Live from the Glad Cafe with Michael Pedersen

Before we get wired into this episode, I’m delighted to tell you that the podcast is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe this Summer! I’ll be at The Stand, which is a five minute walk from Waverley Station, with very special guests every lunchtime, from August the 18th to the 24th…

So far, I can tell you that I’ll be joined by Barbara Dickson on August 20th, Grant Stott on August 21st, and Del Amitri’s Justin Currie on August 23rd - and I would love you to join us… 

I’ll be announcing other guests soon, but get your tickets for these shows in the meantime - they’re on-sale now, I’ll stick a link everywhere I can - within reason... 

Their chat’ll be a bit like the one you’re about to hear, as they take us to a virtual party round at theirs, with a choice of Scottish album, film and book - along with a wider conversation about their life, and work…

Right now though - back to an earlier live event for A Kick Up The Arts: All Back To Mine - promoted by the excellent Sufrecs, and recorded at the Glad Cafe in Glasgow… 

If you were here for this - thanks so much for being such a fab audience… and you’ll already know that Siobhan Wilson and Raveloe played some stunning renditions of songs from my guest, Michael Pedersen’s chosen Scottish album…

Spoiler alert, it was a classic from Garbage - so you’ll hear snippets of those through our chat, but follow Siobhan online to hear the full versions...

Michael’s a brilliant writer, and person, who’s a poet, an author, and a cultural rabble-rouser…

He’s also the Edinburgh makar, and the writer in residence at Edinburgh University, and he took to the stage beside me rocking the greatest top I have ever seen. 

Picture this - a painted shirt with pink and green love-hearts, orange and yellow smiling cats - and of course there was glitter. It was neon, in fact. I have never seen anything like it…

Michael’s published three poetry collections, including Oyster and the Cat Prince, his prose debut, Boy Friends, was published to huge acclaim in 2022, and his forthcoming debut novel, Muckle Flugga, is a revelation. 

It’s stunning and tender, it’s a beacon of hope, it’s brimming with love, and it’s powered by starlight. I asked myself, and the audience, what more I could ask for… 

And then I answered my own question… 

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Tickets!

A Kick Up The Arts with Barbara Dickson at Edinburgh Fringe (20/8) here!

A Kick Up The Arts with Grant Stott at Edinburgh Fringe (21/8) here!

A Kick Up The Arts with Del Amitri's Justin Currie (23/8) here!

Get in touch with me any time - I'd love to hear from you - nicola@akickupthearts.org