A chance sighting of classmate Ian Brown’s car on the M40 motorway leads to Si fulfilling one of his boyhood dreams: to play drums at Wembley Stadium, with his latest band, The G.O.D. The Stone Roses had just reformed and Ian offered Si the gig as a birthday present! Top […]

15 years after quitting The Fall, Si met Mark E Smith, at Gulliver’s on Oldham Street in Manchester. Si had been working with Jez Kerr And The Family Bizarre in Ancoats and had popped round the corner for a night cap. He found Mark upstairs in the dressing room ‘guarding […]

Just north of London, in Borehamwood, is Elstree Studios where the BBC filmed TOTP, Grange Hill and other shows. Top of the Pops went on air every Thursday night for decades. School playgrounds were awash with kids raving over the acts they’d seen the night before on Friday mornings! Si […]

SARM Studios is a recording studio located on Basing Street in Notting Hill, London. The studios were established by Chris Blackwell, the infamous founder of Island Records. They were originally known as Basing Street Studios and also as Island Studios. Lots of big stars have recorded here. In 1999, Si […]

SARM Studios is a recording studio located on Basing Street in Notting Hill, London. The studios were established by Chris Blackwell, the infamous founder of Island Records. They were originally known as Basing Street Studios and also as Island Studios. Lots of big stars have recorded here. In 1999, Si […]

New York, USA. Join Si in Union Square in front of the world famous George Washington statue as he waxes lyrical about life on the road with The Fall and Mark E Smith! Mark and Simon get the coolest invitation of the decade! As it happens, Si and Mark were […]

In the late 80’s to 90’s, The fall ran a record label called Cog Sinister Records. It was a stone’s throw from one of Mark E Smith’s favourite drinking haunts, The Harp & Shamrock, on New Mount Street in Ancoats. John the Postman used to famously man the phone. When […]

Today, we join Simon outside India House on Whitworth Street in Manchester. This beautiful Edwardian Baroque building, designed by Harry S. Fairhurst (who was also responsible for Bridgewater House opposite),  was originally a packing and shipping warehouse. It was converted to flats and Si moved in for a fun-filled couple […]

Simon Wolstencroft | The X Generation | S01 E11: Ballet at Sadler’s Wells The Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London is the backdrop for today’s episode. Back in 1988, The Fall had recorded 11th studio album: I Am Kurious Oranj which combines studio recordings with tracks recorded live during performances in […]

Simon talks about The Woodthorpe Pub in Prestwich. This was one of Mark E Smith’s most favoured watering holes! Memories of surly landlords and shooting the music video for ‘There’s a Ghost in My House’. Season One of The X Generation brings you key moments in Simon Wolstencroft’s musical career […]