Ocotober 2005

Special Mentions:
STEVE HARLEY
HORSE
LEN (THE SILVER FOX) MURRAY
PAUL ZENON
ALAN CLEARY
SUSIE TOWNSON
MARTHA MORRISON
JOHN ARCHER
BARRY CRYER

Right – last chance. I’ve been telling you fellow Scots for the last two months, and I know many of you have already made arrangements... STEVE HARLEY and COCKNEY REBEL ARE PLAYING THE USHER HALL, 2EDINBURGH – ON WEDNESDAY 2ND of NOVEMBER. Dunfermline Carnegie Hall – Thursday 3rd. For those of you in the West of Scotland, it’s Renfrew Ferry, Glasgow, on the 6th. So, if you want to hear great music and see a fantastic performance that you’ll be telling your friends about for months to come, get your tickets NOW. Okay? More info (plus a few words of mine regarding the brilliant new album at www.steveharley.com). But for those of you who missed it you’ll be able to read my pal Barry’s red-hot review in The Daily Record the following day. And if you DO miss it, then prepare to kick yourself. Or, better, get somebody else to do it for you.

And while we’re on the subject, another wonderful act to catch, is HORSE, playing the QUEEN’S HALL, EDINBURGH on Monday the 7th. Both acts are well worth catching if you like good music.

Another thing well worth catching is my good pal PAUL ZENON who will be on Countdown on Channel 4 on November 11th. (He tells me he’s also recording Through The Keyhole – so we can ALL see what kind of pig sty the man lives in! – only kidding, Paul!)

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JOKE
This joke comes to you, courtesy of LEN (THE SILVER FOX) MURRAY. (His book "The Pleader comes highly recommended). Blame him, not me!
Harry and his mates from Cardenden Miners Welfare Club had saved their money in a big jar to go to Spain on a wee holiday. And as the 27 of them stood outside the Nueva Andalucia Plaza Hotel near Puerto Banus Harry got a nudge from his mate...."There’s big Sean Connery" "Naw it’s no’" says Harry . "Aye it is "says his mate. "Right enough so it is," says Harry. Harry goes up to the big man and says "Hello, Shane, we’re fae Cardenden Miners’ Welfare. Ah wonder if we could have a picture" "No" says Connery "I don't do that sort of thing now." "Aw come oan, Shane jist wan. We’ve come a’ the wey fae Fife." pleads Harry "Oh ok just one" says James Bond Harry hands Connery the camera, runs back to the group and shouts "Mind you get us aw in big man!!!"

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TESTIMONIAL THAT MADE ME GLOW ALL OVER
I had a wonderful testimonial from ALAN CLEARY (You’ll know a little bit about this amazing character if you read last month’s newsletter.) "Drew McAdam was amazing. I have never seen an audience so stunned to silence…..and these were cynical "seen-it-all-before" insurance people. The effect that Drew’s performance had on them was absolutely astounding."
Thanks, Alan. The cheque is in the post!



Xxxxx
A REAL SCARE AT HALLOWEEN
A Halloween party... it was fun, though. They had a surprise for me halfway through the evening. They said they had a special guest arriving, so we all took our places, the music I use for opening my bigger shows came on, and into the room came... ME! Well, not me, but MARTHA MORRISON, dressed in black, wearing a life-size, full-colour mask of my face and carrying a spoon. She then proceeded to bend the spoon by rubbing it – I couldn’t believe it. It turns out that she had bought the spoon from a magic shop – it has a hinge in it – and she and her partner David had made the mask. It was one of the funniest and most disconcerting things I’ve ever experienced. Thanks, Martha, for taking the time to do that – it really was appreciated.

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WORKING HARD ON MY BEHALF
I Had a very busy time down in London – and beyond – recently, thanks to the outstanding hard work and determination of TV Commissioning Agent SUSIE TOWNSON of Plus Talent, I had a host of appointments with various TV people, from the BBC to Granada. This meant two days of running from production company to production company in what was the most glorious summer weather (meanwhile, back home in Scotland, they had storms and horizontal rain... tough, eh?) There’s lots and lots more to come next month – meetings with producers, that is, not sunny weather. So, I’ll be South of the Border a lot in the coming months, so much so that I’ll probably even figure out the London Tube system. Thanks, Susie.

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TO THE HOSPITAL – AND STEP ON IT
My Grandson gave us all a spectacular fright this month (last month it was a different grandson, Robbie, who got the top off the "child-proof" bottle and swallowed all the aspirins thinking they were sweeties.) Neee-naaaw Neee-Nawww – Kirkcaldy Hospital. "We need special care..." Neee-naaaw Neee -Nawww – Dunfermline hospital.
This month it was the turn of young Nathan. Having received his MMR inoculation promptly came out in an impressive rash, and a sky-high temperature... (Meningitis? They all wondered.) Neee-naaaw Neee-Nawww – Falkirk Hospital. "Eeek – we dunno what this is... "Neee-naaaw Neee-Nawww – Stirling hospital. There followed a worrying time as he grew worse, with drips and barrier nursing before he suddenly improved and was back to his old self. What’s coming next? I have no idea, but I bet it involves one of the kids and Neee-naaaw Neee-Nawww – hospital.

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A FUNNY MAN
Managed to meet up with top entertainer JOHN ARCHER. Honestly, I don’t think I know anybody with such a finely honed – and pure fun – sense of humour. I worked with him on The Island of Sark (Channel Islands) in the early summer, and his act is out of this world. Genuinely "nice" and superbly talented, if ever you get the chance to se him (He’s on SKY TV a fair bit) then do. . You can check out his web site at www.john-archer.com.
John, it was an honour and a privilege.

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THANKS BARRY
The Daily Record are doing a double-page feature on me – sometime before Christmas. However, it’s all written (well done, Barry!) and the photographs all taken, so it’s just a matter of waiting till they find a slot. Having read what Barry’s written, it looks like a really good piece, though. Can’t wait to see the results of the photo-shoot!
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THIS MONTHS GIGS
The month kicked off with a gig a
The MANSEFIELD TRAQUHAIR, in Edinburgh. There was also a cracking gig at The ART GALLERY in Aberdeen. From way up there, the next gig was way down there at OXENFOORD CASTLE near The Borders. (While there, a helicopter came in with my old mucker Gus at the joystick – good to see you again, Gus!) Big gig in the ancient MERCHANT ADVENTURER’S HALL in YORK. Tickets £65, by the way! I was on there with the wonderful BARRY CRYER. For those of you who don’t know, Barry has written for people such as Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory Bremner, George Burns (Yes, THE George Burns), Jasper Carrott, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett, Bruce Forsyth, David Frost, Bob Hope (Yes, THE Bob Hope), Frankie Howard, Richard Pryor, Mike Yarwood, The Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise. So you would expect somebody who doesn’t talk to mere mortals... I had to follow Barry, so you can imagine my concerns. However, typical of the man, he signed something for me along the lines of: "I’ll never follow you!". And also typical of the man, by the time I got back to my office there was a message on my voicemail – I hope you don’t mind me saying this, Barry – thanking me for my company. How many real showbiz superstars would take the time and effort to do THAT? That will give some indication of what a gentleman he is - a real pro, and a lovely, lovely man, too. Besides being a genuinely nice bloke, he’s also extremely talented and very, very funny – which explains why he’s been in the business for so long. We had been given accommodation in the same hotel, and were driven to and from the venue in the same car, so I was blessed with quite a bit of time in his company. We really hit it off, and I’ve got a new friend! What a brilliant industry this is in which I work!
There was a nice little gig at the DALMAHOY Hotel for a small group of medical people. It was one of the best, and I couldn’t get away because they had so many questions. I love that kind of gig!
There was another gig at The DALMAHOY, two gigs per day over two days. Nice work if you can get it.
The EDINBURGH MARRIOT was next – this was a series of four workshops, of which I was one – the delegates changing rooms each hour, on the hour. This meant performing four gigs back-to-back. Phew! Now THAT’s hard work – but a lot of fun!
From the four gigs at the Marriot it was a rush over to THE APEX for another performance.
A series of gigs on the same day seems to be becoming the norm, because in one day I also had the ARTHOUSE HOTEL in Glasgow for a group of 30, then straight up to the DUNBLANE HILTON – and a gig for over 300.
Last, but not least, there was a gig at The THANESTONE HOUSE HOTEL in INVERURIE. (I had a superb room with a 4-poster and a Jacuzzi (sigh) what a drag. Heee Heee)

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Thanks for your company. I look forward to hearing from you, letting me know what’s being going on in your life.
Best wishes,
Drew

ENDS