The Mic Drop

Ed Purnell and Ben Brookes
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Music, Franchising and Waffle

  1. 4d ago

    Ep34 - Cornwall Is Hotter Than Bangkok

    Ed and Ben are back, back again, and it's too hot to function. Ben has the weather stats to prove just how unhinged this heatwave actually is, including one number involving Cornwall and Bangkok that will make you feel significantly worse about your commute. There's a deep dive into why you can't cool down, a ranked breakdown of cooling techniques (spluting, death shrouding, and the warm drink debate all feature), and the news that a famous Parisian landmark is currently six inches taller than it should be. Ed's been busy on the franchise trail and Ben nearly had a very exciting van encounter. Music this week goes full summer vibes. One track comes with a backstory so wild it deserves its own podcast, and the other is built on a 1964 Mariachi sample that has absolutely no right sounding this good in a heatwave. They also stumble across possibly the most unlikely festival act in existence. Tracks of the Week:🎵 R.L. Burnside - Someday Baby https://open.spotify.com/track/5ZBUC1YafitJgLt8dgZYTW?si=39689685d34b4c55🎵 Delinquent Habits - Return of the Trey https://open.spotify.com/track/5qVF2rEf75oPrZHhmZmDKk?si=3a8f1ea648e248d4 Mic Drops: Ed: It's never too late...to change your music taste or to find success. Just keep going, stay cool, you'll get there. Ben: Slow down and enjoy the heat. Our European cousins have had this figured out for years. Accept you won't be moving as fast or doing as much and just enjoy it. We don't get it often. Make the most of it. BEN's LINKS: Empty again!

    52 min

  2. 6d ago

    Ep33 - Ben's Destroyed Thumb, Rowing on an Escalator & The Principality of Sealand

    They're back. There's been a gap because Ben went to the Pyrenees and came home with a written-off bike and a thumb that doesn't bend like it once did. Ed has Scotland in the sweepstake and is genuinely optimistic about this. We get into: The 2026 World Cup and why forty-eight teams takes all the jeopardy out of itA Cape Verde player who ignored a LinkedIn message for a year and ended up at the World CupNorway fans acting like Vikings on an escalatorWhy football is basically religion and why that's actually also a franchise modelBen's holiday: mountains, a drone, a van, a taxi, a bus, a hire car, a thousand kilometres to Calais, and sitting on a bag on the back of someone else's bikeGemini as a translator when neither party speaks the same language in the Spanish mountainsThe Principality of Sealand: sovereign nation, own currency, size of a shed Tracks of the Week:🎵 Tiptoeing — Senses ("emo friendly and punk curious") 🎵 Playing God — Motionless in White feat. Corey Taylor (Ben music. Goosebumps. You'll see.) https://open.spotify.com/track/6EbyODHz4Pn3rkQXiMg1TQ?si=da0ba90c727a4fb0 Mic Drops: Treat your work like a community. If it doesn't feel like one, find one that does.Read your messages. Cape Verde might be calling.

    1h 3m

  3. May 22

    Ep32 - The Birthday Paradox

    It's a Birthday Special! Ben took last week off because it was his birthday and he simply wasn't coming in, and Ed's turn was just around the corner. Things get philosophical via shuffleboard, balloon breath, and the maths that will ruin your next house party. Ben kicks things off with a birthday revelation that hits harder than expected: there will be a last time you pick up your kids, and he found out on his birthday, so naturally he immediately went and picked up his 14-year-old. From there the guys dig into the surprisingly deep history of birthdays, from pharaohs becoming gods in ancient Egypt to the Romans gatekeeping celebrations to adult men only, and the Germans finally letting kids join the party in the 19th century. Ed drops the copyright bombshell on Happy Birthday To You, a song that cost $25 million to acquire, earned Warner Music $2 million a year, and explains why every restaurant chain has their own weird version. It was also the first song ever sung in space, which almost (almost) changes Ben's mind about it. Ben introduces the birthday paradox and Ed doesn't believe it. Ben's maths teachers brother has the workings on a piece of paper somewhere. There's also: why we celebrate the wrong person on birthdaysthe Mexican cake face-slam traditionbirthday cards going straight to the junk drawerand whether the Wigan Warriors "you want some?" bloke has a Cameo. Track of the Week: Ben - Dammit by Alexandra Kaye (originally Blink-182) - https://open.spotify.com/track/0fQIh3kxy3MeDDuHuJMEXN?si=f752665c144d4f7d Ed - Happy Birthday Ben! - EPIC Happy Birthday Song by Epic Happy Birthdays - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7zzD5q4YpU&list=RDZ7zzD5q4YpU&start_radio=1 BEN'S LINKS: The History of Birthdays - Article - https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/birthday Warner Music - Official Site - https://www.warnermusic.com

    49 min

  4. May 6

    Ep31 - Trust Gaps, Attention Spans & the 2 Bike Splits

    Ed and Ben are back, and this week things get philosophical - via afternoon tea, motorcycle mishaps, and the furthest humanity has ever travelled from Earth. Ben's suspension saga takes an unexpected turn when a moment of impatience leads him to buy a second motorbike he didn't need, which kicks off a brilliant conversation about how our shrinking attention spans are fundamentally changing the way we make decisions, consume content, and engage with brands. From the three-second rule for video to the F-shaped reading pattern, the guys dig into what it actually means to capture and keep someone's interest in 2026. Ed introduces his concept of the Trust Gap and explains why most franchise brands are essentially asking prospects to go on a blind date. Spoiler: they won't show up. There's also: subtitles vs. dubbing, why we love lawns (it's evolution), Artemis 2's broken toilet, a full bladder as a productivity tool, and Ben's son's name going around the moon. Tracks of the Week:Ed - Venom by Wind Waker https://open.spotify.com/track/6Yj0FdKYs2qgDunRV8AW3t?si=559c946693704454 Ben Masters of War by Grandson (originally Bob Dylan, 1963) https://open.spotify.com/track/0EJlSUNoYL931cYAQspN5i?si=e7173fc80f744e1b

    1h 3m

  5. Apr 24

    Ep30 - Vibe Coding, Moral Narcolepsy & Angine De Poitrine

    They're back! Three weeks late, zero apologies. The clocks have changed, Ben's been angry about it ever since, and Ed offloaded his kids on the in-laws and had a lovely time. We get into: Ed's webinar on franchise recruitment in the AI era and why brands are losing prospects they don't even know they hadBen's vibe-coded CRM that turned 10 leads into 4 meetings (and what that says about attention spans)Why AI might be doing to music what cameras did to painting - hello cubism, goodbye chord shapesAngine de Poitrine: microtonal alien jazz from Quebec that means "chest pain." Which tracks.Enter Shikari's new album and the concept of "moral narcolepsy" (look it up, it's brilliant)President live at the LCR, £45 merch, and a support act dressed like Squid GameSnake jazz. Don't ask. Just listen. TRACKS OF THE WEEK Ed: SARNIEZZ by Angine de Poitrine - https://open.spotify.com/track/6iDKiCR13L8Ba6bkK6cqqt?si=0f636791bca146e9 Ben: The Flick of a Switch I. by Enter Shikari - https://open.spotify.com/track/6sZQXNlRl4GRKhopNSD3pO?si=3a5a77d2343c438d

    1h 3m

  6. Apr 1

    Ep29 - Dolphins Get High, Cars Get Bought & EF100 Chaos

    Two cars in a month… dolphins getting high… and a franchise awards night that went exactly how you’d expect (i.e. sideways). This episode starts with a harmless catch-up and quickly spirals into: The reality of buying “budget” cars (and why every dodgy one “just runs like that”)Dolphins apparently getting high off puffer fish… and what that says about intelligenceBehind the scenes of the EF100 Awards – presenting, pressure, and post-event chaosWhat actually happens after the awards (hint: sweat, dancing, and poor decisions)Why metal music might actually help your brain focusPokémon cards, Cheeto Charizards, and accidental investmentsTRACKS OF THE WEEK Ben – Darwinism by Kubla Khan TXhttps://open.spotify.com/search/Kubla%20Khan%20TX%20Darwinism Ed – Colours by Black Pumashttps://open.spotify.com/search/Black%20Pumas%20Colours 🔑 Takeaways Sometimes you just need to lean in and enjoy the momentExpect nothing… and you might end up loving itYour brain works how it works—lean into what helps you focusAnd somewhere out there… dolphins are having a better weekend than you

    56 min
  7. Pubcast 1 - Chaos, Content & Questionable Decisions

    Mar 28 ·  Bonus

    Pubcast 1 - Chaos, Content & Questionable Decisions

    For the first time ever… we’re out in the wild. Recording from a swanky London hotel bar (pub rules still apply), this episode is what happens when you mix franchising, filming chaos, questionable teenage stories, and just enough alcohol to make things… unpredictable. We get into: Behind the scenes of “Franchising’s Got Talent” – from “great idea” to full-blown production madnessWhy filming is never as simple as “just get some footage”Egos, logistics, and the reality of pulling together a multi-camera shootThe first ever Mic Drop Pubcast (and why this might become a thing…)Music, nostalgia, and how Skunk Anansie accidentally helped Ed pass English And: Live mic dropsGuest appearancesTakeaways Filming always takes longer than you think… and involves more chaos than plannedGreat ideas are easy… executing them is where the fun (and stress) beginsCommunity makes the madness worth itAnd most importantly… make time for the fun stuff TRACKS OF THE WEEK: Ed - Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles - https://open.spotify.com/track/7o7E1nrHWncYY7PY94gCiX?si=4d273283977b4879 Ben - Charlie Big Potato by Skunk Anansie - https://open.spotify.com/track/7FY6MkxmeSt6WSeC0XnY5m?si=a932368497534caa Special Guest Natalia - Find Home by Jenny Williams - https://open.spotify.com/track/09BGFqGyf9SdLSa7QZ23zC?si=39a33eb53f2a4d99 BEN's LINKS Coming soon???

    47 min

  8. Mar 27

    Ep28 - Orcas, GEO & Unnecessary Anger

    Sun’s out… tempers are not. In this episode, Ed’s on the brink thanks to car chaos, Ben’s fresh from an AI seminar and fully “vibe coding,” and somewhere along the way we discover that orcas might be chatting… or scientists have finally lost the plot. We get into: The real, practical use of AI in business (not just the fluffy “we’re 30% more productive” chat)GEO vs SEO and how people are actually searching now (“best for me” is changing everything)The brutal reality of attention spans (you’ve got about 1.3 seconds… good luck)Why making a 6-minute video feels like filming a feature-length documentaryOrcas apparently speaking English… sort of (this goes downhill fast) It’s part marketing insight, part therapy session, part complete nonsense. Takeaways AI isn’t the future… it’s already here. Start playing.Content isn’t about volume anymore, it’s about relevance + trust.If you’re not creating, you’re disappearing.And apparently… don’t trust an orca.TRACK OF THE WEEK Ed - Thrash Metal Cassette by Dinosaur Pile-Up - https://open.spotify.com/track/0RhYWcRxUljBv363WhAbtu?si=2782e16c8f36481b Ben - Freestyle by Fox Lake - https://open.spotify.com/track/752QBrQ3zOGjCbsXblrMFU?si=63f5b24df1134291 BEN'S LINKS: [Tumbleweed]

    1h 2m
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About

Music, Franchising and Waffle

Information

  • Creator
    Ed Purnell and Ben Brookes
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ed Purnell and Ben Brookes
  • Show Website
    The Mic Drop