What It Was Like

In July of 1999 it was the 30th anniversary of Woodstock. The original organisers wanted another festival dedicated to love and peace, but this one became a disaster. The crowd rioted, setting fire to food trucks. Dozens were arrested, including our guest, Calvin Cardwell. On this episode, Calvin and his friend Chad Yantis describe their memories of the riot, and the details that the Netflix documentary, Trainwreck, missed out on.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the lead up to Christmas of 1980, three Woolworths stores were bombed around New South Wales. It's a crazy story involving Australia's largest supermarket chain, two larrikin crooks, and a $1 million ransom thrown into the Sydney Harbour. We'll hear about it from two people: Former police officer Allan Duncan who was injured in one of the explosions, and Forgotten Australia podcast host, Michael Adams.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When abandoned farm houses started catching fire in rural Virginia, police weren't sure what to think. It took five months and almost 80 fires for a couple to be arrested and the story to emerge. In this episode, convicted arsonist Charlie Smith explains how he and his ex-partner lit fires to relax when their relationship soured.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lauren Lloyd had just co-founded a Hollywood talent agency when she met a pimply kid from Missouri named Brad. He was in his early 20s, but had a certain confidence that she found mesmerising. She knew instinctively he would be a movie star, and we're spending this episode unpacking what she saw and knew in that moment.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa Mitchell thought she was buying the home of her dreams. Sure, it was a medieval prison for English peasants accused of witchcraft, but it was also cute and within her price range. But then her possessions started vanishing and she found a mysterious pool of blood on the floor and three years later she was out, fleeing with her son. This is Vanessa's story of what happened.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Through the 1980s the Soviet Union poured vast amounts of money into building reusable spaceships for crewed missions. This was the Buran programme, which was cancelled after the USSR collapsed. Today, many of these prototype spaceships are rusting away in Russian military hangars in Kazakhstan. We speak to a man who journeyed to find them.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In June of 1993 Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their third championship victory. A month later, his dad was shot dead and Jordan quit the NBA. Now, for the first time, one of the two men convicted with James Jordan's murder tells his story.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When three business partners bought an ex-P&O cruise liner, they thought they were creating the co-living space of the future. Their plan didn't work, but they did get to briefly own a 1000-room ship. We're asking former co-owner Grant Romundt what it was like sailing the vessel to Panama, and how he spent Christmas Day exploring locked rooms and riding water slides.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Lorraine Murphy met up with a pig farmer at a cafe in Vancouver, she couldn't have been less impressed. "Willy," as everyone called him, was creepy and smelled terrible. She left and didn't see him again for 12 years — when Willy was arrested as the most prolific serial killer (by body count) in Canada's history. Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2008 a man named Terry Kniess guessed the exact price of the finale prize on The Price Is Right and was accused of cheating. But Terry hadn't cheated. He'd just obsessively watched the show until he spotted a vulnerability, and then exploited it. We asked Terry how he did it.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colleen Gwynne was a police officer in Alice Springs when one of Australia's biggest murder cases landed on her desk. A British couple named Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees had been attacked by an unknown gunman, and Joanne had survived by running off into the desert—a scene which later inspired the film Wolf Creek. Here Colleen describes how she tracked down the killer.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Born blind, Matthew Weigman became an angry teenager with a supercharged sense of hearing. This enabled him to use his phone like a hacker uses a computer. Here Matt describes how he used his superpowers to harass celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Eminem, until the FBI caught up with him.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer Wynn's job is to make jurors feel sympathy for people who've committed horrible crimes. She talks to us about some of the killers she's met, and how she's come to understand their perspectives and motives after unpacking their tragic lives.Hosted by Julian MorgansA Superreal Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.