SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING

STOP PRESS! Neil and Simon talk to brilliant British photographer Chris Floyd about the creative stories behind his portraits of the great and the good. Chris really has photographed everyone, from Bowie to Blanchett, McCartney to McQueen and he talks candidly about the processes and dynamics of getting a photograph that reveals a truth about his subject. Treading the fine line of collaboration and confrontation to get the best creative results. We talk about passive aggression with Damon Albarn, winding up Paul McCartney, selling an idea to Keira Knightley and revealing the real Graham Norton. Oh, and the futility of existence of course... happy listening! LINKS www.chrisfloyd.com www.instagram.com/chrisfloyd/ Paul McCartney https://www.chrisfloyd.com/good-weekend-monday/ [https://www.chrisfloyd.com/good-weekend-monday/] Damon Albarn https://www.chrisfloyd.com/triptych-confrontations/ [https://www.chrisfloyd.com/triptych-confrontations/] Graham Norton https://www.instagram.com/p/CNGD91mgo9R/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link [https://www.instagram.com/p/CNGD91mgo9R/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link] Keira Knightley https://www.instagram.com/p/BFxBXG4pyO0/ [https://www.instagram.com/p/BFxBXG4pyO0/]

Can you see a brilliant idea on a brain scanner? What brain state do we need to be in to be at our most creative? Can drugs and booze really aid creativity? Do we get more creative as we get older? Can a bump on the head turn you into a genius? Are dreams nonsense or signs of creativity at work? And is the whole left side vs right side of the brain thing just a load of old bollocks? Who better too ask than Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience Dr Catherine Loveday, as she joins Neil and Simon and cuts through some of the usual free range waffle with the ordered precision of her scientific scalpel, and gives us a little bit of insight into the extraordinary abstract connection machine that is the human brain. https://www.westminster.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/directory/loveday-catherine https://twitter.com/cathloveday?lang=en-GB

BBC TMS stalwart Dan Norcross joins Neil and Simon to discuss the ins and outs and umpire’s calls of cricket on the radio. We chat about the enduring appeal of TMS, the inherent silliness of sport, Dan’s punk broadcasting beginnings on ‘The Sofa’, working with intimidating ex professionals, sport as a greek tragedy, Hitchcock's hidden bomb, Romero’s zombies, the other kind of corpsing – Pants, Willeys, and cricket’s peculiar relationship with double entendres. www.danielnorcross.com [http://www.danielnorcross.com/] @norcrosscricket

Colourful lettering artist Rachel Joy Price talks to Neil and Simon about her creative mix of fine art and graphic design over tea and cake. We chat about type through the ages, useless objects, serendipity, haters hating, graffiti and painting ‘en plein air’ on the mean streets of Brixton. Rachel has been commissioned by Adidas, Apple and Google among many others. This episode also features the worst Brian Blessed impersonations you’ll ever hear. LINKS www.racheljoyprice.com [http://www.racheljoyprice.com/] @racheljoylettering www.beneine.co.uk [http://www.beneine.co.uk/]

Award-winning and big selling writer Rhidian Brook chats about his creative philosophy and the processes involved in writing novels, screenplays and Thought For The Day on Radio 4. We talk about the collaboration and compromises involved in a big-screen adaptation of his successful and personal novel The Aftermath for Ridley Scott’s production company. Rhidian busts some myths about the writing process and entertains the idea that there might just be some woo-woo involved. We talk about Rhid’s journey from ad man to novelist and broadcaster and the importance to being a professional creative of simply turning up. This episode is a whopper and has been divided into two delicious helpings. Our chat also features the merits or otherwise of 100% chocolate, cynical commercial manipulation via pop songs, and a thorough exploration of Neil’s ill-advised, brightly coloured, cut off green wellies. Splat. Link http://www.rhidianbrook.com/ [http://www.rhidianbrook.com/]