John Pope
@basspope.bsky.social
Open-Hearted Improviser, Bass Player, Musician
Jazz, improv, creativity, TTRPGs, books, whatever else
[He/Him]
Jazz, improv, creativity, TTRPGs, books, whatever else
[He/Him]
Reposted by John Pope
If you don't have authentic Grenadier AD&D Miniatures, you aren't an authentic Dungeon Master.
I don't make the rules. That sketchy wizard cast a spell ages ago and this curse is now the reason for that Dungeon Master shortage people talk about. To end the shortage we must first defeat this guy
I don't make the rules. That sketchy wizard cast a spell ages ago and this curse is now the reason for that Dungeon Master shortage people talk about. To end the shortage we must first defeat this guy
November 19, 2025 at 8:11 PM
If you don't have authentic Grenadier AD&D Miniatures, you aren't an authentic Dungeon Master.
I don't make the rules. That sketchy wizard cast a spell ages ago and this curse is now the reason for that Dungeon Master shortage people talk about. To end the shortage we must first defeat this guy
I don't make the rules. That sketchy wizard cast a spell ages ago and this curse is now the reason for that Dungeon Master shortage people talk about. To end the shortage we must first defeat this guy
Reposted by John Pope
One of the things that the “immigration debate” in the UK really reveals is how little people actually know about how other people live. So much of immigration policy fails to work, even on its own terms, because it’s trying to solve problems that mostly exist in peoples heads
November 18, 2025 at 10:51 PM
One of the things that the “immigration debate” in the UK really reveals is how little people actually know about how other people live. So much of immigration policy fails to work, even on its own terms, because it’s trying to solve problems that mostly exist in peoples heads
Reposted by John Pope
Some of the people in this article have shared their recollections with me before - but on condition of anonymity. Coming forward now is an act of patriotism. Farage’s claim that it never happened is the opposite.
(Note also the line about pronouncing his name.)
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
(Note also the line about pronouncing his name.)
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
‘Deeply shocking’: Nigel Farage faces fresh claims of racism and antisemitism at school
Bafta-winning director among contemporaries urging contrition and apology from Reform UK leader, who denies the allegations
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Some of the people in this article have shared their recollections with me before - but on condition of anonymity. Coming forward now is an act of patriotism. Farage’s claim that it never happened is the opposite.
(Note also the line about pronouncing his name.)
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
(Note also the line about pronouncing his name.)
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
Reposted by John Pope
This is utter madness. We have a *Labour* government that thinks it's a good idea to brief that they are inspired by Trump's immigration policies.
I mean, it’s quite clever politics for someone from the Greens to pretend to be Shabana Mahmood’s special adviser and brief this sort of stuff to the Times, but I’m not sure it’s especially ethical.
November 16, 2025 at 9:33 PM
This is utter madness. We have a *Labour* government that thinks it's a good idea to brief that they are inspired by Trump's immigration policies.
Reposted by John Pope
Vital piece of investigative reporting from Sky. They've uncovered the X algorithm which feeds users extremist right wing material from the moment they join the site. It is a far-right radicalisation engine, by design.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Vital piece of investigative reporting from Sky. They've uncovered the X algorithm which feeds users extremist right wing material from the moment they join the site. It is a far-right radicalisation engine, by design.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
I’m on a @solobasssteve.bsky.social release! Recorded live in Newcastle earlier this month. What a joy to play with Steve!
hey, all y'all Bandcamp subscribers, I just released a new thing, the live recording from my show in Newcastle last month - it's called On The Town, & it's here: stevelawson.bandcamp.com/album/on-the...
if you're not currently a subscriber, you can get this and 100+ other albums via the same link.
if you're not currently a subscriber, you can get this and 100+ other albums via the same link.
On The Town (feat. John Pope), by Steve Lawson
4 track album
stevelawson.bandcamp.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:35 AM
I’m on a @solobasssteve.bsky.social release! Recorded live in Newcastle earlier this month. What a joy to play with Steve!
Reposted by John Pope
I need more people to get into @apocalypseplayers.bsky.social
Partially because it's an amazing AP podcast with audio design on par with that of Audio Daddy Casey Toney, but also, selfishly, I know a lot of cool artists who's fanart would absolutely rock and I want to see it.
Partially because it's an amazing AP podcast with audio design on par with that of Audio Daddy Casey Toney, but also, selfishly, I know a lot of cool artists who's fanart would absolutely rock and I want to see it.
November 4, 2025 at 10:04 PM
I need more people to get into @apocalypseplayers.bsky.social
Partially because it's an amazing AP podcast with audio design on par with that of Audio Daddy Casey Toney, but also, selfishly, I know a lot of cool artists who's fanart would absolutely rock and I want to see it.
Partially because it's an amazing AP podcast with audio design on par with that of Audio Daddy Casey Toney, but also, selfishly, I know a lot of cool artists who's fanart would absolutely rock and I want to see it.
The absolute opposite of art. This is honestly chilling, not in a dumb ‘The robots are taking our jobs’ way but in the stark staring-into-the-eye-of-madness glimpse it gives us of how utterly allergic to the idea of honest artistry the cheerleaders of this bullshit are.
I don’t know if there’s a more perfect illustration of the utter fucking nonsense that creative pollution by AI will produce than this choice to illustrate the power of Paramount’s new “localization” and “customization” technology by face-swapping Brad Pitt into the lead role of GET OUT
October 23, 2025 at 5:54 PM
The absolute opposite of art. This is honestly chilling, not in a dumb ‘The robots are taking our jobs’ way but in the stark staring-into-the-eye-of-madness glimpse it gives us of how utterly allergic to the idea of honest artistry the cheerleaders of this bullshit are.
I’m glad somebody does…
One must imagine the bassist happy.
October 11, 2025 at 5:02 PM
I’m glad somebody does…
Reposted by John Pope
I hope the Riyadh festival kills the self-serving pretence that comedians are typically fearless truth-tellers, taboo-busters and champions of free speech. A few are. Most are just entertainers who like attention and money
October 1, 2025 at 7:48 AM
I hope the Riyadh festival kills the self-serving pretence that comedians are typically fearless truth-tellers, taboo-busters and champions of free speech. A few are. Most are just entertainers who like attention and money
Probably, if you pushed me to choose, my favourite album of all time.
Toby Manning looks back to the 1985 album about New York City that stood in complete antithesis to the gentrifying, Reaganite forces changing it out of all recognition
Many Happy Returns to #TomWaits' Rain Dogs, which turns 40 today!
buff.ly/vHWSmzE
Many Happy Returns to #TomWaits' Rain Dogs, which turns 40 today!
buff.ly/vHWSmzE
September 30, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Probably, if you pushed me to choose, my favourite album of all time.
Reposted by John Pope
The Onion doesn’t miss. We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act NOW!
September 28, 2025 at 5:18 PM
The Onion doesn’t miss. We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act NOW!
Reposted by John Pope
New footage from my last escapade at The Lescar in Sheffield with @basspope.bsky.social and Anton Hunter. Cheers to @jazzteabeer.bsky.social for putting us on. youtu.be/OFm0hyFYfGg?...
Garner Hunter Pope - Live at The Lescar
YouTube video by John Garner
youtu.be
September 26, 2025 at 12:35 PM
New footage from my last escapade at The Lescar in Sheffield with @basspope.bsky.social and Anton Hunter. Cheers to @jazzteabeer.bsky.social for putting us on. youtu.be/OFm0hyFYfGg?...
Reposted by John Pope
Late to this, but really can’t recommend enough this episode of Origin Story w/ @dorianlynskey.bsky.social and @iandunt.bsky.social on the Rivers of Blood speech. Scary as hell, brilliantly analysed, with lessons for all of us on the mainstreaming of the far-right
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/r...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/r...
Rivers of Blood – How Enoch Powell poisoned Britain
Podcast Episode · Origin Story · 20/08/2025 · 1h 21m
podcasts.apple.com
September 23, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Late to this, but really can’t recommend enough this episode of Origin Story w/ @dorianlynskey.bsky.social and @iandunt.bsky.social on the Rivers of Blood speech. Scary as hell, brilliantly analysed, with lessons for all of us on the mainstreaming of the far-right
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/r...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/r...
I’m still a decade away from this number, but I feel a lot of these things nonetheless. Essential wisdom.
August 31, 2025 at 12:54 PM
I’m still a decade away from this number, but I feel a lot of these things nonetheless. Essential wisdom.
Reposted by John Pope
We built a calculator that doesn't work, but don't worry, it's also a plagiarism machine that will tell you to kill yourself. It runs on the world's oceans and costs 10 trillion dollars.
August 29, 2025 at 6:24 PM
We built a calculator that doesn't work, but don't worry, it's also a plagiarism machine that will tell you to kill yourself. It runs on the world's oceans and costs 10 trillion dollars.
We did a thing! Tune into YouTube at 8pm GMT and see what we got up to in the studio a while ago…
Come hang out at 20:00 BST tonight for the Anarchist Reading Group premiere of Live at Blank Studios. Weird, weird fun. Guaranteed to be one of the best evenings available. Featuring myself, @basspope.bsky.social, Tobias Sarra and Gabriele Heller. youtu.be/xYXewFAhvI8?...
Anarchist Reading Group - Live at Blank Studios
YouTube video by Turquoise Coconut
youtu.be
August 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM
We did a thing! Tune into YouTube at 8pm GMT and see what we got up to in the studio a while ago…
The Great Joe McPhee. One of the realest ones.
After providing #Severance with the soundtrack to its "defiant jazz" scene, the endlessly explorative work of legendary multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee is enjoying a moment of rare mainstream crossover...
The Strange World Of… #JoeMcPhee
buff.ly/dzdMvjo
The Strange World Of… #JoeMcPhee
buff.ly/dzdMvjo
August 20, 2025 at 2:23 PM
The Great Joe McPhee. One of the realest ones.
Reposted by John Pope
On this day in 1958!
A Great Day in Harlem taken by Art Kane.
A Great Day in Harlem taken by Art Kane.
August 12, 2025 at 1:41 PM
On this day in 1958!
A Great Day in Harlem taken by Art Kane.
A Great Day in Harlem taken by Art Kane.
Reposted by John Pope
Arresting 400+ people for the "terrorist" offence of protesting against mass murder while large segments of the right are openly encouraging riots against immigrants is a tale of a very unhappy country and government.
August 10, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Arresting 400+ people for the "terrorist" offence of protesting against mass murder while large segments of the right are openly encouraging riots against immigrants is a tale of a very unhappy country and government.
Never underestimate how much difference getting fed makes to artists. Being on the road makes eating well tough. I fondly remember more of the gigs where we got a meal, however humble, even if the pay was shit and the gig was a drag. It can literally be a pot of bean chilli, we’ll never forget it.
When I am god emperor there will be a hot food mandate for all dive bar music venues and we will replace drink tickets for artists with literal meal tickets for artists.
August 9, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Never underestimate how much difference getting fed makes to artists. Being on the road makes eating well tough. I fondly remember more of the gigs where we got a meal, however humble, even if the pay was shit and the gig was a drag. It can literally be a pot of bean chilli, we’ll never forget it.
Reposted by John Pope
BREAKING: Palestine Action will be able to challenge the UK Government's ban on the organisation
Co-founder Huda Ammori won a legal battle at the High Court today
Co-founder Huda Ammori won a legal battle at the High Court today
July 30, 2025 at 1:17 PM
BREAKING: Palestine Action will be able to challenge the UK Government's ban on the organisation
Co-founder Huda Ammori won a legal battle at the High Court today
Co-founder Huda Ammori won a legal battle at the High Court today
Share the last 4 games you played and expose a snapshot of your gaming habits (TTRPG only)
Pirate Borg
Call of Cthulhu
Electric Bastionland
Monster of the Week
Pirate Borg
Call of Cthulhu
Electric Bastionland
Monster of the Week
Share the last 4 games you played and expose a snapshot of your gaming habits (TTRPG only)
The Scions
The Between
The Seven Part Pact
Lovecraftesque
The Scions
The Between
The Seven Part Pact
Lovecraftesque
Share the last 4 games you played and expose a snapshot of your gaming habits (TTRPG only)
The Between (campaign)
Daggerheart (one-shot)
Inevitable (campaign)
Star Trek Adventures (campaign)
The Between (campaign)
Daggerheart (one-shot)
Inevitable (campaign)
Star Trek Adventures (campaign)
July 13, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Share the last 4 games you played and expose a snapshot of your gaming habits (TTRPG only)
Pirate Borg
Call of Cthulhu
Electric Bastionland
Monster of the Week
Pirate Borg
Call of Cthulhu
Electric Bastionland
Monster of the Week
Reposted by John Pope
Peter Thiel being asked about whether humanity should survive:
June 26, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Peter Thiel being asked about whether humanity should survive:
Reposted by John Pope
The government should have listened to disabled people a long time ago: stop these disgraceful cuts and drop the Bill.
June 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The government should have listened to disabled people a long time ago: stop these disgraceful cuts and drop the Bill.