One Track Minds
Co-hosts Adam Shakinovsky (L) and Kristian Brodie (R).
“Music helps us tell the story of our lives.” — Miranda Sawyer
That’s one of the many great lines spoken by journalist and broadcaster Miranda Sawyer. Even when standing alone at a mic stand in a darkened room its obvious that Sawyer is still just as energised by music as she was in her teens, an age when music seems to hit harder and understand you in ways that no one else can. She seamlessly blended stories of her rave-filled youth with the origin story of the song that made the late “raving roofer” Keith Flint famous: Firestarter. It was then played in its entirety (4 min 42 seconds) while Sawyer sat, her head nodding along to the beats while the audience quietly listened. Possibly the only time in history when that song hasn’t caused anyone to bounce around a room “like a toddler on crack” (another fantastic Sawyer quip).
Sawyer was one of five speakers at One Track Minds, a live storytelling event that explores the transformative power of music. The concept is simple: an eclectic selection of guests each present a story about how music inspired their life, after which the track they selected is played. Also speaking on the night that I attended were comedian, actor, podcaster and author Cariad Lloyd, poet Lester Gomez-Medina, comedian Marjolein Robertson and author and editor of The Idler, Tom Hodgkinson.
There’s no set format or guidelines for the speakers. Both the topics they chose and the way they told them were as varied as their biographies. Tom Hodgkinson revealed his song selection right from the start, frequently referring back to the lyrics to explain how they planted “seeds of radicalisation” that would shape his adult career, but also using them to pay tribute to a dear friend who died at a young age. Others, like Cariad Lloyd, didn’t reveal her track until the end of the story, although by then the highly engaged crowd had clearly sussed out what was coming.
Co-host Kristian Brodie comments that “One of the joys of doing the show over the past eight years has been seeing the various different ways people have responded to the very simple brief.” During the evening he shares the stage with co-host Adam Shakinovsky to briefly introduce each segment and then succinctly promote the latest projects for each speaker after they have finished. They have an easy-going, light touch approach. Like hosts at a dinner party gently encouraging each guest to tell their best story, after which everyone sits in polite silence while their song is played.
That last part can be poignant or awkward depending on the story you’ve just heard and how each storyteller reacts. Marjolein Robertson was visibly shaken listening to the track she selected, after spending ten minutes explaining why it was repeatedly on loop during the year in which she was recovering from a controlling and abusive relationship. And by the time the opening guitar solo of Joe Cocker’s definitive rendition of “With a little help from my friends” had finished you could sense a few tears had already been shed in the audience, thanks to poet Lester Gomez-Medina’s wistful tale about his childhood during the aftermath of the Nicaraguan Revolution.
The more uptempo bangers certainly got a few feet tapping but the vibe of the evening is more literary festival than muddy Glasto. The music interludes are like being at a seated concert where no one dares to stand up and dance. As Cariad Lloyd dryly commented, “Your energy is very nice” but the format is deceptively brilliant because the tracks aren’t some random background music on shuffle while you fold the laundry. The storytelling setup prepares you to be fully immersed in both melody and lyrics, and sitting through the full track can be a soothing and introspective moment for both speaker and audience to reflect on the incredibly vulnerable moment they just shared.
Prior to the evening I anticipated that I might end the night having learned more about five songs. Miranda Sawyer’s “Firestarter” anecdotes scratched that itch but that’s not why she was speaking. Her story was about how music was both impactful and necessary to her youth. In fact, almost all the guests selected songs that soundtracked their formative teenage years, using them as the springboard from which they dug into their past for emotional memories. That’s what makes the show so compelling. It’s people telling life stories, not music stories. In some cases the song itself barely gets a mention, although it becomes obvious why the selection was made once you listen to it. Whether it was a track you know by heart or the first time you’ve encountered it, you’re bound to listen to it differently the next time you hear it.
Plan your visit
The show reviewed took place on Thu 14 Nov, 2024 at Kings Place, N1 9AG.
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Tickets £18 adult / £9 concession
Visit onetrackminds.uk and follow @onetrackminds on Instagram for more info and to buy tickets for upcoming shows.
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You can listen to previous shows on the One Track Minds podcast.
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