A year down the line...

...and look what we've achieved.

Erm.

Yeah, so anyway, this week marks a whole year we've been doing this whole For the Love of G...lasgow podcasting debacle. Our first post on this most tragic of blogs was on 31st July last year, and the first episode went out a few weeks later. Since then we've recorded another 20 shows in an almost fortnightly fervour of aimless comedic proportion.

Doesn't time pass when you're having fun, eh?

Aye, and you guessed it - it's dragged in for us!

Over the year we've gradually been picked up by the search engines and podcast directories, been listed as a featured comedy podcast in iTunes, become the most popular current Glasgow podcast and as a result, attracted a whole lotta listeners to whom we've got to give some credit, given your commendable loyalty in the face of brutal, dark side organisations like the BBC and Absolute Radio, who seem to have taken the idea of independent podcasting and carved it into pieces.

So as we sit here plotting how to overthrow the big guns by improving our little show beyond recognition, we'd just like to thank all of you for making this whole venture into cyberspace worthwhile. Keep the emails, tracks and photos coming in to

fortheloveofglasgowpodcast@googlemail.com

and why not give us a wee review on iTunes whilst you're at it - who knows, if you do you might end up winning our Official Stein Mug and having a full show dedicated entirely to you (listen to the 21st episode for more info or visit the Facebook Group).

Cheersanawratbyraway, and we'll be recording the new show soon enough.

The Twenty First: "Moonings"

The Twenty First: "Mooning".

Sorry about the late show due to the Springsteen and subsequent swine flu, but you can rest assured that this one was worth the wait. In our longest show for a while, we lament the passing of a national hero, review the new Frank Bruno Movie, the audio-described Transformers: Revenge of the Falling Earth Movie, the Hermione's Development Movie, and some place called Ketchup. We also debate the truth of the moon landings, whether Alan should be renamed Captain Birdseye and introduce our tragic Twenty First Competition.

Our Glasgow band of the week are the energetic Tenemants
(www.myspace.com/thetenemants) and we also cram in a great track sent in by one of our loyal listeners. Enjoy...

Bruce Springsteen in Glasgow and some snotty apologies

We were due to have been recording the new show tonight, a day late as I was at the Bruce Springsteen gig at Hampden Park Glasgow last night, but I've woken up feeling not unlike a poorly swine flu victim - snotty, sneezy, weak, over-reacting.

So I'm afraid we've pushed back the 21st episode to Sunday, and it should be available to download on the same day. In the meantime, keep the comments and emails coming in (fortheloveofglasgowpodcast@googlemail.com), and as soon as the blood disappears from inside my eyeballs I'll be sure to take a look at them.

As for Springsteen, yet another outstanding gig!

The man fair puts in a shift - played for three solid, sweat-invoking hours without a break, which isn't bad for a wee laddy turning 60 this year (bearing in mind how broken I looked just having walked home from the gig!).

He and the legendary E Street Band, including the mighty favourite Clarence "Big Man" Clemons who got a roar every time he even moved, entertained a typically deafening Glasgow crowd (I've never seen so much of the audience at Hampden cram onto the pitch despite having seated tickets - a reflection I'd imagine of the effort & energy coming from the stage) with some of his spell-binding classics, but other than Born to Run, the standout for me was what could be only best described as a Song for the Credit Crunch - Hard Times Come Again No More - a working class song sung by a working class hero for a working class City in need of a break.

(as Alan would say, songs from the streets - the lyrics could easily be about his own tough upbringing in Bearsden!)

Near the end of the gig, having seen the whole band revel in & appear pretty surprised by the pulsating waves of energy from the crowd throughout the gig, Springsteen said that next time they won't wait so long to come back.

Aye pal, if you're no back next year ah'll be ragin!

Put all that nonsense to one side though. The thing that really won it for me last night was all the wacky guys walking around on the pitch selling booze to the drunken masses, with some wacky contraption on their back I'll be yapping about on the next show, hopefully having purloined one for myself in the meantime!

So until then I'm off for a lie down and a quick check of the NHS site to see how long I've got...

I'm 90% Hetero!!!

I knew it!

I just totally knew it!!

I told you not to listen to Alan and his views on my sexuality. Now who's laughing?!!

I took the Stockholm Pride test you can do until 2nd August, and it analyses your Twitter feed to check your use of words most likely used by, well, non-heteros.

And look at that!

Alan might comment that most of what I do online is "Gay!", but there's the proof! There's the proof! - Right there!

Eh?

Eh?

Aye. I'm off to convince my parents.

It's competition time

We'll soon be recording our 21st show, and to thank all the new listeners who've flocked to us since we've been listed by iTunes as a featured comedy podcast, as well as all those who've been with us for a while, on the new show we'll be introducing The Twenty First Competition.

Sounds interesting, doesn't it?

Well OK, so maybe it doesn't. God you guys are so hard to please!

So here's the thing. Tune in to our next show which should be available a week today (I'll remind you nearer the time in case something more important pushes your back-breaking excitement to one side), and we'll give you details on how to qualify for a chance to win what can only be described as the best prize we've ever given away on the show.

Yes OK I know, we've never given a prize away on the show before. Do you have to look into every bold statement I make?!!

Whatever. New show. New competition. New prizes. New winner. And I can safely say that Alan's never been more pumped with yet another of my tragic additions to the podcast!

And you can still listen to the 20th episode over and over until then...

The Twentieth: "Lionel"

The Twentieth: "Lionel".

To be honest, it was supposed to be called "Michael", but you'll soon see why that wouldn't have been entirely appropriate. In our first landmark show we cycle furiously through our place in the history of iTunes, our thoughts on Wacko Jacko, Farrah Fawcett and Not Dead Goldbloom, and come to rest in Wimbledon & the coronation of Sir Andy Murray.

There's also some anti-racism thrown in for giggles, a premature review of a floating Glasgow restaurant, a disappointing Take That Circus at Hampden Park, and our independent Glasgow band this time around is the fantastic Hollow Horse (www.hollowhorse.co.uk).

Happy Birthday Dad, long live Lionel Ritchie!