GOSPEL ACCORDING TO…
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO… Odours Of The Odeon
Pod Bible caught up with Ciaran who, alongside co presenter Arron, hosts the Odours Of The Odeon Podcast. We asked the usual Gospel questions but first we asked for an introduction to their podcast…
Ciaran, tell us a little about Odours Of The Odeon?
We review films we love, sometimes films we hate, often films we love to hate. It’s basically a popcorn caliphate, where a Fatwa’s been declared on good taste. People say It’s the must-listen podcast for Generation-Z, we’ve just never met those people.
If you could go back to just before you recorded the first episode of your podcast and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Aside from a full vocal-chord transplant to negate the fact we sound like we’re officiating some sort of suburban litigation issue between rival squash clubs, advise would be to get a better balance between planning stuff to saying things ‘off the cuff’. Have a plan, even if it’s rough, even if you feel rough.
Also don’t underestimate the quality of good mics and good recording equipment – no one wants to hear two blokes talking about Michael Crawford’s ‘CondorMan’ like they’re talking from the other side of a catholic church confessional booth.
What makes a great podcast guest?
Available at short notice, largely. Also someone who’s willing to answer literally anything and has a base-line understanding of the 1990’s British panto circuit, but mostly just availability.
What makes a great podcast host?
Vim, vigour, vernacular, an encyclopaedic knowledge of the OJ case, and good hair. Also being highly informed on subject matter is a must, as is the ability to ask open questions and guide a conversation. There’s definitely an art in getting to a pre-defined end-point in a conversation, but guiding people there without it feeling forced. I like to think of us a rubber fist in a velvet glove, and we’re giving you a deep tissue massage, without you even noticing it.
What’s been your worst podcast moment?
Well we certainly cant go there can we Arron!!
What is it about podcasts that appeals to you?
Life is ultimately mundane, so it’s nice to have someone else’s voice in your head at particular times to drown out the repetitive insecurities of my your psyche. That, plus Spotify playlists can sometimes get a bit monotonous.
What annoys you about podcasts/other podcasters?
When they’re better than ours. That genuinely f**ks me off.
I often get into a podcast and love it, but then find it gets samey/similar really quickly. Inevitably it’s difficult not to do that, but I am conscious that people who listen regular will find it gets laborious. For example we’ve both noticed there are certain words and phrases we each use too much. Aaron has a knack of consistently saying ‘exactly right’. He often says it in response to things I’ve said that have later been proved to be factually incorrect, so whilst that’s good for my ego, it’s not going to cut it with any eagle-eared listeners providing feedback to Anne Robinsons ‘Points Of View’. Luckily for us large swathes of the general public aren’t really fussed about facts these days, so we’ll probably keep getting away with it.
Also, in hindsight, we talk about Nicholas Lyndhurst’s Goodnight Sweetheart quite consistently, and I can imagine for our 3 listeners that could get quite monotonous.
Join Odours of the Odeon for a weekly guided tour of the cinematic spice route. Whether you’re looking for an escape from the morbid mundane of your weekly commute, desperately searching an alternative to mid-week small-talk with your significant other, or genuinely interested in unexplored cinematic sub-cultures, the Odours team have the chops to keep you lucid. Download, subscribe, share rate and review now!