Welcome back to our continuing series, shining a well-deserved spotlight on the fine men and women tirelessly curating the most amazing music ever made.

Today we’re proud to introduce you to Julie Weir, Head of Music For Nations. A label that – if it were a person – would be smoking behind the bike sheds with its collar turned up waiting to take your dinner money…

What was the first record you ever bought?

Abba Greatest Hits… From Woolworths in Workington. I think it was £4.00!

Who is your favourite Sony artist and what is your favourite Song/Album by them?

I absolutely love the Foo Fighters – favorite track is ‘I’ll Stick Around’, with ‘My Poor Brain’ as a close second.

I have to credit one of my best mates from home with getting me into them, and for possibly giving me the impetus to work in music too.
Take a bow Martin Tognarelli.

What’s the best gig you’ve been to? Or What was the first gig you went to?

The first gig I actually went to was with Animal Kwackers at Whitehaven Civic Hall. Once you’ve seen a psychedelic blue lion that sings and tells stories, a tiger in platform boots and an eyepatch, a monkey playing bass and an unnamed creature on drums at the age of 7 there’s no coming back.

Also saw The Damned at Carlisle Sands Centre when I was 15 and got spat on from the stage. Delightful. And an arty one at 16 was David Sylvian (ex-Japan) on the In Praise of Shamans tour at Newcastle City Hall. Sooooo beautiful.

What’s your favourite album?

Would have to be a few as I have a lot of things that have punctuated me growing up:

Jellyfish – ‘Bellybutton’
Sugar – ‘Copper Blue’
Dag Nasty – ‘Wig Out at Denko’s’
The Verve – ‘A Northern Soul’
The Bolshoi – ‘Friends’
Talk Talk – ‘Spirit of Eden’
Bauhaus – ‘In The Flat Field’
Type O Negative – ‘October Rust’
Pearl Jam – ‘Ten’
The Who – ‘Quadrophenia’
Zen Guerilla – ‘Shadows on the Su’n
The Dirtbombs – ‘Ultraglide in Black’
The Detroit Cobras – ‘Life Love and Leaving’
(And any soundtrack by John Carpenter)

Any stories you’d like to share from your time working in music?

I idolised Zodiac Mindwarp as a kid, and was getting tattooed after hours at my friend’s studio when another tattooist comes in with two friends.

One of them was the kid who was the environmental activist on Corrie years ago (if anyone remembers ‘Spider’, that will tell you how long ago this was!). The other was Zodiac Mindwarp. All while I am sitting there in my pants. Mortified.

Another time I was covering a Top of the Pops appearance with a band when there was a knock at the door. I went to open it and standing there was a very recognizable member of a massive 80’s pop band saying “Hi, I’m Simon.” As in LE BON!

To which all I could reply was, “I know”. And close the door as I was in complete shock. Mortified. (Again).

Then there was the call I got one Friday saying it was Dave Grohl asking me to do some corpsepaint on him for a magazine cover. To which I replied “Get lost. I’m busy.” thinking it was one of my mates.

The phone rings again, and this time it is actually my friend who was doing press for the Probot release (great Grohl curated compilation). It was Grohl and he did actually want me to do the corpsepaint. Never been so nervous in my life.

I still have the photos of us all sitting in the lobby of the hotel. A really odd mix; me, Lee Dorrian (Rise Above/Cathedral), Cronos from Venom and Greg from Sunn0))).

Brilliant day. And not mortified!