No one would actively seek out entertainment that consisted of a group of men of a certain age sitting around talking about rock music, much of it old, but this doesn’t stop The Word podcast (www.wordmagazine.co.uk) from being a weekly must-listen. Presumably because you don’t have to buy them a pint before they’ll give you their U2 anecdote, of which they have many.

But that’s because these are not ordinary men, and precisely because they are. On the one hand this kaffee klatsch, a loose conglomeration that orbits two constants – The Word magazine’s founders, Mark Ellen and David Hepworth ( below) – is blessed in a way that ordinary fans are not, in that they ride in limos with the stars, occupy front-row seats, and have seen things backstage that would cause your locks to stand on end.

But they don’t go there. First, presumably, because of the defamation laws, and second because they, too, are fans. They are as awed by it all as their listeners.

So where do their ramblings take them? I have particularly enjoyed the tycoon who spent $15 million on a party for his 12-year-old where the music was provided by Aerosmith, 50 Cent, the Eagles – and Kenny G. And Van Morrison turning up at a rock-star party – dressed in his usual flat cap, bomber jacket, jeans – to be greeted with “Who ordered a minicab?” And learning that Ron Wood’s guitar roadie was tone deaf. And of how the topless pubescent girl on the cover of the Blind Faith LP used her fee to buy either a horse or a goat.

Children play a big part in the Word legend. As they would; these men are probably on to their third eight-year-old offspring by now. I particularly liked the advice given to parents of young children when the little ones throw a frothy in a shopping centre: dance. Nothing will shut up a child quicker than watching Dad make a fool of himself.

There are quibbles. One hesitates to criticise the editor of, successively, Smash Hits, Q and Mojo, but Mark Ellen does laugh an awful lot. And if he gave up on Led Zeppelin after hating Stairway to Heaven, how did he get to go to the Zep reunion gig? Being an editor again helped, but still... you could almost hear Hepworth radiating jealousy. And me. And everyone else. God, what a great life they’ve had. God, I’m glad they live it for us. If you have a podcast you want me to hear, e-mail chris.campling@thetimes.co.uk

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