John Fleming (I)
- Journalist
Press clippings Page 6
Malcolm Hardee stole Freedie Mercury's cake - version 2
On 5th August 1996 (timed to coincide with that year's Edinburgh Fringe) Fourth Estate published I Stole Freddie Mercury's Birthday Cake, the autobiography of comedian, club-owner and anarchic bon viveur Malcolm Hardee. In it, among many other scarcely credible (but actually true) tales, he tells of the time he did, indeed, steal Freddie Mercury's birthday cake. Never one to under-anecdote, in 1995 Malcolm also told the same story in Funny Talk, an anthology of new writing (edited by Jim Driver) about and around the world of comedy and showbiz.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 2nd May 2021Lockdown spawns humorous manga CLAMPdown book by Wolf
I am posting this on April Fool's Day. But it is after midday, so all that follows is true. And today is also CLAMP Day. Next year, on 1st April 2022, it may be CLAMP Day 2... or it may not be. It is complicated. A few days ago, I got an email from Ian Wolf. Although that might not be his name. It is complicated.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 2nd April 2021Amazon anarchy runs riot in Malcolm Hardee mystery
At the time of writing this blog, there are a couple of second hand copies of Malcom Hardee's autobiography available on amazon.co.uk - one at £49.98, the other at £109.95. One second hand copy is also available on amazon.com at $49.98. Originally I Stole Freddie Mercury's Birthday Cake had the correct listing on amazon.co.uk but somehow, between 1996 and 2021, it got surreally mistaken for this other academic book.
John Fleming's Blog, 18th March 2021The reissuing of Janey Godley's Handstands in the Dark
Personally, I think her autobiography is up there at the apex of horror writing with Edgar Allan Poe - except that Janey's terrifying tales are real.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 8th March 2021Paul Vickers (Mr Twonkey): making an album in lockdown
I was talking to musical one-off Paul Vickers (aka comedy one-off Mr Twonkey) a few weeks ago and we thought it might be interesting to do a blog about how, during the COVID lockdown, he had managed to write an entire album for his band Paul Vickers and The Leg.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 23rd February 2021John Fleming on podcasting with President Obonjo
Here's a chat I had last night with Malcolm Hardee Comedy Award winning performer President Obonjo aka Benjamin Bankole Bello for his podcast If Comedians Ruled The World. In the chat, I mention the Zircon satellite, which is incorrect. I think the satellite I should have mentioned was probably an ECHELON one.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 23rd November 2020Robert White up for another prize
Tomorrow, a fascinating documentary about Malcolm Hardee Award-winning musical comic Robert White is going to be screened (and is up for an Audience Award) at the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles - It's an online virtual event this year.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 2nd October 2020Adam Wilder on the importance of listening with empathy
So I had a chat last month (I am only just catching up) with Adam Wilder (previously aka Adam Oliver, previously Adam Taffler). We first met at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2011 when he was street-performing in the Grassmarket and I asked him if he could juggle spaghetti...
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 26th September 2020The death of the second 'Albert', Dougie Gray
In a 2014 blog, I wrote about the death of Tony Gray, one of The Alberts - the gloriously eccentric British brothers who linked the shambolic opening night of BBC2 to The Goon Show, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and Monty Python's Flying Circus. This afternoon, sadly, I received news from Sheba Gray - Tony's daughter - that Douglas, the other half of the duo, "passed away last Thursday (18th June), just shy of ninety"...
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 23rd June 2020Interview: Kunt and the Gang
I try to make these blogs fairly immediate. But, in this case, I have failed miserably. After trying and failing two or three times to meet up online during the early days of the coronavirus lockdown, Kunt (of Kunt and The Gang - is there any other?) and I eventually chatted via FaceTime on 14th May - that's almost a month ago now.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 9th June 2020