John David Robb, born on 4 May 1961 in Fleetwood, grew up in Anchorsholme, Blackpool. He attended Blackpool Sixth Form College and Blackpool Grammar School, where his interest in the emerging punk rock scene led him to form his first band. A lifelong supporter of Blackpool FC, Robb has stated that supporting the local team is something that “gets under your skin for life.” In 1977, inspired by the DIY ethos of punk, Robb founded The Membranes, a punk band that released several albums in the 1980s before disbanding in 1990. Robb then formed Sensuround in the early ’90s, releasing two singles before going on to form Goldblade in 1994. The band released several albums, including Rebel Songs (2005) and Mutiny (2008), and collaborated with Poly Styrene on the single “City of Christmas Ghosts.” In 2013, Goldblade released The Terror of Modern Life.
The Membranes reunited in 2010 for the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival, at the request of My Bloody Valentine, and continued to release new material, including the single “If You Enter The Arena, You Got To Be Prepared To Deal with the Lions” (2012) and the album Dark Matter/Dark Energy (2015). They have also performed sell-out shows with a 25-piece choir, including one at the top of Blackpool Tower, and collaborated with scientists to explain the universe at their gigs. In 2019, the band released What Nature Gives…Nature Takes Away, which was met with critical acclaim. As a music producer, Robb has worked with several bands, including Slinky, Done Lying Down, Therapy?, and Cornershop. He also co-managed these bands during the 1990s. In addition to his music career, Robb has appeared as a pundit on various television programs, including BBC Breakfast, Channel 4’s “top 100” shows, and documentaries like Seven Ages of Rock. He has also presented on BBC Radio and appeared on Sky’s The Pop Years and Channel 4’s The Culture Show.
Robb is a respected journalist, having written for publications like ZigZag, Sounds, Melody Maker, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer, and several international outlets. He is credited with coining the term “Britpop” and was the first journalist to interview Nirvana in 1988. In 2011, he launched Louder Than War, an online rock music magazine, which later became a nationally distributed magazine. Robb’s books include Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop, Punk Rock: An Oral History, Death To Trad Rock, and The North Will Rise Again – Manchester Music City from 1976 to 1996. His most recent book, The Art of Darkness – The History of Goth, was released in 2023. Robb also contributes to Viva!Life, a magazine by the Vegan charity Viva!, and has become a regular contributor to several music documentaries. In 2021, he began filming interviews with cultural figures and co-produced a documentary about Alan McGee.
The image below shows Gary Numan in conversation with John Robb at Rockaway Beach at Butlin’s, Bognor Regis on 12 January 2019.
The background image shows John performing with the Membranes on 18 August 2016. John Robb is on bass and vocals on the Far Out Stage, Glanusk Estate, Brecon, Wales. This was Day One of the Green Man Festival. The featured image shows John on Day Three at the Beautiful Days Festival, Devon, 13 August 2014.
