Author | Lightnews

Pasolini’s 120 Days of Sodom is still the most shocking film of all time

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · 8d

Pasolini’s final film, Salò, earned a reputation as one of the most depraved and censored of all time – yet the director considered it a powerful anti-fascist tract. On its 50th anniversary, I spoke to its stars for @telegraphnews.bsky.social

www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2025/1...

Once banned around the world, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salò is about to be shown at the Barbican

The Wombats: “Landfill indie? Indie sleaze? We’ve risen above any media tags”

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Aug 1

Quizzed The Wombats for this edition of @nme.com 's Does Rock N Roll Kill Braincells?. Director’s commentary: I contacted Lord Kenneth Clarke’s office to find out what he thought of the song ‘Kenneth Clarke’s Beard’, but alas, he declined to comment.

www.nme.com/features/mus...

In Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!, we quiz an artist on their own career to see how much they can remember. This week: The Wombats

‘The Assassin’ review: Keeley Hawes' "perimenopausal James Bond" thriller hits the target

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Jul 25

Keeley Hawes as a hard-drinking “perimenopausal James Bond” who rampages around calling children “F*ckface” would be my pitch for anything (including a revamped Songs of Praise), so The Assassin was up my alley

www.nme.com/reviews/tv-r...

License to kill? What about a license to do the school run?

Eric Idle on Bowie, Beatles and odds of a Monty Python reunion

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Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Jul 25

Spoke to Eric Idle for @nme.com about the Beatles, turning down writing a musical for Bowie, and why he expects to be the first comedian to be deported from the US since Charlie Chaplin
www.nme.com/features/fil...

The comedy legend tours the UK this September

Gelli Haha paints the town red with cheeky, liberatory dance pop

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Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Jul 3

Coming on like Leigh Bowery organising a children’s birthday party, the world of Gelli Haha is riotously fun. I interviewed her about her debut album ‘Switcheroo’ for
@nme.com

www.nme.com/features/mus...

The Gelliverse is a kaleidoscopic world soundtracked by Los Angeles artist Gelli Haha’s silly, soaring synth pop – read the NME interview

Holly Johnson: "‘Relax’ keeping ‘Radio Ga Ga’ off Number One must have been like a knife through Freddie Mercury’s heart”

Reposted by Gary Ryan

Holly Johnson @mrhollyjohnson.bsky.social · Jun 16

"The truth is, we were all absolutely knackered at the end of a 77-date tour and they didn’t want to go back to the UK and do it. My view was that was mad – and we should do it."

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Reposted by Gary Ryan

Pascal Bertin 💿 @pascalb.bsky.social · Jun 18

"Le fait que 'Relax' ait empêché 'Radio Ga Ga' de Queen d'être n° 1 a dû être comme un coup de couteau dans le cœur pour le pauvre Freddie Mercury, car personne n'avait entendu parler de nous la semaine précédente" @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social

In Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!, we quiz an artist on their own career to see how much they can remember. This week: Holly Johnson

Holly Johnson: "‘Relax’ keeping ‘Radio Ga Ga’ off Number One must have been like a knife through Freddie Mercury’s heart”

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Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Jun 17

“When I asked Boy George if he had a brush, he called me a comb-osexual” Quizzed total gent (and riot) Holly Johnson for this week’s @nme.com Does Rock N Roll Kill Braincells? trivia challenge

www.nme.com/features/mus...

In Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!, we quiz an artist on their own career to see how much they can remember. This week: Holly Johnson

Inside David Lynch's plans for 'Twin Peaks' to return: "We had a recipe forming"

Reposted by Gary Ryan

David Lynch's Worlds @davidlynchsworlds.bsky.social · Jun 11

Wonderful new interview with @markfrost.bsky.social about #TwinPeaks.
www.nme.com/features/tv-...

Co-creator Mark Frost on the chances of more episodes

Inside David Lynch's plans for 'Twin Peaks' to return: "We had a recipe forming"

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Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Jun 12

Enjoyed chatting with Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost for @nme.com about working with David Lynch, whether the series may continue, and the time that Queen Elizabeth II rushed out of a private audience with Paul McCartney to discover who killed Laura Palmer
www.nme.com/features/tv-...

Co-creator Mark Frost on the chances of more episodes

Femi Kuti: “Everything I put out, I have to be able to defend it with my life”

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Jun 4

For this week’s @nme.com Does Rock N Roll Kill Braincells? brain-teaser, I quizzed Femi Kuti
www.nme.com/features/mus...

In Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!, we quiz an artist on their own career to see how much they can remember. This week: Femi Kuti

‘The BBC threatened to censor us’: The Eurovision commentators more controversial than Graham Norton

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · May 17

Wondering who #Eurovision viewers will hear doing the commentary tonight? For @telegraphnews.bsky.social, I spoke to “The other Graham Nortons” (including those broadcasting from war bunkers and ones who inspired Will Ferrell) about their most memorable moments

www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/e...

From inappropriate jokes to bombs and diplomatic wrangles – Europe’s leading commentators spill behind-the-scenes Eurovision gossip

Louise: “I can’t see Eternal ever getting back together – our baseline beliefs are different”

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Apr 28

Quizzed Louise for this week’s @nme.com Does Rock N Roll Kill Braincells? trivia-challenge (covering being ripped off by Peppa Pig, turning down a role in Friends, and standing up for LGBTQ+ rights)

www.nme.com/features/mus...

In Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!, we quiz an artist on their own career to see how much they can remember. This week: Louise

“'Dig!' could never be made again”: why the drug-fuelled rock doc is the last of its kind

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Mar 24

I sneeze and Pulitzer-winning articles come out…For the 20th anniversary of Dig!, I interviewed some of the players for @nme.com

www.nme.com/features/fil...

As their legendary film is remixed anew for cinemas, members of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Dandy Warhols reflect on 'Dig!'

Rizzle Kicks: "I went over to Noel Gallagher at Glastonbury and told him to stop dissing Little Mix"

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Mar 21

Quizzed Rizzle Kicks for this week’s @nme.com Braincells trivia challenge (includes Frank Ocean breaking up fights involving them at the BRITs, covering Cliff Richard with Una Stubbs, and a Who Do You Think You Are?-style family connection with Kula Shaker)

www.nme.com/features/mus...

In Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!, we quiz an artist on their own career to see how much they can remember. This week: Rizzle Kicks

John Lydon: "Daft Punk wanted to work with me a while back, but I didn’t feel the vibe"

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Mar 3

This was a lot of fun! Enjoyed interviewing comedy legend Bruce Vilanch about his most notorious clunkers (including The Star Wars Holiday Special, Snow White dancing with Rob Lowe at the 1989 Oscars, and Paul Lynde’s Halloween Special) for @telegraphnews.bsky.social

telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/bruce-v...

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Feb 21

Heeeeeeeerrrre’s Johnny! Enjoyed quizzing Johnny Rotten for this week’s @nme.com Does Rock 'N' Roll Kill Braincells? feature (covering turning down Daft Punk, horrifying Kate Bush, and why he’d make a good Joker)

www.nme.com/features/mus...

In Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!, NME quizzes an artist on their own career to see how much they can remember. This week: Sex Pistols' John Lydon

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Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Feb 1

Spoke to Rob McElhenney about his love of the Beatles, Beastie Boys, and Bon Jovi (as well as other bands that don’t begin with a B) for @nme.com 's Soundtrack of My Life series
www.nme.com/features/tv-...

Gary Kemp: “Will there be another Spandau Ballet reunion? I hope so”

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Jan 30

Quizzed Gary Kemp for the latest @nme.com Does Rock N Roll Kill Braincells? trivia challenge (covering trying to recruit Seal to front Spandau Ballet, New Order urinating on the band, and his new solo album)

www.nme.com/features/mus...

In Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?!, we quiz an artist on their own career to see how much they can remember. This week: Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Dec 31

At the risk of sounding like a Oscar speech, thanks to all my incredible editors, the amazing PRs, and everyone who’s spoken to me this year (and if any editors like what they’ve seen, I’m available for commissions). Happy 2025!

The man who taught Jeremy Allen White to sing like Bruce Springsteen

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Dec 31

For my first @telegraphnews.bsky.social print article, I interviewed Hollywood’s go-to vocal coach about teaching Timothée Chalamet to sing like Bob Dylan and Jeremy Allen White to embody Bruce Springsteen
www.telegraph.co.uk/music/interv...

Eric Vetro has coached Hollywood stars from Ariana Grande to Angelina Jolie. His next challenge? Bringing Bruce and Bob Dylan to the screen

I had every diabetes symptom - but doctors claimed I wasn't fat enough

Gary Ryan @garyryanfreelance.bsky.social · Dec 31

At the start of the year, I embraced the indie-sleaze revival by losing a load of weight and learning to inject multiple times a day. Wrote about being diagnosed with a niche form of diabetes and becoming a non-sugar-daddy* for the Metro *Er…needs work

metro.co.uk/2024/10/29/d...

My mouth was so dry that I felt like a camel was going to traipse out of it every time I yawned.

metro.co.uk