John Cooper Clarke on touring with the Buzzcocks, meeting Chuck Berry, and inspiring the Arctic Monkeys 

In this episode, Louis speaks with the Poet Laureate of Punk, the Bard of Salford, the Doctor: performance poet John Cooper Clarke. The pair discuss John’s time touring with the Buzzcocks, meeting Chuck Berry backstage, and how his poetry inspired Alex Turner to form Arctic Monkeys. Warnings: Strong language and adult themes. Links/Attachments: Book: Have It, John Cooper Clarke (2026) https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/john-cooper-clarke/have-it/9781037404191 Book: I Wanna Be Yours, John Cooper Clarke (2020) https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/john-cooper-clarke/i-wanna-be-yours/9781509896127 Advert: Honey Monster & John Cooper Clarke (1988) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ced-0BwY9E Poem: A Subaltern’s Love Song, John Betjeman (1940) https://allpoetry.com/A-Subaltern's-Love-Song Poem: Slough, John Betjeman (1937) https://allpoetry.com/poem/8493391-Slough-by-Sir-John-Betjeman Song: That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore, The Smiths (1985) https://open.spotify.com/track/48veRDsAEBOJJnVnnabV99 Poem: Evidently Chickentown, John Cooper Clarke (1980) https://open.spotify.com/track/3bJxvUhRN4nJgab71HkIjc TV Show: The Sopranos (1999-2007) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141842/ Poem: TWAT, John Cooper Clarke (1979) https://open.spotify.com/track/0yEZiblovbuepAogvzSe2w Poem: I Wanna Be Yours, John Cooper Clarke (1982) https://open.spotify.com/album/2etRijq79Wz2U9TIy9ZpdM Song: I Wanna Be Yours, Arctic Monkeys (2013) https://open.spotify.com/track/5XeFesFbtLpXzIVDNQP22n Film: House of Usher (1960) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053925/ Book: Tales of Mystery & Imagination, Edgar Allen Poe (1839) https://wordsworth-editions.com/product/tales-of-mystery-and-imagination/ Book: Les Fleurs du Mal, Charles Baudelaire (1857) https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/the-flowers-of-evil-les-fleurs-du-mal/ Poem: The Man Who Didn’t Love Elvis, John Cooper Clarke (2018) https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/john-cooper-clarke/the-luckiest-guy-alive/9781509896066 Poem: Salome Malone, John Cooper Clarke (1978) https://open.spotify.com/track/597ALlSF9Zz08DmYaTrKAr Song: I’m A Lazy Sod, Sex Pistols (1977) https://open.spotify.com/track/760CNZQRrfO7Dse1mkYVn6 Poem: A Cheap Agnostic Funeral, John Cooper Clarke (2026) https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/john-cooper-clarke/have-it/9781037404191 Producer: Millie Chu Senior Assistant Producer: Maisie Ellen Williams Junior Production Manager: Rosie Pender Production Executive: Francesca Bassett Original Music: Miguel D’Oliveira Video Editor: Scott Edwards Audio Editor: Tom Guest Executive Producer: Arron Fellows A Mindhouse Studios Production for Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices