An hour in the company of Nigel Planar, actor, author and one-time TV hippy, in Glasgow to promote his recently published memoir, Young Once, as part of the Aye Write Festival.
I hadn't been in the Strathclyde Suite at the Royal Concert Hall for many years, so long in fact that I had forgotten where in the building it was. The staff were excellent at directing me to the right place. My drive from Aberfoyle had taken longer than expected due to heavy traffic along the Great Western Road and roadworks in the city centre. Nevertheless, I still arrived before the doors opened and was pleasantly surprised to see only a small crowd, mostly sitting on the chairs provided in the foyer.
I chose to sit at the end of the front row on the left. I didn't take many snaps, despite the excellent view, preferring to listen instead. The room was half full, maybe more, but nowhere near a sellout.
Nigel's interviewer was very professional and had in-depth knowledge of Nigel's career. I can't remember his name, though.
Nigel informed us that his memoir is actually a rom-com, explaining that his life's journey (after two divorces) brought him back to the older woman he had partnered with at the beginning, after leaving home. He bet we didn't expect to be seeing a seventy-two-year-old toy boy.
He loved his days being part of the Comic Strip, becoming the hip live acts in London in the Eighties, later touring with bands such as AC/DC, Motorhead and Dexy's Midnight Runners (a comedy act wouldn't upstage the main headliner and were cheaper than a musical support act). Although he has fondest memories of Madness appearing on The Young Ones, he was impressed by Motorhead's professionalism, with Lemmy having studied the camera script so he could tell each band member where to stand at every point of the shoot. His favourite show in which he appeared was Shine on Harvey Moon. He loved the family feel that developed between the cast.
His microphone cut out during his reading, but his actorly voice still carried to the back of the room. He didn't need a replacement mic, but the tech guy gave him one anyway.
I suspect Nigel's anecdotes are well-rehearsed. That didn't matter, though, as I hadn't heard any of them. He came across as a sweet and lovely man.
At the end, I didn't wait to buy a book and get it signed. It was enough to have heard him speak. Also, I didn't want to pay for an extra hour in the car park. £7 for two hours was quite enough. I wish they'd reintroduce free street parking on a Sunday.
Ticket Price: £12.00Transaction fee £1.50
Booking Fee £1.44
GRCH Restoration Fund £1.50
Total (GBP) £16.44 from Glasgow Life
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