Sri Lanka is experiencing a tourism boom. But thanks to sinister land grabs, huge rent increases and the construction of exclusive resorts, most of the cash entering the country is being funnelled off to foreign bank accounts rather than being pocketed by local people. Meanwhile, towns along the south coast have been transformed completely, and local families pushed aside. Piecing together conversations with business owners and other concerned Sri Lankan people, this story explores the transformation of this coastline and explains why it represents neo-colonialism - with additional reporting from @imomccurdy . Full article link in bio. Please read and share! 🇱🇰
Proud of this body of work for 2025 - digital & print covers/features with amazing artists like Venna, Pozer, Knucks, Oblig, Kokoroko, Aitch, and the Victory Lap Radio gang. Lots of storytelling on beer and pub culture, plus a Substack newsletter launched for many other miscellaneous musings (link in bio) - goodbye to a good year
This month at Pellicle the majority of our focus has been on pubs, and in this week’s feature we’re visiting one of the UK’s finest, Norwich’s @fatcatnorwich . @fred_gs delivers the goods in this rich profile, expertly photographed by partner-in-crime @seanislegend . Visit the site now and feast your eyes.
Oblig is bringing grime back to the club 🔙
Corey Whelan, aka Oblig, has spent over a decade blending grime with techno and a huge range of other club-focused sounds to create innovative mixes that offer MCs the ultimate test. As he begins a new phase in his career, Fred Garratt-Stanley charts the story of an artist that has helped push the sonic boundaries of grime.
In the spirit of bridging grime and dance music, Oblig accompanies the interview with a mix of essential cuts, showcasing his cross-genre fusion and uniting grime’s roots in club culture with contemporary sensibility. The mix, ‘Taking grime back to the club’, brings together heaters from stalwarts and visionaries of the scene, including Terror Danjah, Skream, DJ Swisha and Sir Spyro.
Read more and listen to this mix on djmag.com 🔗
📸 @benedictpriddy_
As part of a new series, our Marketing & Events Exec, Kimberley will be sitting down and interviewing our members so we can all get to know them a whole lot better and learn all the ways we can support their important work.
In the first instalment, Kimberley interviews beer writer, Fred Garratt-Stanley.
Click the link in bio to watch the whole 15-minute chat.
#bgbw #beerwriter #freelancer #freelancing #beer
Have Reform UK infiltrated football?
Norwich City fan @fred_gs has noticed an uptick in pro-Reform sentiment at away games and wrote about it on his Substack - Meanders.
We spoke to Fred about this trend and delved into the reasons for this.
✍️: @eoghanoc97
#football #premierleague #reform #farage
Last Sunday marked 5 years since my dad died, and I’m really proud that we were able to turn it into a positive day full of football and joy. So far, we’ve raised over £2,500 for @thebraintumourcharity in his memory, helping to fund brain tumour research so we can get closer to finding a cure. If you can spare any cash, the fundraising link is still live: /page/fred-garratt-stanley-brain-tumour-charity-fundraiser. Finally, thank you so much @antoniablunt for capturing the day so brilliantly in these photos. 💙💚💜
“Unapologetic love” got @berwynberwynberwyn through his darkest times. His debut album ‘Who Am I’ documents the complicated process of rising above trauma and striving for excellence.
It was a pleasure speaking to the Trinidad-born, Romford-raised singer, rapper, singer, producer, and instrumentalist for this week's #nmethecover. We spoke about UK immigration policy, inequality, leftist politics in music, and much more
Read the full story at NME.com/the-cover
#NMETheCover #Berwyn
Words: Fred Garratt-Stanley / @fred_gs
Photography: Tamiym / @tamiymcader
Styling: Joshua Sankey / @joshuasankey
Label: Sony Music UK / @sonymusicuk
Location: Tileyard / @thisistyx
