Episode 24 of On The Record with Brian Wise and Michael Mackenzie opens not in a record shop or a green room, but in the unglamorous reality of domestic collapse: Brian’s gas hot water service fails, leaving him hunting for a plumber and waiting five days for resolution.
Call-out fees, reliability roulette, and the odd social anthropology of men’s hygiene at festivals (Woodford gets a mention) quickly become the episode’s scene-setter: two overly seasoned broadcasters talking culture, via the great Australian infrastructure of complaint.
Seeming realism is exactly what both hosts admire in Netflix’s Legends, which they describe as excellent, explicitly flattering it with a comparison to The Wire. They single out Tom Burke and Steve Coogan, and praise the show’s portrayal of undercover work as something that leaves a mark, rather than a glamorous costume-change with a hero edit.
Then comes one of the episode’s best left-field turns: Michael recounts a story from the inaugural Dublin Literary Awards, where—working as an ABC freelancer—he somehow ends up stealing the crystal glassware aided by former members of the IRA.
Musically, the emotional high point is a warm, informed appreciation of David Byrne.
The hosts tip their hats to Byrne’s wider career, including his work with Brian Eno, particularly ** My Life in the Bush of Ghosts **, and note his recent appearance at Jazz Fest.
Michael also revisits a vivid concert memory: a huge Australian show (he says 30,000 people) where an acid-fuelled perspective turned it into one of the greatest performances he’s still ever seen. The segment ends with a birthday salute: Byrne turns 74.
Back on local ground, Wise reports from a Waterboys show (Mike Scott at the Palais) that’s memorable for the wrong reason: sound mixing that left the music “muddy.” It’s a small but meaningful point for a roots audience—songs built on detail and dynamics can be flattened by poor live sound, no matter how strong the band is.
Finally, the episode nods to Australian screen culture via Brian’s interview with Chris Franklin and Mike Rudd around the documentary ** Someday I’ll Have Money **—a title that neatly echoes the episode’s earlier conversation about labour, pay, and what any of it is worth.
Show Notes
Legends | Official Trailer | Netflix
Shetland On Iview
Talking Heads – Road to Nowhere (Official Video)
Brian Eno — David Byrne – My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts – A1 – America Is Waiting
Brian Eno — David Byrne – My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts – A4 – Help Me Somebody
David Byrne with Choir! Choir! Choir! – Heroes
Talking Heads – Psycho Killer (Official 4K Remastered Video, Live 1983)
The Waterboys – Fisherman’s Blues (High Quality)
Chris Franklin Doco on Spectrum’s I’ll Be Gone “Someday I’ll Have Money”