So, first surprise – the Metro is in the same place every night. And good thing too, because I’m going to be there quite a lot in the next four weeks as it hosts some fantastic talent… and it has a great bar staff who I hoped I tipped enough last night so that they’ll be taking good care of me in the nights to come! [Note to punters at a free drinks after party - even though the drinks are free.. its still okay to tip your really friendly, talented bar crew. Just sayin’.]

On with the show! We arrived early… actually – and perhaps a bit sadly – the Big Man and I were first in line. Yeah I know. I’m a keener. I picked up my Gold Pass for the night and … joy, happy dance, fist punching winner grin… there were tickets in the envelope for free booze through the night, and entry to the after party following the show. Oh yeah… I rock. Well, actually The Comedy Channel rocks… they just let me roll along with the rest of the ho ho homies.

Speaking hoho hose… the first act was Dead Cat Bounce, who started the show – not an easy job as corralling that crowd into their seats was kind of like herding cats… but they more than managed and set the night going with a delicious ditty about hose. Couple that with a ‘ginger joke’ and the night bounded forward beautifully.

Each act – a magic mix of local and international stars – did a short set, sort of a vignette of their act. Speed dating for the comedy set.   Our host for the night, Tahir, did a great job of keeping the flow going. He was  a great choice for the Sydney crowd. Able to switch between mocking Justin Bieber (thank goodness!), Punchbowl punch lines (you’d have to be a Sydneysider to get that one) and the couple in the front row who’d been engaged for five years (Five years! Yeah, I know, I thought the same thing – and I reckon so did Tahir!). He worked the crowd like a master.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t know his work before, so I hadn’t included him in my must see list up to that point… lets just say that after last night, the list is going to be revised.

Next up was David Eastgate a mad man just back from Edinburgh! Kitted out with a guitar and an air guitar he took us along with him on his ride of musical mayhem all the way to getting ‘plastic-ed’ at the Coogee Hotel. Better than getting glassed I’d say.

Moshe Kasher was up next. My notes on the night were “speed, scorn and stereotypes” and that really sums up his time with us. He talks a mile a minute, and covers everything from annoying hippies (or rainwater drinking, mungbean eaters as the Big Man calls them) and the middle, “gross part”, of America.  His words, not mine. Don’t shoot me!

Flaming heck, the next act up was none other than the skirt wearing… okay, its a kilt… Craig Hill. It was the first ‘milk moment’ of the night. Yep, if I’d been drinking it, it would have been coming out of my nose – that’s how hard he had me laughing! Not for the fainthearted, or the “easily shocked.com” as he put it, this is a show that was, and is, at the top of my MUST SEE list.

Tom Allen was another new find for me. And what a piece of gold he is! Erudite… bloody clever that is…. as smooth as David Frost and Stephen Fry combined.  He closed with one of the best lines of the night, and though I’d love to share it with you here… I’m not going to. Buy a ticket. I promise you will not be disappointed! (And it by some version of Dantes’ hell you are, write your own blog.)

The Big Man was laughing all night, but I think he nearly hurt himself laughing during Rhys Nicholson’s set. There is corrosive, and then there are those comics that actually seem to spew acid – and not the Magic Roundabout kind. I’ll just say this, if you want to learn how to play the ‘Bogan Teen Mum’ game, this is the guy for you. Westies beware!

Smart Casual , not just the dress code I chose – and the less said about that the better, apart from the fact that I obviously need some fashion-aid! – but the name of the next act.  Two guys and a guitar… and some pretty funny jokes. If you like a mix of music and mirth – these guys are for you.

I was completely, Canuckly thrilled to find my fellow Canadian on stage next. Glenn Wool is a comedy God in the making… and I’m not just saying that because he is pure puckery (see what I did there… puck… hockey… Canada… oh never mind.) The only disappointment – finding out he moved to the US. Another Canadian gone South… what is it Glenn, you don’t like snow and hockey? Say it ain’t so!! Well at least living down there gives him a lot of material… and send the proverbial bird to Uncle Sam by making him sound like a creepy pedophile must mean he’s making the most of it!

The days of comedy being a bastion of Borscht Belt Boys is loooong gone, and Tig Natoro is one of the witty women who populate the comedy circuit. You may recognize her from The Sarah Silverman Program, but I reckon it won’t be long until this ‘dry dame’ is known simply for being a superb standup.

Daniel Sloss is a young, award-winning comedian who uses his youth to good effect in making fun of himself as much as he makes fun of everything else, including family and friends. Though I have to admit I don’t think he’s quite old enough to be telling jokes about ‘what a woman wants’, he’s definitely one to watch… not in a pervy way though – that would just be wrong. Unless he’s into older women… hmmm.

Okay, I’ll be honest, I was hoping that Gina Yashere was going to be on stage at the Metro.  You may not know it, but the lineup for the Cracker Nights at all the venues are kept a close secret. You can only hope that you get what you want… and I really lucked out! This gal has got it all – shed loads of energy, a rockin’ routine, and, added to that, she’s a really, really nice person. (More of that later, when I tell you about the After Party.) Trust me, you want to get tickets to her show!

Gina’s a tough act to follow – I wouldn’t want to do it – but the last act not only managed it, he took the crowd and made us his own. Steve Hughes is a member of AA: Aware Australians  – and he can take the p*ss like only an Australian can. Serious, have you ever thought, “How long did it take them to come up with the name for the Sydney Harbour Bridge?” Did someone get paid for coming up with that? Or the Opera House? Well Steve has… that and much more. The one question the Big Man asked after the show: We’ve got tickets to Steve’s show don’t we? We do!

Shows over but the party is just getting started… and it was great to be there! I’ve got to say it again – The Comedy Channel know how to give out prizes, and including access to the After Party was a great surprise!

Food and free booze… who could ask for more? Sure, the pizza was cold, but so was the beer, wine and cider, so it worked for me! I’m sure there were a load of VIPs in attendance, but too be honest, I didn’t know who they were, so I spent the time enjoying the DJ, and chatting with a few of the comedians. As mentioned, Gina Yashere is a doll! Gracious, giving, and a generally great gal! Thanks Gina, you were absolutely lovely! And Tahir, not only did he host the show, but he in some sense acted as a bit of host at the after party. He talked to everyone, and made a point of ensuring that anyone who approached him left with a grin.  Every comic I approached was more than happy to let me take their picture, and most were interested on who I was – maybe that’s because they were wondering what the hell I was doing there… fair question.

What’s On Tonight: April 12 – Daniel Sloss and Chris Wainhouse at the Yalumba Wine Bar at The Enmore.

Thirty-nine is a weird number. I looked it up. Not because I didn’t know what it was – its the one between thirty-eight and forty – its just one of those numbers that I think should be interesting… and then isn’t really.

Here’s what I found.

Thirty-nine is nine more than thirty.  Really.  Is this definition rworth the time it takes to type it?  Its 61 less than 100, too.  Are you anymore enlightened with that fact?

Thirty-nine is a cardinal number.  Cardinals.  Thought process, birds, red, religion, sins, silliness, Stephen Fry.  Yeah… I know, a bit of a leap, but that’s the way my mind rolls.  Deal with it.  I’ll admit it, I have a thing for Stephen - ever since his days playing the consummate smooth talking bar steward. From A Bit of Fry and Laurie to QI, he is a clever, clever man!

But back to thirty-nine.  I guess the one that most obviously jumps to mind is the film The Thirty-Nine Steps. (Yes, I do know it was a book originally – though I don’t know anyone who’s actually read it… and of course now I’m going to get a message from Paul telling me he has.  Sigh.  He’ll probably tell me it was a play too.  Typical.)

As far as it goes, I hope its only thirty-nine steps to the bar.

Yeah... 39 again this year. Deal with it.

When, what and where… and sometimes why…

April 11 – Cracker Night (The Virgin Mobile Metro Theatre) – The Giggle Gala opening night.
April 12 – Daniel Sloss (Yalumba Wine Bar at the Enmore) – Scottish, name sounds like sloshed… its a good start.
April 12 – Chris Wainhouse (Yalumba Wine Bar at the Enmore) – Australian. ‘Nuff said.
April 13 – Craig Hill (The Factory Theatre) – Scottish, looks better in a skirt than I do, but he calls it a kilt.
April 13 – Tommy Tiernan (The Enmore) – laughed so hard milk came out of my nose… and I wasn’t drinking milk.
April 14 – Reggie Watts (The Virgin Metro Mobile Theatre) – Carlin had seven words… Reggie has quite a few more.
April 15 – Tommy Dean (The Factory Theatre) – an American who understands Australia… guess he has a passport, or a thing for kangaroos and mixed grills.
April 16 – Furiously Fertile (The Parade Theatre) – a play about the healing power of chocolate… need I say more? No.
April 16 – Greg Proops (The Enmore) – I’ve been watching him since his early days on Whose Line is it Anyway. Tonight the lines are all his.
April 16 – Ardal O’Hanlon (The Enmore) – Warm, witty, wonder-ful… Dougal with a brain.
April 17 – Gina Yashere (The Factory Theatre) – a Babe In Total Control of Herself… love it!
April 19 – Glenn Wool (The Factory Theatre) – A funny Canadian… really? Oh yeah… its just most of them moved to the States and changed their accent.
April 20 – Matt Okine (The Factory Theatre) – Aussie award winner. ‘Nuff said.
April 20 – Gabriel Iglesias (The FactoryTheatre) – why is that milk still coming out of my nose?!
April 22 – Festival international Showcase (Hayden Orpheum Cremorne)
April 23 – Corridor Club (The Corridor) – Alternative Anarchy… count me in!
April 24 – Lou Sanz (The Corridor) – Funny Lady with a better profile than Streisand, so she’ll be easier for me to photograph.
April 25 – Heath Franklin’s Chopper (The Virgin Metro Mobile Theatre) – Its Anzac Day, isn’t it best to spend it with an authentic Aussie?
April 25 – Pedigree Syndicate (The Corridor) – Alternative comedy gathering… if they were geese they’d be a gaggle, as they’re comedians, are they a giggle?
April 26 – Stephen K Amos (The Enmore) – he had me at Coon cheese… I mean really, what is that about?!
April 26 – Guy Pratt - (The Factory Theatre) This dude has stories about David Gilmour and Johnny Marr. ‘Nuff said!
April 28 – Mark Watson (The York Centre, Seymour Centre) – Where is this milk coming from?!
April 28 – Hing & Magee (Sound Lounge, Seymour Centrer) – “political correctness, racism, and the dubious racial politics of ethnic comedy.” Well alright then.
April 29 – Steve Hughes (The Factory Theatre) – a conspiracy realist. Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not applauding you. They are… because you’re hilarious!
April 29 – A Royal Wedding Party (The Factory Theatre) – Celebrating the royal wedding with absolutely no reverence whatsoever. I do!
April 30 – Dead Cat Bounce (The Virgin Metro Mobile Theatre) – Sing-a-long to their rugby love song!
May 1 – Marcel Lucont (The Factory Theatre) – A smug frenchman… of course, the first thing you think of is comedy… well an English comedian anyway. Now that makes sense.
May 2 – Monday’s at the Fringe (The Fringe Bar) – dinner and drinks with a dash of droll… to drool for.
May 3 – Daniel Townes (The Factory Theatre) – Local laughs! ‘Nuff said.
May 3 – Jeff Green (The Factory Theatre Theatre) – I’ve been laughing at him for years – his jokes are good too.
May 4- Danny Bhoy (The Enmore) – The man know Australians, and drinkers – so yeah, he knows Australians.

May 4- Joel Creasey (The Yalumba Wine Bar at the Enmore) – a cult following in Perth… I’m guessing that’s a good thing.
May 5 – Comedy Store Showcase (The Comedy Store) – ‘Nuff said.
May 6 – Carl Einar-Hackner (The Factory Theatre) – Swedish comedy… two words you don’t see together often. A try must be given.
May 6 – That One Story (The Factory Theatre) – One story got me into the festival… it seemed the right thing to do.
May 7 – Lawrence Leung (The Parade Theatre) – Most people know him from TV. I don’t.
May 7 – Mother of All Galas (The Parade Theatre) – The Femme Festival… Giggle Girls unite!
May 8 – Bulmer’s Best of Edinburgh (The Factory Theatre) – The best of the fest without having to deal with the rain. ‘Nuff said.

How much ‘camp’ can you fit into a 70-minute show? Craig Hill packs as much gay content in a short amount of time than thought to be possible. From the get-go, Hill is one big ball of energy, bouncing on stage in a leather kilt while miming to the music of Madonna’s Hung Up. By the end of this perfectly choreographed routine – which even has him down on all fours at one stage – he leaves the audience is no doubt about his sexuality.

No audience member is safe in Kilty Pleasures. He flirts with straight men and picks on anything and everything in the audience members, mostly their dress sense or accents. Upon examining a group of middle-aged men in the front row, a delighted to Hill squeals: “I’m only assuming you’re all gay. But look at you all, it’s like a tribute to me!”

Most of the show is ad-lib, bar a few scripted anecdotes later in the show. Hill manages to be risky and insulting without truly offending. Hill manages to make fun of people living in the suburbs, city-slickers, homosexuals and heterosexuals, Aussies, the Irish and even Mariah Carey, claiming “she can make any song sound good and any dress look cheap!”

Hill wraps up the show with a tribute to Susan Boyle, which didn’t really add much to the show but was certainly entertaining. His finale was one to remember, as he invited two straight men on stage for a ‘gay-off’, teaching them Beyoncé’s All The Single Ladies dance.

Kilty Pleasures is a hilariously entertaining, politically incorrect show packed with camp comedy that never gets old or dry. A must see for all audiences; old or young, gay or straight.

Published in Beat, October 2010. To see published piece, click here.

Director – Antonio Bido

Cast – Lino Capolicchio, Stefania Casini, Craig Hill, Massimo Serato, Juliette Mayniel, Laura Nucci, Attilio Duse

Release Year – 1978

Reviewed by John of the Dead

I was very stoked to get my hands on this one mainly because 1.) I had never heard of it before, and 2.) I thought its title was incredible. After looking into this film a bit more it seems The Bloodstained Shadow is somewhat of a hidden gem in the giallo sub-genre, making this experience even more fun to me given someday I am sure I will exhaust all of the hidden gems out there, I just hope that day does not come very soon, or ever.

Stefano makes a long-awaited trip to the island that he grew up in so that he can visit his brother Don, the local priest. Soon after Stefano’s arrival, a woman known to be the town’s spiritual medium is murdered in front of his brother Don, prompting mysterious letters and death threats making references to a long ago crime in which a young schoolgirl was murdered and the killer never caught. As more heinous murders occur around the small town, Stefano and Don find themselves in the sights of a secretive killer with a vendetta against them, one that will shed light on the decades-old crime, and leave Stafano wishing he’d never come to his hometown.

Going into this film I was pretty sure that I was going to enjoy it, which is pretty much the case with every Italian giallo film from the 70s. We get the usual mystery storyline, and I enjoyed the idea of Stefano returning to his hometown only to find himself in the mist of a deadly killer with his/her sights set on him and his brother. The entire film follows Stefano as he tries to desperately figure out who is behind the threatening letters sent to his brother, and we are given a few great kills thrown into the mix as well. This is definitely a story-driven flick, and that could be why The Bloodstained Shadow never became as well known as other giallo films from its day and age such as Black Belly of the Tarantula. At times I felt that the film was a little slow, especially when you consider that we are only given a few kills despite a 109 minute runtime that left me itching for more kills. When you have a 45 minute gap between kills in a giallo film you are going to have problems, and that is my only real balk with this one. As far as the usual shocking climax that we get with giallo films I can say that I saw this climax coming before the film hit its halfway point. This was not a huge bummer to me but I felt it was quite predictable and lost the edge it could have had if its conclusion was more unique, but that is only my opinion.

Director Antonio Bido did a fine job executing this film, and he somehow managed to keep my attention for the most part during the film’s slower kill-lacking scenes. As with most giallo films he employs fantastic sets and great camerawork, and to make up for the lack of kills he delivers the few kills in fantastic and shocking fashion, which I can always appreciate. I was quite surprised to see that Bido did not have a long career in the horror genre, which I found hard to believe given the guy obviously has talent, especially when you consider that he managed to keep me engaged in this slow but positive story-driven giallo film.

Overall, The Bloodstained Shadow is another positive late 70s giallo film that manages to give us the usual awesome giallo story with positive direction and fantastic kill sequences. The film moves slow and does not come with as many kills as I wanted, but in the end the experience is a positive one and is sure to give giallo fans what they want.

Rating: 7/10

All photos © Omar Al-Samadi 2011 – All Rights Reserved

Adam Wears: Cavalry Pea Coat by Nom De Guerre

Duncan Wears: Mac Jacket by Wings + Horns

All Clothing Supplied by Nomad Shop – Toronto

Styling by: Omar Al-Samadi

Special Thanks to: 2+2 Management | Brian Smiley & Craig Hill

macrobert will be launching their brand new design of the events guide and the contents on Thursday 25th November at 12.00pm. Make sure you are in the building or online on the 25th and be one of the first to see the guide and have the chance to book your tickets first and you might find a couple of offers in there that you can take advantage of! We couldn’t keep shtum for very long though and have given insights into what to expect…

Craig Hill
A deliciously wicked evening of no-holds-barred, infectiously spontaneous fun as Scotland’s favourite kilted treasure makes a welcome return to macrobert.

Friday 21 January 8pm

More information and online booking here

Oily Cart
Mole in the Hole
This is an adventure for all the senses to be enjoyed by all children from ages 3 to 6. So that everyone will have a chance to play their part, audiences are limited to 50 per show – book now!

Tuesday 25 – Friday 28 Jan 10.30am & 1.30pm
Saturday 29 Jan 11am & 1pm

More information and online booking here

Danish Dance Theatre
Danish Dance Theatre, one of the foremost contemporary Scandinavian dance companies led by UK-born artistic director Tim Rushton, makes its Scottish debut with a powerful triple bill.

Friday 18 February 8.00pm (plus post show discussion)
Saturday 19 February 8.00pm

More information and online booking here

Charlie and Lola’s Best Bestest Play
Don’t miss everyone’s favourite brother and sister, Charlie and Lola, in their extremely ever so wonderful stage show! The stars of the hit BBC TV series and books by Lauren Child are brought to life by a magical mix of puppets, live action and music.

Tuesday 5 April 11.00am, 1.30pm & 4.00pm
Wednesday 6 April 11.00am

More information and online booking here

I can only imagine that this has you uber excited and has you itching to see what else we have lined up so make sure you pick up your brochure from 25th November or pop online and have a look around….

All the best,
An excited macrobert

Michael Lyon Leaving Jail Wednesday after posting bond

By the time Sacramento sheriff’s deputies showed up at Michael P. Lyon’s front door Wednesday morning, he had known for 18 months that he was under investigation for allegedly making secret recordings of friends and houseguests.

But Wednesday marked the first time search warrants were executed in the case involving one of Sacramento’s most prominent businessmen, and his subsequent arrest on four felony counts marks the start of what promises to be a bruising legal fight.

“I can tell you right now, Mike Lyon is not in any mood to lay down and take this,” his attorney, William Portanova, said outside the Sacramento County Jail Wednesday morning, moments after Lyon posted his $60,000 bail. “He’s ready now for the fight.”

Lyon, who until recently was more likely to be seen hosting charity events or leading a Boy Scout troop than emerging from jail, faces four felony counts of recording confidential communications.

The Sacramento District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Department Lyon filmed sexual encounters in 2008 and 2009 with three women without telling them they were being recorded.

According to a law enforcement source, all three women were working as prostitutes at the time of the recordings.

He also is being sued in civil court by a former employee and a family friend who, according to a federal investigation, were recorded on video as teenagers in bathrooms at his homes 14 years apart.

The recordings of the three women allegedly took place inside the gated Arden Arcade home Lyon shared with his then-wife and teenage son, some of them taking place around Christmas, court documents state.

The 54-year-old Lyon, once head of the 950-agent real estate firm that still bears the family name, was arrested at his Carmichael home about 7:45 a.m. Wednesday.

“He was caught completely by surprise,” said retired sheriff’s Lt. Craig Hill, who was brought back to work the case without pay. Hill rang the doorbell at Lyon’s home on a cul-de-sac off  Fair Oaks Boulevard, with eight detectives in tow.

“He thought that the investigation was over,” sheriff’s spokesman Tim Curran added later.

A woman Lyon was with at the time was released, and Lyon was booked into the jail, then released about 10:30 a.m.

He walked out of the jail lobby with his lawyer and publicist and made his first public comments on the scandal since word of it broke in August.

“Thank you for coming today,” a haggard and frail-looking Lyon said as reporters gathered around him. “I have a brief statement. These are all allegations and I’m intent on clearing my good name.”

Lyon, dressed in black jeans and a checked, long-sleeved shirt, referred further questions to Portanova and left in a waiting car.

Portanova, one of Sacramento’s  best-known attorneys and a former prosecutor, wasted little time in previewing his defense Strategy.

“These are women who were paid for their time, and now they’re being paid for their testimony,” he said, adding that he believes the women will be promised immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony.

Portanova added that Sacramento District Attorney Jan Scully’s  office finally “scraped the bottom of the barrel enough to find somebody to say, ‘Yes, he filmed me without my permission.’ “

“I don’t know how much money they’ve spent on something that does not appear to be the top priority of this law enforcement community, ” Portanova said. “But if bedroom behavior is now the highest priority of a cash-strapped county, well, then, that’s the district attorney’s decision to make, and she can spend your money as she sees fit.”

Court documents filed Wednesday do not identify the women, but indicate they were shown images and asked to identify themselves engaging in sex acts with Lyon.

At one point in a video, one woman sees an object she believes to be a camera, according to an affidavit filed in support of the arrest warrant by sheriff’s Sgt. Christopher T Joachim.

“She points to the camera that is recording her and Lyon with a surprised look on her face and asks what it is,” the document states. “Lyon tells her it is just equipment and it is nothing. She asks if it is a camera and Lyon told her it was not.”

At the beginning of longer videos of a second woman, Lyon is seen adjusting the camera, the affidavit states. That woman had placed an ad for services as an “escort” on an Internet site, the document states.

A third woman is depicted in at least six video files. At one point, Lyon can again be seen adjusting the camera, the document states.

“Therefore he is clearly aware the video camera is present,” the affidavit reads.

Portanova, who once worked with Scully and has contributed to her campaigns, said he could not recall “a time that anybody has been prosecuted for electronic eavesdropping in this county.”

“The idea that the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office brought its immense resources to bear for as long as it has on a case where the allegation is that a prostitute says she was filmed without her permission is preposterous,” he said.

Lyon faces up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine on each count. Portanova insisted that Lyon has never taped anyone secretly.

“Mike Lyon does not electronically eavesdrop on anybody without their permission, period, plain and simple,” he said. “And if there is somebody saying that he secretly filmed them, and that’s the basis of this charge, let’s look at their credibility and what they are getting for saying what they’re saying.”

Lyon has been under public scrutiny since August, when word broke that the FBI was investigating allegations that he had been secretly videotaping people inside his homes for years.

The allegations surfaced during a bitter divorce when Lyon’s then-wife, Kimarie “Kim” Lyon, went to authorities about her husband’s activities.

Lyon since has resigned from Lyon Real Estate and placed his interest in the firm in a trust for his two sons.

The federal probe ended in August with no charges being filed; sources told The Bee some of the allegations were too old and there were questions about the credibility of some potential witnesses. Sheriff’s spokesman Curran said the FBI was “looking for evidence that Mr. Lyon was involved with underage children” and child pornography.

“And they found no evidence of that, so when they turned over everything to us we looked at it with a different eye,” Curran said.

That led to Wednesday’s arrest, as well as searches at Lyon’s Carmichael residence, his ex-wife’s Arden Arcade home and the Lyon family vacation home near Lake Tahoe

Sacramento County Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeff Rose said a priority for investigators now is to examine the new electronic material seized from the homes, which may shed light on Lyon’s past as well as current activities.

Authorities already have reviewed recordings turned over by Lyon’s ex-wife and a former girlfriend.

“Now we have three sets of data,” said Rose.

However, the “voluminous” amount of material that Kim Lyon placed into storage in 2006 after an argument falls beyond the statute of limitations for prosecution, he said.

For the felony counts filed Wednesday, prosecutors have a three-year window in which to bring charges from the date of the incidents. Rose said older material could be used at trial, though, to demonstrate a pattern of conduct and an intent to secretly record houseguests.

Lyon told an investigator last year that his surveillance equipment was for security purposes.

The scandal has rocked the Lyon firm, which has touted its family values approach to business.

Company spokesman Doug Elmets appeared outside the jail Wednesday to remind reporters that “Mike is no longer associated with the company.”

“As it relates to the company, clearly there are challenges,” Elmets added. “But it is a strong brand … . It is a company that is well known throughout this region with 60 years of success … . The company and the brand will stay the course.”

State records show that about 30 agents, including some high-profile ones, have left the firm since August, but Elmets said the company has hired roughly the same number of replacements.

By Sam Stanton and Marjie Lundstrom/Sacramento Bee

Craig Hill

Hello McRobert Arts people! How much fun, to get to talk to you before I even arrive. What a fun month I have ahead- Edinburgh, Dundee, Stirling and Kuala Lumpur! I know, shocking isn’t it? Would you believe I’m actually going to do a Burns night there- how incongruous is that? It’s obviously for ex pats( Brits who live abroad) but what an adventure. And it’s part of a 2 week trip where I then go to Singapore to do a gig lots of comedians do over there and another Burns night. I had no idea there was a Singapore St Andrews Society!

Anyway, it should be fun. A new younger comedian called Daniel Sloss is coming with me to do the gigs- you should check him out- he’s very funny and likeable and dedicated and hard working- I reckon he’s going to do very well in comedy- and he’s still only 18!

Anyway, really looking forward to coming to The Macrobert after last year’s show. I love that space, there’s something about that rounded stage that lends itself to comedy. It felt very intimate and we had great characters in the audience and that’s what makes a show for me.

So I will have to stop focusing on how to poach an egg perfectly( I’m determined to learn to cook this year- even basic stuff) and devote myself to you lot from tomorrow onwards. I’ll look through my Edinburgh Festival show script in advance, get familiar with it all again and throw it all out the window in favour of brilliant audience members, spontaneous chat and give in to truly hysterical unplanned moments- my favourite! See you all there! Craig x

O País de Gales anunciou os nomes dos oito jogadores que, para já, vão constituir o núcleo duro da seleção de Sevens galesa, fruto de um Acordo de Participação firmado entre a Federação de Gales e as quatro regiões de rugby em que se divide aquele país.

Conforme aquele Acordo, cada uma das regiões dispensa um máximo de dois jogadores para a equipe nacional de Sevens, podendo outros dois ser escolhidos de outra ligas ou estruturas, num total de 10 jogadores.

A estes 10 jogadores, juntam-se outros jogadores das regiões ou dos clubes, para cada um dos pares de torneios das Séries Mundiais.

Este é um esquema que já foi utilizado pela África do Sul, com excelentes resultados.

Paul John, que foi recentemente contratado a tempo inteiro como treinador de Sevens de Gales e membro da Academia Nacional, afirmou que “esta iniciativa vai transformar radicalmente a nossa preparação para os torneios internacionais de Sevens. Ela vai dar-nos uma consistência como seleção que nunca, até hoje, fomos capazes de atingir”.

Como parte da sua preparação, a seleção galesa vai participar de um torneio em França, conjuntamente com a Escócia e a Tunísia, além dos donos da casa.

Aqui fica a relação dos oito jogadores agora contratados, para a época 2009-2010:

Jevon Groves (Cross Keys), Darren Daniel (Scarlets), Lloyd Williams (Blues Academy), Craig Hill, na foto (Newport), Chris Davies (Aberavon), Nicky Thomas (Swansea), Ifan Evans (Llandovery), Chris Morgan (Aberavon).

El Refugio del Miedo (dir: José Ulloa, 1974)

Sábado 19 de Septiembre 2009 – 18:00hrs.

Proyección de la película El Refugio del Miedo (1974), de José Ulloa.

Un film de Ciencia-Ficción que, por desgracia, ha sido olvidado y se ha acabado convirtiendo en uno de los títulos malditos de nuestro cine debido a su nula distribución en aquella década y, a su vez, una de las películas más desconocidas de la época de Profilmes.

Toda una oportunidad para recuperar un gran film de Ciencia-Ficción realizado en nuestro país, con un atractivo reparto: Craig Hill, Teresa Gimpera, Patty Shepard y Fernando Hilbeck.

Con la presencia en el pase de su director, José Ulloa, y los actores Craig Hill y Teresa Gimpera.

Sábado 26 de Septiembre 2009 – 17:30hrs.

Proyección del cortometraje Aftermath en su XV Aniversario.

Tras su estreno en la Sección Oficial del Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantástic de Sitges-1994 y su posterior éxito a nivel mundial, convirtiéndose en un cortometraje de CULTO, recuperamos ahora en su XV aniversario este magistral trabajo del realizador catalán Nacho Cerdà para acercarlo a los fans en una nueva proyección que contará con la presencia en el pase de su director, Nacho Cerdà, y el actor protagonista Pep Tosar.

Si queréis conocer más cosas sobre Nacho Cerdà y su Trilogía de la Muerte (Awakening, Aftermath & Genesis) o datos personales, os invitamos a leer la completa entrevista que realizamos a Nacho en Nekrofílmicos.

Entrada gratuita. Intentad ser puntuales, el aforo de la sala es limitado!

Centro Garcilaso -> c\ Juan de Garay, 116. <Metro> Sagrera L1-L5.

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What attracted me to Craig’s work was how stripped down and honest it is.  His work draws question to the everyday symbols and iconography that don’t even make us blink.  Hill’s paintings hit me in the gut, making me feel like a sucker for all too eagerly submitting to the media of the “least common denominator” (People Magazine anyone?).  Hill’s work definitely serves the artistic purpose of encouraging us to reevaluate our relationship with images, evoking us to look a bit closer…

The piece I purchased is Untitled but I’ve been calling it “Dots” referencing the iconic candy Hill includes in the piece and plays off of in the connect-the-dots flower in the forefront.  I hung the painting off-center below a bright orange mirror.   The painting, despite its size, definitely holds its own!

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A converted try from Leeds’ Tom Biggs handed England a narrow half-time lead before further scores from Varndell, back in an England Sevens shirt for the first time since the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Ben Gollings (two) and Josh Drauniniu completed the rout.

Elsewhere, Craig Hill’s hat-trick saw Wales open their campaign with a 31-5 victory over Zimbabwe.

LIVE COMEDY at the EDINBURGH FRINGE

Another fringe year, another innuendo fuelled show from oor Craig, Edinburgh’s own comedy gay son.

For those not so familiar, for the last decade or so, Hill has had some success at mincing around the stand-up mike, entertaining that sect of The Blue Rinse Brigade who like things a wee bit naughty. Essentially, Hill is Graham Norton in a kilt.

Actually, maybe I simply haven’t noticed this previously, but this year he seems to have turned a little nasty.  Perhaps it was just a bad night, but in amongst the usual gags and camp stories, there was some really ill-judged audience participation, which left his targets and the punters around them feel more than a little uneasy.

Some people actually walked out, an occurrence I simply hadn’t witnessed at a Craig Hill show before.  I mean, he’s hardly Scott Capurro, is he? It’s all very well trying to expand your repertoire Craig, but not if you’re going to alienate your key demographic.

A mother walked past the table this morning at the netball courts, she very indignantly stated “You shouldn’t be smacking children”. Then as she walked away and to everyone’s amazement her daughter asked “Then why do you smack me so often?” Another mother in the crowd heard this and appropriately responded “AH, A closet smacker”.

The double standard, hypocrisy, and the so called perceived moral high ground shown by this Anti-Smacker is bad enough, but sadly and worst of all is that this mother is probably losing her cool and is hitting in anger, poor child.

Sound a lot like the roumours about Sue Bradford. One wonders how much of the “beating” beatup is because anti-smackers assume that everyone else does what they do.

Craig then wonders:

Here’s the question, Why were the anti-smackers so well behaved entering the match and then very aggressive upon leaving?

Given the information above a “modern day evolutionary psychologist” may interpret this change in character as a result of being exposed to the aggressive nature of the game. They may claim something like “the aggressive actions witnessed in the game has aroused some ancient hunting gene” etc etc etc.They may also claim that the above reaction from the Anti-smackers validate the “Violence leads to violence” interpretation.

I think our second and third case scenarios give a better answer.

Another woman, on leaving yelled “YOU JUST WANT TO BEAT YOUR CHILDREN”. Tired of these false allegations I let her have it, I made sure I gave her everything and more, the same kind of misguided logic, a taste of her own medicine, I gave her my best and I enjoyed it. She was put in her place. I said, “Now look here Lady, I don’t know who you are but lets get your facts straight. You say all we want to do is beat our children, we can’t even beat the Rabbitohs”. The crowd roared with laughter.

Then another woman had a crack at us, I will not repeat her flowery vocab, it was not pleasant.

Clearly someone who knows exactly how to discipline, who can’t even maintain civility in public!

I was stunned, but then it happened. From the din of the crowd came a loud, drunken voice. It was heard by all. This man, even in his condition, summed up the situation better than Helen Clark on steroids. No one could argue with him and all agreed, he was right. This is what was said: “Now that’s a woman who was never hugged as a child”.

Quite. I know parents who smack, and they will tell you straight up that the most common interaction with their children is a hug, closely followed by a kiss.

ART

Glasgow International

The world-class visual art festival enters its last week

Until Sun, various Glasgow venues

CLUB

Model 500

Detroit techno legends Juan Atkins and ‘Mad’ Mike Banks play for Triptych

Sat, Glasgow School of Art School

COMEDY

Jimmy Carr

The acerbic gag machine returns to Glasgow with his Repeat Offender show

Thu, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

DANCE

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre

Captivating blend of contemporary dance and martial arts from Taiwan

Fri and Sat, Edinburgh Festival Theatre

FILM

Happy-Go-Lucky (15)

If you liked Secrets & Lies and Life Is Sweet this new Mike Leigh is for you General release

GIG

Last Ever Triptych Party

Candi Staton, Derrick May and a galaxy of stars bid farewell to the festival

Sunday, The Arches, Glasgow

MUSICAL

Eurobeat

Sally Lindsay and Craig Hill star in this hilarious tribute to Eurovision

Mon to Sat, King’s Theatre, Glasgow

THEATRE

Nova Scotia

Traverse Theatre presents the fourth part of John Byrne’s Slab Boys tale

Fri until May 24, Traverse, Edinburgh

Ye Olde Town Hall
Hemel old Town hall is a small arts type venue and we’d seen Lucy Porter there a couple of years ago and the performance area reminds me of the smaller studios in Battersea arts centre , itself a converted town hall, which I used to frequent in the 90′s. These are intimate venues with the smallest performance areas holding around 80 people. Real eyeball to eyeball stuff.

The Audience Is The Act
It soon was obvious that Mr Hill was an audience participation type of comedian and he needed fodder but the front row (stage level with tiered seating behind) was empty so he brought the lights up and moved some of those from the back down to the front row. Thank heavens, I thought, that we hadn’t got seats right at the back. The greatest interrogation was therefore reserved those who had been brought forward to sit in the front row by Craig at the start of the show resulting in the most excruciating interrogations reserved for a poor brother and sister aged 14 and 15 (I screamed inside for the boy who was a slightly fey and androgynous youngster (many are at that age) with highlighted hair who must have had the least enjoyable night out of his young life) had been brought along by their statuesque and Amazonian yummy mummy (did she say she had false legs?) and her new boyfriend who we learned she’d met through Friends Reunited.

Time To Volunteer
My partner is, as I’ve mentioned before, Australian and though no extrovert is not weighed down by such hangups as British reserve and so when Craig Hill asked if any body else had met on-line so my partner’s hand went up (!). My nerve endings all exploded at the same instant as suddenly we were the centre of mild curiosity and slight incredulity as it transpired that we had met on-line over 10 years ago (how geeky were we?) and that we were seemingly a lesbian couple in a room otherwise full of hets (or suitably reserved others- if we’d gone to the Brighton gig then perhaps the demographic would be different) as we were quizzed by La Hill with inquiries such as were we married? OK then, on your wedding day ‘did you both wear a dress?’ (nah dungarees of course!) and eeking out other awkward details that I’d perhaps prefer not to share in a room full of 80 people and a probing camp comedian looking for salacious comic material. Mercifully the interrogating didn’t go too far though my own name was pulled apart (I never offer the full version of my name when asked).

Point Of Reference
We were referred to throughout the night and at the interval a few people came up to us to express their admiration (or was it concealed glee?) at our dubious plight. One woman passed me as we made our way to bar and just said “well done” (er..thanks)) though I felt a bit self conscious in the seated bar area as we shared a soft drink and people glanced across at us with a few stopping to say the obvious “bet you didn’t expect that” sort of comments (well one of us put their hands up so…). One woman stood at our table babbling nervously for a while. I was unsure what she was trying to say but was either trying to exude nervous empathy, solidarity or the aforementioned glee at our predicament (it was hard to tell as she was babbling quite incoherently).

Applaud Now
Anyway the night was very enjoyable (aside, maybe from the temporary spotlight) and Craig Hill was very funny (I loved Craig quoting his mother saying that he emerged from the womb with a T-shirt saying ‘I’m so not going in there again’) with lots of improvisation and a good personal connection with the small audience. The show finale offered up a role call for those called upon throughout the night which included an obligatory ’round of applause for our married lesbians’.

Which was er..nice.

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