WE THIS CITY Dear Glasgow and Edinburgh. We love you. We sincerely do. You’ve given so much to us over the years, we felt we just had to say something – as did some of your more well known inhabitants. Here, an assortment of Glasgow and Edinburgh’s finest list the people, places and things they love about their hometown Interviews: Anna Millar Portrait photos: Jannica Honey
GLASGOW
Scott Agnew Comedian The Merchant City is Glasgow in microcosm – everything that is good, bad and entertaining about the city contained in a couple of square miles. Some of Glasgow’s coolest bars and nightclubs like Maggie May’s sitting cheek by jowl with some of its older statesman such as Blackfriars. Culturally it’s all there and also close enough by some of the seamier elements of the city to get the good old Glasgow tramp wandering by to inject a more fluid, impromptu bit of entertainment into your evening or afternoon. A wee wander down to McKinlay’s bar early doors (8am) is worth it in the late night/early morning to people watch – as is a wee nose around the Schipka Pass where the language is floral and the smell pungent. ■ Scott Agnew: PRIDE (In The Name Of Love), Maggie May’s, Glasgow, Thu 25 Mar. Part of Glasgow International Comedy Festival. .
Ewan Morrison Author I love the famous Glaswegian ‘intolerance of bullshit’. While the rest of the civilised world prides itself on celebrating the relative values and divergent opinions of others, Weegies believe that they alone have access to The Timeless Truth; they pride themselves on cutting through all the liberal values and pretension of the modern world to tell you like it is. Hence the phrase ‘away an’ shite’. I find myself saying this more and more as (a) either I become more Glaswegian or (b) the world fills up with more and more crap. For example: what do I think of the art of Damien Hirst? Pile o’ shite. What about Ikea furniture? Total mince. SuBo’s voice? My granny can sing better and she’s deid. And as for steak tartare. Pure mince. I belong to Glasgow, City of Timeless Truth. Aye right, away an’ shite. ■ www.ewanmorrison.com
18 THE LIST 4–18 Feb 2010
Susan Calman Comedian I love the schizophrenic way Glasgow looks. Classical architecture slashed by modern monstrosities, coupled with 60s pre fabs and the unfinished skeletons of new builds. Watching Tutti Frutti when I was younger, I thought that Gardner Street, the site of Eddie Clockerty’s shop, looked like San Fransisco. The Skypark at Anderston seemed like the set of Bladerunner and the offices of West George Street made me feel like I was wandering in Manhattan. The city itself is emotional, and no matter what your mood, Glasgow can match it. A walk in Kelvingrove Park is for the romantics. Depressed? Me too. Let’s meet at Cowcaddens, sit beside the graffitied underpass and watch the cars on the M8 go by. For a grittier experience, the Barras will give you ‘no mean city,’ and if you want gothic excess, the sun setting on the Necropolis will chill and enthrall you at the same time. ■ www.susancalman.com Rodge Glass Author One of my favourite places is 13th Note on King Street, as it doesn’t seem to have changed in years. Staff move on and bands come and go (usually with many of the same people in them), but the spirit of the place is determinedly the same – no glitz, no fakery, no concession to the outside world. The venue downstairs is where I saw my first gigs when I moved here – I can’t quite remember how we heard about the bands that played there, but word spread fast about good music and it was an exciting atmosphere: El Hombre one night, Eska the next, Lapsus Linguae the next. Great, noisy bands. It was often rammed, sweaty as hell and you could hardly ever see anything clearly, but it was never threatening. I was in seeing Titus Gein a few weeks ago and got flashbacks . . . in a good way. ■ See www.rodgeglass.com