Queer thinking; straight talking – Geri Halliwell's Schizophonic with Malcolm MacLean

Explicit content warning

12/15/21 • 76 min

On May 31 1998, Geri Halliwell shook the globe by announcing that she was leaving the Spice Girls, effective immediately. Caught in the tumult of one of the biggest scandals in pop history, Geri she did what any gay icon would – she packed a bag and headed straight for George Michael's gaff. It was there that she decided what the hell she was going to do next. The result was Schizophonic.
Lauded as a parallel universe third Spice Girls album, Geri's debut is a cacophony of frenetic but catchy bops, boasting three UK number ones. But on re-listen over two decades later, does it still lift us up? Or were we just in a bubble?
This episode the boys are joined by reformed groupie Malcolm McLean, author of Freak Like Me, a hilarious, nostalgic jaunt through teenage angst and 90s pop. Join us as we take you back to our sweet la vida and ask – where the fuck is Mi Chico Latino?
Want more from the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at [email protected]. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist.
You can find out more about Freak Like Me on @freaklikemebook and order a copy at any good bookstore.
Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Previous Episode

Who took the ram from the rama-lama-ding-dong? Le Tigre's queer feminist debut

How are you? What's your take on Cassavettes? Who took the bomp from the bomp-a-lomp-a-lomp? And who the HELL took the ram from the rama-lama-ding-dong? All these questions and more are answered in this ep dedicated to dancepunk trio Le Tigre.
We tackle the band's debut self-titled album, the brainchild of Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning, which sits at the precipice of '60s surfer bops, 80's new wave and 90's queercore New York... with a healthy splash of third-wave feminism.
So grab yr metrocard and take the train direct to Friendship Station because this topic is hot.
Want more from the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at [email protected]. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. Don't forget to check out this episode's playlist. Check out this deep dive into Le Tigre's Deceptacon on the Red Bull Music Academy site, too.
Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Next Episode

Insincere to the point of nausea: Dead or Alive’s 'Nukleopatra' with Adem Eve

It's New Queer's Eve and we're wrapping up an oddity of a year by delving into the magic and mayhem of Pete Burns, frontman of Dead or Alive and bonafide pio-queer.
No one knows Pete better than our old friend and host of various incredible podcasts (The Record Doctor, This Is Disco and the brand new You Can't Mistake Their Anthology to name three), Adem Eve. Adem takes us through possibly the most chaotic album we've covered yet on Aural Fixation, iconically a global flop everywhere apart from Japan... Dead or Alive's Nukleopatra.
We also sidestep into figuring out what exactly Discogs is, pay our respects to the spectacular Sarah Harding, and pick Adem’s brains on his recent interview with Dannii Minogue (!). You can find all things Adem and more at his Instagram and Twitter.
Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at [email protected]. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist.
Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.