How I jg! mine
Lynn Ferguson
Cumbemauld-bom actress and stand-
up comedian. based in London currently appearing at the non Theatre, Glasgow.
'I like going to Murphy's Pakora Bar in
Argyle Street, Glasgow — they do every form of pakora under the sun. You can have full breakfast pakora with bacon and . "‘ Q potato scones. One of the great mysteries . of London is that if you ask for pakora
they don't know what you're talking about
'Another favourite thing is having a look round the Gallery of Modern Art, then
1*?
going into The Art Store across the road and buying some crepe paper and sticky back plastic so I can make my own modern art. I could buy a load of beads, take them to Camden and make a fortune. A bit of old toot on a thong
and you could charge a fiver for it.‘
good local musicians and (more expensive) visiting artists.
Best deal: Standard tickets £4.
Best concession: Concessionary tickets £3.
Edinburgh
I Edinburgh Jazz Project Tron Tavern and Ceilidh House. Hunter Square. 220 1550. Jazz club (usually Thurs. 8.30pm. but cart vary) offering (more expensive) visiting soloists and bands as well as local talent.
Best deal: Horne-based musicians £4. Best concession: Reduced ticket price: £3.
I Jazz at the Bank Hotel Bank Hotel. I South Bridge. 556 9043. Kulu presents high quality contemporary jazz on Sunday afternoons (from 2.30pm) and Tuesdays (8pm).
Best deal: Admission is free.
I John Rae Trio Henry's Cellar Bar. 8 Morrison Street. 221 I288. Scotland‘s tnost dynamic jazz trio (from 10pm). featuring the dazzling Brian Kellock on piano. The venue has music (jazz. blues. funk. Latin) every night — ticket prices rise at the weekend.
Best deal: Admission is £2.
Best concession: Reduced tickets are £1.
Glasgow
I New Dawn Folk Club Press and Media Club. West Regent Street. 332 I674. Glasgow’s weekly Thursday folk club varies its price to the performer. mainly of the solo singer/guitarist variety. but with regular visits from Irish. English and American bands.
Best deal: Admission charges are around £3—£5. -
I O'Neill's 87 Kilmarnock Road. 649 3141. 157 Queen Street. 221 2004 and 447 Sauchiehall Street. 353 0436. Brand leader of the blather of Irish theme pubs now endemic in our cities. Cheerfully busy and frequented by a younger crowd. the music is live. loosely ‘Celtic‘. and usually rough.
Best deal: Admission free.
I Park Bar 1202 Argyle Street. 339
17 I5.The home of the Glasgow Gael has regular accortlionist and singers. weekly sessions and frequent sightings of Runrig guitarists. and famed folkic instrumentalists.
Best deal: Admission free.
Edinburgh
I Sandy Bell's Forrest Road. 225 2751.Famotts since the 50s. the epicentre of the Scottish folk music revival has informal sessions Wednesday to Sunday. Best deal: Admission free.
I Canon's Gait Canongate. 556 4481. Cross-section of acoustic music in the basetnent bar. ()pen stage on Sundays. Regular ticketed gigs have included John Renbourne and Big Jig.
Best deal: Admission free.
I Edinburgh Folk Club Pleasance Cabaret Bar. The Pleasance. Information 652 I471. Veteran. formal club has floor spots from members and visitors. with regular guest bands or soloists every week.
Best deal: Entry charge of £4.
Best concession: Reduced admission price of £3.
I O'Neill's 99 Hanover Street. 225 4680; 82 South Bridge. 226 3138. The two Edinburgh branches of the brand leader of Irish theme pubs. Cheerfully busy and frequented by a younger crowd. the music is live. loosely ‘Celtic’. and
usuall ' rough.
Best eal: Admission free.
I Tron Ceilidh House Hunter Square. High Street. 220 1550. Another thriving home of live music. The Saturday Folk Club. is a regular fixture. and there are occasional concerts. including jazz/blues. Middle-level bar has live traditional/folk sessions every evening.
Best deal: Admission to middle-level bar free.
Other bargains Saturday Folk CIth admission is £3.
CLASSICAL & OPERA MUSIC
Glasgow
I BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Broadcasting House. Queen Margaret Drive. 338 2916. The BBC SSO record concerts for subsequent broadcast in their Glasgow studio.
Best deal: Tickets are free. bttt tnust be applied for in advance from SSO Concerts Secretary. BBC Broadcasting House. Queen Margaret Drive. Glasgow G12 800 (2 tickets per application; enclose stamped. self-addressed envelope).
I Glasgow University Concerts Concert Hall. University ofGlasgow. 330 4092. The tnusic department mounts a series of lunchtime recitals each Thursday during term.
Best deal: Tickets are free.
I The Midnight Club Bourbon Street. 108 George Street. 552 0141. A late-night ( I lptn) jazz attd blttcs clttb each Thursday. Friday and Saturday.
Best deal: Entrance costs £3.
I RSAMD 100 Renfrew Street. 332 5057. A leading classical venue in the city. the Academy offers a range of free events as well as concessions.
Best deal: Admission to masterclasses. workshops. competitions and some
student concerts is free.
Best concessions Tickets for concerts start as low as £1. rising to around £5; some participating ensembles offer subscn' tion savings as well.
Other bargains: Friday midday concert series at £2.50. or subscribe to all five for £10.
I Scottish Chamber Orchestra City Hall. Candleriggs. 287 5511. Scotland‘s leading chamber orchestra. with an enviable reputation for quality. innovation and distinguished soloists. Best deal: Tickets at £4.50.
Best concession: Stand-by concessiona tickets at £3.
I Scottish pera Theatre Royal. Hope Street. 332 9000. The most expensive art forth of all. but tickets can be surprisineg cheap at the home of Scottish Opera. Don‘t expect the best seats. but you should see and hear perfectly well.
Best deal: Cheapest tickets £3.50.
Best concession: Cheapest concessionary price £3.50.
Edinburgh
I Concerts In The University Reid Hall. Bristo Square. 650 2423. The University music department mounts a series of lunchtime recitals each Tuesday during term. and organ recitals on Fridays.
Best deal: Tickets are free.
I Scottish Chamber Orchestra Queen’s Hall. Clerk Street. 668 2019. Scotland‘s leading chamber orchestra. with an enviable reputation for quality. innovation and distinguished soloists. Best deal: Tickets for £4.50.
Best concession: Stand-by concessionar tickets for £3.50.
I Scottish pera Festival Theatre. Nicolson Street. 529 6000. Not such a bargain for the cheapest seats here as in Glasgow. but still within reach of a moderate budget.
Best deal: The cheapest standard tickets are £9.
Best concession: Reduced-picc tickets are £7 (Iitnited stand-by may also be available).
THEATRE
Glasgow
I Arches Theatre 30 Midland Street. 221 9736. Host to a range of small-scale visiting companies antl home to a thriving. if unfunded. company under the artistic direction ofAndy Arnold.
Best deal: Two tickets for the price of one on first ni *ht.
Best concessron: Half-price tickets.
I Citizens' Theatre Gorbals. 429 0022. Consistently stylish. cutting edge and intelligent theatre in the main house plus two tiny studios.
Best deal: Previews on the night before each show opens are free.
Best concession: Most performances offer £2.50 concessions.
I Pavilion Theatre Renfield Street. 332 1846. Glasgow‘s biggest theatre. with a tradition of music hall. variety and
tourin commerical shows.
Best eal: Two tickets for the price of one on opening night.
Best concessron: Standard price with £1
off.
I Theatre Royal Hope Street. 332 9000. Home to Scottish ()pera and Scottish Ballet. Tickets can be very expensive. but phone for details of special discounts. which get better if tickets are selling slowly.
Best deal: Three tickets for the price of
Best concession: Standard price with 25 per cent off.
Other bargains: Phone for details.
I Tron Theatre 63 Trongate. 552 4267. Adventurous programming of hotne- grown and touring productions. The comedy is expensive. bttt the theatre offers some goth deals.
Best deal: All tickets on opening night are £3.
Best concession: Concessionary tickets
cum ntttttts
are half-price. § Other bargains: One free ticket with g every ten bought.
; Edinburgh
3 I Royal Lyceum Theatre 30 Grindlay 3 Street. 229 9697. A good mix of new
i Scottish and classic theatre from the
§ Lyceum Theatre Company. plus the
§ occasional touring company.
2 Best deal: Free preview the Thursday
i before the opening night.
§ Best concession: Twenty Stalls seats for § £1 each for unemployed. Mon—Thurs.
; Other bargains: Students £5 for all
§ seats.
g I Traverse Theatre Cambridge Street. 5 228 1404. Cutting-edge and intelligent
new Scottish and international theatre with lots of small touring shows in two
; auditoria.
3 Best deal: Previews on the night before § each show opens are free.
§ Best concession: Main shows in
§ Traverse I have a concessionary price of s £2.
2 Other bargains: Apex tickets are half
§ price ifbought seven days itt advance.
COMEDY
Glasgow
; I Java Internet Cafe 152 Park Road. E 337 6727. Every second Saturday the
Internet tnakes way for the Cosy Comedy
Cafe. Recently established. it has already g been dubbed ‘the best little comedy club
in Glasgow'.
5 Best deal: Entrance fee is £3.
' Other bargains: Food and coffee are
i served until llptn. but the comedy nights i also have a BYOB policy. Forthcoming
§ attractions include Paddy Burns. Gerry
5 Grant and Janey Goodle .
i I Clutha Comedy Nig t Clutha Vaults.
Stockwell Street. 552 7520. Comedy
How I get mine
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Alasdair Gray Glasgowbased writer and painter. who recently pttblished an updated edition of his pamphlet Why Scots Should Rule Scotland.
’I read and I go on walks for three or four hours at a time around Glasgow with a friend. The best thing about my walks is the exercise and seeing things.
'I quite often go to the hills around Glasgow - the Torrance bills, the Campsies, the Kilpatricks. I might have a picnic but I don’t usually bother, although often the people I go with bring sandwiches. As far as I'm concerned it’s very simple and straightforward. If it occurred to me to make anything it would depend on what was in the refrigerator at the time.‘
16—29 May 1997 THE usrs