It's a thrilling listen. You don't have to be a music journalist who wrote for a specific publication at a specific time to empathise hard with Neil and Sarah's bitter memorialising on this episode, I'm sure a lot of us have at some point worked at companies we've seen changing gradually around us and then coming to the realisation that you don't fit in there any more. I felt for Neil at the end when he said spilling it all out hadn't even been that cathartic and he wasn't soothed.
After the first hour of bitter MM chat, I did worry slightly that some listeners might find it all a bit too self-indulgent, but you're absolutely right - I think most people will be able to relate to their anguish. Inept employers fucking up a business, alienating their customers and mistreating their employees happens in all walks of life.
I can also confirm that the clueless Mark Sutherland is a deeply intimidating man with no interpersonal skills. Sarah and Neil both mentioned his creepy habit of suddenly looming up behind you, which is something I personally experienced during my time freelancing for MM in those dark, dying days. He almost seemed to thrive on making his writers feel uncomfortable.
Anyway, hats off to them both for being so honest and absolutely nailing what went wrong with MM (and modern culture generally). Neil's closing words in this episode are actually quite heartbreaking.
