Harry Sword
Meet the Cabaret-Dancing Pub Landlady Who Doesn’t Serve Pints
Welcome back to Last Call, where we visit watering holes around the world for life advice from their trusty barkeepers. Today, we meet landlady and former cabaret artist Lesley Lewis at The French House in London.
Is Congealed Pig's Blood Really a Superfood?
Last month, UK tabloids hailed black pudding—a staple of the English breakfast—as a superfood. We called up a health expert to find out if a fatty sausage made of blood is truly good for you.
Retracing the Roots of British Sound System Culture
We spoke to reggae historian John Masouri ahead of a new photo exhibition looking back on ska, dub, calypso, and dancehall sound systems in the UK.
Inside the Experimental 'Radical Discos' of 1960s Italy
In the late 1960s, radical Italian architects way ahead of their time built conceptual clubs that catered to the emerging counterculture movement in the country. Unfortunately, a decade after it started, the movement faded into obscurity.
Visionary Director Alex Cox on Joe Strummer, Punk, and Getting 'Blacklisted' by Hollywood
We spoke to the director of 'Repo Man' and 'Sid and Nancy' about his career and the new film he's crowdfunding.
The Best Martini Is Neither Shaken Nor Stirred
I spoke to acclaimed bartender Alessandro Palazzi about James Bond, why a true Vesper is impossible to make nowadays, and why you shouldn't attempt to drink more than two martinis at Dukes, his famed bar.
How One of Britain's Most Notorious Drug Smugglers Became a Best-Selling Author
We talked to Howard Marks about the adrenaline rush of trafficking, the spiritual potential of ecstasy, and coming to terms with his cancer diagnosis.
Bad Perry Is a Relic from the 70s Dinner Party of Your Darkest Nightmares
While the best perry is a heady, near narcotic delight—dry, elegant, evocative of the crisp autumn afternoons—a bad perry can be very bad indeed.
Remembering Alan Clarke, the King of Bleak, Violent British Cinema
The auteur died 25 years ago, leaving behind films about borstal life, soccer hooliganism, and British skinheads, influencing the likes of Gus Van Sant and Harmony Korine in the process.
This Salty, Funky Condiment Is the Last Edible Artifact of True Victorian Excess
The Gentleman's Relish has always been more than just a condiment: It's a relic of colonial decadence and the faded prevalence of public drunkenness in Britain.
Author & Punisher Plunders the Crawl Space Between Metal and Industrial Music
One man band Tristan Shone talks about making his instruments and finding his audience.
Punk Rock, Nudity, and Lemmy (and Other Reasons Why We Should All Love Hawkwind)
They gave us Motorhead, punk rock, weird comics, and the ever-memorable Stacia...