Mailbox The List, 14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE or The List at the CCA 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3JD or email letters@list.co.uk
STRIP PLEASED Re: The Stripper (640) I wasn’t sure what to expect with this show when my husband presented me with the tickets as a surprise night out, but it was well worth the make up! (Mine . . . not hubby’s!)
The show was well cast, the songs funny, the band were excellent and the whole thing generally kept a good pace. I left the theatre smiling and the conversations I overheard from others leaving the theatre indicated the play was enjoyed by all.
If it returns (which I hope it does) I shall definitely take my daughter to see it. Numptie, Glasgow Comment posted at List.co.uk
WRITING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Re: Public Interest (640) It was good to see in the last issue of The List that your editor is a heavy drinker. His attempt to scale the heights of the Royal Mile, one poorly chosen beverage at a time, warmed the cockles of my heart. After all, in this workaday world when is there ever time any more for a manhattan followed by Apple Sourz shots? As a List reader I advocate a return to the glory days of journalistic alcoholism, with
LETTER OF THE FORTNIGHT GLASGAY SMILES BETTER Re: Sexual Politics (640) Is it just me or is Glasgay! improving with age? This year’s annual celebration of LGBT culture has a mouth-watering programme of events, with the theatre and visual art strands being particular highlights. I can’t wait to see Grant Smeaton’s new piece based around Dick Cavett’s interview with Bette Davis, and Jackie Kay’s The Maw Broon Monologues sounds hilarious! OK, so some of the events in the programme are things that have been around for a while and chucked in to beef up the selection (the sh[OUT] exhibition at GoMA, for instance, seems to have been on forever), and the film strand is a bit weak. But overall the list of events on offer is really enticing, and we’re lucky to have such a rich, vibrant festival on our doorstep. James By email
THE LETTER OF THE ISSUE WILL RECEIVE ONE BOTTLE OF THE BLACK GROUSE WHISKY Smoky and Smooth – a marriage of fine peated Scotch malt whiskies and The Famous Grouse
cocktails for breakfast and a brief nap after a liquid lunch. I hear you people are going through hard times, which, from my perspective, seems like the perfect excuse to start falling off the wagon. Please see to it that your pages are more frequently splashed with the residual alcoholic spray of a heavy night out. Simon, Edinburgh By email BACKGROUND MUSIC Re: Urban Legends (640) I must say, I find the whole idea of pigeonholing music in regard to someone’s skin colour a tad troublesome. The evolutionary nature of music and crossing over of different genres means defining musical origins is almost impossible. It’s problematic trying to categorise music at the best of times, so
bringing genetics into it is just downright messy. This is where my problem with the MOBO Awards lies. Take, for instance, David Guetta’s new style of merging music of so-called ‘black origin’ with electro. How would the MOBOs classify his recent collaborations with the likes of Kelly Rowland and the Black Eyed Peas? A white electro DJ working with black R&B artists to create a new type of dance music – but is it black enough? By all means celebrate hip hop, R&B and other urban music, but leave DNA out of it. Susan, Glasgow By email BLOWN AWAY Re: Big Picture (640) I’m no Clive Sinclair when it comes to inventions but that tornado machine thing you featured looks like a bit of a home made job. I’m sure that with the requisite hoovers and hairdriers I could knock one up myself. Surely other weather phenomena could be easily replicated? I’ve got a magic ‘rain machine’ in my bathroom at home already, but I’m thinking my next project could be a magical blizzard-er using a desk fan, a couple of funnels and the iced up contents of the back of my freezer. Wilf Lunn, Paisley
Next issue out Wednesday 21 October
An A–Z of Hallowe’en. From apple-bobbing to zombies, via the best clubs, costumes, ghost tours and frightfests, we’ve got the spooky season covered in our Hallowe’en A–Z. I bet you’re already wondering how we’re going to do ‘X’. American literature special Some of the biggest names in American letters are releasing books over the next few weeks, including John Irving, Dave Eggers and Barbara Kingsolver. The Listhas all the interviews and early reviews.
YOU’VE GOT 15 DAYS TO LIVE 96 THE LIST 8–22 Oct 2009
CONTRIBUTORS Publisher & General Editor Robin Hodge Director Simon Dessain EDITORIAL Editor Jonny Ensall Deputy Editor Mark Robertson Assistant Editor Allan Radcliffe, Kirstin Innes, Henry Northmore Subeditor Hamish Brown Research Manager Suzanne Black Research Siân Bevan, Tasmin Campbell, Rosalie Doubal, Henry Northmore, David Pollock, Fiona Shepherd SALES & MARKETING Advertising Sales Manager Brigid Kennedy Senior Media Sales Executive Juliet Tweedie Media Sales Executive Aimi Gold, Jess McGrath Business Development Executive Adam Coulson Business Development Manager Brendan Miles Sponsorship & Promotions Manager Sheri Friers (Maternity leave) Carine Seitz Promotions Executive Amy Russell Circulation Executive Murray Robertson PRODUCTION Art Director Krista Robertson (Maternity leave) Senior Designer Lucy Munro Production Manager Simon Armin Production Assistant Miriam Sturdee DIGITAL Web Editor Hamish Brown Senior Developer Andy Carmichael Senior Designer Bruce Combe Software Developer Iain McCusker Web Editorial Assistant Thomas Meek ADMINISTRATION Accounts Manager Georgette Renwick Accounts Assistant Tasmin Campbell Office & HR Manager Jo Morgan Glasgow Office Manager Sharon Stephen Reception Amy Russell SECTION EDITORS Around Town Kirstin Innes Books Brian Donaldson Clubs Henry Northmore Comedy Brian Donaldson Dance Kelly Apter Eat & Drink Donald Reid Film Paul Dale Kids Kelly Apter LGBT Allan Radcliffe Music Mark Robertson News Anna Millar Shopping Kirstin Innes Theatre Allan Radcliffe Travel Kirstin Innes Visual Art Allan Radcliffe