bunch. I'm doing no monetization. And in return, I'm asking you guys to donate a buck or two. The premium subscribers, I don't know. I guess don't do it. I don't know. But I'm trying something. To not interrupt constantly in order to make my, we'll see. We got one more week after this and we'll see if it works or not. But if you guys give me enough money to like make up for what I make in YouTube revenue, then I just won't do it. It's like two bucks. If you all just did two bucks, there's a way to do it. You just go down to the bottom. It was special thanks and put $2, $5, whatever. Once a month, then that's it. We're good and we won't have to do the ads. I'll still do my embedded ads, but not the YouTube ads. Well, they constantly hit you with like Uber ads and shit like that. That's it guys. That's all I'm telling you. So yeah, so don't it. God, that's so cool.