Is it already a year since we hosted the 404 Ink/Interrobang‽ War On Xmas party?
Why, yes. Yes it is.
So now what? Continue reading “404 Ink Christmas Party”
Tag: Chris McQueer
The ‽ Interrogation – Martin Geraghty
It’s Monday – BOO! But according to Facebook, it only four days till Friday and the Edinburgh launch of Chris McQueer’s brilliant short story collection HINGS at the Biscuit Factory – YAY!
The latest performer to submit to the INTERROBANG‽ Interrogation is Martin Geraghty. He’s a man of fine taste.
A collection of HINGS. Apart from the ones I’ve read before, The shed and and Lads are standouts so far. Had to refrain from OD-ing on it? pic.twitter.com/aegwihnKGe
— Martin Geraghty (@Marting140611) 21 July 2017
If you’ve seen Martin as an open mic-er at our pals Inky Fingers, then you’ll know why he’s a great match-up for the HINGS launch.
If you haven’t, well – read on…
‽: We reckon Chris has assembled just about the best spoken word/live lit/poetry line-up that anyone can see this year for the Edinburgh HINGS launch event. We’re super-chuffed to be hosting it. How did you come to be on the bill?
MG: I STARTED WRITING JUST OVER A YEAR AGO. I WAS WRITING A NOVEL WHICH WAS QUITE HEAVY AT POINTS, LATE ONE NIGHT, NEEDING A BREAK FROM WRITING I WENT ONLINE, I STUMBLED ACROSS CHRIS READING SHIFTSWAP AT INTERROBANG, I WAS BLOWN AWAY. I WENT TO BED BUT HIS STORY GETTING SWIRLING IN MY MIND.
Yeah. That’ll do it, right enough.
IDEAS FOR SHORT STORIES SWIRLED IN MY MIND, UNABLE TO SLEEP I GOT UP AND WROTE MY FIRST SHORT STORY. TWO WEEKS LATER, I READ THE STORY AT INKY FINGERS. I WROTE ANOTHER STORY & WENT BACK TO INKY FINGERS THE FOLLOWING MONTH, CHRIS WAS HEADLINING THE EVENT. I READ MY SHORT STORY & CHRIS CONTACTED ME AFTERWARDS SAYING HOW MUCH HE LOVED THE STORY. HE LATER ASKED ME TO READ IT AT HIS LAUNCH NIGHT.
‽: A picture question – have you seen all the awesome HINGS photoshops on Twitter? If you haven’t, you can check them out here. Which one’s your favourite?
MG:
@ChrisMcQueer pic.twitter.com/vgsYmSZhT4
— K8z? (@edirBcM_eitaK) June 30, 2017
‽: Funky! Hot Chocolate’s Errol Brown/Interrobang’s Ricky Brown. Coincidence‽ We think not! Is there a particular story of Chris’s that you’re hoping to hear in the flesh at The Biscuit Factory on Friday? And if so, why that one?
MG: THE SHED. I’VE JUST READ IT THIS MORNING. ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT
‽: The HINGS launch is going to be a bit of a party, so we’d like to play some walk-on music for you. Care to nominate a HINGS-y tune?
MG: PREDICTABLE AS HECK BUT IT’S GOT TO BE ALL THESE HINGS THAT I’VE DONE: THE KILLERS
‽: We’d probably have picked All The Hings She Said, so you’re alright. Finally, without giving away too many spoilers, what can you tell us about what you’re going to be sharing with us on Friday?
MJ: I SHALL BE READING A STORY ABOUT A WEE MAN CALLED CAMMY AND HIS OBSERVATIONS ABOUT HOW OUR TOWN CENTRE STREETS ARE NOW BEING DOMINATED BY CERTAIN TYPES OF BUSINESSES.
Well, colour us intrigued! Thanks to Martin for indulging the Interrobang Interrogation! By the way, we’re hoping to have a wee Shiftswap-shaped surprise for you on Friday….
Already got your copy of HINGS from 404 INK or a good bookshop near you? Then book a free ticket for the launch via Eventbrite.
Not got a copy of HINGS? Book a £3 ticket, also via Eventbrite, and enjoy a discounted £5 copy of Chris’s awesome debut.
The Interrobang Interrogation – Leyla Josephine
If you haven’t guessed already, we’re super excited to be hosting the Edinburgh launch of Chris McQueer’s brilliant short story collection HINGS on Friday at 7pm at the Biscuit Factory. And we’re not the only ones – spoken word and performance artist is looking forward to being part of the night, too. She tells us a little bit about why in her INTERROBANG‽ Interrogation…
Leyla Josephine is an award-winning performance artist and writer from Glasgow, Scotland. She has been featured on BBC Social, the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival, Huffington Post, Upworthy, Gutter, The High Flight, the Prague Fringe and The Guardian. We don’t have room for all of her other awesomeness here, but you can read more here.
And here’s how she answered our questions:
‽: We reckon Chris has assembled just about the best spoken word/live lit/poetry line-up that anyone can see this year for the Edinburgh HINGS launch event. We’re super-chuffed to be hosting it. How did you come to be on the bill?
LJ: I met Chris at The High Flight. I literally was pishing myself with laughter. He also enjoyed my set, I’ve got a couple of poems which are similar vibes to his stuff so I think that’s why he asked me. I’m buzzing to be asked.
‽: A picture question – have you seen all the awesome HINGS photoshops on Twitter? If you haven’t, you can check them out here. Which one’s your favourite? LJ: Haha omg, definitely Jack and Rose on the Titanic.
— ??Lewis?? (@Loozmo) June 23, 2017
‽: Ha! That’s definitely a HING! Is there a particular story of Chris’s that you’re hoping to hear in the flesh at The Biscuit Factory on Friday? And if so, why that one?
LJ: I can’t wait to hear about The Forge tatt again. Or Knees. But also the ones I haven’t heard yet! My maw was with me the night I saw him perform and she goes on about him all the time. I think she’s a bigger fan of him than she is for me!
‽: Knees definitely seems to be a favourite! The HINGS launch is going to be a bit of a party, so we’d like to play some walk-on music for you. Care to nominate a HINGS-y tune?
LJ: Can I please have this? Might need to start it kinda in the middle cause it’s a long way until the chorus.
‽: That should get the party started! A bit more danceable than the Ricky Interrobang version, obviously. Finally, without giving away too many spoilers, what can you tell us about what you’re going to be sharing with us on Friday?
LJ: I’m currently working on my new fringe show Hopeless, so there will be some brand new stuff that’s never been shared before. You can also expect poems about Vienetta, washing your face, feeling depressed and travel pillows.
Awesome – we can’t wait! Thanks to Leyla Josephine for getting in the spirit!
Do poems about Vienetta sound right up your street? Already got your copy of HINGS from 404 INK or a good bookshop near you? Then book a free ticket for the launch via Eventbrite.
Not got a copy of HINGS? Book a £3 ticket, also via Eventbrite, and enjoy a discounted £5 copy of Chris’s awesome debut. Viennetta not included.
The Interrobang Interrogation – Ross McCleary (HINGS)
For the Edinburgh launch of his brilliant short story collection HINGS on Friday at 7pm at the Biscuit Factory, Chris McQueer has assembled a bunch of his favourite writers and spoken word performers. And we’ve subjected them to the INTERROBANG‽ Interrogation so you can learn a little bit about them before the big night…
If you’ve ever seen Chris and Ross McCleary interact on Twitter, then you’ll know that we’re in for something a bit – Well, read on….
Ross McCleary is from Edinburgh. He has had work published recently by Five2One and Constellations. He is an editor of the spoken word podcast Lies, Dreaming – which has a new call for submissions out – helps run Inky Fingers, and is obsessed with Flat Earth memes and the Edinburgh Watch twitter account. His novella, Portrait of the Artist as a Viable Alternative to Death, is published by Maudlin House.
And here’s how he answered our questions:
‽: We reckon Chris has assembled just about the best spoken word/live lit/poetry line-up that anyone can see this year for the Edinburgh HINGS launch event. We’re super-chuffed to be hosting it. How did you come to be on the bill?
RMcC: How I got here, how I was selected, and what I choose to interpret as the reasoning for these decisions cannot be shared. What I will say is this. I get a head. I am shoulders above everyone else. All other information is provided on a knee to know basis and you, dear audience, do not knee to know. Suffice to say, though, I toe the line.
‽: A picture question – have you seen all the awesome HINGS photoshops on Twitter? If you haven’t, you can check them out here. Which one’s your favourite?
RMcC: The Rafiki / Lion King one is wonderful.
— Aidn (@_AM7__) 22 June 2017
‽: Innit? Sarabi looks a little nonplussed, though. Guess you’d expect a queen to be classist…. Is there a particular story of Chris’s that you’re hoping to hear in the flesh at The Biscuit Factory on Friday? And if so, why that one?
RMcC: Chris is a head of the pack, as we all know, and he’s shouldering his way into the Scottish literary scene whether people think they knee to read his work or not. That’s the way it toes. And if you open yours eyes and ears, and think of the way that the mouth moves and the nose twitches at the bodily nature of Chris’ work, you’ll figure out exactly what I’m doing well in advance. You don’t knee any more clues than that I shouldn’t think.
‽: The HINGS launch is going to be a bit of a party, so we’d like to play some walk-on music for you. Care to nominate a HINGS-y tune?
RMcC: On Bended Knee by Boys II Men.
‽: We’ll hold you to that. OMG. So much dramz. Finally, without giving away to many spoilers, what can you tell us about what you’re going to be sharing with us on Friday?
RMcC: I am a member of the order of knights who say knee.
Thanks to Ross for… whatever that was‽
Want to find out more? Already got your copy of HINGS from 404 INK or a good bookshop near you? Then book a free ticket for the launch via Eventbrite. Not got a copy of HINGS? Book a £3 ticket, also via Eventbrite, and enjoy a discounted £5 copy of Chris’s awesome debut.
HINGS LAUNCH!!!
For the next seven days, it’s going to be all HINGS all the time here at interrobang.scot!!!
Interrobang Season One may be over, but we’re hosting a very special event on Friday, 28th July – THE EDINBURGH LAUNCH OF CHRIS MCQUEER’S HINGS!!!
We reckon Chris has assembled got the best line-up of live lit you can see in Scotland this year, and as much McQueer as you can handle. It’s going to be a book launch like you’ve never seen before.
@ChrisMcQueer Chandler Hing pic.twitter.com/sp21KEY2Zi
— jordan (@JordanWalker495) June 24, 2017
Chander! You can’t sleep through this!!!
And that’s not just a promise, that’s a threat. So. Already got your copy of HINGS from 404 INK or a good bookshop near you? Then book a free ticket via Eventbrite.
Not got a copy of HINGS? Book a £3 ticket, also via Eventbrite, and enjoy a discounted £5 copy of Chris’s awesome debut.
— Callum Welsh (@CallumWelsh97) 23 June 2017
Yep, £5. We found a magic money tree.
Not convinced yet? Then check out what the experts are saying:
This might be my favourite Praise For quote ever pic.twitter.com/QqEIieZDyd
— Kirstin Lamb (@kirstinlamb) 6 July 2017
And like we say, STAY TUNED!!!
The Interrobang Interrogation – Chris McQueer Redux
Whenever we think about hot young Glasgow writer Chris McQueer, we think of him bringing down the house at our War On Christmas party to launch 404 Ink’s awesome ERROR. So we know he’s going to be the perfect guest for the exercise in mentalism that is But is it ART?!
Also, he gives good INTERROBANG?! Interrogation…
Chris McQueer is a 25 year old writer and sales assistant from Glasgow. Some of his work has appeared in magazines such as The High Flight, The Football Pink and most recently for 404 Ink. When he isn’t writing weird short stories, selling shoes or busting queues he can usually be found spouting nonsense at a party somewhere with a bottle of Buckfast in hand.
And here’s how he answered our questions:
?!: Do you have a favourite piece of art you’d like to tell us about? It doesn’t have to be visual. Or does it?!
CMcQ: My favourite piece of art is probably the big shark Damien Hirst preserved in formaldehyde and displayed in a glass box. I remember seeing a thing about it on the telly when I was younger and the shark had this really fucked up, wrinkled face. It’s haunted my dreams ever since.
?!: If ‘you’ (in whatever capacity you define that to be) could be represented by an established piece of art, what would that piece be?
CMCQ: If I could be represented by a piece of art it would definitely be the Salvador Dali painting with the melting clocks since I’m constantly late for work.
?! Pick a song or piece of music that you would have playing as you walk into the most important moment of your life?!
CMcQ; Sticking with the art theme, I’d have to go for Can’t Stop by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The music video for it still blows my mind.
?!: Inspired by the One Minute Sculptures of Erwin Wurm, apparently
Now, define ‘not art’?!
CMcQ: I’d say something would be classed as ‘not art’ if the artist took themselves too seriously. Whether you’re drawing, painting, sculpting, writing or whatever you can use your creativity to represent anything in the world – don’t just use it as an opportunity to try and make yourself look dead deep and clever.
?!: Draw us a picture? Go on!
CMcQ: Here’s a drawing of my dug, Timmy:
Thanks a lot to Chris for putting himself through Interrobang’s grueling Interrogation again. Come along to INTERROBANG – But Is It ART?! on 18 February and experience his art in the flesh!
ESAF are selling advance tickets through social enterprise company Tickets for Good.
But is it ART?!
So. The world didn’t end for INTERROBANG?!’s End of the World Party. We can’t get ’em all right.
But it’s not all bad news. The End of the World Party was tremendous fun. Headliners RYAN VAN WINKLE, KATHARINE MACFARLANE, ANDREW BLAIR, and LAURA WADDELL were entertaining, funny, heartbreaking, and wise. Open mic-ers New Writers Award 2017 winner SIMON K BROWN, and Book Festival Story Shoppers HEATHER PARRY and NANDINI SEN were transporting, too! And of course, Edinburgh’s Novella Award shortlistee and greatest living writer of the humorous volunteer-performed two-handed playlet – JACQUES TSIANTAR – brought the goods as always.
Since we’re all still here, we’ve got more awesome INTERROBANG?! to bring you…
We’re very pleased that INTERROBANG?! is part of this year’s Edinburgh Student Art Festival. Beth and Ricky had the good fortune to do a short set at the ESAF opening night party, and the audience were awesome. Put an ESAF audience together with an INTERROBANG?! audience, and we’re sure it’s going to be a great night of spoken word, music, storytelling, theatre, and live painting.
We’re looking forward to hosting:
- ERIK PETRIE, as the painter and photographer of country and city landscapes shares real life experiences of art at the sharp end?!
- ROSS MCCLEARY, as the Billy Crystal of experimental prose presents a Portrait of the Artist as an Artist Creating Art?!
- SUPER INUIT, who’ll be dropping a live set of inspirational tunes for LIVE VOLUNTEER PAINTING?!
- CHRIS MCQUEER, as the fresh new Glasgow writer returns after wowing Edinburgh at the War On Christmas?! launch of 404 Ink’s Error.
- AMANDA and JONATHAN CURRIE, as the multi-instrumentalists team up to bring you all live music to sooth the savage artist?!
We’ll be letting out more info about the show as the week progresses, but it’s all gonna kick off in the fantastic surroundings of The Biscuit Factory at 7pm on Saturday, 18th Feb. You can get advance tickets at the social enterprise ticketing company Tickets for Good here.
The Interrobang Interrogation – Chris McQueer
We’re in December, or in Irish (we’re told), the month of Christmas. In Scottish Gaelic, it’s effectively (apparently) the darkness.
So let’s kick off the countdown to The War on Christmas?! with an Interrobang Interrogation of 404 Ink featured author, Chris McQueer…
Chris McQueer is a 25 year old writer and sales assistant from Glasgow. His work has appeared in The High Flight fanzine, The Football Pink magazine and most recently in 404 Ink: Error. When he isn’t selling shoes, busting queues or writing weird short stories, you will most likely find him spouting nonsense at house parties with a bottle of Buckfast in hand.
And here’s how Chris answered our questions:
?!: If you had to write a letter to ‘Santa’, is there anything you’d particularly like to say to him?
CM: Why did I get a VHS player instead of the PlayStation I requested when I was 8? I already had a perfectly good video player.
?!: What film would you choose to watch at Christmas?
CM: Jingle All the Way with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not only the best Christmas film of all time but the best film ever made in general.
?!: Is there a Christmas tradition you’d love to get rid of?
CM: Turkey for Christmas dinner. It’s so bland and tasteless. No wonder we only eat it once a year.
?!: What song would you like as your entry music at War on Christmas? Or should we just choose something?
CM: Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) by Edison Lighthouse is probably my favourite song ever so that would be nice to walk on to please.
INTERROBANG?! – Making Christmas wishes come true since 2016
?!: What’s on your Christmas wishlist this year?
CM: I work in retail so I’m just looking forward to the day off really. And maybe a new laptop. And loads of books.
Thanks a lot to Chris for getting into the spirit of The War on Christmas?! Come along to Interrobang and 404 Ink – The War on Christmas at The Bongo Club on 9th December for more words of wisdom from Chris!