Dozens of protestors took to Downing Street to protest the expansion of the ULEZ area to Greater London, with residents recalling their struggles with the new charge.
âI feel like this is the most exciting time I have experienced in rock and metal in a long time,â says the Kerrang Radio presenter Sophie K, who founded the podcast On Wednesdays We Wear Black (OWWWB) in order to âcreate a space that felt safe for people who arenât normally representedâ in alt-culture. Alongside co-presenters Metal Hammer journalist and TikTok personality Yasmine Summan and radio presenter and musician Alyx Holcombe, she delivers the kind of frank and hilarious conversations that happen between female and non-binary metal fans behind closed doors.
âItâs always been this idea in alternative [music] that [it] is a white thing,â says Summan. âIn beauty, in music, in the culture. Itâs always been that way and no oneâs questioned it until now.â
Begun in 2017 by writers Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes as a lighthearted forum for discussions on everything from politics to reality TV, The High Low has since become a podcasting behemoth, downloaded by more than 1 million listeners each month. Having recently aired its final episode, now is the perfect time to relisten.
All episodes widely available
As the news hurtles on at breakneck pace, it can feel impossible to keep up with the latest developments. The Audio Long Reads series aims to rectify this, transferring the Guardian’s longform investigations into podcast form, with recent episodes covering the tragedy of the White Helmets co-founder, and the future of farming.