Ten Questions with Boy George

In this 10 questions with I've been lucky enough to get pop-star and DJ extraordinary Boy George to consent to be interviewed. 

We tried a new (for me) method this time and used Twitter for the Q&A.  Sadly this isn't a very good medium for an interview as neither of us could give any depth to our comments in 140 characters and other followers and friends were posting so it was easy to miss a question or answer.  anyway no more excuses here's what I've got.

Waylander101: How are things with you now George?

Boy George: Wonderful, I have a few days off and that's always a luxury!

 Waylander101: I watched the docu/drama, Worried About The Boy, about your early years on the BBC, how close to reality is it?

Boy George:  It had many holes but it was stylish, they got that right but my dad spoke cockney not Irish!

I like Doug (Booth) as me and Matt Horne as Jon (Moss), it was quite uncanny how Matt pulled it off!

 Waylander101: I remember seeing Culture Club for the first time on Top of the Pops singing 'Do you Really Want to Hut Me?' back in 1982 and thought wow she's hot only to see "Boy"; was the androgyny deliberate?

 Boy George: It was me experimenting, I learnt to confuse but it took time, then I turned into a rugby player!

Unfortunately that’s as far as we got as I had work to do and was getting a little frustrated with the lack of depth Twitter offers this kind of thing.  I think I may have upset George by asking him mid interview if we could switch to email.  I hope not too badly as George is one of my top ten targets for these interviews.  So, if you do see this George please get in touch so we can finish this.  I would love to know about the rugby player! 


Still no-one set up for next week so if you, dear reader, can suggest someone; or better still actually get someone to commit I will be forever in your debt.

Ten Questions with Andrew Collins

Here in my second interview I have the author, broadcaster and lover of all things 1983 Andrew Collins. First off I would like to thank you for your time and indulgence.

 

Waylander101: Hi, hows things with you right now?

Andrew: Bit of gyp from where a bit of one of my teeth came out, but I'm not one to complain; I tend to keep calm and carry on.

Waylander101: Can you give a brief resume for anyone not familiar with you?

Andrew: Brief is difficult. Studied graphic design and illustration at college, spent a year living off freelance illustration work, grew tired of the soulless nature of the work, made my own fanzine, sent it to the NME, landed a part-time job at the NME laying out pages, eventually hassled my way into writing some reviews, worked my way up to writing features, applied for and got the Features Editor job, resigned, went to Select magazine as Features Editor, around this time landed regular work on Radio 1 with Stuart Maconie and then our first comedy series on Radio 5, became Features Editor of Q magazine, then Editor of Empire magazine, then Editor of Q magazine, by which time had weekly show on Radio 1 with Stuart, which led to weekly film review show on ITV, left Q to go freelance, started writing script for Family Affair, then EastEnders, became host of Radio 4's new film programme Back Row, commissioned to write first sitcom with Simon Day, called Grass, offered post of Film Editor on Radio Times, left R4, joined all-new 6 Music, left 6 Music five years later, having co-created and written Not Going Out with Lee Mack, started monthly column in Word, started podcast with Richard Herring ... still Film Editor of RT and columnist with Word, and recently wrote one episode for series four of Not Going Out. That's kind of where I am today

Waylander101: Snickers or Marathon?

Andrew: Neither. Bad tooth

Waylander101: How was childhood?

Andrew: Normal and lovely. It left me with no emotional scars. Northampton raised me, and raised me well. Even though I defected to London aged 19, my family are all still there, and I enjoy having come from there. I was lucky to grow up in the early 70s, before paranoia ruined childhood and Thatcher fucked up education, and before parents were their kids' "best friend."

Waylander101: Your plan for the zombie apocalypse?

Andrew: Kill myself

Waylander101: What is it like working with Richard Herring?

Andrew: A joy. Neither of us would do it otherwise

Waylander101: Have you enjoyed your foray into stand-up?

Andrew: I have enjoyed it, but I couldn't do it for a living; way to emotionally and physically draining for a man over 40

Waylander101: So, the Mitfords; where did your fascination come from?

Andrew: I simply read the book Letters Between Six Sisters, edited by Charlotte Mosley and fell in love with their individual voices, which come through in their letters. Then I read pretty much every other book I could lay my hands on, many of them out of print. I own the Mitford Sisters. I hate the aristocracy, but I love the Mitfords. Dichotomy!

Waylander101: Have you ever seen Lion Man again?

Andrew: Never. He may never have existed. Although he is immortalised in the fantastic remixes and videos by Nathan Jay. If you haven't seen them, look them up on YouTube. And then give him some money, as he did these for free

Waylander101: Anything you want to plug?

Andrew: Depends how quickly you get this up, but three podcast gigs with Richard:

http://wherediditallgorightblog.wordpress.com/gigs/

Thanks for that Andrew.  My next 'Ten Questions with. . . ' will be on Thursday with TozOL of the CrankyGamers podcast and web site.

Ten Questions with Richard Herring

Hi and welcome to my short ten question interview with the comedian and author Richard Herring. I'm hoping this will become a regular feature on the blog so if there's anyone you know who would like to be asked a few question that will appear on the web feel free to contact me.

Waylander101: Hi Richard thanks for taking the time out for my inane questionnaire.  How’s things with you right now?

 Richard: Pretty busy and stressful. Have been going at it full pelt all year and not managed to get a break and my body and brain are rebelling. But hopefully I will get the scripts for my new Radio 4 show written in time in spite of this.

Waylander101: Can you give a brief resume for anyone not familiar with you?

Richard: I am a stand up comedian and writer. In the 90s I worked on seminal radio show "On The Hour" and then did some radio and TV work with Stewart Lee as Lee and Herring. Since then I wrote 37 episodes of Time Gentleman Please for Al Murray and have been concentrating on my solo stand up work with such shows as "Hitler Moustache", "Talking Cock" and this year's "Christ on a Bike". I also am heavily involved in podcasting, doing the weekly Collings and Herrin podcast with Andrew Collins and the occasional, Sony-nominated As It Occurs To Me, which is a stand up and sketch show. I've written a couple of books and crop up on the radio and TV panel shows every now and again.

  

Waylander101: Pirates or ninjas?

Richard: Pirates - never been interested in ninjas in the slightest.

Wayalnder101: How was your childhood?

Richard: Rather lovely probably. I did a show about it called "Headmaster's Son" - my dad was my headmaster which was probably the only weird thing about it all. But I grew up in a lovely town, Cheddar in Somerset and went to a fine school (Kings of Wessex) and had a loving family and friends. So pretty idyllic. I was always interested in comedy and sex, which remain my primary interests.

  

Waylander101: Your plan for the zombie apocalypse?

Richard: I think I'll just become a zombie straight away and join that side of things. I have no practical skills and will only be postponing the inevitable if I try to escape.

Wayalnder101: Just how tough is it coming up with new material with your work out put?

Richard: It is pretty tough and I procrastinate a lot (should be writing my script now) but blind fear usually makes things happen in time. I am producing a lot of stuff at the moment and it's hard work, but I don't feel like ideas are drying up and I am hopefully getting better at what I do all the time. 

Waylander101: Do you prefer solo or team work?

Richard: I like to be able to do both. If you only do solo work it gets a bit lonely, but I love the autonomy of one man shows and being on the road. So as long as I can do a bit of both I am happy.

Waylander101: When can we expect to see you on TV again?

Richard: I am in the new series of Genius. And doubtless will be on other such things over the next few months. I have been trying to write sitcoms and comedy dramas but so far mostly without success (they're pretty good, I think, but the people who decide have chosen to put on shit instead). Things are moving slowly in the right direction with all this though and I think I will do TV again at some point, but honestly am happier doing the live work and the podcasts. 

Waylander101: Who is Vergillio Anderson?

Richard: Virgilio Anderson stole my name for his facebook web address. We never found out who he was or why he had done this. He was, it seems, an architect who lived in Macedonia (I think). Maybe I should have tried to track him down., but in a way it's fun that it remains a mystery.

Waylander101: Anything you want to plug?

Richard: Hitler Moustache DVD is out on 25th October - best to buy it from http://www.gofasterstripe.com/ where there is an exclusive extras disc (on top of the one that comes with it). And there's an AIOTM DVD out there too, as well as all my other CDs and DVDs. Richard Herring's Objective starts on October 14th at 6.30 on Radio 4. My book "How Not To Grow Up" is at all good bookshops. My Christ on a Bike tour starts in December - http://www.richardherring.com/coab/tour.php

There are some live Collings and Herrin and AIOTM shows coming up in the next couple of months. Is that enough to be going on with?

Waylander101: Thanks again for your time

Richard: Thanks for asking me.

And that's it folks the end of my first interview.

For anyone interested Richard Herring's web site and Twitter feed are below.

http://www.richardherring.com/

http://twitter.com/Herring1967