The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music

The Royal College of Music is where Daniel Mullin spent his time learning the craftsmanship of the violin and piano.

This episode is a continuous story of how Daniel went on to work for the BBC (among many other achievements) as part of the BBC Orchestra.

Have you ever wondered what life was really like at the college?

What it was like being involved in the filming of the movie Shine?

His nan’s first impressions of London?

The friendships, the classes, the challenges and the experiences that shape a young musician at one of the world’s most famous colleges.

A fascinating and honest insight into the life of a wonderfully talented person.

Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Bon Jovi, Bagpipes… and Captain Sensible!!!

Just some of the gems Joolz and I chat about in this latest episode — a pure reflection on Julie’s (Joolz’s) time at St George’s boarding school… where we just happened to be in the same year.

From her admiration of Dave Gahan’s vocals, to the all-important Desert Island Album choice (clue: four chaps from Ireland… 👀), we dive into the music that shaped the 80’s.

Fingerless gloves. Snoods. Leg warmers. Industrial levels of hairspray.

If you grew up in that era — or just love the music — this one will take you straight back.

“Can bands be just as successful without their original lead singer?” 🤔🎤

That’s just one of the big musical debates I got stuck into with returning guest Mike Kearney — yes, the very same Mike who’s braved a podcast with me before and still came back for more 😄

We covered loads in this episode — from the (very sad) loss of Bob Weir, to the mind-bending Sphere in Las Vegas, and plenty of twists and turns along the musical journey. It turns out Mike and I share quite a few of the same thoughts when it comes to how artists and bands evolve over time… great minds and all that 😉

One moment that really stood out for me was Mike talking about seeing Peter Green with the Splinter Band in Bournemouth — what a memory to have! And his stories and thoughts about Eric Clapton were a brilliant listen too, especially for me as my dad’s a big fan. Proper full-circle music chat

This episode of The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music is a special one.

I’m chatting with Jill — a lifelong friend, and really more like part of the Morris family — who I’ve known for nearly 50 years. Our connection goes way back, with both of our dads serving in the army, and music playing a huge part in the soundtrack of our lives growing up.

Jill takes us right back to her childhood, with the warm, easy sounds of John Denver and The Eagles, and memories of listening to BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) — the station that brought music from home to families wherever they were posted.

We relive our boarding school days (yes, we went to the same one!), where bedroom walls were covered in posters and Sunday evenings meant one thing: recording the Top 40 and hoping your finger was quick enough on the pause button. The excitement of new releases from Duran Duran, Culture Club, Wham!, Spandau Ballet and more — rushing out to get that latest 7” single — was unbeatable.

From those cassette-tape days to now, Jill’s musical taste has grown and evolved into a love of jazz and classical music, while still happily buying tracks on Apple like the rest of us modern music lovers.

And the passion for live music is still alive and well — she and her partner Alistair are already looking forward to seeing RUSH live in autumn 2026!

It’s an episode full of nostalgia, laughter, shared memories, and proof that the music we grow up with never really leaves us.

Another episode of me chatting with Daniel about his life in classical music – the hard work, the journeys, the excitement, the experiences… and what life is really like inside an orchestra.

With my complete lack of knowledge of the classical world, I asked Daniel to explain how an orchestra actually works, what goes on behind the scenes, and what a conductor really does.

A genuinely fascinating insight into the world of a professional classical musician.

In this episode of The Grumpy Cyclist Talks Music, I’m joined by Daniel Mullin, violinist with the BBC Concert Orchestra, where he has been a full-time member for almost 20 years.

This episode marks the beginning of a special multi-part project that Daniel and I have discussed, exploring his life’s work and experiences within the classical music industry. Across several episodes, Daniel reflects on the journey that shaped his remarkable career – starting with his earliest musical experiences and building towards the pivotal moments that set him on a professional path.

Born in Manchester in May 1974, Daniel began playing the piano at the age of 5, before taking up the violin at 11. By just 15 years old, he had achieved Grade 8 distinctions in piano, violin and music theory, all within six months of each other, including an exceptional 100/100 Grade 8 theory result, earning a Certificate of Commendation.

Despite attending an ordinary comprehensive school – Peel Moat Comprehensive in Stockport – Daniel’s talent and determination led to a life-changing moment: receiving the letter offering him a place at the Royal College of Music in London in 1992. He went on to study there until 1997, completing both a Bachelor of Music and a postgraduate diploma.

Daniel began professional engagements in 1996 and has now spent 30 years working as a violinist, performing with many of the UK’s leading orchestras. His career has included time with the Hallé Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, English National Opera Orchestra, before taking up a full-time post with the BBC Concert Orchestra in February 2006.

He has since played in 29 consecutive Proms seasons at the Royal Albert Hall, the last 20 with the BBC.

This first episode is a fascinating and inspiring starting point to a wonderful career – and the opening chapter of a deeper exploration into life at the highest level of classical music.

This episode is with Mike Kearney — a man truly passionate about music, with a particular love for The Grateful Dead (among many others).

Mike talks about his life as a vocalist, including being part of a major event involving Mel & Sue, Clive Anderson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and other well-known faces… oh, and it was directed by Sam Mendes!

He also shares stories of travelling to Japan and Uganda as part of an a cappella group, his deep love of blues music, and the joy of taking his daughter to gigs — experiences that have helped shape her appreciation of different musical styles.

This, and a whole lot more.

This episode is a Christmas edition… and yes, it’s that time of year again.

Wherever you go, Christmas songs are absolutely everywhere — at home, on the radio in the car, in supermarkets, people humming them under their breath, at church… just EVERYWHERE!!

So, being me, I thought I’d take a little wander and chat to some completely random people, asking them a very important festive question:

👉 What’s your favourite Christmas song… and which one do you absolutely cannot stand — and why?

The responses were honest, funny, sometimes passionate (bordering on rage in a couple of cases 😳😂), and genuinely interesting.

And what surprised me most was that there seemed to be a clear theme running through nearly all of the answers…

Grab a brew, stick your feet up, and have a listen — this one might just get you thinking differently about those festive “classics” 🎄🎶

This week’s episode is Part 3 of me — with a bit of quality control from my son Jordan — going through the questions I put out to YOU about your favourite gigs, the loudest, the ones you’ve seen the most, the absolute worst… all of it!

It was an absolute blast going through every single answer.

And I’ll be honest… it even opened Jordan’s eyes quite a bit — he hadn’t even heard of half the bands and artists you lot mentioned!

If you use Spotify, you’ll know it’s that time of year when they kindly remind you just how many HOURS you spent listening to the same songs over and over… your most played artists, albums, minutes, moods — the whole lot!

Jordan (my son) and I had a really interesting chat about our 2025 listening habits. There’s a fair old age gap between us and our music tastes are miles apart, but that actually made the conversation even better. Amazing how two completely different worlds of music can still connect.

We even ended up chatting about Coldplay at Wembley — anyone else go? What a night that must’ve been!