EXPloaded

EXPloaded

Cast your mind back to the 90's and the cultural phenomenon that was loaded magazine. Now join co-founder of the magazine Tim Southwell, and his editors at large Bill Borrows and Ben Marshall as they explore the before, during and after of that... different time

Episodes

  1. Bloopers and Best of Season 1

    1d ago

    Bloopers and Best of Season 1

    IT’S A WRAP for the inaugural season of the EXPloaded and so, naturally, we are looking back at ten weeks of working within an efficient and well-oiled media machine at the cutting-edge of new technology and a sophisticated product in perfect sync with its constituent parts and its listeners, viewers and subscribers. Which brings us rather nicely onto Episode 11 and our guide to “How NOT to make a podcast”. We have kindly added some bonus footage of a few clips that weren’t deleted along with over a dozen legally contentious recollections (), several ill-advised self-incriminatory declarations and Ben’s profound confusion over how many holes were involved – don’t ask. Are they any good? Well, we didn’t have room for the discussion about Jack Duckworth, Ice-T and the rocket propelled grenade launcher so what do you think? One of Cobain’s last interviews and Tiger Woods’ first are recalled, Tim lets Robbie Williams down but Ben picks him up, Bill’s got Prince Naz on the ropes while Shane Magowan is as “white as a ghost” and our special spook cameras pick up genuine paranormal activity in the studio. Thanks for being ace and let us not detain you any longer. Please like, follow and subscribe (we hated being asked to do that as well, sorry) and season 2 will find you when we find the button we need to press to send it.

    49 min

  2. May 22

    Catherine Zeta-Jones, Al Pacino’s Toy Sword and Trainspotting Before It Pulled Into The Station

    It’s the mid-90’s and the Tories are running on fumes, New Labour is finding its voice, and loaded magazine is hitting that sweet spot where instinct, chaos and confidence collide. Structure? Optional. Impact? Massive. In this episode, Tim, Bill and Ben dive back into the landmark Vic and Bob issue in the company of Catherine Zeta-Jones doing the splits on a television - not on television but on a television - and a Scottish writer nobody has heard making his first national splash. Irvine someone. What follows is a reminder of just how sharp the magazine’s radar was. From loaded writer Innes Reekie getting hold of Welsh and Trainspotting before anybody else to CZJ’s star quality already demanding attention in her pre-Hollywood A-Lister days. John “Back to Basics” Major might be PM in April 1995 but he’s also a new entry at number 2 in that issue’s Platinum Rogues.It’s all about that moment when the walls of the old guard start to crumble and something new and raw kicks the door in. There’s a deep dive into that iconic Vic and Bob cover, why it worked, why rivals got it wrong, and how loaded knew its audience better than anyone else. Add in Tim’s champagne-soaked afternoon with CZJ (complete with flirting, fantasy and a few unquantifiable facts) and tales of Al Pacino’s toy sword and we’re off and running. Elsewhere, Planet of the Vapes tackles Gen Z disdain for traditional flatulence etiquette (yes, it goes there), while, finally, another unfortunate soul is blasted off to Mars to join Elon Musk, Morrissey, Michael Owen and Sharon Osborne in the ever-growing colony of the total unbearable. Oh, and stick around to the end. There’s a surprise from one of Loaded’s Greatest Living Englishmen who, unlike 90% of the others, is actually still alive. Worth the wait. 00:00 – Intro & ’April ’95 Setup 02:30 – The Issue at a Glance 05:30 – Irvine Welsh Discovery 09:30 – Trainspotting Impact 14:30 – Vic & Bob Cover Breakdown 19:00 – Catherine Zeta-Jones Story 23:30 – Celebrity Madness 27:00 – Car Park’s Curious Corner 29:30 – Planet of the Vapes 32:30 – Platinum Rogues 35:30 – Send Them To… erm… Mars 37:30 – Wrap-Up & Final Surprise

    39 min

  3. May 15

    Uma Thurman, Vic Reeves and Sharon Osborne walk into a bar…

    But not the one at the Hanover Grand in December 1994 where the first loaded Xmas party is in full swing: Weller, Albarn, blaggers, Sir Les Ferdinand, Paul Smith, liggers, Steve Coogan, more celebs, Harry Hill and loaded staff running on fumes but flying on several other things. Hottest ticket in town and it suddenly begins to dawn that something extraordinary is taking place. Tim and some colleagues fly to New York to get something to eat on the company dollar and end up at Dazed and Confused star Milla Jovovich’s flat where it all gets very messy. Meanwhile, back in the office, Pulp Fiction-era Uma Thurman somersaults over the photocopier, karate kicks her way onto the front cover and raises a flag Iwo-Jima-style for rebels of every description. From Uma and Milla’s Hollywood-baiting middle finger to the patriarchy and a cameo from Louise Werner there are women who refuse to play the game everywhere this week. Add Vic Reeves, Keith Allen and a pair of fast-talking young Liverpool footballers and you’ve got more rule-breakers than Groundskeeper Willie could shake a fist at. Elsewhere, legendary c**k-er-nee photojournalist Grant Fleming goes from eclipse-chasing in Chile to near-arrest with Ben at the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway and a life-threatening drug raid with Bill and several heavily armed lunatics in Mexico. When loaded wasn’t writing about rebels, you see, it was sending them out to cause chaos all over the world. Add in Platinum Rogues (historical and modern), general Gen Z confusion, moustache revivals, giving Peter Cook the kiss of death and blasting another unfortunate soul off to… erm… Mars, and you’ve got an episode of EXPloaded looking back at peak loaded magazine - loud, messy, dangerous, hilarious and ahead of the curve - and bringing it bang up to date.. 00:00 Nobel Peace Center Chaos 01:04 Podcast Introductions 02:14 December 1994 Party 04:09 Rebels Issue Theme 05:44 Grant Fleming Stories 10:04 Uma Cover Swagger 11:19 Internet Explained 1994 13:04 Why Uma Thurman 16:25 Historical Rogues Debate 18:46 Modern Rogues Picks 21:25 Milla Jovovich Shoot 24:04 Milla Quotes and Roots 25:11 Pot In Moderation 26:22 Curious Quotations 27:17 Planet Of The Vapes 32:51 Send Them To… erm… Mars 35:01 Sophistication Station 40:17 Sell Me The Cover 42:47 Final Issue Highlights 45:50 Wrap Up And Book Plug

    48 min

  4. May 8

    When Prince Naseem Took Over Loaded

    “Friends” lands on TV but new movie “Pulp Fiction” is closer to the mood in the U.K.. Tim, Bill and Ben unpack a moment when Britain was pulsating with youthful creativity and seething with anger in the face of a full-blown Middle England moral panic over ecstasy and rave culture. The foredoomed crackdown continues to fill the tabloids and the streets as demonstrations against the government’s ludicrous attempt to criminalise “repetitive beats” continue and Loaded steps up its club and dance music coverage. Through the smoke struts a future world champion boxer from Sheffield with castiron self-confidence, incredible hand speed and a taste for the spotlight plus one very specific, outrageous demand if loaded want him on the cover. Of course we agree, we had no choice. What follows is the story of how Prince Naseem Hamed, the subject of recent biopic “Giant”, talked himself on to the cover after Bill challenged him to three rounds (“Of toast, I meant three rounds of toast”). We also reveal what 20 year old Naz was really like when the cameras weren’t pointing at him. Elsewhere in the mag, we go shoplifting with Winona. Steve Coogan is on the rise with Partridge, Paul and Pauline “t**s first” Calf. Paula Yates goes into orbit. Ray Liotta is “funny like [he’s] a clown” but then there is a reminder that time can put a dark spin on even the most uplifting stories from back in the day (Gary Speed R.I.P). Car Park’s Curious Corner, more bonkers Gen Z behaviour in Planet of the Vapes and cover star pitches return while another very deserving candidate is shot into space with a one-way ticket to Mars and a place in the same facility as a naked Elon Musk, Morrissey and a xylophone made out of Jimmy Savile’s ribs. 00:00 Celebrity Shoplifting Shock 00:15 Rocket Launcher Anecdote 00:39 Podcast Intro and Setup 01:29 October 1994 Pop Culture 02:59 Rave Panic and New Laws 06:32 Winona Ryder Arrest 08:36 Issue Highlights and Interviews 12:25 Prince Naseem Cover Story 15:52 Limo Demands and Photoshoot 20:03 Loaded Cover Legacy Debate 21:19 Who Goes on the Cover? 23:38 Cover Pitch Bob Mortimer v 24:28 Why Bob Is Iconic 27:26 Car Parks Quote Corner 28:51 Fly Me To Mars Picks 31:20 Planet Of The Vapes 33:46 Quitting Smoking Story 35:58 Best Bits From The Issue 37:46 Gary Speed And Journalism 41:00 Rogue Of The Week 43:30 Wrap Up And Contact

    45 min

  5. May 1

    The Jimmy Savile confession, Kylie & Wham!: Inside the era of fatal fame

    Somebody once said - and don’t worry, he makes an appearance [“Disapearance, surely?” Ed.] - fame can “play hideous tricks on the brain” but who’s naturally built for the experience, and who gets swallowed whole? Tim, Bill and Ben spent the 90s and early 2000s surrounded by the most famous people in the world and have eye witness accounts. Some embrace fame, some try to shrug it off. Others struggle with the weird reality of never knowing if anyone’s being genuine (especially when every joke gets a laugh). Here the EXPloaded team look at who wore fame well, versus those who didn’t and a look at how easily things can tip from control into chaos. Along the way there are festival stories, chance encounters, and the strange idea that once you’re famous, your life can start happening without you. Then things take a darker turn with a loaded interview that, in hindsight, got as close to the evil truth about Jimmy Savile as any before it or subsequently. Elsewhere: There’s the usual cover star pitches, Gen Z football jargon in Vapes, a predictable heavyweight Platinum Rogue, and another unfortunate soul gets blasted off to Mars (no return). 00:00 Fame’s Awkward Truth 00:27 Podcast Setup and Theme 01:20 Summer Special Kylie Cover 02:20 Kylie’s Reinvention Era 05:47 Supergrass and Ian Botham 07:49 Who’s Good at Fame 08:30 Noel Gallagher’s Balance 09:28 Andrew Ridgeley vs George 14:19 Fame Stories and Casualties 18:15 Turning to Savile Interview 21:33 Savile Interview Breakdown 22:43 Rumors and Dark Confessions 24:34 Fame and Cover Ups 26:18 Sell Me the Cover 29:42 Car Park Quotations 32:02 Planet of Vapes Football Talk 34:22 Rogue of the Week 36:06 Fly Me to… erm… Mars

    40 min

  6. Apr 24

    Tim finds Jesus in Leeds, Calvin Klein and Bill talk pants while Ben deals with misaligned nipples

    It’s FA Cup semi-final weekend and, unbelievably, all the EXPloaded team have skin in the game but while Bill and Ben are born and bred City and Chelsea fans, Tim reveals that only a celestial intervention sealed the deal with his love for Leeds. Whatever. Bill gets a promise about his c**k from Calvin Klein, Ben has a weird thing with misaligned nipples and a legendary interview with Damon Albarn (then Blur frontman and pretend “lad’) is only marginally less controversial than the winner of the inaugural Crisp World Cup. The truth about “the fix” is in. Did you know that it’s very possible for us to get to Mars but not so easy to get back? We’re using this to our advantage to get rid of some people we’re not so bothered about keeping on Earth. Guess who’s first up. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comment box or at exploadedpod@gmail.com 01:13 Issue Five Highlights 02:47 Football Cover Choice 04:00 Why Tim Supports Leeds 05:44 Foggy Matchday Miracle 08:38 FA Cup Serendipity 13:09 Send Them to Mars 16:19 Damon Albarn Interview 19:46 Car Park Quotes Corner 21:44 Chaos In The Subs Office 22:19 Editors At Large Hangout 23:54 Barbara Ellen Calvin Declined 24:48 Calvin Klein Interview Story 26:59 The Crisp World Cup 29:53 Planet Of The Vapes 32:12 Gen Z Slang And Silent Walking 33:46 Social Media And Fanzines 36:12 Old School Football Phone Lines 38:16 Rogue Of The Week Finale

    42 min

  7. Apr 17

    The meanest Reservoir Dog cries, Elle MacPherson is kidnapped, Liam & Noel’s beef starts in loaded

    Back in the 90’s, somebody somewhere thought it was a good idea to let a chaotic group of dysfunctional berks loose on A-List celebrities all over the world. We were in over our heads but nobody told us. Tequilla-soaked Reservoir Dog Michael Madsen – still dressed as Mr Blonde for a photoshoot – is taken to an East London “boozer” by Bill on a Friday afternoon. The Hollywood actor soon breaks down in tears before going rogue in grand style. Ben ends up in bed with a Neo-Nazi and, as attention around loaded grows, the magazine sends Tim to New York to make sure its first supermodel shoot, featuring Elle Macpherson, goes according to plan. It doesn’t. And a ransom has to be paid. Plus, Bill and Ben’s next issue cover picks, office life before Health and Safety and regular feature “Planet of the Vapes” – well, do you know what Gen Z’s call “a girl dinner”? Clue: It’s like “boyfriend jeans”, or something. No, us neither. 00:00 Wild Date Confessions 00:50 Podcast Intro Chaos 01:30 Theme Getting In Over Your Head 02:49 Bill Meets Michael Madsen 05:12 Tequila Tears And Fallout 08:55 Ben Digital Dating Disaster 12:00 Tim Lands Elle Macpherson Shoot 14:54 New York Fashion World Shock 17:19 Money Threatens The Shoot 20:06 Brandy Phonebox Negotiations 21:37 Shoot Saved Photos Held Hostage 23:17 Cover Shoot Triumph 24:38 Sell Me The Cover 24:54 Danny Dyer Pitch 26:05 Joe Marler Debate 28:57 Carpark Quote Corner 30:29 Inside Loaded Office 32:37 Yucca Plant Chaos 35:16 Best Issue Three Picks 35:27 Oasis Early Interview 37:54 Torino Ultras Feature 40:24 Girl Dinner Trend 42:12 Final Sign Off

    43 min

  8. Apr 10

    Gary Oldman still owes us, Liz Hurley won’t leave us alone and Kurt Cobain nearly takes us with him

    Remember when Gary Oldman gave loaded magazine a legally-binding promise? (we do and we will be calling it in very soon) Meanwhile, Liz Hurley can’t stop flirting with us; and Kurt Cobain’s tragic demise almost stops the launch issue from hitting the shelves. Post loaded launch, there is plenty of love but also immediate hostility from the usual suspects who just didn’t get it. The Guardian branded it part of “yob culture” (although many of their journalists secretly loved the magazine) but the EXPloaded podcast team argue that loaded’s fanzine-like energy, irreverence and honesty were totally overlooked. Tim, Bill and Ben revisit “the difficult second issue”, tight deadlines and huge pressure. Bill picks the Leslie Nielsen cover feature as a highlight while Ben selects “Nirvana’s last picture show” - a controversial photoshoot by Martin Goodacre featuring Kurt Cobain posing with a gun - and remembers interviewing the smacked up singer in New York just before his death. Regular feature “Planet of the Vapes” sees the team critique Gen Z for filming on their phones in public and complain about becoming the victims of “monkey managing” - whatever that is. 00:00 Thatcher Kids Banter 00:35 Podcast Intro Setup 00:56 Peers React To loaded 02:14 Hostility And Word Of Mouth 03:33 Press Backlash Lad Culture 05:15 Independent Review Debate 08:45 Elitism Class Critique 09:36 Impact And Fear Of Failure 11:06 Media Moments And Celeb Praise 13:39 Why It Blew Up Fast 15:33 Thatcher Children And DIY Ethos 17:12 Planet Of The Vapes 18:51 Phones Rewired Our Brains 20:45 Johnny Ive Invents The Rectangle 23:14 Quitting Social Media 23:44 Social Media Brain Rot 24:01 Monkey Messaging Explained 24:58 Weaponized Incompetence 26:21 Issue Two Cover Story 26:44 Why Leslie Nielsen 30:09 Nirvana Last Photos 34:46 Platinum Rogues Feature 38:14 Private Eye And Theft Tales 40:13 Sell Me The Cover 42:51 Wrap Up And Next Week

    44 min

  9. Apr 1

    3 - Skydiving with Tiger Woods

    Tim Southwell, Ben Marshall, and Bill Borrows recap the first issue of loaded and talk about how it gatecrashed the early-90s men’s magazine party looking for trouble. The EXPloaded podcast team discuss Gary Oldman as cover choice and other features such as Tim’s interview with Liz Hurley and Tiger Woods, once the 17 year old golfing prodigy had been dragged out of the shower by his mum. His own mum, not Tim’s. Then there’s skydiving, Paul Weller and Eric Cantona uncensored, and Beavis and Butt-Head. The team discuss how the term “lad” began as innocent pub slang but soon became a pejorative media label, and contrast loaded’s non-PR-led approach with modern publications serving as mere publicity vehicles. Ben and Bill recall getting Clash frontman Joe Strummer and actor Robert Carlisle by just asking them as, suddenly, famous people started queuing up to be in loaded because that was the place to be. The conversation takes in masculinity, internet-amplified extremism and incel culture while regular feature “Planet of the Vapes” takes in the curious habits of Generation Z. loaded’s energy and journalistic influence is credited to Hunter S. Thompson and a future episode is promised to recall Bill’s two legendary run-ins with the Godfather of Gonzo himself. The episode ends with Ben and Bill pitching possible cover stars to Tim as if O.G. loaded was still a going concern. He has to choose one of them, but who will he choose? 00:00 Strummer Pub Encounter 00:20 Podcast Intro Banter 01:36 Why Oldman Cover 03:46 Who Else Covered In Glory 05:19 Super Lads Meaning 07:28 Haunted Studio Aside 08:47 Masculinity Internet Shift 13:44 Gonzo Journalism Roots 18:17 Carpark Quotations 20:57 Sell Me the Cover 23:22 No PR Just Get Them 25:10 Friendly Interview Subjects 25:36 Gary Oldman Cover Pitch 26:27 Knighthood And Politics 27:47 Planet Of The Vapes 31:31 Old 78s And Streaming 33:33 Napster Changed Everything 36:28 First Issue Favorites 40:38 Tiger Woods Day Out 43:57 Underdogs And Up Yours Attitude 45:18 Wrap Up And Thanks

    46 min

  10. Apr 1

    2 - Men Don’t Buy Magazines. Do they?

    Tim Southwell, Bill Borrows, and Ben Marshall bicker their way through the origin story of loaded, starting with how soulless and try-hard the early-90s men’s mag scene felt and asking: what if a magazine actually sounded like your funniest mate in the pub? Tim recounts teaming up with James Brown via Leeds United and being on a Barcelona trip in 1992 that sparked the “best night ever” vibe the magazine would bottle. They salute publishing genius Alan Lewis for backing proper writing, discuss the stillborn versions of the magazine that never made it (“The Right Stuff” and “Rogue”) and explain how loaded’s radical design and focus on peculiarly British humour, icons and idioms helped forge its identity. Despite depressingly negative focus groups full of idiots, huge magazine company IPC green-lights the project for some reason but then drops the bombshell: You’ve got eight weeks to launch, we want a circulation of 45,000 a month and you’ll also have to prove received wisdom - “men don’t buy magazines” - wrong. What could possibly go right? 00:00 Cold Open Banter 00:17 Podcast Intro Reset 02:24 Origin Story Begins 03:43 Alan Lewis Champion 07:33 Barcelona Spark Moment 08:34 Britain Shifts Gear 13:00 Taking the Leap 13:54 Finding the Voice 17:10 Loaded British Language 18:48 The Shane MacGown Experience 20:44 Building the Dummy 21:11 Focus Groups Explained 21:35 Behind the Focus Group 22:49 Brutal Feedback and One Fan 24:25 Why Focus Groups Fail 25:50 The Execs Who Said Yes 27:51 Loaded Culture and Voices 30:28 Secret Project at IPC 33:15 Green Light and Eight Weeks 34:26 Monkey Tangent and Chaos 37:03 Sales Targets and Big Risks 39:01 Men Don’t Buy Magazines Myth 39:36 Next Episode and Wrap Up

    37 min

  11. Apr 1

    1 - What fresh lunacy is this?

    NEW PODCAST! Tim Southwell, co-founder and editor of loaded and the magazine’s former editors-at-large Bill Borrows and Ben Marshall introduce their new podcast - EXPloaded. The chat is about the hedonistic 1990s, being recruited to join loaded and how they were all in the right place at the right time. They discuss how DIY punk journalism shaped loaded as a “national fanzine” as much as a magazine. Looking back at early-90s Britain, they cite post-80s grimness, political disillusionment, football violence, and then the optimism sparked by acid house and other emerging cultural shifts as catalysts for change. They also argue that existing men’s magazines like GQ felt fraudulently aspirational, exclusionary and London-focussed. There was a gap for a magazine that reflected their lives. Guess what happened next? 00:00 Podcast Setup 00:40 Meet Bill Borrows 01:12 “Different Times” 02:14 Bill Joins Loaded 04:25 Ben Marshall Tapped Up 06:58 IPC - Very Big Magazine Company 08:09 Fanzines and DIY Roots 12:43 Early Nineties Mood 15:20 Acid House Turning Point 16:02 House Hits Britain 17:09 From Gloom to Optimism 18:13 Smash Hits meets Take That 19:37 Pushing Robbie Over The Edge 21:20 Fun At Gay Times 23:29 All Change 25:59 Aspirational Magazines Stink 28:51 Why Magazines Mattered 30:34 Next Episode Tease

    31 min

  12. Trailer

    COMING SOON - EXPloaded

    Come back on 1st April for the first EXPloaded podcast episodes

    1 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

About

Cast your mind back to the 90's and the cultural phenomenon that was loaded magazine. Now join co-founder of the magazine Tim Southwell, and his editors at large Bill Borrows and Ben Marshall as they explore the before, during and after of that... different time

Information

  • Creator
    EXPloaded
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    EXPloaded

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