A Kick Up The Arts with Nicola Meighan

Nicola Meighan
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A Scottish Arts & Culture Podcast with Nicola Meighan

  1. 5D AGO

    Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival with Emma Pollock, Jo Mango & Amy Duncan

    Send us a text This episode was recorded live at Glasgow’s Civic House a few weeks back, as part of the brilliant Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival… I was joined by three of Scotland’s most vital songwriters and musicians, for an evening of live music and conversation that reflected on the ways in which music and creativity can have an impact on mental health - for better, and worse - both on a personal level, and with regard to bringing about wider social change, and kindness, and understanding… Emma Pollock's a founder member of hugely loved Scottish band the Delgados, and the revolutionary label Chemikal Underground. She led the Music Like A Vitamin and Fruit Tree Foundation projects alongside Idlewild’s Rod Jones, which grew from previous work with the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, in association with the Mental Health Foundation.  She’s just released an absolutely glorious new album, it’s called Begging The Night To Take Hold, and its release follows a period of huge personal upheaval, and an autism diagnosis…  Jo Mango is a musician, songwriter and academic whose work ranges from touring with Vashti Bunyan to her involvement with incredible initiatives like Vox Liminis’ Distant Voices and A Giant on the Bridge - which explored experiences of the criminal justice system from various perspectives - and Listening To Voices, which engaged creatively with people who hear voices - often those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia… Jo’s forthcoming album, The Lightswitch, has a strong focus on mental health - exploring the ‘ghost voices’ of women who have left the music industry because of harassment, abuse or toxic environments… Amy Duncan, meanwhile, is a musician, singer and songwriter who I first met when she played in punk-folk outfit Swelling Meg with Cora Bissett in the late 1990s - and I loved them so much I put out their album… Since then, you might have seen Amy onstage brandishing her double bass in the National Theatre of Scotland’s awesome June Carter Cash show, or marvelled at her solo albums…  She’s gearing up to release Greetings From Gartnavel, her third collaboration with lyricist David Paton, which is an album of songs shining a light on David’s experiences with schizophrenia - and this episode is bookended by Amy and David’s songs together, to let their music do the talking. Their album’s out via Last Night From Glasgow in January… For rights reasons - because music on podcasts is a bit of a minefield, to be honest - you’ll only hear clips of the tracks that Amy, Jo and Emma performed - but seek out their records, go see them live!

    1h 4m

  2. NOV 20

    Jenny Colgan and Andrew Meehan: A Kick Up The Hearts

    Send us a text This week I'm hearing from two terrific writers whose latest books are perfect for cosy reading over the next few weeks - and beyond...  Jenny Colgan is a best-selling author. whose latest - The Secret Christmas Library - follows accidental book detective Mirren, and Jamie, who's desperately trying to do his best on a crumbling family estate in the Highlands... It's a snowed-in, fired-up celebration of family, secrets, ancient novels, dogs, adventures, mysteries, castles - and devastatingly handsome men...  Andrew Meehan has worked for the Irish Film Board and teaches Creative Writing at Strathclyde University, and his books include the wonderful One Star Awake and The Mystery of Love. His latest, Best Friends, sees seventy-somethings Ray and June falling into ways of life, and love, they never thought possible - via books and bikes and honey bees, and the wonder of hedges, knees, and surprises... Listen in, and catch Jenny and Andrew at St Andrew's Book Festival in London's St Columba's Church at the end of this November... I'll also be there, chatting with Irvine Welsh and John Niven together - we'll be there on Saturday night, that's November 29th at 8pm - and before that, at teatime - I'll be in conversation with Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi - aka the Witches of Scotland - about their publishing phenomenon, How To Kill A Witch... For now though, to a bright and frosty Edinburgh morning, with Jenny Colgan, and Andrew Meehan, and piping hot coffee and excellent pastries - to talk about life, love, getting older, memory and expectations, winters nights and travellers - and Italo Calvino gets a seasonal look-in too...

    43 min

  3. NOV 11

    Gavin Mitchell: All Back To Mine

    Send us a text In this episode I’m delighted to be joined by actor, artist, comedian and Still Game favourite Gavin Mitchell who - among other things - is known and loved as Boabby the Barman… His work includes early roles on stage and behind the scenes at The Citz in Glasgow, via Velvet Soup, Monarch of the Glen, Bill Forsyth’s Being Human, Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut - and various dramas with his kindred spirit John Byrne, including the Tutti Frutti theatre show… We recorded this conversation live at The Stand in Edinburgh as part of this year’s Fringe, and Gavin took us on an imaginary evening of entertainment chez Mitchell, discussing his choice of a Scottish album, film and book, along with his own life and work. Come for his Mick Jagger impressions; stay for the chat about Peter Pan: though I warn you; it gets pretty dark…  If you’re a fan of Still Game incidentally, another legend - Sanjeev Kohli, aka Navid - joins me at The Stand in Glasgow on November 13th, at half two - we’ll be having a similar chat to this, and it’d be lovely to see you there… there’s more info at akickupthearts.org For now though, back to Gavin Mitchell, live in Auld Reekie…

    50 min

  4. OCT 20

    Hollie McNish: All Back To Mine

    Send us a text In this episode, I’m joined by  the brilliant poet Hollie McNish, whose latest collection, Virgin, is out this week. We caught up last night in her dressing room, ahead of a sold-out gig at Glasgow’s Oran Mor, kicking off her Scottish book tour. Virgin is a blazing, bright, riled love letter to the best of us - which is most of us - in the face of man-made constructs, expectations, blame, shame, and abuses of power. It features mashed potatoes, pomegranates, warm baths, pornhub comments, rebel yells, kissing trees, butter dishes and radical hope. (I’m also now madly in love with Benny from Accounts, incidentally - but you’ll need to read the book to find out why.) Anyway - we sat down for a blether, for an All Back To Mine special, where Hollie chose us a Scottish album, book and film… We spoke about love, life, words, power; women, children, masculinity; Shirley Manson, Michael Mullen, roller-skates, and Gregory's Girl.  (You can also watch a very DIY film of our chat in Hollie's dressing room on YouTube, if you like!) Hollie's live at Toppings' St Andrews tonight (October 20), at Dunkeld's Birnam Arts on the 21st, at Mac Arts in Galashiels on the 22nd, at Portobello Town Hall on the 23rd, and then she's at Push the Boat Out with Michael Pedersen in Edinburgh on November 8th.

    57 min

  5. OCT 6

    Gordon Buchanan: All Back To Mine (live from Edinburgh Fringe)

    Send us a text While I’ve got your ear, just a quick reminder that on the afternoon of Thursday the 9th of October I’ll be in conversation with writer and legend Denise Mina - that’s at The Stand in Glasgow, it’s at half two - and it’d be lovely to see you there. You can get tickets for the price of a coffee via akickupthearts.org… There are also events coming up with Emma Pollock, Irvine Welsh, John Niven, Sanjeev Kohli and Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake, Michael Pedersen - and more chats with this episode's guest, Gordon Buchanan. I’ll tell you more about all those soon... sign up for the newsletter! Or you can find me on social media... Right now though, I’m joined by brilliant wildlife cameraman and film-maker Gordon Buchanan, whose hugely loved series include My Epic Camel Adventure, Life in the Snow, The Bear Family and Me - and Tribes, Predators and Me. Earlier this year, he published a terrific, enlightening and hugely engaging memoir - IN THE HIDE: HOW THE NATURAL WORLD SAVED MY LIFE - which is well worth reading if you haven’t come across it yet.  We chat about all that, of course, and Gordon also reflects on a favourite Scottish album, film and book, in a chat that ranges from killer polar bears - and vicious pets - to pop goddess Sheena Easton, magical writer Michael Pedersen - and showbiz icon Sydney Devine… This conversation was recorded live at the Edinburgh Fringe - thanks so much if you joined us - and, as I always do, I got the audience to try and practice cheer before we brought Gordon out… But it didn’t really go to plan…

    1h 1m

  6. SEP 14

    Bloody Scotland with Tariq Ashkanani, Dave Goodman and Claire Wilson

    Send us a text We’re back at Scotland’s Crime Writing Festival, Bloody Scotland, for this episode - which is a whistle-stop blether with three of the many, many excellent writers who’re in my home town of Stirling this weekend… Tariq Ashkanani’s latest wide-screen Americana novel, The Midnight King, hones in on a best-selling writer, a father, a widower, and a friendly man who - guess what - is also a serial killer.  It won this year’s McIlvanney Prize for best Scottish Crime book of the year, leading on from Tariq’s 2021 Crime in the Spotlight slot at Bloody Scotland where upcoming writers are given a platform to read their work ahead of lead events onstage…  The Midnight King also follows Tariq’s Welcome to Cooper, which won the debut prize in 2022. This year, that garland was bestowed upon David Goodman - another previous Crime in the Spotlight guest - thanks to his fab novel, A Reluctant Spy, which sees a man make a bit of a deal with the devil, or MI6 at least, in return for an easier life. Spoiler alert - that’s the last thing that happens. I caught up with Tariq and Dave on Friday night at Bloody Scotland, and when I got to the green room, I also bumped into the thrilling writer that is Claire Wilson.  Her debut, Five by Five, is a trip deep into the prison system - and then some - and it transpired we’re also very closely connected through family, because we realised, literally while we were talking last night, that Claire has an incredible tattoo of Kathy Bates on her arm and - guess what, my wee brother did it years ago… Here’s to Tariq, David, Claire - and here’s to Bloody Scotland…

    24 min

  7. SEP 11

    Ambrose Parry (Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman): All Back To Mine

    Send us a text Recorded live at The Stand, Glasgow... Scotland’s Crime Writing Festival, Bloody Scotland, kicks off tomorrow - that’s Friday September 12th, we’ll all be there and hopefully you will too…  Ian Rankin’s the guest programmer, I’m chairing Ian and various actors who’ve played Rebus over the years at the Albert Halls tomorrow, and then I’m in conversation with Mark Billingham and Laura Lippman on Saturday, and there are so many terrific events taking place from Friday to Sunday…  They’ll also be announcing this year’s winners of the McIlvanney and Debut Prizes, but honestly - just dive into all the nominated books, there are so many murderous thrills in there… To celebrate all of this, I caught up with a couple of brilliant, best-selling and award-winning crime writers earlier today… We were live with a really lovely audience at The Stand Comedy Club’s gorgeous new home on Glasgow’s Great Western Road… When I had the idea of trying to launch this podcast from my kitchen table almost exactly this time last year, I got in touch with a few folk that I really love, and I don’t think it would have got off the ground without them - and Chris Brookmyre was one of the first out the gates… Because along with shining a light on cultural goings-on across the country in arts spaces every week - or thereabouts - I had this idea to run a special series where guests spoke about some of their favourite Scottish albums, films and books… I called it A Kick Up The Arts: All Back To Mine, and Chris was the first person I asked. Thankfully, he said yes… if you fancy, you can listen back to that chat from last September, along with subsequent episodes with the likes of Barbara Dickson, Justin Currie, Grant Stott, Clare Grogan, King Creosote, Jonathan Watson, Val McDermid and telly and theatre legend Dave Anderson - who was in the audience at The Stand today, like the absolute cultural beacon he’s always been… He’s a huge fan of Chris Brookmyre too… Chris is an incredible author in his own right, but he also writes fascinating, thrilling historical - best-selling - fiction with his partner in crime - and wife - the writer and consultant anaesthetist Dr Marisa Haetzman, under the guise of Ambrose Parry.  I’m a huge fan of the Ambrose Parry novels… The latest, The Death Of Shame, came out earlier this summer, and I cannot get enough of Raven and Fisher - and I love chatting to Chris and Marisa.  And so - in the first of a monthly Thursday afternoon sessions at Glasgow Stand, Chris and Marisa were my very special guests for an Ambrose Parry joint edition of All Back To Mine…

    1h 4m

  8. SEP 8

    All Back To Mine with Grant Stott (live from Edinburgh Fringe)

    Send us a text This week, we’re looking back at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, where we had a brilliant run of live guests including Barbara Dickson, Gordon Buchanan, Gavin Mitchell, Horse and Justin Currie - thank you so much for joining us, if you came along… I’ll post those chats, and others, in due course, but this week, we’re hearing from actor and broadcaster Grant Stott, who regalled us with tales about music, showbiz and secretarial studies at The Stand, and he talked about his family and childhood too - which was particularly lovely, as his dad and pals from his primary school were in the audience… Before we hear from Grant, I’m delighted to say that this week I’m at The Stand in Glasgow, which has just moved into the gorgeous Webster’s Theatre on the Great Western Road, for the first of a few monthly Thursday afternoon shows, and I’ll be joined on Thursday September 11th at half past two by best-selling writers Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman, aka Ambrose Parry - you can get tickets via akickupthearts.org, and it’d be lovely to see you there… For now though, to a crowded room in Edinburgh just a couple of weeks ago, for a chat about Scottish music, memories, films and books with a TV, stage and radio favourite, the baddest panto villainess, and a former law enforcement officer with a penchant for pot noodles and vinyl… It could only really be one big tidy… And so it was… The legend Grant Stott…

    54 min
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A Scottish Arts & Culture Podcast with Nicola Meighan

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