CELTIC-PUNK Q AND A : FRANKIE McLAUGHLIN

Welcome to a new special feature that we will be running for the next few days to celebrate the ninth birthday of our first post. Based on the feature that use to appear in the football magazines of my youth it’s just a short series of questions about stuff’n’nonsense as me auld Nan would have said.

Our second Q And A is with the unsinkable Frankie McLaughlin. A sharp witted, personable, lovable rogue of a fella it’s not stretching the imagination to say that the London Celtic Punks bhoys have a LOT of love for this fella. What he has given the Celtic-Punk scene is immeasurable and we can think of no better way to say this other than Gangs Of New Holland was placed #1 in our Top 20 Best Ever Celtic-Punk Albums Of All Time.

Name / Nickname : Frankie McLaughlin

Age (Estimate allowed!) : 50-ish and a bit

Status : Married

Birthplace / Nationality / Ancestry : Glasgow, Scotland / Scottish / Irish twice over

Occupation : Self Employed

First job : Freight handler & factory labourer

A job you would have loved to do : Joiner or Vintner.. or Ferry Captain

What / Who makes you laugh : Cheeky old folk with no f**ks left to give

Favourite movie star : John Turturro

Favourite film / TV show : The Road Dance / Still Game

Favourite band/s : Old Blind Dogs, The Stooges, The Pogues, The East Pointers, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Favourite Celtic-Punk bands : Pogues

Up and coming Celtic-Punk band to watch : Brave the Sea, from Ohio

First and last record you bought : Adam & The Ants – Kings of the Wild Frontier.. Iggy Pop – A Million In Prizes – The Anthology

How many instruments can you play : Guitar, Whistles, Smallpipes, Bodhran & Accordion,.. all to varying degrees

How many bands have you been in : 4.. I think

Favourite venue / gig attended : Some dear friends & I went to see Andy Irvine play in what used to be our old house, which had since been converted to an arts & entertainment venue. The set from Andy was just amazing, and the whole thing particularly memorable for us

Describe yourself in 5 words : ‘Wot’s this button ‘ere for?’

Most embarrassing moment : Finding out what that button there was for

Favourite song and why : Lately its ‘Twa Brothers’ by Yorkston/Thorne/Khan. A traditional ballad accompanied only by a second vocal by Suhail Yusuf Khan singing ‘Bol’ – a type of rythmic vocal from India that mimics the sound of the Tabla. The way the two vocal traditions smash together on that is just mind blowing and lends enormous drama to the tale,.. Its just so refreshing

Favourite song you’ve been involved in: ‘Kathleen’ for me is a favourite to recall, as I got to release a song for ma wee mum, but also ‘Eight Beers McGee’.. it didnt really take flight that one, but the immense back story, how it found its way to me and the intense process of writing it was of enormous personal significance to me at the time

Team/s supported as a kid : Glasgow Celtic

Favourite sportsperson : Henrik Larsson

Favourite sport : Fitba’

All time hero : Ken Carter – Canadian Daredevil

Favourite book : Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West – Cormac McCarthy

Best friend : The Wife.. by far

Biggest influence on career : The everyday people I’ve met in life, briefly or otherwise, friends, foes or family, without whom there’d be no stories worth singin’

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given : ‘Always judge a person by their own merits, and ONLY ever with your own eyes and ears.’ – Bill McLaughlin, Grandfather

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? On a Canal Boat

Your five dream dinner guests? : Frances Farmer, Iggy Pop, Sheila Stewart, John Cooper Clark and Jeong Kwan.. If they’ll all fit on the canal boat, otherwise just Iggy & Jeong Kwan

Your favourite quote: My all time fave is a poem, by James Graham, Marquis of Montrose –

Let them bestow on every airth a limb,

Then open all my veins, that I may swim

To thee, my Maker, in that crimson lake,

Then place my par boiled head upon a stake;

Scatter my ashes, strow them in the air.

Lord, since thou knowest where all these atoms are,

I’m hopeful thou’lt recover once my dust,

And confident thou’lt raise me with the just.

Anything to plug / promote : I’ve a new project ‘Liptons Orphan’, with the first couple of singles / videos rolling out just now on the usual platforms & channels.