Gaz Whelan Talks Yogi G and the Family Tree, New Album, Tour & Happy Mondays | Exclusive Interview

Happy Mondays drummer Gaz Whelan joins Steve Blame for a revealing conversation about the man behind the Madchester stories—and the experiences that shaped Yogi-G and the Family Tree’s album, Show Me the Truth.

Gaz looks back on growing up in Salford, a childhood accident that severely injured his arm, and living with OCD and anxiety. He discusses shyness, the freedom he found in music, and why being an outsider now feels different from how it did when he was young.

At the heart of the conversation is his friendship with Paul Ryder: their musical connection, shared humour, Paul’s struggles with addiction, and the loss of someone Gaz could talk to about anything. He also explains how Paul gave him the nickname Yogi G.

We explore the songs Black Symphony, Shine on Brother, Show Me the Truth and Power to the Peaceful, alongside his love of Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, poetry and literature. Gaz recalls meeting Bowie at Glastonbury and discusses his book in progress, All My Friends Are Junkies.

And there are Happy Mondays stories too: Tony Wilson and the band’s public image, how Top of the Pops changed the way people treated him, recording in Barbados, and the unforgettable night Paul and Bez’s hotel room caught fire.

An interview about friendship, grief, creativity and finding a way to express the parts of yourself that other people rarely see.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction and interview highlights
01:11 Growing up in Salford: parents, family and music
02:21 Classical guitar lessons and wanting to join a band
03:38 Creativity, school and his parents’ support
05:56 His father, affection and humour as a defence
07:33 Shyness, attention and performing on stage
09:14 The childhood accident that injured his arm
10:29 Hospital, anxiety and OCD
11:34 Returning to school, bullying and a love of reading
13:54 Finding drums and forming his first band
15:34 The Specials, Two Tone and belonging
17:57 David Bowie’s influence and meeting him at Glastonbury
20:26 Black Symphony, difficult times and regret
22:17 Meeting Paul Ryder and their musical connection
24:26 Losing Paul and the origins of Yogi G
25:56 Shine on Brother and conversations about addiction
28:31 Supporting Pop the History Makers
28:53 Leonard Cohen, soul and songwriting influences
30:02 All My Friends Are Junkies: writing his story
31:27 Poetry, books and pressure to fit in
33:04 Literary influences and revealing the darker side
34:45 Creativity and being an outsider
37:48 Experience, the subconscious and making art
38:44 Show Me the Truth: the song and album title
40:58 Tony Wilson and the Happy Mondays image
41:50 The toll of chaos and life in a band
43:10 Why fame doesn’t solve your problems
44:20 Top of the Pops and the moment everything changed
46:42 Public personas: Madonna and David Bowie
47:21 Power to the Peaceful, protest and hope
50:37 Live performances and letting listeners find meaning
52:07 What making the album taught him
53:12 Back to the Happy Mondays stories
53:37 Recording in Barbados
55:37 Paul, Bez and the Denver hotel fire
57:10 More stories from life on the road
58:36 Reflections on the album and the Mondays’ legacy
59:18 Duff McKagan, Guns N’ Roses and MTV
1:00:05 Closing and more interviews