Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Bez

Episode Date: November 7, 2022

This week Emily headed to Herefordshire for a walk with Bez and his dogs, Snoop and Yoko. They chatted about how he came to join Happy Mondays, being a first-time dog owner, and his new book, Buzzin�� By Bez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come on, Raymond. Come on, you city little hound. They don't look so impressed. Ray, where's Bez? Come on. This week on Walking the Dog, Ray and I pop to the beautiful Herefordshire countryside to visit the one and only Bez from the Happy Mondays and his two Daxons, Snoop and Yoko. Bez didn't just take us for a walk.

He took us for basically an SAS training session through undergrowth and brown bulls and nest. I mean respect. This man is not messing about with walks. But I have to say it was completely worth it because Bez is a total diamond and he's had the most incredible incident-packed life which you'll hear all about. And if you want to know more about his story, do check out his brilliant new memoir, Buzzin by Bez, which is pretty unput-downable. I'll stop talking now and hand over to the man himself.

Here's Bez and Snoop and Yoko and Ray. Come on you two out We're going now Something cowardly Get them out Come on Raymond Out Good dog

He's well behaved in there Bez we haven't started yet Do you know Bez I think Raymond gets on well with your two Don't you? Yeah he does What do you think so far? Yeah he's getting on really well It's because they're both little They've got the sea size legs

What is he? Is he energetic? Is he a good walker? He's like you in the step on days. Is he? Well, there you go, we're in. He's mad for it. Yeah.

What sort of dog is he? He's an imperial Shih Tzu. Right. So your poshitschee, oh. Imperial one. Posh little shit, I call it. Bears, what a picturesque place you live in.

Yeah, it's lovely. I've lived here for, I think it's eight or nine years now. Ray, follow, Bez. Bears, can you call him? Raymond, come on. He came to you, Beers. You've got the authority. I know, then.

Come on. It's not like these, Sue is just ignore me. I meant to bring a ball, but I couldn't find a ball. I don't know what she's done with her. She likes chasing balls. Oh, he really likes him. Well, Bez, I am so thrilled to be here and have you on walking the dog. This is very exciting because I'm a huge fan of yours and I'm already a huge fan of your two dogs. Well, nice one, thank you. So I bet Raymond's had made friends all over the place then, I said.

Oh, Bez. He's got to get, he might not be able to get across his cattle green. Nice to just fly across him up. Do you know what, Bez, I think he would have fallen in. Yeah, they used to fall in, but they're quite good at getting across there now. So, Bez, so we're in the Hereford countryside and it's beautiful here. And I'm with Bez. Bez, can you introduce me to your two beautiful dogs?

Yeah, well, that's Yoko. The female, she keeps having phantom pregnancies for some way of reason. She keeps growing boobs and getting fat. Every time she's been on heat. So it's Yoko and Snoop. Snoop. And they're all you need. Yoko and Snoop.

And they look like sausage dogs to me. Yeah, little Dash Owens, sausage dogs. And why did you specifically want to get dash owens? Well, it was more for my wife than for me soul. Because she wanted Dash Owens. But I never thought I'd love a little dog in my life. I can't believe that I love a little dog. But it's our first ever dogs ever riding me life.

And there's such characters. And yeah, I can't believe that I'm actually lovely. These little hounds. They're really good hunters as well. Yeah, because I've got to be honest, people in the country, I always think that if you have this rural lifestyle, you'll have a Labrador or a big sort of dog that will go leaping across the land.

Oh we're gonna navigate a gate now with Bez. Come on then, Gate navigation. Come on, Raymond. Come on. Come on, mate. It's not used to mudding dirt. It's going to get worse as well as we go on. I think it's good for him.

So what are we saying? Oh yeah, so I expected you to have, because you live in the countryside, I expected you to have one of of those huge countryside dogs I suppose like a Labrador or something or why little dogs? Yeah because my wife she she wanted a little dash owls so that's what we ended up with and they can't yeah they are actually really good country dogs as well yeah they love the countryside they love digging they love being out and you'll see them in a bit chasing the wildlife about the place

Go on Raymond. Come on Ray. He's not sure about the grass. I think you might have said up carrying him at this rate. I will, Bez. We end up. Come on, he can follow us. He's fine.

So, Bez, you didn't have any pets growing up? No, no. My mum and dad ate at dogs. Well, they didn't eat them in the house. You know what I mean? Yeah. And I did have a dog until, like, I was in my 50s. These are my first downs.

and I was just lover I can't imagine life without him. Well you remind me you've got a sort of doggy energy and I mean that in a good way because I think dogs are very loyal which I think you are. I think they forgive which I think you do. And daft. And they've got a lot of energy which I think it's fair to say you have. Come on mate, come on, come on. You're going to get left behind.

Come on mate, you can do it. So Bez, I've been reading your brilliant book, which is about to come out, which I really love. Such an extraordinary life you've had. And that's only a fraction of it, what I could actually remember. And what the lawyers would probably let you say. But it starts, I want to go back a bit to your childhood just to give people a sense of some of the standout moments.

You grew up in, well you grew up in Manchester, you were in Bolton originally. Well I was born in Bolton but I grew up in Salford. Yeah. And yeah. And I had a great, I actually enjoyed my child on. It was like really, really good. It's always full of adventure. It always up to somewhere every day.

There was never a dull moment. But it's back in the days when old kids used to play out, even as young, like seven year old. used to all be out in the street, not like they are these days. And your dad was a policeman, is that right? Yeah, he was. He was a big disciplarian sight fella, which obviously didn't bow well with me as I was growing up.

Was he very strict then, Bez? Yeah, he tried to be, but it backfired on him rather than, no, if he could have been. have handled it differently and it might have worked out better but I'm not one to grumble and it was the making of me today the man they have become today and you had a sister as well yes you your sister and your mum and your dad you were sort of a naughty kid I suppose you would have been cast us yeah I was really not I was naughty from it like a very young age really like from the moment I started at school I was getting into trouble and the first of

The first major incident I remember was the packet of crisp one where I got to give money for crisp and then up biting the teacher because I didn't have enough money for the crisp and yeah that was like from that moment on like my school life never went well there but yeah my school life was litted with like little incidents like that really. Your parents constantly being called up to the school, Bess, and told he's done it again or? Yeah, I was constantly in trouble, but I was always really nice with it as well.

They weren't like, no, like a fish is not, I was always like pleasantly not, if you know what I mean. Yeah. Well, you've always had charisma, that's your thing. So if you've got charisma, you can get away with an awful lot. And I think, you know, it's the days, terms, I would have been diagnosed with one of these mad things what all the kids see himself these days.

There's Sean Ryder, we should say, your happy Monday's band, mate, and friend and Gogglebox co-star, he feels you definitely do have ADHD because he has it. Well, he judges himself. He always tries to tie me with his same brush as well. He's been sad with. But like I say I'm not really interested it's like but back in the day when we were kids there was no no no no it wasn't a thing hmm it's a it's a recent modern phenomenon oh isn't this a lovely field oh oh Bess what's that oh isn't it pretty that oh it's I don't know it's just overgrown field

oh but I like it yeah I think there's a bit of air hay in there as well what I've just come back from previous crops. Oh, Bez, look at this. It's stunning. Wow. I'm at this hill there. This is quite a big hill. There's supposed to be seven witches

living on it at any one time, according to local folk law. I don't know if there's any truth. Do you believe that? Well, it's that sort of country where they're all into that sort of weird witchy stuff, you know what I mean. So there probably is some sort of, like,

cackling witch round the clothing up smells you just invited one down there so I'm getting this impression you're a bit naughty but I'm sensing

sort of lovable rogue yeah that's what I tried to be the lovable rogue and your sister who of course is kind of the polar opposite because she's very academic isn't she she's really academic but

every now and the Again, we throw up a really clever one in our family. The gene just seems to have missed me for some reason. But there's odd members of the family who are highly intelligent and then you get like throwbacks like myself. Did she become a lot? Did she go to Oxford? Yeah, she went to Oxford. She went to law school. She's a high-flying business lawyer in the city.

And she's done really well for herself. Were you close to her Bezgrang? Yeah, I'm really close to her I've got a really good relationship with all my family for aunties and uncles cousins

And you got You started Obviously when you're I suppose when you're naughty At a kid and you As you say you were rebellious That then If you continue

Which you did to be naughty That can then start to get you into A bit more serious trouble Can't it? Yeah I've got into I fell in with a wrong crowd and obviously growing up in Solford it was like that yeah and I think a lot of kids fall into the same shop and I think again it's down to where no

engineering and circumstance with growing up but kids grow up thinking you've got to be bad to be cool you know what I mean and I got caught up in all that you know keeping up with me pays and and because you know you know It was like everybody was doing that sort of lifestyle of my age. And when you say lifestyle, it was just like a bit of thieving. Yeah, thieving, just motorbites, cars. You used to do all sorts of mad shitters kids, you know what I mean? Even we had Bulmers cider, we had Schweeps there.

So it was always every time we had a party, we used to go visit Bulmus and Schweptor ride booze and all that. It was just normal. You broke into a golf club. Yeah, that's the first time I got caught. It was like a golf club thing. And the first time I ever made front page news, unfortunately. Yeah, because you weren't famous then, obviously,

but you would have been how old were you at the time? Probably teenager? 16, yeah. And it said that you'd... It was such a great headline, wasn't it? It said something like... Shedweller in a 6,000 pound raid. And why were you a shed?

shed dweller? Well because I lived almost from like 16 to 22 so it took me like a long time to be able to get my shit together and know getting in a place of my own so yeah so um did you just leave home at 16 then no I got kits out and as soon as I was a legal age we bags with pats and was sent on my way was that and both your parents just said yeah they had enough of me they couldn't handle me anymore because like obviously I was totally no unruly and out of control. Do you look back? And they thought that might have brought me to my senses but he never did. Do you look back on that? Do you see it from a parental now you've got kids of your own? Well no because I do things differently you know

mean from my parents you know yeah I've learned from their mistakes if it's so to say what I'm gonna do is got to go through these woods there because it's full of brambles this way what a lovely walk come on Ray let's follow bears so you got kicked out and you were living partly you escaped to your you were living at your nans yeah well I lived at me nans a bit both my nannas put me up for a while but yeah obviously that restrictive family lifestyle didn't suit what I was doing at the time and I preferred to live in a shed at the bottom of my mate's garden and so you were living it was your friend's mom had let you live in the shed and that's when you were stealing from the golf

yeah so yeah I got into loads of trouble without drinking just just enjoying being at her kid basically with there no with absolutely no restriction whatsoever which kind of like I wanted to live my life at this time it was don't get me wrong it wasn't bad I actually loved there no it's highs and lows you know I mean because I've had to sleep rough then I've slept no sofa surfing a lot of slept rough then I went shabbling when they got out of prisons no living on beaches I like that you skipped the whole prison when I got out of prison. So you basically after...

Well, I did detention centre and borstle, like young offenders prisons. That must have been really difficult. Well, no, and the thing is, I never actually... Prison never sought me anything, you know what I mean? Did it not? It's not a place of reform. If people think it's going to reform you, you can think again it actually doesn't. Come on, Raymond, come on you city, little hound.

They don't look so impressed. Right. Where's Bez? Come on. So, Bez, you went travelling, and one of my favourite parts of your life, which is just before really, all the Happy Monday stuff started, was when you lived in a cave in Morocco. Yeah. Well, yeah.

How was the cave bears? Well, it's because I ran out of money was coming back home and I got caught stealing off the Moroccan, well, nearly got caught and I was getting chased through town and my fellas with flip-flops or wanting to kill there.

So I was hiding out up there, really. Did you feel when you got back after you'd come back home from your travelling? from your travelling. This wasn't quite enough, you know, that you didn't want to, nothing had changed. Everyone was just still doing the same jobs. Yeah, yeah, no, everyone was like exactly where I'd left them several months earlier. Nothing had changed at home. Everyone was, as I left them, you know what I mean. And, yeah, and I'd just been on this like 12 months, amazing adventure. because at that point as well

I'd never been abroad before in my life so yeah it was why do you think because it sounds like you had something slightly different to a lot of the people you were growing up with you know like as you say a sense of adventure

or a slightly different destiny would you say that's true yeah it's because I it's because I was always looking for something different today and something new you know what I mean?

I was easily bored probably. And it was shortly after this, you started hanging out with Sean Ryder and you got to know him socially, didn't you? We both had been sold about each other and that we had to meet. And it was both a bit standoffish at first. All my friends, the rest of the band,

we all went to the same school. So we all knew each other from school. But somehow me and Sean, we had the same group of friends, but our path's never crossed. You then ended up kind of joining the Happy Mondays, but in a slightly random way, which I love. Yeah, well, Happy Mondays are supporting New Order at the Hacienda, and the band was at Happy Mondays.

New Order and I was going along, No to Watch. And it was really excited because like New Order were played. They obviously were like, no, massive band of the sign, Manchester band. And it was like a really exciting moment. I was going to watch my friends play with one of the biggest bands that ever come out of Manchester. And throughout that day we got completely off our heads. And when it came to time to do the gig, Sean was really worried because, no, he felt like he couldn't do it and he needed like some moral support to help him through the occasion.

Did he just say Bez will you come on stage? Yeah, he goaded me on stage, basically. And I ended up jumping on stage with him, grabbing a pair of maracres and shaking the maracres fiercely. and dancing my particular, my dance at the time. And people loved it. Well, yeah. Well, it was Sony who suggested that I should join the band. And should we explain, for anyone who doesn't know,

you're talking about Tony H. Wilson. Yeah, yeah. Who was the founder of factory records. Yeah, well, it was a life-changing moment. And, yeah, that night changed my life forever. Do you remember any of it, be honest. Yeah, no, I actually laughed myself to sleep that night. And then that was it.

You were sort of in the band, right? Yeah, well, that's it. I've been a happy Monday ever since. But you and Sean, obviously with the other members, there was Sean's brother as well. I get the sense there was a slight, it doesn't resent them, but. Yeah, there was a little bit of friction.

No, I was always part of the band, but it was when money started getting involved. And I used always end up having the second most amount of money. So you used to go in and kind of bully the manager a little bit. And when they did accounts at the end of year, it was always Sean who had the most, and I came in second. And were they kind of saying, well, hang on, he doesn't like the music? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And what was your answer to that?

I provided the fives, as they say. But do you think in some ways that did help the band cross over? Because I always felt you were kind of an entry point that I think people looked at you as well and thought I could be that guy and that's what was the secret to your popularity? Yeah, that's what I figured it out to be or could be. You know what I mean?

I've never quite worked it out fully. I don't know the real reason, but that's my presumption. And that's all it is. I don't know if it's true or not, though. Go on Yoko. She leapt over it. I don't have a little sniff around the areas. Have a little cuddle with bears.

Hello, mate. Who's this? Who's this, Snoop? Come on you. Come on you. It's very lovable, though, isn't it? Do you like him? Yeah, it's so gorgeous.

I think you two really good together. And my wife would love him. She loves like big, fluffy, bally things. That's like you, best. I mean, is his coat hard to keep? Do you have some brushing each day? I do a lot of grooming. So, you're in the band, and at this point, let's be honest,

it's all kicking off on the partying front as well, isn't it? because you can't believe it. You're touring. You've suddenly got a licence to just basically drink and have fun and take drugs. Yeah, we went for the full debauched rock and roll lifestyle

and we used to watch films like, you know, the David's Essex films and all, you know what I mean? Oh, Stardust. Yeah, yeah, Stardust. And all films like that. And, no, that's the lifestyle we envision, you know, full on rock and roll.

debauched partying and that's what we perceived rock and roll to be like i got the sense that even though you're partying and doing sort of crazy things you were always able to bounce back you were almost always able to leave the party in vegas as it were in the way that potentially shorn wasn't yeah no i i i've never had really um i've never had any addictions really you know what i mean the most of i've ever been addicted to was weed and i gave that would be 99 and once I got that monkey on me back I've never looked back really do you think it is a monkey what smoking weed yeah it's a it's a and it makes you're angry as well doesn't it yeah because you know when you run out of weed you're miserable you're

miserable in the morning and it made me I realized after well it took doing a vision quest well 99 I gave gave up smoking six then they've done this thing called a Fission Quest and I gave up weed after I've done this fission quest along with everything else as well meat the lot but I've started eating meat and doing other like recreational judge since then because I went to Glastonbury and I found out just Glasbury's just not the same place when you're straight like through the week I don't do anything and once party time comes then I'm all in.

And did you feel? Come on, Ray. So we go. Raymond, come on. He stayed behind. Bez, I forgot my dog. He wants picking up. That's what it is.

You've spilt him. Bess, you've got it in one. He's spilted him. He just wants carrying all the same. I spoil him. So, at that point, such, as you say, mad stuff was happening to you. during this period. You're in a hotel room once and you were staying in a hotel and there was one

incident where the promoters you'd because you'd had this huge reputation didn't you the happy mondays it already started this idea everyone was a bit like oh my god it's the happy mondays brace yourselves was there a part of you do you think that it was aware that that was almost part of the your brand as a band Yeah, well, we kind of made it at our brand, you know what I mean, because like we say, was embracing this rock and roll lifestyle of, you know, debaunched madness, you know, living life on the edge. And that's the life we all embraced at the time. Did you get chatted up by Julia Robertson? I did, yeah. And the great thing about it is the other, well, a few months of

go I was doing one of them evenings with and there's an audience there and there was somebody in the audience who was actually there when it was all happening which was great Sean was there as well so I have got witnesses it's like the fish walk got away you know it was that big so tell me what happened when Julia Roberts chatted you are yeah well she had she come up chatting to me yeah she's flicking her hair telling me who she was and we'd actually just watched the movie on the on the way over there, no pretty woman. Yeah, she actually invited me to go to her car. She's check out her ID as well.

Now she proved that she was Julia Roberts. But at the time, you know, my partner then at the time was expecting my first son. So obviously it was like just bad timing really. And obviously I, I, I had to say no. And so you did this album, didn't you, the Happy Mondays? And then it wasn't received as well as your first album?

The yes please album. Shall we keep walking? Yeah, come on. And so when did it all go wrong in terms of you started, the album didn't do so well? Yeah. Well, it's because we was rusting to doing this album. And Paul Oakenfeld wasn't available. Yeah, so we went off to Barbados at Eddie Grant's studio. Yeah, there was arguing over money, with the implosion of the, and the bad press we got off the Yes Please Alba.

Everyone started quarreling, bickering. And there was a new deal being lined up with EMI. and we felt that Nathan, the manager at the time, he was just after one more pay packet, he didn't really care about the deal. And Sean ended up walking out on him when it was about society and said he was going off for a can sucker, which was this cold thing,

there was some more heroin. Was that what it was? Yeah, we had coals of everything. Then you and Sean formed black grape, Did you feel happier in that? Was that... No, yeah, well, Black Great was... Black Great was so successful? Yeah, well, that was actually the stepping stone.

Yes, please, that's when Kermit started working with Sean Lyrically. And there was the stepping stones to the future of the band, what everyone missed at the time. And yeah, Black Grape would have been the next Happy Monday's album. Oh, I don't like walking, does he? does he's just not used to like he's used to tarmac and I bet he don't even pee on the grass at all you don't seem remotely spoiled or I suppose poisoned by

fame and that can happen can't it bears why you sort of well I don't consider myself so famous for one and yeah and well you know for one with I've never had any major success really and we're just like working music where like we haven't got masses of money we ain't like rich or anything you know what I mean we're not like huge band or thing we're just like everyday people and we've we've never really reached the heavy heights of a nose like being a super band or anything like that we're just like a cult band

got like a cult following. But we've been out to live a really nice life through it all. But you've lived that life not necessarily, let's be honest, from the music, because you were really quite badly ripped off, weren't you? Yeah, we've been ripped off right through the whole of our band life really, ever since we were like kids, so we've never possibly earned the money what we should have done. Wasn't there one point where you were earning like, you'd sold a million album? brilliant albums with Black Grape and you were number one everywhere and you were getting 18 grand a year or something.

Yeah, yeah, we just got completely rips off, you know what I mean? And it was heartbreaking really because it actually broke the band up as well. And we've never really had look when it comes to that sort of side of life, you know what I mean? But, you know, we've lived a good life. And with the band, like we go through like at stream highs, and extreme lows we've rather gone with a emotion you know what I mean so it's not like being as like a smooth journey it's been one of like massive ups and massive downs so you and and Sean Ryder you're almost got a sibling relationship where you'll fight like brothers

yeah well we we call ourselves like a husband and wife it's a sexless marriage we're in That's what we always say. What annoys Sean most about you, Bez? Probably me lucky old nature, you know what I mean? Because I'm always like, no, he always says, Beggis, it's fucking grown dog day or every day with you. And he sometimes can't cope with that side of me. This is the few was going to bring you to see.

And that mountain there that's where we got engaged on top of that mountain. And we've got a little seat here. You can sit at to take it all in. This is stunning. No wonder you like it up here. What a beautiful place to live. Far Raymond on the table. It's very lovable, isn't it?

Like my dogs are not really like, hey. I can't believe how cute he is. He's really. cute in there. So I'm just going back to when that must have been quite difficult to go from you'd been in those bands and then you didn't have money to fall back on. Most people can just retreat into this kind of cloister lifestyle. Do you know what I mean? Whereas live off their money, whereas you were thinking I've got to go on a living now. And you got back into that kind of drug culture bit after that after the music finished. Yeah, yeah, no that that's uh, fearlessly I did so because

that was the only life I knew really, you know what I mean? And I fell back into that way of life. And I was earning money, you know what I mean? But it's not a life you can, it's not money you can really enjoy. It's not like a relaxing thing to do. You know what I mean? Do you feel stressed all the time, Bez? Well, it's stressful because when you do like I did,

it's not your stuff, you're getting stuff off other people and it's a lot of responsibility and a lot of money. And if anything goes wrong, then you're responsible for it. So there's always the threat of incarceration as well being locked up. So it's not exactly the best way to earn a living. Because even when you were in the band, even when you were on Happy Mondays, you never really left that world. And then I feel you had this incident where you were effectively kidnapped

by these kind of drug gangs. 12 hours you're in a room we're held at the nice point and gunpoint. And that, I feel that really turned your life around a bit. Yeah, no, that was a turning point where I walked away from that lifestyle forever because I decided there and then, though with it, if I can't make a live, an honest living out of being myself, then I may as well just give up, you know what I mean? And that was like the changing point for me forever. And my life's just got better ever since, you know what I mean?

I live a better life because of it. and enjoy life more. Like, it was a, but I'm glad I had to go through that moment. Oh, you guys. Oh, you can't be, that must have been hid, how did you not? So if I didn't go through that.

I wouldn't have known that it wasn't the right way because I always learn my lessons the hard way. I've never been once, no way. I've never been once, know, see where, take an easy lesson. Snoop, come on. Bye. Snoop.

Snoop. Snoop. Bye bye. Snoop. Oh, here he is. Come on, yay, Snoop. I all shout bye to him and they always come running if they're ignoring me. Bez, where are you taking us?

I mean, this is full on, Bez. It's a country life for you. Yeah. And luckily, fashion don't matter around here. So I always get the sense that you never. felt entirely comfortable you did Celebrity Big Brother and you won it and you were great on it probably because you were I suppose quite authentic and yourself and you're quite a straight talker aren't you yeah well the thing about the Big Brother experience for me at the time

was that because I've never watched the show well I'll just put you down I'll pick you up my pants are falling down it's not a good look I've lost me string out my shirt seat pants and they won't stay up. Come on. Yeah so my saving grace was that I've never actually watched the show. So I went in there in ignorant bliss. I had no idea of how you should behave and the concepts of the old show. So yeah, that got me through it in my own particular way. You basically did that show to pay off your tax bill. Yeah, the time was in, uh, no,

was in big trouble because I would never be really good at, no, the academic side of being a pop star like keeping your books and all that. And I got in, got obviously behind on my sax bills and I was in danger of losing my house at the time. Oh, you kept your house though in the end because you did? Yeah, yeah, I did. And you of course do celebrity goggle box now with Sean I get the sense you've really been there for him and stepped in

really because... And I'm like to first so we've been supportive of each other and no we both played a role where we've had to look after each other every now and again tell me a bit about meeting

your other half yeah well I'm first met through it's 10 years ago now I can't believe it's that long ago And we should say you have a, you've been previously, you have kids, don't you? Obviously from your... Yeah, yeah.

I've got two. One of my sons are with me. He's been up here all weekend. Yeah. The other one, I've been with this weekend. But yeah, I always have my sons around with me. And tell me, yeah, tell me when you guys met then. Did you see her and think I like her?

Me and my friend went out on her afternoon drinking session. in Manchester one Friday afternoon we were out early like you do sometimes on the Friday and there we was walking past the bar and one of the girls in there I knew when she come running out and invited us for a drink and their eyes met across our first live first sip and I was like I knew she was a woman for me yeah so we met by chance really and she's out celebrating her birthday it's true isn't it, I should call her. Yeah, Farooza. We call her three for short. And she's in a band. She's a musician.

Yeah, she's a singer in a band. She's her way on sore at the moment. She's coming back tonight. What would she say? Here's a question, Bez. What would Frou say is your best quality? And what's the thing that annoys her most about you? Well, I think what annoys her most is my untidiness. I make a mess. Like, she always complaining that I make a mess after she's just sided up. And I don't think I've actually, I've made a mess, but there you go. But yeah, before you come this morning, I've been cleaning the kitchen all day, or morning, so she does it moan when she gets back.

What do you like when you're angry? Well, I don't get angry for, you have just like two minute moments, but it's a waste of energy, and they're trying not to get involved in it but yeah yeah I've had different moments but I've done their bare-knuckle fighting I've done that once and all that done boxing but yeah that's not really anger though you know what I mean but that's what's interesting is that you're someone who let's be honest can take care of themselves given what you've been through in the life you've experienced you've had to be

But you, there's nothing, I suppose, sinister or threatening or you're very amiable and... Well that's how I always try to be, yeah. I always say no life mirrors back to you what you give out. Yeah. And if you go around angry and the mood all the time, then that's what you'll encounter of other people. It reflects back to you what you're giving out. So I always try, you know, go out and... and, you know, give the right feeling out to people

and not, you know, you know what I mean. Like life reflects back to you, you know. So if I was going around there and was really angry with you, you'd be like getting, you'd be getting pissed off back, you know what I'm? Are you quite good at being straight with people? So let's say there's a mate who's annoyed you, would you just bring them up and say, look, I'm a bit pissed off about this and deal with it?

Or do you worry and think about things a bit? Yeah, normally I have a short burst. That's when they have me, like, but it was short burst. So what would you say? Let's say Sean has pissed you off. I'll just call them a fucking **** and all that. I think it's kind of an oven thing. They never beat about the bush, really, with no feelings.

I quite like it, though. It's done. It's finished. What's emotional, Bez, like? Do you cry? When did you last cry? Well sometimes I find myself crying it. The weirdest things, you know what I mean? No, not crying, but no, getting all emotional, especially after a good weekend out.

What did you cry at last? Go on. What would you cry at? Well, I found an old photo album of my two older sons when there was a young kid. I was looking at it and it like made me emotion. I didn't cry but no, felt emotional looking at it. Are there any regrets you have or anything you've learned? I don't live life with regret. What I always say is, no, there's no such thing as a bad experience. Just another moment of creating your own awareness of life. So, yeah, I always say there's bad and good.

They're all the same, you know what I mean? Yeah, it's just part of your life's journey. And there's no such thing as a bad moment. I took you on a shortened walk as well today. I've normally got one. It's normally a five-mile walk I do. Bess, are you kidding me? Can you imagine him?

Yeah, he can't even do five metres. The old raven would be dead when he got back from a five-mile walk. Would you have therapy ever, Bess? No. Well, the nearest thing I've ever done to therapy is when I did this air fishing quest thing, which is like going out into the wilderness fasting for four days and four nights and that's a former self-psychologist and that's the nearest I've ever been to no a psychologist but no I

would never go to a psychologist why well I don't feel like I need to quite quite lucky because I've got the mindset I do have I never feel I like I need one and no and life is full of lows and highs and it's the natural rhythm of life and I don't ever feel like I need any psychological help when I'm going through one of my low points. Come here, bears oh here we go. Come on Raymond did he just work all the way up there on his own? He looks lovely. Do you have to cut his hair for him? Do you know I take him to a special groomer and you know these things. They're always called dog on fabulous,

hair of the dog, these things, and they love him. He's the best behaved. He's never barked. Do you know what? I'm quite a strict disciplinarian. When I brought him home, he went, I said, we don't do that. But we do colour. I will colour you, but you're not barking. Now, I wish I'd let him bark and draw him out to walk,

Bez. So, here's the thing. You seem so happy. You've got an idyllic existence here. it seems and I get the sense you've been quite clever about fame Bez and your work because I had this sense of you being able to sort of dip in and out of it it hasn't consumed your life well I enjoy your life and like I say I just take what opportunity comes my way you know what I mean and I've been quite lucky that's me a festival fan Snoop's garden

back door this look at them together they're really cute together yeah they've accepted him without barking they normally barking do you know what I see it like Raymond and your two dogs it's a bit like when you joined the Happy Mondays yeah yeah yeah part of the bun now so Bez we've got back to I'm calling it Bez Bez Towers and it's it's so idyllic here but what I love and it's so kind of but you know what they're still a touch they're still a touch of the old Cassie Ender boy there's some hudies here brightly called they're me youngest lads they're not mine they're me youngest sons all days I just pulled him out the

washing machine as well there's been such a joy well listen and I really recommend that everybody you should buy a copy of this book because it's it's so fascinating I could I kind of couldn't put it down because you've had such an extraordinary life well best you know what I had a feeling I knew I was going to like you, I knew I was going to get good vibes. I've always had good vibes about you. Oh nice one thank you. What have you, have you enjoyed doing this? Yeah it's been well well I love. I love walking the dogs. It's one of my favourite parts of the day

because when I go out with the dogs they always have time to think and uh I've got all me different favorite spots where I stop for their rest. you sat in one of them in the middle of the ward so yeah I've got all these little spots what I love and I'm really lucky because they never have to put the dogs

on the lead Bez what have you thought of Raymond? What do you make of Raymond Bess? Well I think Raymond's... I think he's almost became a country dog today. He actually done a bit of walking. He went through the brambles nearly. Did a bit

of wood hopping. He's lovely though Raymond. He's such a a cute dog. Do you think so? Yeah, spilt but cute. Oh, Bez, what's that? Will you get that out of him, Biz? It's like a sparkle thing. What do you? It's a bit of air bramble.

Oh, take the bramble out, Bez. He's got a bit of bram. Oh, he's got a sticky bob. What's that? Well, them sticky bulbs sort of stick on you. Right, Uncle Bez is helping you. You know what? Bez, I love that you're a granddad now. Yeah, how funny is that?

What do you, they call you? He calls me Grandad, Bez. But the great thing about it, where one year I took him to Glastonbury, and he's only young, and he needed to go into hospital afterwards because he had grommets in his ears, and he went under the anaesthetic,

and he came out of the anesthetics, talking about Grandad Bez to all the nurses, and his experience at Glastonbury. Bez, any time you guys want a dog sit, please. Ray, would you like to come and stay with Bez again? Would you look after him, Uncle Bez? Would you take him to parties and lead him astray? Well, you know what?

They're quite good at parties, my dogs now, because we're always having parties at my bar there. And we've had somewhat go on for days on end. At first, they hated loud music, but they've grown the customs to it now. You can't be Bez's dog and not. like loud music. Bez, will you say goodbye to Raymond? Raymond, give us your paw. Give us your paw. Bye-bye.

You poor. Bye-bye. I really hope you enjoyed listening to that. And do remember to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes.