<p>In this episode of the Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I chat to <strong>Cat Santos</strong> and <strong>Sodge Adams</strong>, two of the creative minds behind <strong>Fifth Column</strong>, the pioneering screen-printing collective that helped define the look of Punk and Mod culture in late-1970s London.</p><br><p>Fifth Column started when a group of friends decided to design and print - by hand - punk rock t-shirts for bands like <strong>X-Ray Spex</strong>, <strong>The Clash</strong>, <strong>The Jam</strong>, and <strong>The Damned</strong>. After creating the artwork on paper and curing the shirts in tumble dryers at a laundrette on Kilburn High Road, they sold them outside London gigs.</p><br><p>From Camden Market and Kings Road to working with <strong>Paul Weller</strong>, <strong>John Weller</strong>, Cat and Sodge share memories of printing iconic imagery, climbing drainpipes to get into gigs, and living the chaos and creativity of the era.</p><br><p>As the conversation unfolds, they reflect on how the Punk ethos evolved into political activism through <strong>Red Wedge</strong> and campaigns like <strong>Anti-Apartheid</strong> and <strong>Coal Not Dole</strong>. From surviving a devastating factory fire to designing artwork for <em>All Mod Cons</em> and <em>Setting Sons</em>, Fifth Column’s story is one of resilience, collaboration, and rebellion.</p><br><p>It’s a vivid portrait of DIY innovation - and of how a few friends with screens, ink, and ideas helped shape the visual identity of a generation.</p><p>Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
