 He is the managing director of his own production company, Orange River Ltd, named after the River Ebbw, which, in the 1960s, was one of the most polluted waterways in Europe.John played bass with DIY punk band called Reptile Ranch.Along with Spike Reptile, Simon Smith and Andrew Tucker, he founded Z-Block Records, a non profit-making collective releasing records by fellow Cardiff-based DIY bands, including the Young Marble Giants.