ISSUES
To mark our fiftieth issue — guest appearances from some of the people interviewed by The Listover the past two years.
SANDIE SHAW
lnterviewedlssue18June 1986 when touring to Scouand.
“I’m not quite sure how I'm going to take the world by storm at the moment.‘
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BEN ELTON Interviewed Issue 4 November1985 when touring with Rik Mayall to Glasgow.
‘There's so much inanity about you have to parody it. You can’t avoid thatyour head is totally lull with shit. so you might as well welcome it. ‘
‘We’re a TV generation. We’re swamped by culture. You can’t write comedy devoid oi cultural inlluence any more.’
JONATHAN ROSS
Interviewed Issue 36 when The Last Resort was running.
0n Cynthia Paine:
‘She said Iwas well-balanced sexually.’ 0n women:
‘Women are a problem aren'tthey?’
On his luture as a chatshow host
‘ltl don't enjoy doing it by the end at the second series lwon'tdo itanymore, Irankly. lcan’t imagine doing it in ten years time.l mean, it’s hard work, but it’s nota career. Idoit because it'stun. . . God, it would be so awtul. Imagine being Wogan.’
LLOYD COLE
Interviewed Issue 5 November1985 when Lloyd Cole and the Commotions were appearing in Glasgow. ‘What people may constitute as arrogance is that I’m tairly sell-confident as a songwriter.’
On The Commotions:
‘When we tormed I'm sure that we didn't realise how good a band we were going to be.’
On being a sex symbol:
‘I think I‘m a third division sex symbol. I’ve yet to do topless shots.‘
LIONEL BLAIR
Interviewed Issue 36 when his debut acting pertormance in Rosencrant; and Guildenstern are Dead arrived in Glasgow.
‘I don‘t want to wait until I’m Max Wall's age to suddenly be discovered as a brilliant actor.’
VICTOR AND BARRY
Interviewed Issue 43 June 1987 when they were appearing at the Stella Alternative Cabaret Week. ‘Victor and Barry do make quite huge political statements when you think about it—where they come Irom and their attitude to things. The whole thing is abouttriviallsation. People get the wrong idea that it you're not quoting tacts and ligures about things. then you’re not political.’
ALAN BATES
Interviewed Issue 11 March 1986 when the National Theatre's Yonadab visited Scofland.
On stage nudity: ‘Symbolically one already is naked up there, so taking yourclothes oil is hardly any diiierent. although oi course it is an extra hurdle.’
GUEST lIST
LIZ LOCHHEAD
Interviewed Issue 8 January 1986 when hertranslation olTartulle was being staged.
‘What you get with Moliere is answers to the most interesting questions in the Universe- “Who’s really screwing who and who’s paying Iorall this?"‘
BING HITLER (CRAIG FERGUSON)
Interviewed Issue 31 when his Iirst panto was aboutto open at the Glasgow Tron Theatre:
‘llthey’re expecting swearie words and blaring sex on stage then they're going to be sadly wrong. . .'
SUE TOWNSEND
Interviewed Issue 16 May 1986 when The Secret Diary otAdrian Mole was staged in Edinburgh.
0n Adrian Mole:
‘lt’s meant to be subversive.’
On being told she was a writer:
‘Belore that I thought I was a madwoman. Even as a child I‘d had these peculiar sentenceslorming in my head.’
GUS MACDONALD
Interviwed a year into his newiob as Direstorol Programmes at Scottish Television
Dn challenging the network giants:
‘It seems quite alvarience with all our othernational traits and characteristics that we should be somehow patted on the head tor being a cosy wee couthy television station. ljust wanted to make itquite clear, quickly, that we were not.’
DEREK JARMAN
Interviewed Issue 15 May 1986 when Caravaggio was released in Scotland. ‘The violence in my lilms reflects the situation we live in. It's the violence at sell-delinition.‘
BILLY CONNOLLY
Interviewed Issue 218 October when on a Scottish tour.
0n why the Scottish press write about him as they do:
‘Mainly because they are arseholes I imagine; overted and underworked wankers. Ithinkthey have always resented the tact I made it very big in London and they didn’t‘.
Dn Scottish comedians: ‘So many Scottish comedians up to now have been good onlytorsummer season and panto. But because the Scot is a lunny. romantic, poetic kind at person and not the same as a Northern club comedian, that isn’t really good enoughk
JIMMY BOYLE
Interviewedlssue14 0ctober1986 onthe occassion at his Iirst play torthe Lyceum Theatre. Edinburgh, The Nutcracker Suite.
0n writinglorthe Lyceum: ‘II is not the sort oi place I would come to every month or even every year. It is a bit decadent, poncy, but it is the people, like administratorlan Wooldridge, who are much more important.’
0n himsell:
‘I know myselttill I’m sick at seeing it. The point is I’ve neverhad the chanceto leave thatJimmy Boyle behind. Despite the Iactthat lsay I nevermurdered anyone, I’m “killerBoyle” —l've got to live withit because il I don‘t I’ll crack up—and one thing istor tucking sure, they're not goingtodothattome.‘
MEL SMITH
Interviewed Issue 8 January 1986 whentouringto Glasgow with Grill Rhys Jones.
Dn playing live:
‘A lot at the subtlety has to be ironed out.’
On comedy:
‘Dur basic approach is A is it tunny and 8 is itan interesting area.’
ALAN BLEASDALE
Interviewed Issue 17 May 1986 when No Surrender opened in Scotland.
‘I can't approachthe typewriter with anything but passion. . . I can only write when there’s real passion involved. You may say it’s bleak but these are bleak times we’re living in. lthink with this film I’ve tried to push itIurtherthan ever belore.’
MARKET THEATRE JOHANNESBURG
Interviewed Issue 23 August 1987 when here torthe Edinburgh Festival. ‘Wheneverwe leave South Alrica the airport is always packed with people. It’s like they‘re waiting-like they’re hoping that we’re going to say something.‘
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2The List 18 Sept— 1 Oct