All good things must come to an end. After 18 months and a ton of fun, Rob and Clive have decided to shutter the Speakeasy. And what better way to finish than in the same way that we started: two blokes in a room, talking about music? We're talking about the art and joy of the single, using the examples that mean an awful lot to us. Expect revelations of a personal nature, and insights into who we are and how we got to be that way.  Settle in. This one's gonna be emotional. 

Excuses And Half Truths presents Rob & Clive's Speakeasy

Singles Going Steady

Who does a best of the year show before the year's up? Not us, hombre! We've made sure 2014 is good and dead before we drop our verdict.  Join Rob and Clive. with Speakeasy playmates Graham Williams, Keith Eyles, Neil Myers, Dominic Wade and Stuart Wright in our epic exploration of the art and events that made 2014 the fourteenth year of the 21st century.    Settle in. This is gonna be a long trip.

The Best Of 2014

As a bit of a departure from our usual fare, The Speakeasy is proud to present its first foray into radio drama. Clive and Rob are joined by friends of the podcast in a tribute and/or parody to classic 1930s horse operas. Please to enjoy the pantomimic stylings of the Speakeasy Players in...   THE ADVENTURES OF WHIP CRACKAWAY AND HONCHO THE INDIAN BOY.    Ask nicely, and we'll never do it again.     

The Adventures Of Whip Crackaway And Honcho The Indian Boy

Stomm! Rob and Clive are joined by long-time friend of the Speakeasy Chris Rogers to talk about one of the most iconic British comic characters of all time: Judge Dredd. We pick apart one of his most iconic tales, The Day The Law Died, and see how that story is a distillation of everything that makes the man who IS The Law so great.   Geekery and comics. It doesn't get much more Speakeasy than that!    Warning: contains gratuitous prog-sniffing.

The Drokk-Easy

Clive and Rob are joined again by film-makers Maria Thomas and Simon Aitken as we revisit our May Summer Movie preview. Did we see the films we said we'd watch? Did we like the films we said we'd watch? Did we watch films we didn't say we'd watch? Did we film the watch we said we'd film? From the game-changing Guardians Of The Galaxy to the tender, insightful Frank, we've got the whole gamut of the summer movie experience--summed up.  

The Summer Movie Sum-up

Who doesn't like a good book? Well, if you don't you're in the wrong place this month!  Rob and Clive share the works of literary merit that have tickled their fancy this month, in a podcast that's sure to appeal to those of you that enjoy slightly drunken rambling from two opinionated old geezers.  Pop your slippers on, pour yourself a sherry and join us as we crack open a volume or two...

The September Read-easy

Eat My Crescendo!  This month on The Speakeasy, Rob and Clive are joined by actual honest-to-heck film composer Neil Myers. Along with adagio and strings from the mighty Keith Eyles, we highlight composers we think are unfairly overlooked, and pick out a soundtrack each that's a bit of a hidden gem.    First movement and opening titles, everyone...

The Film Music Speakeasy

 In the second part of our epic podcast on Blake's 7, we explore cliffhangers, putdowns, ask what exactly went wrong with Season 4 and share our favourite episodes of the run.    Standard by 8, we're heading for Star One...   (via the pub)

The Blake-easy

 Welcome to the first part of our gigantic overview of classic TVSF drama Blake's 7 - so big that we've had to split it in half!    Clive and Rob are joined by X&HTeam-mates Chris Rogers and Keith Eyles in an exploration of the Blake's 7 universe. In this first part we spin through the characters, costumes and the most vexed question of all... which Travis is best?

X-Men: Days Of Future Past. You've read the book. You've seen the film. Now hear the podcast! Rob and Clive are joined by comic fan and Wolverine lookalike Graham Williams as we go in-depth and full-bore into the Claremont/Byrne classic. Remember: in this episode, everybody dies!*       *disclaimer: no-one dies in this episode.  

The Pod Of Future Cast!

All new, kind of different: Excuses And Half Truths Presents Rob & Clive's Speakeasy!   Live from our new studio in London's trendy Clerkenwell, The Speakeasy hits its first anniversary with a fresh coat of paint and a shoeshine.   Joining our intrepid podcastanauts on this new and exciting stage in our sonic journey are long time friend of the Speakeasy Simon Aitken, and first-timer Maria Thomas. Together, they share their hopes on the upcoming summer season at the movies, and give us their picks of the films to look out for over the next few months. 

The May Summer Preview

As is appropriate for a podcast about the concept album, BEHOLD our most epic Speakeasy yet. Over two hours of chat as Rob, Clive and special guest writer Stuart Wright discuss that most derided of formats and find a few gems... and yes, a couple of turkeys. Also, our 50 Second SoundCloud Challenge covers Skweee, Moombahton and other genres you never knew existed!  

The April Speakeasy: The Age Of The Concept Album

Just the two of us this month, as Clive and Rob talk about writing. We cast an eye over the fast-changing world of self-publishing, look at some short fiction mags and answer that all important question: just what does Nanowrimo stand for?   

The March Writeasy

We love documentaries, so it's only appropriate that we take the most love-drenched time of the year to talk about them.    We're joined by long-time friend of Excuses And Half Truths, Dominic Wade, and chat about the ins, outs, throughs and overs of documentary film-making.    Feel the love!

The February Speakeasy: We Love Documentaries!

Now that the dust has settled post-Xmas and everyone's yakking about Sherlock, we can take that all-important bit of critical distance and talk at length about Doctor Who. Seriously, one of these days when we talk about brevity being a necessity, we're going to mean it. Not this month, though.  Rob and Clive are joined by film-maker and nu Who-hater Keith Eyles for a spin through the past and present of Doctor Who with, as befits a show with time travel at its core, the future.  Warning: contains gratuitous use of a sonic screwdriver. 

The January Whoseasy

The podcast for Excuses And Half Truths, hosted by Rob Wickings and Clive Ashenden. Chat and nonsense on films, books and music and pop culture live from Studio 2a, deep in the guts of London's trendy Clerkenwell district area place.

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Excuses And Half Truths presents Rob & Clive's Speakeasy

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