Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: And.
[00:00:02] Speaker B: We'Re doing a. We're live, doing a test transmission live from Caravan island in an undisclosed location somewhere. I couldn't even tell you where I am if I tried as remote. I'm in a remote place.
And we just thought we'd try it out by getting a friend of the show, Pagal On, AKA Just Frank.
I was a comedian.
And also celebrating. I think you can celebrate officially a year of sobriety now.
[00:00:40] Speaker A: Yeah, officially a year and, and day of, of full sobriety.
No alcohol, not one drop for.
You know, it seems impossible and that, that is a problem. You. That's why we need to take a day, a day at a time.
And we've got this problem.
People who are unfortunate enough to be alcoholics, once you are one, you can never go back. And you need to get drilling in your head and make it stick because we forget very easily. Only takes one sunny day for you to forget, and you're only an arm's length away from relapsing. Then you need to go through it all again.
A very easy, simple program for a very complicated disease.
[00:01:31] Speaker B: So that's why when I was saying, oh, congratulations on a year, and you're like, it's actually 11 months and 20 days.
Yeah, days are important.
[00:01:40] Speaker A: Days are important.
I mean, some people look at it and say, why are you counting your days? So you know how many days you've had when you relapse, how long you've got.
Like, some people take that to, not to count the days because they have made a concrete decision that alcohol is no longer in the life.
And I think that comes with time. That, that, that look in hindsight that we get a bit of sobriety, you don't, you know, at the beginning you're counting the minutes, hours, the days, and. But when weeks turn into months and stuff, you're not concentrating as much as, as how many days you got. You just, you need to concentrate on the 24 hours ahead of you. And I can stay away from anything for 24 hours if I put my mind to it. It's an easy thing to do. But if I look at it like that guy's got 11 years. What I. 11 years. I need to go drinking. It seems impossible and you know what I mean?
You tell me I'm all hell. And Tom Mountain.
[00:02:52] Speaker B: Works for different, different things for you. So whatever you're doing, keep doing it because that's incredible because you know, you, you, you could, you could, you, you.
[00:03:03] Speaker A: Were a kid, complete wreckhead.
[00:03:12] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, that's why it's, it's impressive, really impressive. So it's a year and, and you're just doing great things. With sobriety's came your comedy career.
So you're semi professional.
[00:03:29] Speaker A: No, people stay here, they're semi professional because as soon as a coin exchange his hands that technically makes you in the business. But you know, the money's is, it's pennies once they split it up between us and it all goes towards booking out studios for practice and stuff. You know, I mean it's nothing to do with money. It's for the, it's just for the lover improv and, and I feel those healing and laughter and it keeps me, keeps me right and it keeps me well and so it's kind of comedy along with, you know, a dedication to AA and if I look after sobriety first and my comedy will fall into place. I was doing it drunk when I started and you know when I can look back now and see that compared to when I've done it so well as it's night and day.
I was just doing it for free. Free beer at the beginning.
[00:04:39] Speaker B: But I mean it's the same in the music world. Same in the music world.
You get paid in beer and people are surprised when you, you do it drunk.
And it's very true that you doing it, doing a performance drunk is never going to, it's never going to help.
I mean what it might do is I may give you the, the false sense of security, a bravery to go and do the thing in the first place, but I, I like I used to get wasted before I went on stage.
Then the camera phone started getting too good and you know, you could.
People were sharing clips of me being being wasted on stage.
And also I suppose there's a lot of things. One immaturity to being in hindsight being insecure. Although I didn't, I didn't. I wasn't aware of that at the time. I thought I was, I was fine. And then I suppose the third thing is that we are starting out. There's absolutely zero pressure to be good. But when we started, you know, getting paid to perform, it's like it's, it's totally disrespectful to anybody's booked you if you just gonna turn that wasted. But yeah, it says you, you want. And also the thing that I did notice when I started doing gig sober was the, the actual rush you get is men. You get a, you get a pure adrenaline rush.
[00:06:16] Speaker A: Well that, that's where I get my, that's where I get my hat now you know what I mean? I need to replace it with something. And that. That is what I personally, for me is, is. Is that crowd and that buzz you get on that stage, there's nothing else like it is.
[00:06:34] Speaker B: And you get the.
How do you feel after it. So for one of the issues I've had, because obviously I still drink after a gig and I'm. I think I'm trying to, you know, I'm sober. Curious is a phrase I heard someone saying.
[00:06:50] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:06:53] Speaker B: But, yeah, hangovers, man. It's a hangover. Some just kind of like to, you know. And also coming up, we've got an Irish tour.
So my usual go to is, you know, do the gig sober, then have a few drinks after it. But that's not going to work because you mix adrenaline with alcohol.
I end up smoking cigarettes as well, which I pretty much. Pretty much got ready. But the adrenaline and alcohol combined makes me smoke.
And I kind of be doing that then be doing two hours in Ireland. There's four hours. I think one of the.
The journeys is four hours. You know, the idea of doing that with a hangover. And I've been smoking the night before, my throat sore.
So I think I'm really going to make a concerted effort to just.
No do the Friday in Dublin. No drinking Friday, Dublin. No drink the Saturday in Dundalk.
And then if I want, I can do it in Derry. And that's the same way that you're talking about 11 years is too much to.
[00:07:51] Speaker A: Yeah, well, yeah.
[00:07:53] Speaker B: So I can't say myself yet that I'm not going to do the full weekend because I. I feel like. But then if I've done the first two days, then why not do the. The third one? Is my. My plan as.
[00:08:06] Speaker A: I mean, yeah, the Irish are like us. It's a drinking culture over there, too.
And.
[00:08:15] Speaker B: Also representing Scotland when you go there.
Yeah, I've been everywhere in the. Everywhere I've went in the world.
Like when I went to Mexico, everyone, all the stereotypes are Mexico can drink. And I'm sorry, but it is. They've got nowhere near the issues of Scotland. They've got. We are. We're a sick nation.
[00:08:37] Speaker A: Well, no.
[00:08:40] Speaker B: But they're having a bit of mescal, a bit of tequila.
They can have a drink. But, you know, they. They want to. They want to call it a night, everyone. I mean, anyway, they call it a night.
[00:08:52] Speaker A: You're just getting started.
[00:08:58] Speaker B: So. Well, getting back to the. Just. Just for people that don't really know what is improv and you've Got a show tonight, you've got a show next week.
First of all, before we go into that, what is improv comedy?
[00:09:12] Speaker A: Well, what, what I do is long form improv. So short form is like what most people would have seen on Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Short problem improv is, you know, the game before you start performing. You know what the, the funny thing is, the absurd thing of that. You know, for an example, a short form improv, you've got two people in a scene and they get given a word like lampshade. So the first guy would say, oh, you changed my lampshade and I never gave you permission. And their partner might respond, what do you mean? I'm in charge of the color coding of the house. And then somebody outside says about change. And the guy in response says, no, this is my house. And somebody says change.
You say, no, this is your house. And somebody says change.
No, this mum left me this house in their world. So you need to keep changing as the person outside and, and keep continuing the scene. There's really good fun to play as a game for a warm up. But long form, as you don't know the game, it's a game and that would be the change you need to change. As soon as the world says, but in long form, we get a word from the audience and then we get a choice which is we've decided beforehand how to explore that word. And there's, for example, there's a pattern game.
There's one called Living Room, the Kitchen.
It's basically a setup to where we can get a word.
And if we're not using a monologue or an opening like the palm game, then you know, nobody would have any ideas on how to go about a scene.
So a monologue, the keys in the world you got up and tell a story about maybe something that happened in your life is associated to the word that's been given to the audience. So if you give me a word Mark, I'll give you an example of a monologue, right?
[00:11:25] Speaker B: Okay.
Scarecrow.
[00:11:28] Speaker A: Scarecrow. So we get that word and I'll say scarecrow. So the world won't know who the word does. And then it's up to, for some, for three people to step out and say scarecrow. Reminds me of wars of Gummage. I used to watch wars of Garmage when I was younger.
It was my favorite program.
My, my favorite character was Aunt Sally.
She never took any nonsense off that, that wazzle and wazzle gummows changes his head different tasks and feelings.
So you know, When I was watching that, when I was younger, it was teaching me we used different faces for different people. Like I would use a different face and work and speak definitely, maybe more clearer in an office. I would. If I was.
If I was working in a construction site or I used. And then, and then I can go on. So now I'll say construction, construction site. And maybe something pops in my head and say, well, I used to work as a landscape gardener in Falkirk football stadium, planted all the trees there and the aim is to as is to get six or more ideas.
So I would then step back and then somebody else would do a monologue until three of us had done it. And the throwback line, which is in a team, there's usually eight people need to, for each monologue, have an idea of a scene.
But you can't make a scene on your own monologue. So I would have had to been listening to somebody else's, but say I was one of them. They could step, step out and start doing a scene.
And on the first line, what you want to do is give the we and the when. So I'd step out and say, when I step out, somebody else steps out.
I'd say, oh, thanks for coming to the farm.
We're having a problem with these crows.
They keep coming down and stealing my scarecrow's head.
I've been through about 12 heads, so that's me stated where I am. An unusual thing, which is scarecrows coming in, taking our scarecrow's head and then the twos. Explore that a bit more.
And you're trying to find the game. And the game is usually it's the absurd thing.
And in most scenes there's a straight person.
So you'd act like you would act in a real world situation.
What do you mean the crows are taking scarecrow's heads?
I mean, how did he. How does that even happen if the head's bigger than the crow? And then what I'm looking to do is justify what absurd thing I've just made up.
Because once I. Once we know we've found the game, we then justify it, which means, you.
[00:14:37] Speaker B: Know, so how do you justify the scarecrow? How do you justify a scarecrow?
[00:14:47] Speaker A: So I'll say, well, I'd say, well, my scarecrows.
I've got tiny scarecrows, but I've got a hundred of them.
I don't have big scarecrows. I use 100 scarecrows because it's 100 times better. So I've then just. It doesn't matter how absurd the justification is, as long as you've got one. Right. And then. So. And then take it from there. And. And then we do like three beats or three scenes and then two other couples will perform and. And do three scenes. And there's different formats.
One's a Harold.
Those different openings to find those scenes.
[00:15:34] Speaker B: So that was a monologue example, improv as well. Because you can do. You can do callbacks.
[00:15:40] Speaker A: Yeah. So callbacks, callbacks, the thing.
[00:15:44] Speaker B: So somebody's got a good idea the other comedians can run with even in a different game.
[00:15:49] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
[00:15:50] Speaker B: But I seen. I seen you. I seen you. Your improv, the older dressers. And. And that was. That was great fun.
And I was. I was doing dry January as well, and it was a good night.
And that's.
[00:16:03] Speaker A: Right, you were on the. The zero percent.
[00:16:05] Speaker B: I was on for about two. Two. I was saying three month. Right.
Because it was like I was on a health kick. January, February, March.
But I wasn't. I did. I did have a drink a couple of occasions on that team, but I was. I did the full dry January, a bit of February, but I was going to the gym every day. But. But now, under doctor's orders, man, under doctor's orders, I can.
Another week. Well, actually, it depends on how long I'm here for because I've not got a shoe with me. So it's not like I could just start walking and shoes. And I think this is maybe I might for. People are just joining us and let us know how the.
The receptionist Ali Grant's in the house. Good morning.
Not so big. Al is looking great. Love a wee caravan as well. Yeah, it's a beautiful caravan. I'm. I'm in the edge of the universe. An undisclosed location because I don't even know this location.
It's Bonnie. It's Bonnie. And it's been pretty dry and I think there's a storm coming. So I'll be here for the storm. So I just want to see if it's possible to do a live stream from a caravan using my phone as a hot spot. And it seems to be in the comments, if it's working. All right, well, if you can hear me, then that's always a good sign. So hopefully it's. It's streaming out there as well. So the. The gig. You've got a gig tonight.
[00:17:27] Speaker A: A gig tonight.
And we're defending a trophy that is up for grabs every month on a show.
The. The Gap. That's a Glasgow improv theater and old hairdressers. Upstairs, two or three fights and they have a show called the Cage Match.
And we were the first person to win the trophy because before it was just dragon rights. You won and if you win you stay on for the next month. So we're defending it. Unfortunately. Last month I was in St. Andrews so I didn't take part in the show that won the trophy. So I'm keen to go and support my team as well as I can and get some sharp, quick comedy made tonight. I'm looking forward to that.
And next Tuesday is our second show, second month of my new Harold team. Harold is a form of improv where you pick an opening. So it could be like the monologues.
You get three scenes in a group game. Then you get three scenes, another group game and then you get one or two more scenes which you need to use a callback and tie other people's scenes together. And once. So other people, two performers were talking about beans and other two performers were talking about a dog.
So the last one is to tie two together and start talking about a dog farm because you ate your beans or whatever. But I. It's a very technical and there's so many rules. That's improv for. For making. For making big make believe on stage and having a laugh. But you need to take it seriously. And when you do the laugh, you don't need to try and be funny. The laughs come because there's techniques and there's rules which are breakable. But when you've got a bit more experience, you can start breaking the rules.
[00:19:34] Speaker B: Famous saying.
[00:19:35] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:19:36] Speaker B: You need to know the rules to break the rules.
[00:19:38] Speaker A: Yeah. But I'd advise it to MD because what it does is it boosts your confidence. It kills my anxieties. There's healing and laughter. Okay. And govern acting coach.
The get run courses are free drop ins and. And the hotel dressers. You can go and see what improv's all about or come see a show. It's on every Tuesday there's a show and you can, you can sign up to do a 101 which is six to eight weeks of learning the basics. And it goes 201, 301 which is what I'm up to. And the final 401 I've still to take part. But once you reach a 201 status you can then go ahead and make your own teams. If you want to make an indie team like we did a horse with name, that's who is performing tonight. And when you get to 301 you have the choice to audition for the house team which I achieved and it's only our second show because you're then signed up for a year and you get responsibilities.
A content maker, a treasurer, a point of contact, blah blah blah. And we've just finished our. Our four weeks free training so we now need to pay for the studio space and if we want a tutor practice we need to pay ahead for that or we can have our own. Our own practices or what we've just arranged as a. As a watch. I sit back and re watch one of our gigs and say what could we have done there? Or why what. How could we expand it on that? Or what.
What. What could. How could we have justified that or what.
[00:21:17] Speaker B: So you've got. You watch your own stuff back like a. Like a football manager would watch his team.
[00:21:22] Speaker A: Yeah. Just like that. Just like that. Exactly like that.
To just try.
[00:21:27] Speaker B: I don't know if I'd like that. I usually I need to wait six. About six months is like. Is the. The sweet point for me to.
[00:21:34] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:35] Speaker B: Start watching myself back.
[00:21:37] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:39] Speaker B: Podcasts back. Never watched any of them or listen to any of them but apart from a couple of times I've had to.
[00:21:44] Speaker A: They're all very good. Mark.
[00:21:46] Speaker B: No thank. Thank you. I don't know. I never watched it.
Stephen Holland says I've. I know I've seen those curtains somewhere this year. That's interesting. There's a. A sleuth. An Internet sleuth you kind of get away with.
So based on the curtains Steven or. I don't know.
[00:22:05] Speaker A: This is my backdrop. This is supposed to be my back.
[00:22:07] Speaker B: Yeah. Shows you.
[00:22:11] Speaker A: It'S supposed to light up in the dark but obviously not dark but I'm getting. I'm getting things together. I've got a nice camera, a nice Canon camera, a couple of gimbals, a good tripod, a shite tripod.
Some light in and stuff in it. You know I must. I booked a course to that you went and learned how to create characters and skits and.
And stuff like that but actually missed the course that something I couldn't get out of and it wasn't cheap so I've emailed them.
[00:22:52] Speaker B: Well you were saying you wanted to skip with Frank.
[00:22:54] Speaker A: Foodie is a. Is a. Is a brilliant character. I love him.
[00:23:02] Speaker B: Even after graduation in lock.
Caught up in some theories and he's been off the grid ever since. But I. I've heard that he's. You know he was sitting next to that scarecrow fairly recently.
So 100 Frank F. Let's see if I can show you the scarecrow.
[00:23:24] Speaker A: Hold on. No.
[00:23:25] Speaker B: Is it too bright? I think it's too bright.
There's a wee scarecrow there.
[00:23:31] Speaker A: How many we scarecrows?
[00:23:34] Speaker B: 100 tiny ones.
[00:23:38] Speaker A: See, I told you.
[00:23:44] Speaker B: Something to do with sheep and psilocybin.
I was wishing that I was. I was. I mean, it's mushroom season, so I was hoping that maybe I should have brought. Should have brought some because yesterday would have been perfect. I was. I was on the farm myself.
It imperfect for a.
A mystical experience because I feel. I feel like I'm at a transitional phase just now.
[00:24:11] Speaker A: Well, you're in the right place.
[00:24:14] Speaker B: Medicinal here. A medicinal mystical experience.
[00:24:20] Speaker A: I would do in a tent. Maybe it comes from the ground. It's like weed. That's.
If you use it properly, it can be used medically.
If you overdo it like anything, it can be bad for you and some people are just allergic to it.
That's only.
[00:24:43] Speaker B: I mean it can be. I would never say that we seductive, but it can be a bit moreish.
Yeah. If you date wrong.
But yeah, I. I think it's. It's the right. It's the right time to have somewhat. Apparently I can maybe find some.
But they're. It means walking. It's just. I've not got shoes and I've got a week to go. I just feel like walking down a bumpy road, climbing hills is just the most stupid idea.
[00:25:16] Speaker A: It's actually conquer season as well, Mark, so. Right.
[00:25:19] Speaker B: Well, maybe that would do me just some con. Play some conquers.
[00:25:26] Speaker A: And sort of just.
Yeah.
[00:25:32] Speaker B: Countryside gym and give it a go. I. I might, I might. I mean I'll give a. Conquers would be good but yeah, it's good that we know that we can. I can live stream. So it's Caravan Radio. I don't know how long I'm here for. I'm here to.
I'm here. I'm just. I'm a guest of.
Of some. Some friends.
[00:25:54] Speaker A: So good people, obviously.
[00:25:58] Speaker B: Well, there's a storm coming so I think it'd be quite good to do a live. A live stream from the storm.
[00:26:03] Speaker A: That pitter pattern in the caravan, you know, you cannot beat that. That sound and you know, it sounds like serenity.
No cars going by, you know what I mean? You're going to have a storm soon.
Just get a hot water bottle, man. Get that kettle boiled and get. Get it, get.
If it was me, I do. I'd do a.
A session. Lord of the Rings. One, two and three.
I can watch that film anytime. I Love it.
[00:26:41] Speaker B: I've only ever watched Lord of the Rings two. The second one, I was stoned and I hadn't read the book or watched the first one. I was with my ex.
Ex at the time and I had no idea it was going on, man. And every time I would feel like I was caught up, then all of a sudden the tree people would appear and I'm. I was a people what they got doing.
But yeah, obviously I should give it another go and start from the beginning. But I feel like I've missed the point. In fact, what's interesting is I didn't bring up. I kept on meaning to bring a book because I was like, I've never got an excuse to bring a book. But it looks like I'm gonna have. There's nothing to do, there's no shops.
[00:27:24] Speaker A: I'll show you my book. My book collection at the moment, that's. I got that for my niece and I kept it because it's so interesting. It's, believe it or not, encyclopedia. And it's just full of fun facts.
[00:27:40] Speaker B: Well, give us a fun fact.
[00:27:42] Speaker A: I'll give you a fun fact.
[00:27:44] Speaker B: It better be fun, though. I'm enjoying. I'm enjoying a period of relaxation. So I don't want it to be too fun.
[00:27:55] Speaker A: I don't want it to be too fun and steal your thunder. But fun fact is there's a massive maraca.
There's a musical. It ties in with the music. Music theme. Can you see that?
[00:28:16] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:28:16] Speaker A: No. Gallagher would destroy that. A Liam Gallica. Should I say beige on bear. So, got a good podcast. I've seen a few good clips from him and his big pal.
There's so many podcasts.
Yeah, they just show the. And talk about the old days. Drugging and popping and name dropping.
[00:28:46] Speaker B: The name drop.
I just. I just kind of slept for the first day because it you. I'm used to noise like traffic going by.
[00:28:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:28:57] Speaker B: So I just slept for about a day and a half there.
But it was interesting.
At one point I thought I heard the ma or like the motorway. And I'm like, that's not possible. There is nothing here.
But as my friend pointed to it, it's the. It's the bomb.
Which sounds in a weird way, but once.
[00:29:25] Speaker A: It'S more of a. That's more of a meditational background.
[00:29:35] Speaker B: Disney sound.
But it's actually a good thing that I've learned because the next time I'm near, which I'm sure will be fairly soon next to a motorway, it seems like wherever I go Motorways there. I was just going to say it's a bum because, see, once I knew it was the bum, I was like, oh, that's relaxing.
[00:29:58] Speaker A: I.
You, you're you. You're mentally allowed that to be a good sound now.
[00:30:03] Speaker B: Allow the traffic. Traffic is a funny way. Maybe it is.
So, tickets for next Tuesday.
[00:30:16] Speaker A: Tickets. Well, tonight are three. Pay what you want. Get it on Eventbrite. Just type in cage match tonight and next Tuesday, same place, same deal, pay what you want.
There's a bar down the stairs. The bar up the stairs isn't on because it's for seating for the feet are up there.
[00:30:41] Speaker B: I like the fact that a year. You're a year sober and you're still aware of where the bar is.
[00:30:46] Speaker A: Yeah, well, you can't get away from it, Mark. You can take the guy out of a.
Out the guy.
They've got a good ranger.
[00:31:00] Speaker B: 0% as you know, I'm going to take my caravan brain into the new world. So it's going to be. You can take the man at the van, but you can't take the van.
[00:31:09] Speaker A: At the man and my caravan.
[00:31:13] Speaker B: Well, actually going through my head because one of my mates kept singing that to me.
[00:31:17] Speaker A: Yeah, I heard that recently.
[00:31:31] Speaker B: And I never noticed, but I have got a knack of hearing a song and figuring out who they ripped off, whether deliberately or no.
But every song's been done before.
[00:31:44] Speaker A: That in court, didn't he?
[00:31:46] Speaker B: I would do that.
I would do that as a pub quiz type thing where I would go get. I reckon I could go against anyone and they play my song and go watch that referee and I just need a few seconds and I would figure it out.
[00:32:00] Speaker A: Well, Mark, there's a radio show that does that and I think it's Clyde one and not sure which one, but. And there's an app that does it and they try and beat the app. So you could do that up there on your solo. See, the app beats you.
No.
[00:32:18] Speaker B: Well, I probably would actually. Shazam.
I only got into Shazam or the, the Google version when I was in Mexico because I just kept hearing loads of great music that obviously had no chance of knowing it. I couldn't. I didn't recognize any of the voices. It was different language. So I've got a wee playlist of some of the best tunes I found that I'm gonna, I'm gonna share soon.
But yeah, I, I, I. And also I think I would just get a couple of paracetamol to, to get the edge over the AI.
[00:32:50] Speaker A: Since the AI world Well apparently.
[00:32:54] Speaker B: Apparently.
Apparently the paracetamol makes you more focused and a special subject.
[00:33:04] Speaker A: I think he's mixing that up with another.
[00:33:09] Speaker B: To be honest.
[00:33:11] Speaker A: There's a pattern emerging there.
[00:33:12] Speaker B: There's. I mean bind again.
[00:33:14] Speaker A: Bind again.
[00:33:15] Speaker B: Biden. It's Biden. It's the Biden thing again all over again.
But yeah I. No politics we agreed no politics before we started we're try keep just.
[00:33:27] Speaker A: I'm in a good mood.
[00:33:30] Speaker B: Shouts to Paraceto says Jasmine Shouts to Jasmine but yeah I. We're going to wrap this up because A you've got things to do and B I was just. I'm so glad you joined me I just so I could check out if it's one people are coming so apparently it is working. The next question is how much my. My phone data is this using up but if. If it's not too bad then I'll just do a. A Caravan radio every day that I'm here for how long that is I don't know yet but it's h. Thanks for being the first guest in Caravan.
[00:34:04] Speaker A: Anytime anytime. I'm always glad to be a part of any you're doing you. You do amazing job out there and everything you do you. When you going to meet OB Trice?
[00:34:16] Speaker B: Obi Trice real name no gimmicks. 11th October.
Yeah it's only. It's. It's the first thing since we played King Touch with bomb scare about 10 years ago that actually has people for airsher thinking about coming up for it real Nothing I've ever done matters to any of them but Ob Trice you know that was. We were. We were that. That's that music you listen to because Eminem came out and then it was 50 cent and then OB trace was just after that. So that's kind of what a lot we were listening to back then.
[00:34:51] Speaker A: That was the had I had the Eminem Dr. Dre 200112 and OB Trice and it was over.
[00:35:01] Speaker B: Absolutely and D12 do tour these days but it's not the same. I mean you've got Eminem, you've got any proof and I think another two have pulled it because the realize it's a bit of no so I don't think D12 is a thing so obitrace we'll see what he's see he's all about.
I mean that that first album is a classic. No skippable tracks and then the second album it wasn't bad but what he was doing was he was. Was trying to make hits in the way that you know Eminem makes hits or Jay Z makes hits.
So it wasn't a. But it's not as bad as I remember. I remember being disappointed by it. But I was actually looking at it just now. It's CU songs like Cry Now Lady. I think no Lady's in the first one.
It's no bad. Then. Then it starts tailing off after that. It does start tailing off and he's. He's one of the only H Pop guys take his full circle because we're talking about you Celebrant a year sobriety.
Apparently it was the drink that ob that caused obi and it's quite unusual in hip hop. Hip hop's the majority of artists in hip hop. It's either coke money or, or, or. Or a shooting or something like that.
But yeah, just. Just good old fashioned booze. Just n frs. Real name, no gimmicks.
[00:36:22] Speaker A: Just real name.
[00:36:24] Speaker B: Too much.
[00:36:26] Speaker A: I love how he samples that in every tune.
[00:36:29] Speaker B: Well, I don't think he does it at every ch but anyway there's no OB tracers. You all know the Eminem song 2 Trailer Park Girls Go around the Outside around the Outside. So that was a massive.
Was it Guess who's Back Back again, Shady's Back without Me. I don't know. Disney Mar is one of Eminem's biggest songs and then it started gimmicks. So a lot of people just known from that. But he made. He made one exceptional album. 10 and then one or eight album and I jackal trades will be supporting on 11th October. But I've not done a Jackal Trades gig in ages so I have no idea what I'm doing. I started writing.
I was trying maybe right new tunes for it in the Caravan but it's not really the place for hip hop. You know, I. I was trying to write lyrics but it's too nice.
You can, you know, you can maybe write a nice. A nice poem, a good nice song or a Jackal Trade song here.
[00:37:37] Speaker A: I always look forward to your poem competition, Mark. I love that.
Whether I'm watching it or taking part, always a good show.
[00:37:46] Speaker B: The poetry slam will return.
It will be back. In fact when I went that time of year again last year we. It was really late, it was December. So basically the. The World Ch the Scottish Championships are in January so we'll probably do it in October or November and then that means they've got a bit more time to prepare for the. The finals at the. The Panopticon. I think they hold it.
So yeah, I want to follow through with. Also I've got Andy Martin's my dj.
So that's good. Andy's a legend and what I'll probably do is going to car studios with him and just get a practice on the go and just someday it'll bounce off because I. Yeah. I can't even practice pop on my own in a caravan. Doesn't he. I don't know.
Doesn't he feel right I should be writing. I'm going to start. I'm going to start writing a book. That's why I've decided this is perfect for writing a book. I've got. I've got space for my thoughts.
[00:38:44] Speaker A: I was.
I was going to go a night on Sunday night across from those dressers in stereo and it's run by Freed Up.
Well just accompany the concentrate's working with my younger brother and teaching them the decks and stuff and he's. He's a rapper and he's doing a lot of stuff inside and he lets me hear it and stuff.
[00:39:12] Speaker B: Rapper? Sorry, what rapper?
[00:39:15] Speaker A: My younger brother. No, my younger brother. He's working with Donna.
[00:39:20] Speaker B: I didn't. I don't know if I know that person.
[00:39:24] Speaker A: Who.
[00:39:24] Speaker B: But I. I know Donna well and I know the Freed up gigs are always good. So is that this. Did you just miss it or is it this Sunday?
[00:39:30] Speaker A: No, it was. It's a thing to do on a Sunday for people.
Obviously there's drinking and stereo but it's for people who are freed up from. From alcohol and drugs and it's just a night. I seen it advertised and I'm going to do raves and festivals and stuff. They do a lot of community work in the prisons and.
And just trying to help people escape a sanity and who are caught up in the alcohol and drug life. It's.
Check them out on. On Facebook.
They put on a lot of nights and I can see this.
[00:40:10] Speaker B: It's good like phrases look freed up and.
Yeah, even recovery.
I was just trying to avoid the words. I think if you're trying to encourage people to go to.
You're trying to get alcoholics to go to a gig. Don't put the word alcohol in the.
In the. The name. You know what I mean?
[00:40:33] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:40:35] Speaker B: Or even the word alcoholic. What do you make of that? Is there not like a better word for that?
[00:40:41] Speaker A: A better word than alcoholic?
Tornado everywhere you go. Doesn't matter how many geographical. Geographic. Geographicals you do or company you change. It's. The problem lies in here and in here. And this is that's where the, you need to start the healing.
[00:41:08] Speaker B: That it was. It was just after Lindisfarne you that you started your journey.
[00:41:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Four months before that. And then the summer and the resolver fest.
[00:41:23] Speaker B: I seen you at the, at the, the night before.
But basically what all I remember seeing is a message on the Facebook group chat saying there's this really big Scottish guy, he's lost his phone and he's freaking it.
[00:41:39] Speaker A: Yeah, I was, I stayed to the last person going waiting for this porter cabin to go home and nobody knew anything about it. That's where all the lost property get kept and oh, what a graft that was. Taking all my, all my camp stuff on a hangover come down, had to walk to the roads and wait for a taxi, which I never knew if it was going to come or not. So there was anxiety with that. And then the train, the train, the bus and then I got to Troy and then I had no taxi money or I had no, no cash and it was cash only or something like that.
It was a brilliant festival but that was a big hangover. That was. That took a long time to come to terms with a wake up call and then a couple more.
[00:42:28] Speaker B: There's maybe a different way of doing this.
[00:42:29] Speaker A: Yeah, a couple more incidents and I just, I was sick and tired of being second tired and that's, that's our history.
[00:42:42] Speaker B: But a year on that and also you've lost loads of weight as well, so congratulations on that.
[00:42:47] Speaker A: So thanks, I appreciate that.
[00:42:49] Speaker B: How did you do? Is a lot of that down to. Because obviously like look at for. Anyway, there's no. I've known Alpha forever for years and years and years. So you, you drank a lot. So is that.
So did that save you a few calories for.
[00:43:05] Speaker A: I stopped drinking and just noticed the slimming beginning and I was like that's, that's a lot. And I've not really done anything because I was just sitting around and keeping myself inside and keeping my, myself away from any triggers or you know, and I was playing around with Spotify, Shopify and setting up an online business and that never worked out but it was good learning how to do it. And so I've got those skills. And when I seen the weight falling off I thought right, well I'm going to stop dieting. And I looked anywhere diets and I always knew Slum World worked well for a friend.
I joined that and then that motivated me. He started going to the gym, doing steps, but even just walking, staying busy, being busy.
I mean for example for this week. Every, every day apart from this morning, this afternoon, then later on. But that's gag of good. Every day packed. I keep the weekend free but because you're your, your week, your week's packed. Anything else you need to do, your weekends soon fill up as well. And sometimes it's too. I overdo it but I'm conscious of that and I've just started up a new AA meeting in Linux Town, me and my sponsor. So that's every Thursday that comes before anything and then yeah, I mean I'm going to be writing with G for six weeks in October. There'll be a stand up show coming after that in the middle of November. Some new material and improv obviously coming first because that's what I enjoy most in it. It's like a group sport rather than, you know, going up there yourself and everybody bombs but you know, it's a bit more.
You can spread, spread, spread the pain if you're in a team.
Spread the pain.
[00:45:12] Speaker B: Bombed. Bombed. Many recently had a bombed gig as well. Just.
Yeah, it's.
If you've got a. Like if there's a difference between bombing when you've got a band where you. Yeah and you know you can just blame it in the drummer.
That used to be my go to joke because I'd blame everything in God.
But I don't have to even joke about that because Jenny's a drummer and I don't Jerry, you have no blaming you at all.
[00:45:39] Speaker A: But I actually set myself up to bomb. I was supposed to do a gig last Thursday. It's in a church and it's for a recovery cafe. People coming to get well and you know yourself if you're going to watch a musical gig, it's people coming to hear music. You're going to watch a comedy show, it's people coming in. You're a comedy. If you're going to get recovery and then you'll stand and you're listening to a guy doing stand up in a church on a stage and counting for a start and a church and. And then they're not there to see comedy. Do you know what I mean? So the guy was trying to get me to do it. I let him know a few days before I said mate, I'm not going to do that. It's no set up, right. I'm set up to fail and plus I need to go and see all these guys again because I'm recovery T do you know what I mean? As long as I can walk away, I'm never going to see them again.
So I use my smarts in that one. I was like, it's not happening. You might see my stand up. You can come see in November at Black Friars run by Viv G. And all the ticket money is going to a charity called the ACT Addiction Recovery center in Kirk and Tullock, who saved countless lives, including mine. And I'm really glad that they've agreed to, you know, help raise funds for that place because it's not strictly aa. AA don't accept outside funds. But the Addiction Recovery Centre can host an AA meeting. But also it's a, it's, it's a Not for profit, but they're not bound by the, the, the rules and traditions of a.
[00:47:14] Speaker B: Has got a controversy because obviously a lot of my best friends have recovered the views they. So it doesn't, it works.
[00:47:26] Speaker A: If you work.
[00:47:27] Speaker B: It didn't work for my dad.
He didn't like it. But it's like, it's recovery, sorry, Recovery and Addiction Center. So what's the difference?
[00:47:41] Speaker A: How, how did they differentiate Addiction Recovery Center? They take a different approach, but it's a, it's a, it's a daily Monday, Wednesday, Friday meeting. It's called a feelings meeting. And it's just people in a group. It doesn't matter if you're alcohol, if you're cocaine, if any drugs, any gambling, overeating, sexual addiction, whatever. You're just coming to a safe space with anonymity.
If I said that correct. Anonymity, yeah. And you know, you get to know the people and it's great sport. Everybody there is there for the same reason, to get well and stay well.
And you know, it's built around the bases of an AA meeting because it works. But as I said, not bound by the rules and traditions of that. And everybody's welcome, MD's welcome, dogs are welcome. And a lot of people's children, Addiction recovery children. So they've had a child whilst being in recovery here.
They all attend the meetings and they've all came on to do brilliant things because, you know, they might not be paying attention or they're running around to be toddlers or. But you know what we're talking about and the tools we use to get well. Because the problem is, Mark, alcohol is not the problem. That was the solution for us until it wasn't. And then when you take that away, you're left with alcoholism and that's crazy head.
So although you, you stop drinking, there's a thing called a dry drunk. People are not working the program. And if you don't get to meetings and, and, and, and do what you're suggested to do. Like if a guy jumping out an airplane suggests you pull the rope or to your parachute then you know, you might be sober but you're not. Well because it's up here it all begins.
But apart from that.
[00:49:51] Speaker B: Yeah, well it's a, it's, it's trauma. A trauma response. Is that right? Is that scene?
[00:49:58] Speaker A: Yeah, but I mean.
[00:50:02] Speaker B: Something under that's making.
[00:50:06] Speaker A: An underlying reason, you know and that people's child.
[00:50:09] Speaker B: And it's interesting, it's good that the kids are allowed there as well because yeah it's, it's a bit of taboo because I remember when alas I knew said once is your mark is your die an alcoholic? And I was like no, I was only.
And I was like no, because I thought I was, I thought it was gonna be Obama. And then it was like no, it's all right, it's my mother's an alcoholic. It's all. I admit it's not your fault there's.
[00:50:41] Speaker A: A stigma attached to. Stigma is the word and, and I shout it for the rooftops now because whether people know or don't know because you don't know what you don't know.
Basically I'm lucky to have a program to really on how to live life.
Disastrous. Everyone drinking for a walk, going on a train, going on a bus. If it's raining, if it's sunny, if I'm going away, if I'm staying in, you know, I had to really learn everything it do, it's over. And along the way, whether you like it or not, despite yourself, you will have a psychological change in the head. Whether it's a tada moment or it's a slow, a slow change. But you know, you only see in hindsight and think well I'm thinking differently from what I would definitely not decide to do that or made that decision instead but.
[00:51:45] Speaker B: For somebody was completely just like no substances. And then a good example is the, you know, getting on a train.
If that was if you were used to doing your hour or two hour train journey to a thing say with Edinburgh fringe or something, getting a couple of cans then suddenly not doing that. So like I know people that have take propanol to just take the edge off the travel and other substances or, or antidepressants as well. Some people are on antidepressants. So obviously there's not a, a one, a one fits all solution.
[00:52:27] Speaker A: No, there's not. And it's unique for everybody and that's why you need to listen and identify what you identify with and things you don't identify with. Just let it go over your head.
[00:52:37] Speaker B: Because my coffee there. Chat GBT is apparently the new. The new hang. That's what they were talking about how it's. Apparently some people were on arguing that it's helped them from a therapeutic point of view and obviously other people are saying no. So apparently the doctor kind of summed up by saying that it's actually quite helpful in some respects in that. But it can still lean toward ebt which is cognitive behavioral therapy for people that don't know which. We actually had John McMister talking about it before. It's really interesting. It's a great way of if seeing the world.
But you know, if somebody's needs actual, you know, immediate attention for mental health issue, you know, an emergency type thing, then talking to Jack GBT isn't going to be the answer.
[00:53:30] Speaker A: No.
[00:53:30] Speaker B: And also the other problem with Chat GBT is it's designed to continue the conversation and agree with you.
So that isn't always helpful because like if you've got like a. I don't know if it's a psychiatrist the right term these days, but if you've got a professional. So it says it's more like kind of counseling rather than a psychotherapist. That's what it was. So it's somebody agreeing me which can be great, someone listening.
[00:53:55] Speaker A: It bums you up. But you know what I mean, it's never going to contradict you or you see you're wrong.
[00:54:03] Speaker B: A good therapist should be saying no, no, obviously there's bad therapists that just want you to keep coming back so that you know, you know, some of the worst people, some of the worst people in the world go to therapy and just use that as an excuse to. To continue the bad behavior because a little my therapist said it's cool and that's what people's happening with Chat GBT says I'm in the right. That's terrible, isn't it? Chat GBT if you, if you face a question like that, that's terrible, isn't it? Chat GBT and it's just a robot that we know. No context.
[00:54:37] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:54:38] Speaker B: Once they continue the conversation.
[00:54:40] Speaker A: I mean that's similar Mark too.
And I'm not saying we don't need the addiction teams professionals and the cat team and stuff, but they personally, for me they were trying to get me to reduce my drinking. And how much do you drink? For example, if I said drink 24 cans a day.
[00:55:04] Speaker B: You actually say that because the, the, the word.
Apparently this is science.
The whatever the doctor asks you, you. They multiply it by three in their head because people are embarrassed. So, you know, you know, I got, I got a checkup at the start of the year and I don't know, I can't remember what I said, but I, you know, I.
[00:55:30] Speaker A: I didn't, I didn't because I was at a stage where I would, I would drink a few liter bottle of cider on a bus at 9am in the morning and if people were staring at me, that was their problem. I didn't, that was just dangerous. I didn't care what other people thought.
[00:55:45] Speaker B: And in the morning on the bus and then, then you're having your 24 guns.
[00:55:51] Speaker A: That is very possible that could have happened. But you know, I was moving on to vodka and then doing a leader before I got any town and then probably buying another one. And last, the last time I was on it, I remember is setting it sitting on the ground in town in the post, trying to move me on and I couldn't stand up and I was a bit cheeky. And then I don't remember really what happened, but my bag got robbed. A laptop and a phone. And. And then because I'd been sitting in the ground that people, I could. People calling me up saying, are you homeless and shit, man? And I was, oh, what is going on here, man? I need. I don't know, do I?
I got myself into some sticky situations and I was very lucky to be worse than robbed in the town. I mean, I walked through the town quite often just now at night after shows and stuff and especially the four Corners. And then you're walking up that street to go to World Turkey. All street. Such a dodgy street, man.
Drug dealers, you can spot me away and, and gang, different cliques and different people. Just.
It's really sketchy, man. I don't like it. I don't like it anymore at night. But if I've got a gag, it's. It's fine. It's usually if you're not out there looking for trouble, you're fine. But it's, it looks so different to me now, the town at night. So I remember when I was younger.
[00:57:21] Speaker B: It does seem, it does seem worse. I don't know how much of that's doing age or also being, you know, by being sober, you're being aware of danger. When you're drunk, you've got like a, like an invisible bulletproof vest on you.
[00:57:38] Speaker A: Just. What about A strutter bubble for anyway.
[00:57:44] Speaker B: Disney, no other. I can right now set up the str. I can't even put anything else online. But look up, make sure the strutter bubble.
Okay to wrap this up. Oh, okay. Because this is an hour. I don't know how much data I've got. I don't have near data at all. But we've done an hour. So thank you. It's a pleasure. But. But how can we wrap up? Because I'm gonna need to call this as an audio podcast. I want to call it 100 mini scarecrows because that's the only thing. That's the thing is standing out to me rather than something boring like recovery and comedy. So use your improv skills and let's just explain how the scarecrows and the. And the scare. The scarecrows and the crows.
How can we make that a metaphor for recovery?
Well, Mark, or better than yourself, how can we do that?
[00:58:37] Speaker A: We use scarecrows to scare away the crows, but the crows outnumber the scarecrows.
So, I mean, if you look at that as an analogy, an alcoholic likes to drink every day and a sober person doesn't drink any days.
So we need to scare away.
We need to scare away the 365 days of drinking to buy a wig and paint your face to look like a turtle and throw in a straw hat and you'll get sober.
You ever see 100 scarecrows? Then follow the tracks to the caravan and you'll meet Mark. Or you'll find my back garden because those are not allowed.
The CRO flies high and Aunt Sally. And Sally's in control.
[00:59:43] Speaker B: Can't really see it, but that's a scarecrow there. That's. That's the scarecrow.
I'm assuming it's a scarecrow. I haven't even.
[00:59:56] Speaker A: Said that.
[00:59:57] Speaker B: You all right, mate?
[00:59:59] Speaker A: The difference between scarecrow and a snowman, like one melts away.
[01:00:09] Speaker B: Stephen Holland loves this strutted bottle.
He remembers it. Yeah. Google make straw bubble on YouTube after this. Jasmine says stand up and church sounds absolutely hilarious, to be fair.
And yeah, everyone avoid the. Avoid the. The.
[01:00:25] Speaker A: The.
[01:00:26] Speaker B: The 100 mini scarecrows and look after yourself. I think that's the point. Is it?
[01:00:32] Speaker A: That's the point. What else would it be?
[01:00:35] Speaker B: One day at a time.
[01:00:37] Speaker A: One day at.
[01:00:39] Speaker B: If you're listening to this on Tuesday 30th September, then strengthen numbers, go to the OT addresses. Tonight. I went to the improv in January. It was absolutely brilliant. And then next Tuesday is also holding addresses. Is that right?
[01:00:55] Speaker A: Next Tuesday also.
Also half eight. And I will be doing a stand up gig in the middle of November. Black Friars with nine or ten other comedians run by Vivg legendary Viv G. Absolutely.
[01:01:16] Speaker B: For anyone who's listening back to the song that isn't listening live, the next improv is on the 7th of October.
So just in case you like this Tuesday, next Tuesday. So tonight the 30th or next Tuesday the 7th and I will get you back on before you do your. Your stand up return. Definitely sounds great, Mark.
[01:01:37] Speaker A: Thanks for having me, Dawn.
[01:01:39] Speaker B: No, an absolute pleasure. Thank you. Hopefully it sounds like it works. So we'll try and do Caravan Radio every day while I'm up here.
And yeah, shout outs to the patrons who make this show possible. Support the show at patreon.com forward slash. You call that radio And Big Al is it just Frank is your tag. How do people just Frank?
[01:02:00] Speaker A: Yeah, as. As. As a tag. But you know, I'm going just going by my own name now. Also known as if people have seen me there before. But yeah, it's Big Al on stage doing what he does best, making people laugh and making a C.
But I.
[01:02:17] Speaker B: Big shout out Patreon in the comments so people can add you.
[01:02:22] Speaker A: Yeah, I've got a 2 Pro show that I just did. So what I just explained about improv. Eight people, me and one other guy did that ourselves for 10 minutes. I'll send that to you Mark and you can let the Patreon see that if you want. It's really funny.
[01:02:35] Speaker B: Amazing.
Cool. We're just going to get your. Your Insta tag.
Okay. Big Al 3182. So Instagram I'm putting the comment Big Al 3182.
[01:02:46] Speaker A: I'll give you my socials. Who's funny anyway on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and our improv teams Horse way nay name and our house team is called with bets on Instagram.
So every Tuesday and the Glasgow Improv Theater.
Come and get a good laugh on a weeknight and you won't regret it. Honestly, none better than a belly laugh.
Nothing better? Well, maybe a few things.
[01:03:21] Speaker B: Big Al 3182 or insta. Ignore the first one I taped in wrong.
A pleasure. Enjoy your show tonight, mate.
[01:03:30] Speaker A: Okay. Enjoy your tranquility.
[01:03:32] Speaker B: Let us know in the comments if you can hear us and see us. Okay. And if so, we'll do another Caravan Radio tomorrow. Next one out take you.
[01:03:40] Speaker A: I'll be training. Take care. Take care. Oh yes. Bye. Bye.
[01:03:43] Speaker B: Bye, bye.
