This week on the Joe Irish Podcast, Joe sits down with legendary Irish DJ and radio presenter Al Gibbs for a brilliantly chaotic, funny, and inspiring conversation.

From pirate radio days to prime-time slots, from carrying crates of vinyl to playing alongside global dance icons, Al opens up about his journey through decades in the music industry. He shares behind-the-scenes radio stories, festival moments, Ibiza memories, and how a brutal hangover sparked the creation of his electrolyte drink brand, Electro Wave.

The episode also dives into cancel culture, generational differences in comedy, balancing family life with a demanding career, DJing in the digital era, and what it really takes to stay relevant in an ever-changing industry.

Expect nostalgia, motivation, laugh-out-loud stories, and plenty of classic Joe & Al banter.

⏱️ Timecodes

00:00 – Chaotic intro & calendar confusion
01:07 – Sleep struggles & hair transplant chat
02:07 – Remote working & escaping Ireland for a month
03:21 – Balancing gigs, radio & family life
04:54 – “Am I being kidnapped?” – arriving at the studio
07:11 – Cancel culture & comedy in 2025
10:21 – The Ibiza hangover that led to Electro Wave
12:22 – Creating an electrolyte drink from scratch
14:30 – Retail deals, festivals & scaling the brand
16:29 – DJ Academy & mentoring beginners
19:43 – Vinyl vs USB: how DJing has changed
21:36 – How live radio actually works behind the scenes
26:05 – Playing alongside Roger Sanchez
27:24 – Space Ibiza memories & dance music legacy
30:27 – Fame, guest lists & industry politics
35:05 – Winning Young Entrepreneur at 16
36:00 – Pirate radio beginnings
38:18 – Prime-time radio & longevity in broadcasting
40:03 – Finding your “radio voice”
44:02 – Festival season plans & Beyond The Pale

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the Joe Irish Podcast, Joe and the crew sit down with Independent Senator Lynn Ruane for an unfiltered conversation about authenticity, addiction, violence, and the real meaning of community.

Lynn opens up about staying true to herself in politics — from wearing runners into Leinster House to refusing to adopt a “politician persona.” The conversation moves into her groundbreaking work on drug policy reform, decriminalisation, and violence intervention strategies inspired by work in Newark and LA.

From stories about growing up in Dublin communities to tackling intergenerational trauma and challenging “tough on crime” narratives, this episode blends humour, honesty, and hard truths. It’s a conversation about healing, prevention, and building safer communities from the inside out.

Raw. Insightful. Necessary listening.

⏱️ Timecodes

00:00 – 02:30
Intro chaos, laughs & welcoming Lynn Ruane – why authenticity matters in politics.

02:30 – 06:30
Staying true to yourself in Leinster House – resisting the “politician uniform” and representing your community honestly.

06:30 – 11:30
Drug policy explained: Decriminalisation vs legalisation – why criminalising addiction doesn’t work.

11:30 – 14:30
The history of prohibition – America’s influence, racism, and how drug laws evolved.

14:30 – 18:00
Poverty, drug dealing & systemic drivers – Lynn’s early research into exit strategies for dealers.

18:00 – 21:00
Trips to Newark & New York – learning from violence intervention programmes in the US.

21:00 – 24:00
Perception vs reality of safety – understanding community fear and media narratives.

24:00 – 28:30
Growing up in Dublin communities – loyalty, friendship, and what “community” really means.

28:30 – 31:30
Can community events reduce violence? Reimagining prevention beyond policing.

31:30 – 36:00
Victim assistance & intergenerational trauma – why healing must be part of justice.

36:00 – 39:30
Reducing retaliation & stopping the rumour mill – lessons from US intervention models.

39:30 – 42:00
“Hard on crime” politics vs real solutions – what actually reduces violence?

42:00 – 45:30
Carb funding, pilot programmes & building real change in Irish communities.

45:30 – End
Leadership, listening, and why real change starts inside the community.

This week on The Joe Irish Podcast (Episode 21), Joe and Sheree sit down with viral TikTok creators Danny Swanton and Jazzy (Josh Norton) for a wild, unfiltered conversation.

The lads break down how they built massive followings online, the chaos of TikTok fame, accents, alter egos, getting recognised in public, and trying to turn short-form content into long-term careers. From scabies horror stories and prison gigs to tattoo regrets, travel plans, comedy ambitions, and the reality of being “on” all the time — nothing is off limits.

Expect brutal honesty, Dublin humour, absolute nonsense, and plenty of laughs.

🎙️ Guests: Danny Swanton & Jazzy (Josh Norton)
📱 Topics: TikTok fame, comedy, content creation, live shows, travel, tattoos, mental health, Irish humour

Timecodes / Chapters

00:00 – Intro & hype
Chaotic opening, podcast intro, welcoming Danny & Jazzy

01:00 – Stage names & online personas
Why Jazzy became Jazzy, changing names for recognisability

03:00 – Accents, Dublin stereotypes & being judged online
Posh accents, class assumptions, internet perception

05:00 – Egypt trip & tourist scams
Travelling stories, getting scammed abroad

06:30 – Quitting jobs & early work struggles
Day jobs, getting fired, landscaping, money mistakes

08:00 – TikTok lives & viral growth
How Danny & Jazzy blew up, follower numbers, lives going viral

10:00 – Meeting comedians & media recognition
Oliver Callan, radio, TV exposure

12:00 – Long-form content & YouTube plans
Vlogging, cameras, trying to move beyond TikTok

13:30 – Live shows & learning limits on stage
Crowds, saying the wrong thing, finding boundaries

15:00 – Scabies horror stories
Boxing gyms, paranoia, absolute trauma

17:00 – Performing in Mountjoy Prison
Prison gig stories, toughest crowds, dark humour

18:30 – “No jocks” story
Forgetting underwear, borrowing jocks, podcast embarrassment

21:00 – Relationships & tattoos
Getting names tattooed, bad decisions, internet dares

24:00 – Joke segment
Pub jokes, poo jokes, grandad humour

27:30 – Family stories & growing up
Parents, dropping out of college, living with siblings

29:30 – Jamaican & knock-knock jokes
More chaos, accents, terrible jokes

32:00 – Travel deals & influencer holidays
Free trips, party travel, influencer life

34:00 – Social awkwardness vs stage confidence
Anxiety, being misunderstood, switching personalities

36:00 – Hate comments & public reactions
Getting abuse in public, dealing with trolls

38:00 – Content vs stand-up comedy
Why not everyone can make the jump

40:00 – What’s next for Danny & Jazzy
Future plans, travel, vlogs, growth

42:00 – Final thoughts & wrap-up
Shoutouts, socials, closing the episode