The thrill of the chase: Orla Guerin, a life on the frontline

“To be honest I didn’t have a clue what I was letting myself in for but I just took my notebook and off I went.”

These are the words of foreign correspondent Orla Guerin, speaking to me from somewhere in the depths of (what sounds to be) the bustling city of Kabul. She is describing her first trip to the former Soviet Union when, at the tender age of 23, she was thrown into the biggest story of her life.

It is such light-hearted frankness which belies the perilous nature of the job and catches this young journalist off-guard. Since this first glimpse behind the Iron Curtain she has covered some of the most dangerous conflicts in recent memory, Kosovo,the Middle East, Pakistan, Libya and her recent most posting, Afghanistan, yet she has done so in such a no-nonsense way.

Her enthusiasm for the job is unmistakable and despite having spent over 25 years broadcasting, this Dublin-born journalist’s excitement at her new assignment is palpable.

“It’s the classic example of still having to learn in this job, Afghanistan is a new story for me and I am thrilled to be here. I think if you are doing foreign news you have to really enjoy it and you have to feel like it’s your life and not just your work.”

The BBC presenter feels the presence of the worlds’ media is crucial to preserving the fragile peace that has been eked out over the last decade of foreign occupation. This relative calm is imperilled by the likely removal of US troops in the not too distant future, as is the modest improvement in the lives of Afghani women.

“One of the stories I’m running at the moment is about the advances that have been made in women’s’ rights over here in the last 10 years but how insecure these advances are and what will happen when foreign forces pull out in 2014.”

Far from being bystanders, these women have fought at great personal cost to reclaim some of their independence.

“I’ve met some of the most extraordinary women over here, activists and business women who have managed to carve out extraordinaryroles for themselves and defy the conservatism in society.”

“One of the politicians we’ve interviewed has had assassination attempts and one of the businesswomenhas to worry about the safety of her workers. They are operating in a very precarious situation and taking risks every day. They are so determined to change the country for the good of their daughters and for coming generations.”

Orla believes these inspirational individuals along with the rest of their society must not feel abandoned by an international community who have promised so much.

“The people who arrived 10 years ago claiming that the abuse of women’s rights was one of the reasons for foreign invasion are the very ones now getting ready to leave without trying to secure the advances that have been made.”

For someone whom has felt that the door to success has always been open, the horrendous conditions that these women face are hard to understand.

“I have worked in many places over the years where women are the victims of dreadful things and face conservative social values such as the Middle East and Pakistan but Afghanistan is a whole other level.”

“It’s staggering, but every day you just sit back and think that so much is determined by the accident of birth. I can’t think of a moment that being a woman has held me back in any way but a woman can serve longer in jail over here for adultery than a man would for murder.”

It is this ‘human cost of war’ that the world must be kept informed about if the incremental process of democratisation is to continue.

“I thinks it’s tremendously important that the spotlight is still kept on this area and that all of the difficulties and messy consequences of the war and of international involvement be kept before the public eye. It has been a huge international endeavour and I think people must examine what has been achieved and what hasn’t.”

The former RTE correspondent received an MBE in 2005 and such integrity and dedication to the human cost of war are perhaps important reasons in her success.

“You also have to be very dedicated to getting it right, you must make absolutely sure your stories are reliable and that people feel they can believe what you’re telling them because credibility is something you can only lose once.”

It’s clear that this newscaster has lost none of the thirst for news she had when she stepped off the plane in Moscow over 20 years ago, perhaps it was her first experience of foreign news that has kept her on the frontline.

“I was absolutely astonished that I was in Moscow and I also had a very strong sense of being in the middle of a momentous period of history. You were waking up every day and thinking, what jaw dropping historic event can happen today and every day there would be something.”

What is also striking is her straightforward approach as to what makes a good journalist: she makes it very clear that gender is not a deciding factor.

“This idea is pedalled that men want to be on the front line counting the bullets and women want to be in the refugee camp counting refugees, I just don’t think that’s the case. I think that good journalists follow the story, the human costs of war are extremely important and a good journalist will want to cover both.”

Somewhat buoyed by such revelation, this young reporter shamelessly attempts to extract further counsel from her remarkable interviewee.

“Someone once gave me a very good piece of advice when I was starting out, it may sound very obvious but it was ‘don’t take no for an answer.’ I don’t mean that in an obnoxious way but you have to be prepared to chase and chase and chase, first to get the work and then to get the story, you have to want it.”

And so I will revisit my own endeavours with a new vigour and I too will chase and chase and chase until I find my big story, whatever that may be.

The Confession of Katherine Howard

Step into a world of untold wealth, rampant excess and endless parties. This could be the tell-all of a modern day rock star but Suzannah Dunn’s absorbing chronicle of Henry VII’s fifth wife Katherine Howard vividly captures all the drama of one woman’s rise to the top of the Tudor Court.

Told through the eyes of her childhood friend and Lady-In-Waiting Cat Tilney, Dunn’s account has the benefit of giving the reader an objective view of Katherine’s prolonged and calculated seduction of King Henry, while also allowing us the insight of a close confidant into the fears and insecurities that drive her wilful behaviour.

Cat’s first meets Katherine at the tender age of twelve when they both reside at the house of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, a callous and dispassionate woman whom is charged with the enhancement of their future marriage prospects .

The future queen soon sets herself apart from the other girl’s in the Duchess’ care with the artful styling of her modest gowns and early awareness of men and sexuality. It is also where she begins the promiscuous lifestyle which will be her undoing. A juvenile affair with friend Francis Derham and alleged romance with her music teacher encourage a penchant for excitement that will colour her life as a monarch.

Katherine must walk the perilous line between flirtation and treason that her first cousin Anne Boleyn failed to: keeping the amorous attentions of an ageing king while remaining a loyal and dutiful wife.

In a twist of fate Cat is impelled to choose between Francis Derham (her now lover) and her loyalty to the rebellious Katherine when powerful enemies conspire to put them both in the tower.

For those who loved Phillipa Gregory’s book and subsequent film “The Other Boleyn Girl” this tale is a must.

Glasgow band are 'Belle' of the ball

Middle School Frown featuring Jimmy Magee have won “Best New Band in Glasgow 2011” in a competition launched by Glasgow City of Music and sponsored by UNESCO thanks to the help of their smartphones!

They won the award at the end of last month and fought of stiff competition to be selected by Chris Geddes of Belle and Sebastian.

The two members, Gerard Mitchell and John Kevin met while working together and while both had always enjoyed making music neither believed theywould win, let alone be endorsed by such a successful Scottish musician.

“Making music has also been a creative release for me, it’s always just been a hobby but I’ve always enjoyed it” says Gerard.

“You never think someone of his calibre is going to like your music and to be picked ahead of really stiffcompetition gives you such a confidence boost. It makes you think, ‘wow, may I could take this further’” he adds.

If not for a twist of fate the winning single “She Waits For Someone” would never have been made. Coming from two completely different styles of music, each had a mutual appreciation but had not considered that the two genres would be in any way compatible.

Gerard’s music has more of a folk vibe whereas John’s is more of a Brian Eno type ambience” yet thanks to an app called Mixtl the two were able to create a new genre which they jokingly refer to as “amboustic.”

As John says, “She Waits was kind of freaky, i composed the ambient track about a week after watching the film “The Lovely Bones” for the first time and we had both been talking about that film a few days after I brought the track into work for Gerry to hear it. He went home the same night and wrote the lyrics, guitar and vocals and came into work the next day with the new version recorded on his Iphone.”

This app allowed two entirely different styles of music to come together and while the vast majority of the other entries were was indie-pop influenced, this sound was altogether different.

“What’s amazing is that two old guys can make a song like this without even jamming. Everything was done on our phones, from the beat to the guitar to the vocal, it’s just amazing what you can do now” says Gerard.

John is also very complimentary about the standard of competition and feels they did well to win.
“As more bands entered the competition we would listen to their work and we both thought we had little chance of winning – most of the other bands, were gigging or already releasing CDs or EPs – whereas the two of us hadn’t even recorded our entry in the same building.”

The prize included recording time in a local studio and the guys hope to use this opportunity to get there music out to a new audience.

“We are going into a studio in early January to record She Waits For Someone and a few other songs which Gerry and I have been working on together, hopefully we can get a label to release them for
us” says John.

Check out the winning entry below!

Sir Alex honoured at Hall of Fame dinner

Sir Alex Ferguson was among a number of Scottish heroes honoured at the seventh annual Scottish Football Museum’s Hall of Fame Dinner which took place in a star-studded affair at Glasgow’s Hilton hotel on Sunday night.

Govan-born Ferguson, was joined by Billy McNeil, Walter Smith, and inductees Pat Crerand and former England captain Terry Butcher, making it a who’s-who of Scottish football.

The inductees were chosen by football fans all over the world for their contribution to Scottish football, and also included legendary Celtic goalkeeper Ronnie Simpson, and RS McColl who played for Newcastle and Rangers at the turn of the 20th century.

Richard McBrearty, curator of the museum, feels that having inaugurated the likes of Denis Law and Henrik Larsson in previous years, the event has grown in stature since it began in 2004.

“It has become one of the major after-dinner events in Scottish Football,” he said.

During the night-long proceedings, Ferguson received tributes throughout the night for his 50 years in the game and 25 years as Manchester United boss.

He was quick to praise Celtic and Manchester United star Pat Crerand, saying he held his own during a great time in Scottish football.

“He deserves it, we had some great players in the country when Paddy played,” Ferguson said. “With Law and Baxter, that group of players was fantastic and he was part of that.”

The former East Stirlingshire, St Mirren, and Aberdeen boss also joked about Crerand’s role at MUTV saying “he is the most biased commentator ever, we never do a thing wrong.”

Pat Creran and Sir Alex share a joke (The Scotsman)

Paddy Crerand was equally as complimentary about the eight-time Premier League Manager of the Year.

 “Records speak for themselves, his record is better than Sir Matt Busby, it’s incredible. He’s the best,” he said.

Iconic hard-man Terry Butcher was also delighted at being the first Englishman to be industed saying: “I felt very humbled and proud to receive my award, with so many fantastic people in front of me," he said.

Sir Alex also paid tribute to the job Craig Levein is doing as Scotland manager, despite continued criticism for often negative tactics.

“I think they have a group of very good midfield players–that’s their strength, they played very good football the other night,” he said.

The legendary manager also feels that Scotland’s current dearth of talent can be changed.

“It is possible, if you put the energy into it and the facilities. If that’s improved and money is invested then you’ve every possibility.”

There was the obligatory awkward moment when a misguided journalist asked him if he had any plans to “give back” to Scottish football in the future.

To which the terse reply was “I give my support. That’s all.”

Park and ride facility to open at National Stadium

A large park and ride facility will be built beside the National Stadium in hopes of easing traffic congestion.

It will be situated on Aitkenhead Road and hold almost 600 parking spaces.

The initiative is part of the “Keep Glasgow Moving” strategy introduced by Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and First Bus.

Paul Coleshill, local councillor for Langside, thinks it will bring great relief to an overcrowded area.

 “The Langside ward is one of the most densely populated wards in Glasgow, combined with the queues of cars waiting to join the new M74, this facility will help get traffic moving here” he said.

The space will feature a bus interchange and it is hoped this will encourage drivers to leave their cars and finish their journey into town by bus.

John Flanagan, Govan councillor, was convener of the Planning Applications Committee which approved the proposal and he too is optimistic.

“The traffic situation along Aitkenhead Rd is terrible at the moment, the park and ride area can only help and hopefully get people out of their cars and on to public transport” he said.

The area will also be used as an over flow car park for events at the National Stadium.

Brian Muir, Safety and Operations Manager at the stadium, is keen to stress that this will be a council resource which will only be used by the stadium for large events.

“The facility will have more spaces, a more attractive layout and with the bus interchange, it should reduce strain on the inadequate parking facilities we have at present” he added.

It is expected to be operational by July 2012 when Hampden will host six Olympic football games and will be a key factor in helping to alleviate pressure for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Zombie Nation

A decomposing Colonel Gaddafi lurches along a main road accompanied by a rabble of other creatures from beyond the grave.

Halloween in Shawlands does tend to be a colourful affair but there were even more eyebrows raised than usual when the Southside Film Festival came to town.

Festival founder and director, Karen O’Hare, has embarked upon a run of special Halloween events to publicise next years’ event which will take place on the weekend of May 18.

Along with a sell-out screening of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari in Pollokshaws Burgh Hall with live Wurlitzer organ accompaniment, Karen organised a showing of cult classic Night of the Living Dead on the eve of Halloween in south side nightclub The Shed.

She is keen not only to bring films to a more local venue for southsiders but also to provide a more sociable experience that “engages” people from all across the city.  In keeping with this, cinema-goers were encouraged to take part in a “zombie walk” before the film began on Sunday.

Prizes were given to the aforementioned “Zombie Gaddafi” and his rather gruesome one-armed companion for their imagination and dedication to character during the walk.

One zombie, Flora Munroe 27, had been to the festival in May and felt the audience participation was a real draw.

“I thought it would be great to dress up as a Zombie and I also really wanted to watch the film, it’s been a fantastic night” she said.

The event is a labour of love for Karen and mainly self-funded.  Her passion is in bringing local and unusual films to a south side audience: “It’s also normally quite hard to distribute local films or Scottish films in general so the festival is a way of getting those movies out there.”

“It’s fun more than anything else and a great way to see films you wouldn’t normally see” she added.

There are also plans to have screenings on the run up to Christmas, most likely these will be two favourites of Karen’s: A Muppet Christmas Carol and the classic 1951 version of A Christmas Carol featuring Alistair Sim as Scrooge.

Submissions are still being taken for next year and films will be accepted for free before January 16.

For more information check out http://southsidefilmfest.blogspot.com/

Bottom's Up!

The finale of Gram Cummings’ show “Bottom's Up” on Saturday ensured this aspiring musical sensation finished his Glasgay festival with a bang.

Backed by his wonderful “Gastric Band” and backing singers “The Lilets” (ahem…) he describes the show as “rude, honest and brutal” and that it is.

When “Gram with a G” burst out of his closet and on to the stage this audience knew they were in for a treat. With legs to die for and long silky locks, the Aberdonian laid himself bare (quite literally at points) with his “fusion of Musical Theatre/Camp Classics and personal story telling.”

His fabulous singing voice and sparkling wit were a pleasure to behold, from Shania Twain’s “Man, I feel like a woman” to Whitney Houston’s classic “I will always love you”, this guy can fairly belt them out.

Most exceptional however was Gram’s original material, the fact it is generally un-publishable merely means you’ll have to catch him in person next time. This reviewer’s personal favourite was his modified version of “Tragedy” to reflect a typical night in a gay bar. The immortal line “Gonna dance all night then start a fight” would surely have the Bee Gees stewing in their juices and showed the delightful juxtaposition of a gay man living in Glasgow.

As the night drew to a close we saw a more sensitive side as he emotionally talked us through his struggle with his identity and quest for love. The bravado was gone and many a tear was shed by the audience which included his mother and her irrepressible best friend Margaret.

It was here we saw Gram’s “true colours” and how vibrant and dazzling they really are.

Watch out for this one, his mum says he’s the next Michael Ball and I’m sure he’d have a field day with that analogy...

Check out more on

http://www.glasgay.co.uk/blog-entry/id/41

http://www.merchantcityglasgow.com/blog-entry/id/79

We didn't start the fire...

People will be hot-footing it over a fiery bed of coals at Hampden Stadium this weekend - and it’s all for charity.

The Stroke Association Scotland have organised for around 25 people to take part in a firewalking event hoped to raise over £2000 for their cause.

The experience will take place on Sunday November 6^th in celebration of Guy Fawkes.

Karen Hodgins, the charity’s fundraising manager, says that this occasion will be made entertaining for those involved.

“They will enjoy a ‘behind the scenes’ experience and will have the opportunity to do something completely out of the ordinary.”

She added: “We chose Hampden because it’s an iconic location and we thought that it added something special to the event for participants.”

Louise MacQueen, events coordinator at Hampden, also feels the stadium makes an ideal location: “Not many places have the outdoor space and health and safety experience to host such an event.”

She added that the stadium is delighted to help such a worthwhile cause: “We are happy to take on any charity events but we are particularly pleased to help such a fantastic charity as the Stroke Association.”

The night will begin at 6pm with an hours training, a necessity when the coals can reach up to 1300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fear not however, the participants will be in the safe hands of Guinness World Record holder for the longest ever firewalk, Scott Bell.

Mr Bell has a long-standing relationship with the charity and says it is a wonderful experience for anyone to take part in.

“The main thing that comes through is just how excited people are: usually on their first attempt the adrenalin means they don’t even feel the heat below them”, he said.

The Stroke Association is the only UK charity solely concerned with helping everyone affected by stroke across the UK:  victims, carers and families.

Night Of the Living Shed

The Southside Film Festival is hosting a special Halloween screening at The Shed nightclub in Shawlands.

George Romero’s cult classic Night Of The Living Dead will be shown on Sunday October 30 in a bid to boost the profile of the event which was held for the first time in May this year.

Karen O’Hare, founder and director, said: “The inaugural event was a great success: it gave people in the south side a chance to see quality films in a local setting.”

The Shed was well received as a location during the one of a kind festival and it was for this reason it was chosen for the Halloween special.

Ms O’Hare said: “It (The Shed) is an excellent space with a central location and young clientele.”

These thoughts were echoed by manager of the club Gemma Blair who felt the club provided a unique cinematic venue.

“With the closure of Muirend Cinema a few years ago, many south-siders have missed having a cinema on their doorstep.”

She added: “The Shed was delighted to take part in the first Southside Film Festival… we hope to in time do regular film screenings.”

In a quirk to proceedings Ms O’Hare will lead a “zombie walk” through Shawlands before the movie starts at 7pm and there will be a prize for “best zombie”.

Rather than a run-of-the-mill trip to the flics Ms O’Hare is keen to “give people an experience”.

“The idea is to create a buzz about the occasion and add a fun dynamic to it.”

The event is designed to raise awareness for next year’s festival and is likely to be replicated at Christmas and throughout next year before the opening in May.

Tickets are available from Tickets Scotland for £5 or are available on the night for £6.

 

Cathcart MP offers internship to high school students

MSP James Dornan is offering high school students in the south side of Glasgow the chance of a paid internship.

Students from St Margaret Mary's High School, Castlemilk High School, Hillpark Secondary and Kings Park Secondary are competing for a 3 month placement to shadow Mr Dornan and “experience political life.”

The MSP is passionate about giving young Scottish students the chance to feel they are doing something “worthwhile for their community.”

He also feels it would “help them considerably with their CV and give them great contacts for their future career.”

The winning pupil will perform tasks such as scheduling Mr Dornan’s diary, help to write motions and “become familiar with a mix of parliamentary and constituency duties.”  

Students will earn six pounds per hour to make the position a “more viable option” for them.

Brian Brady, head teacher of St Margaret Mary’s is putting forward two “high achievers” and echoed this saying: “making the internship paid has widened the number of young people who can consider it.”

Fellow head teacher, Margaret Barr of Kings Park High School said of the initiative: “we are delighted to be invited to enter the competition, and we believe it will be an excellent opportunity for the successful candidate.”

Each of the competing schools can propose up to three students who will be interviewed by Mr Dornan and submit essay for consideration before the winning candidate is announced in January.

The politician hopes to run the contest annually in the future.

There's no substitute for success

Who would be a football manager?

With salaries inflating at the same rate as egos, it is no easy task to keep these sporting celebrities in line and Manchester City gaffer Roberto Mancini has found this out in dramatic fashion.

When Carlos Tevez allegedly refused to go on during Man City’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, shockwaves echoed around the footballing world.  The row has since escalated to seismic proportions with the Argentinian striker currently serving a two week suspension until the outcome of the club’s investigation on Wednesday.

Tevez has now blamed the incident on a misunderstanding and apologised to his team’s fans saying that he did not actually refuse to play, rather that: 'There was some confusion on the bench and I believe my position may have been misunderstood.”

The million pound a month footballer claims that his comments were not translated properly, although independent analyses do not corroborate this.  At the very least he could certainly invest a little more of his huge salary in a better interpreter.

Mancini made the point that this behavior would not be acceptable in any other of the top European clubs but, although this rebuttal was rare in the extreme, it is not the first time it has happened.

Keiron Dyer refused to play in a right wing position when his team Newcastle took on Middlesbrough in 2004.  Boss Sir Bobby Robson was sacked just a few games later and Dyer says “I can’t believe now that I acted the way I did” and that he took some of the blame for Robson’s dismissal “on his shoulders”.

It is hard to imagine Tevez showing such remorse and there is talk that the club will attempt to offload him at a cut price during the January transfer window.

Mancini now has a fight on his hands to regain control of his dressing room and the footballing prima donnas that occupy it. With even the player Tevez was intended to replace, Edin Dzeko, throwing a tantrum at his retiral the former Lazio manager must now stamp his authority.

The City manager has made it explicitly clear that he will never play the striker again while he is boss, so what will happen then if the investigation does not rule in his favour?

Hopefully unlike Carlos Tevez, Mancini is prepared to put his money where his mouth is.

Amanda Knox: Vixen or Victim?

A young girl returned to a massive homecoming in Seattle last week, that girl was Amanda Knox.

Knox has become a media obsession and the decision to overturn her conviction for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher has divided opinion in the most cavernous way.

To some she is the victim of a grievous miscarriage of justice while to others she is a cunning and libidinous creature whose feminine wiles have outwitted an asinine Italian police force.

But what is the truth?

From the outset Perugian local prosecutor Giuliano Mignini asserted this was a crime of passion and that it had the hallmarks of a female perpetrator.

The way the victim’s body was left protected by a duvet was suspicious: “only a woman would have covered her up after killing her” he is reported to have said.

What then ensued was a modern day witch-hunt.

Despite accurate physical evidence to prove it, Mignini formed the hypothesis that Kercher’s murder was the result of a sordid sex game gone awry.

This is a man whose phone tapping exploits would put the News Of the World to shame; he chose a theory and doggedly stuck to it for four years while the case fell around his ears.

Many of the police tactics shared this willfulness: Knox’s defamatory indictment of local bar owner Patrick Lumumba came after a mammoth 53hrs of questioning over a four day period and wasn’t even recorded.

Such blasé disregard for the rules was characteristic of the whole operation: the seriously inept gathering of forensic evidence was the real reason the case fell apart.

Even the prosecution of Rudy Guede was not enough to stem the flow of suspicion toward Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito.

Guede’s were the only reliable forensic traces found in the fateful room and he only named the couple after they had been accused, at first insisting that it was another man who had killed Kercher.

Whether the lack of physical evidence is down to ineptitude or to Knox’s innocence we will never know, even judge Claudio Pratillo Hellmann who delivered the not guilty verdict made a crucial distinction between “judicial truth” and the “truth of reality”.

What is certain is that the highly sexualised portrayal of “Foxy Knoxy” by Italian prosecutors and the media almost put a ‘judicially’ innocent if slightly oddball and uninhibited girl in jail for a very long time.

Hey Frankie, leave them kids alone!

Kevin Bridges has begun a 13 week run at The Stand comedy club in Glasgow.  As a compere for three other Scottish comedians on Sunday, Bridges was at his affable best.  His gentle ‘funny guy at the pub’ humour was the perfect beginning to an afternoon of bank holiday comedy.  Interaction with the audience (I’m sure Frank in the front row will have been delighted at his role in the show) was the cornerstone of his performance and his insightful ad-libs about Scottish life firmly bolstered his role as man of the people.

Imagine the crowd’s surprise then when the first of the special guests for the day swaggered on to the stage:  the arrival of an unshaven and tracksuit-clad Frankie Boyle changed the atmosphere enormously.  If Bridges started the show delicately then what followed could only be described as a one-way comedic assault.  Gone was the audience participation with one member of the front row (who was slightly ruining the ambience with her running commentary and overt stalking of Bridges) being told by Boyle, “Don’t think you’re involved in something, you’re not. Shut up.”  While this comment did gather a raucous cheer, the provocative comic had set out his stall for the day.

Boyle was again robust in his dismissal of the controversial joke he made about the disabled son of glamour model Jordan being capable of sexual assaulting her.  He first claimed that due to Harvey’s visual impairment he was unlikely to have witnessed the show in the first place and then that “I’m getting blamed for people bullying Harvey. But I don’t believe kids at his school wanted to bully him and until now were struggling for an angle.”  It was hard to decipher which of those around were gasping and which were giggling nervously, what is certain was that if it was a reaction he was after, a reaction was what he got.

Those with disabilities were not out of the woods yet with Boyle also choosing to share the tale of a quadriplegic man who had swam the Thames for charity quipping that it would have been funny if he’d emerged from the water and shouted “shark!” The roars of laughter in the wake of this were much more identifiable and symbolic of a change in the tide.

Reneging on his public decision to stop touring all together, Boyle claimed to be “testing” new material on this group of boozed up Glaswegian guinea pigs.  The result?  A good deal more laughs than gasps and wild applause as he exited.  This comedian is arguably unrivalled in terms of sharpness and intemperate material in Scotland and he has made it clear that he will not be censored or silenced.

What is less clear is whether he will be able to gather these laughs elsewhere than from an excitable hometown crowd. It may depend on where he targets his vitriol. Celebrities or politicians are fair game but one too many jokes at the expense of disabled kids does leave a bad taste in the mouth.  It would be a tragedy if Boyle’s quest for controversy eclipsed his vigorous talent.