Paul Wellings

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Paul Wellings is a British Journalist, Author, Broadcaster, DJ and Musician.

Wellings was born and raised in the London overspill suburbs, the eldest son of a P.E. teacher and school assistant and grandson of a philanthropic Miner.

After starting his journalistic career on regional newspapers, Wellings landed a prestigious freelance job on the pop press with the New Musical Express (NME), thanks to his best man Tony Parsons. He was the first to write about the Hip Hop / R&B scene and its links with the soccer casual movement. He also wrote about his close friendship with Tony Parsons and Julie Burchill in the book ' I'm a Journalist...Get Me Out Of Here' and exposed the bigotry in journalism.

He also worked on the Daily Mirror and London’s Evening Standard, writing radical features about popular culture. He has appeared on scores of TV shows discussing football, black music, youth cults, soccer casuals, and pirate radio. He has written six books: 'This is the Modern Word', 'East Ending','The Chaps, 'I'm a Journalist...Get Me Out Of Here', 'Spend It Like Beckham' (about football being turned into corporate entertainment) and the latest 'Sex, Lines and Videotape' (about cult film quotes), plus the screenplay 'Thieves'. In the 1980s his group the Anti Social Workers released an LP, produced by the legendary reggae producer the Mad Professor (of Massive Attack fame), to rave reviews. The group supported reggae legends Peter Tosh (Bob Marley's partner) and Eek-a-Mouse on tour.

As a sideline Wellings was a rare grooves DJ with underground radio stations Laser and LWR (the station that launched Radio 1's Gilles Peterson, Tim Westwood and Pete Tong).

In the 1990s he moved into Media Relations consultancy but now he is a freelance journalist for The Independent.

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