Episodes
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Charles and Graham are joined by novelist and short story writer, York based Ross Raisin to talk about his recent triumph in the BBC National Short Story Award with Ghost Kitchen and life as a writer.
Ross Raisin was born and brought up on Silsden Moor in West Yorkshire. He is the author of four novels: A Hunger (2022), A Natural (2017), Waterline (2011) and God’s Own Country (2008). His work has won and been shortlisted for over ten literary awards. Ross won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year award in 2009, and in 2013 was named on Granta’s once a decade Best of Young British Novelists list. In 2018 he was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Society of Literature.
Ross has written short stories for Granta, Prospect, the Sunday Times, Esquire, BBC Radio 3 and 4, among others, and in 2018 published a book for the Read This series, on the practice of fiction writing: Read This if you Want to be a Great Writer.Keep in touch with Two Big Egos in a Small Car:
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Graham examines how and why successful film franchises end up losing the plot in a comparison of disappointing new film, Paddington 3 with The Godfather 3.
Graham discusses his recent talk on Nirvana, why the band were punk, not grunge, and how their story weirdly mirrors The Sex Pistols.
Charles reports on Dear Evan Hansen at Leeds Grand Theatre. What makes a musical stand out in a busy market?
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Episodes manquant?
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Graham declares that Nick Cave is no god - as he assesses the opening night of the British leg of his 'Wild God' tour at Leeds Arena last night.
Charles reviews The Pretenders at York Barbican: why Chrissie Hynde remains the coolest woman in rock.
Alex Cox's Sid and Nancy - The 70s never stopped: Graham is reappraising Alex Cox's 1986 film Sid and Nancy nearly 40 years on.Plus, linking in with Sid And Nancy, Gary Oldman is to direct himself in Samuel Beckett's play Krapp's Last Tape at York Theatre Royal next spring.
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Graham tells us what he learned by talking to Sean O'Hagan from the High Llamas when he saw the band at Hebden Bridge last weekend.
Graham has also been watching Fellini's Roma (1972) in Italian! And visiting the new William Morris arts and crafts exhibition in York, which of course Charles has seen too.
The duo comment on the recent announcement that Watermark Gallery in Harrogate is to close. They talk about why they'll be missed and how likely it is they can find new premises.
Graham is suitably impressed by the best sound system he's ever heard at a prog rock event (Pink Floyd against Genesis) he gave at a talk at earlier this week - at the magnificent All Saints Church in Kirkby Overblow in Harrogate.
How much money do famous Christmas songs make on Spotify?
The weird thing about Procol Harum's number 1 hit A Whiter Shade of Pale (1967).
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A massive thank you to all our guests and collaborators, we've made it to our 200th episode!
To mark such a special occasion Charles and Graham are absolutely delighted to welcome Peter Brewis, co-founder of Sunderland indie legends, Field Music.
Peter is here to talk about the new Field Music album, Limits of Language.Keep in touch with Two Big Egos in a Small Car:
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Graham discusses how his Supertramp Q&A session with legendary music producer, Ken Scott went in Harrogate. Ken Scott was shooting from the hip and taking no prisoners.
Graham also reflects on the future of guitar bands as he attended an all-day gig at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds.
The arts world turned up for the funeral of Beatnik poet Heath Common in Harrogate and Graham was there.
Finally, Charles reports on seeing a bit of a retro gig when he saw Peter Hook and The Light.Keep in touch with Two Big Egos in a Small Car:
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Graham discusses his recent travels in modern Emilia-Romagna, how Romeo and Juliet mania is Verona's Harry Potter and why the absence of Ramones t-shirts worn on the streets is probably an expression of Italy's innate coolness.
Charles applauds the 'annus miraculous' for Shed Seven's 30th anniversary tour and album releases amid the release of the latest Shed Seven album. Liquid Gold is currently number one, their second this year. Charles and Graham chew over the multitude of versions on offer and celebrate the second coming of York's greatest band.
Graham reports on the Ai Weiwei's Who Am I? exhibition in Bologna.
Charles examines the art of myth, reflecting on the Viking Sorceress exhibition he saw in Copenhagen.Keep in touch with Two Big Egos in a Small Car:
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Graham pays tribute to Harrogate poet and musician, Heath Common who has sadly passed away. Read Graham's obituary.
Graham and Charles discuss how English Teacher winning this year's Mercury Prize finally recognises Leeds as a music city.
Charles reflects on seeing the incomparable Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve at their 15 Songs in 50 Years gig at Leeds City Varieties.
Graham reveals why new film, Blink Twice with Channing Tatum is better than the new film, Lee with Kate Winslet.
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Charles and Graham talk to Leeds based writer and musician, Boff Whalley about his new musical for Red Ladder Theatre Company. Sanctuary - co-written with playwright, Sarah Woods - is a brand-new musical that welcomes us in and asks the question: do we want safety and freedom for only ourselves, or for us all?
Graham reports on meeting Chris Simpson (from the band Magna Carta) about the book he has written chronicling the history of one of the UK's less well know bands from the 70's.
Graham and Charles discuss the new film Firebrand with Alicia Vikander and Jude Law and in Graham's view, why it is the best drama about the court of Henry VIII since Wolf Hall.
Graham has been listening to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' new album Wild God and determines that it shows that Nick Cave has still lost the plot.Keep in touch with Two Big Egos in a Small Car:
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Graham and Charles discuss meeting Jim Moir (AKA Vic Reeves) at his new exhibition at RedHouse Originals in Harrogate which leads into a discussion about bird art.
Graham has been listening to upcoming Irish garage-punk band, Sprints.
Charles reviews Alan Ayckbourn’s new play, Show & Tell at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. It's his 90th play,
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Charles and Graham continue reflecting on their Edinburgh trip with a discussion about the Edinburgh Art Festival.
Graham has finished his biography of Chris Simpson and the band Magna Carta and shares next steps and a few thoughts about what it was like getting to know the songwriter behind one of Britain's least known bands from the 70's - but a band that deserves to be celebrated for their songwriting.
New albums by Fontaines DC and Hamish Hawk.
This month Graham is doing a Q&A with David Bowie/Beatles producer Ken Scott In Harrogate next month discussing his his work with 1970's titans, Supertramp.
Charles and Graham reflect on Oasis' comeback tour announcement and the special rivalry between musical brothers through the decades.Keep in touch with Two Big Egos in a Small Car:
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Graham and Charles reflect on another superb Edinburgh Festival visit.
Charles talks about his favourite films at Edinburgh, whereas Graham opts to share some of his “celebrity encounters", including a memorable encounter with Argentinian-Italian director, Gaspar Noé.
Graham was at Leeds Festival this weekend and saw Lana Del Ray but preferred Sun King (from York) and almost anyone else to her. He explains why.
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At the 77th Edinburgh International Film Festival, Charles and Graham take the opportunity to interview documentary filmmaker, author, curator and former EIFF director, Mark Cousins and talk to him, in particular, about his latest book, Dear Orson Welles and Other Essays, a series of ‘conversations’ with the artists, poets, directors, and filmmakers who have most influenced and inspired him, from Orson Welles to Tilda Swinton.
Mark Cousins is a documentary filmmaker, author and curator. His films have dealt with subjects such as neo-Nazism, childhood imagination and the cinema of Iran. His feature The First Movie won the Prix Italia. His most recent film, The Story of Film: An Odyssey took six years to make. As an author, he has published several books, including Imagining Reality, The Faber Book of Documentary (as co-editor), the acclaimed book The Story of Film, published in Europe, the United States and Asia, the collection of essays on cinema: Watching Real People Elsewhere. Mark also famously took the Edinburgh International Film Festival to Sarajevo during that city's siege. He was co-artistic director of Cinema China, and of the Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams, part of his ongoing collaboration with Tilda Swinton. They recently devised a cinema in Beijing and did A Pilgrimage, in which they pulled a cinema across Scotland. He is honorary doctor of letters at the University of Edinburgh. In the past, Cousins directed and presented the BBC's Scene by Scene, which ran for five years, screening career interviews with, among others, Martin Scorsese, Jane Russell, Paul Schrader, Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Roman Polanski, Jeanne Moreau and Rod Steiger.Keep in touch with Two Big Egos in a Small Car:
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Graham discusses the decline of main stream films since the 1970s after having recently watching Woody Allen's Manhattan (1979) and John Landis's Animal House (1978).
Coming up at the 77th Edinburgh International Film Festival what are Graham and Charles looking forward to?
Charles reflects on Banksy’s latest artwork series, the coverage it has attracted across the media and what the street art might mean.
Finally, Graham also discloses his idea for a play, though not entirely serious about writing it.
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Graham and Charles are looking forward to the 77th Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Graham previews a new exhibition at Red House Art Gallery in Harrogate by Dan Baldwin
Charles highlights the York Purple Signs campaign, and especially their posters trying to establish behaviour patterns in relation to drink. Go Steady! We’ve got enough history. Respect your bar staff. Gratitude not Attitude.
Graham is super excited to preview some of his upcoming talking events (including a new Vinyl Session) coming up in the autumn.
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Graham takes pleasure in hearing some unexpected hits from the current Deer Shed Festival in North Yorkshire including Simon Armitage and The Coral.
Charles reflects on enjoying the sculpture park at Thirsk Hall, as well as the Himalayan Gardens near Ripon. Newby Hall and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Graham discusses great essay writers: How recent collections by the late Joan Didion and the late Christopher Hitchins compare to the late 'Gonzo journalism' writer Hunter S Thompson.Keep in touch with Two Big Egos in a Small Car:
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Graham spoke to bestselling crime author Mark Billingham at the world's greatest crime writing festival in Harrogate last week, the Theakston's Old Perculier
Charles reviews Shed Seven in Museum Gardens, York. Futuresound’s three day festival with a homecoming celebration for the band - though they never left York.
Graham discusses rock archaeology with reference to the sound equipment used by Pink Floyd for their famous gig at Pompeii which was on display at the recent North West Audio Show in leafy Cheshire.
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Graham continues his preview of this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival and why it is a return to its strengths.
Graham considers why he genuinely doesn’t like tribute acts.
Charles agrees but then adds how much he enjoyed, Sarah Louise Young's I Am Your Tribute, all about tribute acts at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York,
Graham celebrates Yoko Ono's art when visiting her major retrospective exhibition at Tate Modern in London.Keep in touch with Two Big Egos in a Small Car:
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Graham discusses the brilliant new book, Ways of Art by the Sunday Times art critic, Laura Freeman. Ways of Art tells the story of art collecting legend Jim Ede, the creator of Kettle's Yard in Cambridge
Charles reports on Bomb Squad's latest exhibition in York, Rise of the Vandals, which took place over three weekends at 2, Low Ouse Gate. The exhibition occupied three floors of the building and featured artists such as Inky, and DJ Soda.
Graham reveals some positive news about this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival in August.
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Graham and Charles interview Pete Oxley, the guitarist and bandleader behind, Hejira - a group that celebrates the music of Joni Mitchell and is definitely not a tribute band. Their setlist is drawn from Joni Mitchell's live album, Shadows And Light. Comprising highly experienced jazz musicians, Hejira is fronted by the brilliant Hattie Whitehead.
Graham gets excited about the news that there is a new film in the works by indie darling, Richard Linklater celebrating the films and directors and actors behind them of the French New Wave, inevitably called Nouvelle Vague.
Charles and Graham choose some of their highlights from this year's Glastonbury festival and discuss the sets by headliners and musical icons on smaller stages, alike.Keep in touch with Two Big Egos in a Small Car:
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