EXPloaded

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Al Pacino’s Toy Sword and Trainspotting Before It Pulled Into The Station

It’s the mid-90’s and the Tories are running on fumes, New Labour is finding its voice, and loaded magazine is hitting that sweet spot where instinct, chaos and confidence collide. Structure? Optional. Impact? Massive. In this episode, Tim, Bill and Ben dive back into the landmark Vic and Bob issue in the company of Catherine Zeta-Jones doing the splits on a television - not on television but on a television - and a Scottish writer nobody has heard making his first national splash. Irvine someone. What follows is a reminder of just how sharp the magazine’s radar was. From loaded writer Innes Reekie getting hold of Welsh and Trainspotting before anybody else to CZJ’s star quality already demanding attention in her pre-Hollywood A-Lister days. John “Back to Basics” Major might be PM in April 1995 but he’s also a new entry at number 2 in that issue’s Platinum Rogues.It [http://Rogues.It]’s all about that moment when the walls of the old guard start to crumble and something new and raw kicks the door in. There’s a deep dive into that iconic Vic and Bob cover, why it worked, why rivals got it wrong, and how loaded knew its audience better than anyone else. Add in Tim’s champagne-soaked afternoon with CZJ (complete with flirting, fantasy and a few unquantifiable facts) and tales of Al Pacino’s toy sword and we’re off and running. Elsewhere, Planet of the Vapes tackles Gen Z disdain for traditional flatulence etiquette (yes, it goes there), while, finally, another unfortunate soul is blasted off to Mars to join Elon Musk, Morrissey, Michael Owen and Sharon Osborne in the ever-growing colony of the total unbearable. Oh, and stick around to the end. There’s a surprise from one of Loaded’s Greatest Living Englishmen who, unlike 90% of the others, is actually still alive. Worth the wait. 00:00 – Intro & ’April ’95 Setup 02:30 – The Issue at a Glance 05:30 – Irvine Welsh Discovery 09:30 – Trainspotting Impact 14:30 – Vic & Bob Cover Breakdown 19:00 – Catherine Zeta-Jones Story 23:30 – Celebrity Madness 27:00 – Car Park’s Curious Corner 29:30 – Planet of the Vapes 32:30 – Platinum Rogues 35:30 – Send Them To… erm… Mars 37:30 – Wrap-Up & Final Surprise

Uma Thurman, Vic Reeves and Sharon Osborne walk into a bar…

But not the one at the Hanover Grand in December 1994 where the first loaded Xmas party is in full swing: Weller, Albarn, blaggers, Sir Les Ferdinand, Paul Smith, liggers, Steve Coogan, more celebs, Harry Hill and loaded staff running on fumes but flying on several other things. Hottest ticket in town and it suddenly begins to dawn that something extraordinary is taking place. Tim and some colleagues fly to New York to get something to eat on the company dollar and end up at Dazed and Confused star Milla Jovovich’s flat where it all gets very messy. Meanwhile, back in the office, Pulp Fiction-era Uma Thurman somersaults over the photocopier, karate kicks her way onto the front cover and raises a flag Iwo-Jima-style for rebels of every description. From Uma and Milla’s Hollywood-baiting middle finger to the patriarchy and a cameo from Louise Werner there are women who refuse to play the game everywhere this week. Add Vic Reeves, Keith Allen and a pair of fast-talking young Liverpool footballers and you’ve got more rule-breakers than Groundskeeper Willie could shake a fist at. Elsewhere, legendary cock-er-nee photojournalist Grant Fleming goes from eclipse-chasing in Chile to near-arrest with Ben at the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway and a life-threatening drug raid with Bill and several heavily armed lunatics in Mexico. When loaded wasn’t writing about rebels, you see, it was sending them out to cause chaos all over the world. Add in Platinum Rogues (historical and modern), general Gen Z confusion, moustache revivals, giving Peter Cook the kiss of death and blasting another unfortunate soul off to… erm… Mars, and you’ve got an episode of EXPloaded looking back at peak loaded magazine - loud, messy, dangerous, hilarious and ahead of the curve - and bringing it bang up to date.. 00:00 Nobel Peace Center Chaos 01:04 Podcast Introductions 02:14 December 1994 Party 04:09 Rebels Issue Theme 05:44 Grant Fleming Stories 10:04 Uma Cover Swagger 11:19 Internet Explained 1994 13:04 Why Uma Thurman 16:25 Historical Rogues Debate 18:46 Modern Rogues Picks 21:25 Milla Jovovich Shoot 24:04 Milla Quotes and Roots 25:11 Pot In Moderation 26:22 Curious Quotations 27:17 Planet Of The Vapes 32:51 Send Them To… erm… Mars 35:01 Sophistication Station 40:17 Sell Me The Cover 42:47 Final Issue Highlights 45:50 Wrap Up And Book Plug

When Prince Naseem Took Over Loaded

“Friends” lands on TV but new movie “Pulp Fiction” is closer to the mood in the U.K.. Tim, Bill and Ben unpack a moment when Britain was pulsating with youthful creativity and seething with anger in the face of a full-blown Middle England moral panic over ecstasy and rave culture. The foredoomed crackdown continues to fill the tabloids and the streets as demonstrations against the government’s ludicrous attempt to criminalise “repetitive beats” continue and Loaded steps up its club and dance music coverage. Through the smoke struts a future world champion boxer from Sheffield with castiron self-confidence, incredible hand speed and a taste for the spotlight plus one very specific, outrageous demand if loaded want him on the cover. Of course we agree, we had no choice. What follows is the story of how Prince Naseem Hamed, the subject of recent biopic “Giant”, talked himself on to the cover after Bill challenged him to three rounds (“Of toast, I meant three rounds of toast”). We also reveal what 20 year old Naz was really like when the cameras weren’t pointing at him. Elsewhere in the mag, we go shoplifting with Winona. Steve Coogan is on the rise with Partridge, Paul and Pauline “tits first” Calf. Paula Yates goes into orbit. Ray Liotta is “funny like [he’s] a clown” but then there is a reminder that time can put a dark spin on even the most uplifting stories from back in the day (Gary Speed R.I.P). Car Park’s Curious Corner, more bonkers Gen Z behaviour in Planet of the Vapes and cover star pitches return while another very deserving candidate is shot into space with a one-way ticket to Mars and a place in the same facility as a naked Elon Musk, Morrissey and a xylophone made out of Jimmy Savile’s ribs. 00:00 Celebrity Shoplifting Shock 00:15 Rocket Launcher Anecdote 00:39 Podcast Intro and Setup 01:29 October 1994 Pop Culture 02:59 Rave Panic and New Laws 06:32 Winona Ryder Arrest 08:36 Issue Highlights and Interviews 12:25 Prince Naseem Cover Story 15:52 Limo Demands and Photoshoot 20:03 Loaded Cover Legacy Debate 21:19 Who Goes on the Cover? 23:38 Cover Pitch Bob Mortimer v 24:28 Why Bob Is Iconic 27:26 Car Parks Quote Corner 28:51 Fly Me To Mars Picks 31:20 Planet Of The Vapes 33:46 Quitting Smoking Story 35:58 Best Bits From The Issue 37:46 Gary Speed And Journalism 41:00 Rogue Of The Week 43:30 Wrap Up And Contact

The Jimmy Savile confession, Kylie & Wham!: Inside the era of fatal fame

Somebody once said - and don’t worry, he makes an appearance [“Disapearance, surely?” Ed.] - fame can “play hideous tricks on the brain” but who’s naturally built for the experience, and who gets swallowed whole? Tim, Bill and Ben spent the 90s and early 2000s surrounded by the most famous people in the world and have eye witness accounts. Some embrace fame, some try to shrug it off. Others struggle with the weird reality of never knowing if anyone’s being genuine (especially when every joke gets a laugh). Here the EXPloaded team look at who wore fame well, versus those who didn’t and a look at how easily things can tip from control into chaos. Along the way there are festival stories, chance encounters, and the strange idea that once you’re famous, your life can start happening without you. Then things take a darker turn with a loaded interview that, in hindsight, got as close to the evil truth about Jimmy Savile as any before it or subsequently. Elsewhere: There’s the usual cover star pitches, Gen Z football jargon in Vapes, a predictable heavyweight Platinum Rogue, and another unfortunate soul gets blasted off to Mars (no return). 00:00 Fame’s Awkward Truth 00:27 Podcast Setup and Theme 01:20 Summer Special Kylie Cover 02:20 Kylie’s Reinvention Era 05:47 Supergrass and Ian Botham 07:49 Who’s Good at Fame 08:30 Noel Gallagher’s Balance 09:28 Andrew Ridgeley vs George 14:19 Fame Stories and Casualties 18:15 Turning to Savile Interview 21:33 Savile Interview Breakdown 22:43 Rumors and Dark Confessions 24:34 Fame and Cover Ups 26:18 Sell Me the Cover 29:42 Car Park Quotations 32:02 Planet of Vapes Football Talk 34:22 Rogue of the Week 36:06 Fly Me to… erm… Mars

Tim finds Jesus in Leeds, Calvin Klein and Bill talk pants while Ben deals with misaligned nipples

It’s FA Cup semi-final weekend and, unbelievably, all the EXPloaded team have skin in the game but while Bill and Ben are born and bred City and Chelsea fans, Tim reveals that only a celestial intervention sealed the deal with his love for Leeds. Whatever. Bill gets a promise about his cock from Calvin Klein, Ben has a weird thing with misaligned nipples and a legendary interview with Damon Albarn (then Blur frontman and pretend “lad’) is only marginally less controversial than the winner of the inaugural Crisp World Cup. The truth about “the fix” is in. Did you know that it’s very possible for us to get to Mars but not so easy to get back? We’re using this to our advantage to get rid of some people we’re not so bothered about keeping on Earth. Guess who’s first up. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comment box or at exploadedpod@gmail.com [exploadedpod@gmail.com] 01:13 Issue Five Highlights 02:47 Football Cover Choice 04:00 Why Tim Supports Leeds 05:44 Foggy Matchday Miracle 08:38 FA Cup Serendipity 13:09 Send Them to Mars 16:19 Damon Albarn Interview 19:46 Car Park Quotes Corner 21:44 Chaos In The Subs Office 22:19 Editors At Large Hangout 23:54 Barbara Ellen Calvin Declined 24:48 Calvin Klein Interview Story 26:59 The Crisp World Cup 29:53 Planet Of The Vapes 32:12 Gen Z Slang And Silent Walking 33:46 Social Media And Fanzines 36:12 Old School Football Phone Lines 38:16 Rogue Of The Week Finale