The First Time Archives

How Was It For You?!

We’ve had our First Time, and let us tell you, it was pretty memorable!

CUE: Applause! — Can’t wait for more Interrobang?! Scroll down for details about our forthcoming appearance at the Oxjam Edinburgh Takeover!

Thanks to our featured guests, Stuart A. Paterson, Kaite Welsh, and Ross McCleary. Thanks to our brilliant volunteer performers. Thanks to our intrepid “Margery” and “Gerald” for submitting to Jacques’ Big Two-Hander.

Thanks to Jacques Tsiantar for gently initiating Gerald and Margery into our recurring bit, and for handling the sound desk. Thanks to Ricky’s bandmate in Nerd Bait, Paul, for providing music. Thanks to Andrew Perry for these awesome photos, and for mucking in at the door. Thanks to the folks at Woodland Creatures for taking such good care of all of us.

Weren't they brilliant?! — “Gerald” and “Margery” prepare to shake hands vigorously for THE FIRST TIME!

Most of all, thanks to our audience for taking a chance on our first time as Interrobang?! – your enthusiasm really made the night for us! We think Stuart put it best:

Not a single appreciative, reverential ‘mmmm’ was heard after any poem. Great crowd, loud crowd, love it!

Now Interrobang?! is booked in for two more preview shows at Woodland Creatures on the first Friday of November and December. Keep checking in here or on our Twitter or Facebook for more details as they emerge. A cracking second night is already taking shape!

Do they like us?! — Great crowd! Except beardy speccy at the back!

But first, Beth and Ricky will be performing in a half-hour slot at the Oxjam Edinburgh Takeover this Friday, 15 October. Their set will take place at the Grassmarket Community Project, and begins at 2:45pm.

For its spoken word strand, Oxjam is particularly interested in

poetry and writing that experiments with music and material that addresses feminism or poverty

and we can exclusively reveal that Ricky Interrobang’s bit will hit at least two of these bases with the help of Nerd Bait. Beth Interrobang has some awesome stuff up her capacious creative sleeves, too!

But keep the JAAMs – they're fab. — Kick out the jams – it’s Interrobang?! time!

As a friend of Interrobang?! you can take advantage of discounted tickets at this link. And your ticket will give you complete access to five venues around Old Town and 30+ acts from Edinburgh’s music and spoken word scene!

All the money raised will go to support Oxfam’s Emergency Fund, which provides clean drinking water and sanitation to communities hit by disaster.

Big round of applause for you! — We hope to see you there!

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The Interrobang Interrogation – Kaite Welsh

The last of our featured guests, Kaite Welsh, has taken a few minutes to complete The Interrobang Interrogation in time for The First Time tomorrow night. Thanks, Kaite!

No looking up the answers! — Kaite Welsh submits to the Interrobang Interrogation

Kaite Welsh is an author, critic and journalist. You may have heard her on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. Her novel The Wages of Sin, a feminist historical crime novel set in Victorian Edinburgh, is out from Headline in June 2017. She also throws a cracking Eurovision party.

And here’s how she answered our questions:

?!: The theme of the first Interrobang is The First Time. When did you first realise you wanted to write?

KW: I remember being around 8 and deciding I was going to be a poet. I stayed up all night once and wrote 26 poems, all of which were dreadful, and several pictures of horses to accompany them although most of the poems weren’t even about horses. People think I’m productive now, but when I was 8 I was on fire. In the end, my poetic abilities didn’t stay with me to adulthood – I was in my first year of uni when I realised that if I wanted to be a writer I had to, you know, write something and spent a few years writing short stories and experimenting with literary fiction (although it turned out that was just a phase).

?!: And what’s the first book you remember reading?

KW: The first book I remember being read to me was The Hobbit, when I was around 2 or 3. My mother read it to us as a bedtime story, complete with voices – I’m pretty sure that’s where Andy Serkis took his Gollum voice from. Then, when I was learning to read at primary school, I remember her taking this hardback Everyman edition of Jane Eyre down from the bookshelf, reading the first few pages aloud and saying to me “This is why you’re learning to read.”

?!: What song would you like as your entry music? Or should we just choose something?

KW: My wife and I eloped and I never got a chance to walk down the aisle to The Wedding March, so that or the James Bond theme. It’s my jam.

?!: What are your most and least favourite words?

KW: Most: “We’ll pay you.” Least “There’ll be terrific exposure!”

?!: Anything else you’d like to share with us?

KW: My first book, The Wages of Sin, is out next year. It’s a historical feminist crime novel about a fallen woman turned medical student turned detective in 1890s Edinburgh. It’s available for pre-order if you want to get your hands on it the moment it’s published, although like they say in the Bodyform advert, you don’t have to – you just can.

Thanks a lot to Kaite for indulging Interrobang’s Interrogation. Come along to Interrobang – The First Time on 7 October and find out why you learned to listen!

The Interrobang Interrogation – Stuart A. Paterson

The next of our featured guests for Interrobang – The First Time, Stuart A. Paterson, has also taken a few minutes to complete The Interrobang Interrogation. Nice one!

And looks quite happy about it?! — Stuart A. Paterson submits to the Interrobang Interrogation

Multi-award-winning poet Stuart A. Paterson’s honours include an Eric Gregory Award from the UK Society of Authors and a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship from the Scottish Book Trust. Described by Alan Bold in The Sunday Times as “McGough by way of Morgan,” his latest collection, Aye, is available on Tapsalteerie.

And here’s how he answered our questions:

?!: The theme of Interrobang #1 is The First Time. When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

SAP: I’ve never wanted to be a writer. I’ve written poetry since I was about 12 or 13 & still love doing so, but I wouldn’t describe myself as a poet or writer. I don’t like the stereotyping or pigeonholing such descriptions bring, & besides, I don’t live in a garret. Although I am broke.

?!: And what’s the first book you remember reading?

SAP: Rupert The Bear & the Cloud Pirates. Or maybe The Bible. They’re both pretty intertwined in my memory, which, given the subject matter, is unsurprising really.

?!: What song would you like as your entry music? Or should we just choose something?

SAP: Jarama Valley/Bandiera Rosa by The Laggan, from 3.20 in as Bandiera Rosa begins.

?!: What are your favourite and least favourite words?

SAP: Favourite – ‘aye’. Least favourite – ‘naw’

?!: Anything else you’d like to share with us?

SAP: Allergic to mushrooms. Feeds badgers. Was born in a convent & raised by nuns.

Thanks a lot to Stuart for indulging Interrobang’s Interrogation. Come along to Interrobang – The First Time on 7 October and have a right good jig as Stuart takes the stage!

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The Interrobang Interrogation – Ross McCleary

The first of our featured guests for Interrobang – The First Time, Ross McCleary, has taken a few minutes to complete The Interrobang Interrogation. Bangin!

Aye, it makes everyone feel like that — Ross’s Interrogation begins

Ross is from Edinburgh. His work has appeared far and wide, near and a little too close. He has a pamphlet published by Spacecraft Press, and a novella/book/text published by Maudlin House based out of Illinois. How cool is that? He is a writer for poets against humanity, an organiser for Inky Fingers, and an editor of podcast journal Lies, Dreaming.

And here’s how he answered our questions:

?!: The theme of the first Interrobang is The First Time. When did you first realise you wanted to write?

RMcC: I don’t think I ever didn’t want to write. I remember writing when I was very young, then again in my teens, and beyond. There are huge weird gaps where I didn’t but those are hard to remember insofar as I can’t explain why I didn’t write in those periods. Some time after university I began to write on a semi-regular basis. Then some time after that, at some point caught between writing and not writing, I chose writing and after that I’ve tended to write every day. So while I haven’t ever not wanted to write, there have been periods in which I’ve had to rediscover the need to write that I have always had.

?!: And what’s the first book you remember reading?

RMcC: The Worst Witch? Or maybe a Roald Dahl one? I reckon it’s likely that my first book was one of those Magic Key books – there was one where they get shrunk down and go inside a dolls house. That’s probably one of the first.

?!: What song would you like as your entry music? Or should we just choose something?

RMcC: Hmmm. I’ll get back to you on this, but I’d be intrigued to know what you thought would suit!

?!: In honour of the Artist of your book on Maudlin Press, and in light of your alleged Billy Crystalness, how about This Charming Man? Or What (S)he Said [see next question]? …Yep, we’re feeling the second one…?!

RMcC: Haha, yes!!!

?!: What are your most and least favourite words?

RMcC: Most – Expression. My favourite words come and go.

Least – The refrain in my book is “he says” and because I have performed it a lot I now hate the word “says” .

?!: Anything else you’d like to share with us?

RMcC: I’m probably going to be reading something about working in an office and I wrote this instead of working so if I am unemployed by the time the night comes around you’ll know why.

Thanks a lot to Ross for indulging Interrobang’s Interrogation. Come along to Interrobang – The First Time on 7 October and find out whether Ross is still employed!

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The First Time?!

7th October sees the first preview of a new monthly spoken word and music night in Edinburgh that has a slightly different flavour. What is INTERROBANG?!

Well, not exactly. Read on…

INTERROBANG?! is a new spoken word and music night in Edinburgh. It’s not in competition with anyone – we’re fans of the Edinburgh spoken word scene. But, like we say, it’s a new thing with a new flavour. And you can participate!

INTERROBANG?! is democratic spoken word & music and meritocratic prizes. It’s a land of exclamation and question making and all the nuances in between.

Interrobang 0.1 is a preview. A warm-up. A soft opening. Your chance to let us know how we can make INTERROBANG?! something special to you.

Or in a field, in Hampshire. — I’ve left a very important part of my brain somewhere on Leith Walk

Interrobang 0.1 is three invited and established writers and spoken word performers, as well as three audience members who have brought along 5 minutes of material and been pulled out of the hat. They’ll all be entertaining us on the topic of THE FIRST TIME. And Interrobang 0.1 will also the first outing for what may be recurring bits.

Your hosts Beth Cochrane and Ricky Monahan Brown will be introducing, among others, ROSS McCLEARY, STUART A. PATERSON, and KAITE WELSH. But we need you, too – INTERROBANG?! is your show, and we’d love your feedback on how we can make it what you want to see.

Connect with us here, at Twitter @InterrobangEdin, on Instagram, on Facebook, and on Eventbrite.

And we’d love to hear your pieces on THE FIRST TIME!!

A TARDIS holds the capacity of Odl Trafford, 1976 — A bunch of interrobangers

Interrobang 0.1 will be Edinburgh’s version of the Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall. You’ll want to say you were there. Bring a friend. Bring many friends. We can’t wait to introduce you all to INTERROBANG?!

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