If you’ve been reading our other “Phil Kay Does GI” blogs…which you really should have been, they are very interesting and insightful…you’ll already know that on Saturday, we were shadowed by a reporter from the BBC Radio Scotland Comedy Café, hosted by Janice Forsyth. The programme we’re going to be on airs on Friday 23^rd April from 1315 to 1400. If you didn’t know that, well…now you do. You’ll also know that Phil Kay doesn’t like interviews, particularly if you’ve seen the first of our video instalments at the Sketchbook exhibition, where a rather frightened lady with long hair discovers exactly how little he thinks of them. I think the word “rubbish” may have been used.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that it was supposed to be just him being interviewed…not me.  I’m not Phil Kay. I don’t even have a beard, and I certainly don’t wear tartan on a daily basis. I’m not that fashionably adventurous. The most I will do is wear a denim shirt over jeans. Although I have been known to dabble in harem trousers, and I own a fedora. I also once wore a jade green jump suit and polka dot callots, (not at the same time….that’s a bit Sue Pollard)…anyway, that was in the eighties and doesn’t really count.

If you fancy hearing more about what the K-Unit got up to with on Saturday morning (apart from eating carrot cake for breakfast and stroking other people’s dogs) @ Glasgow International, you can do two things…watch our video blogs, and tune in to BBC Radio Scotland Comedy Café, Friday 23^rd April 2010, 1315-1400.

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See Phil’s insights from GI 2010 here.

After a quick bite to eat we headed to 212 West Princes Street to see Jane Nicoll’s curated exhibition HALLelujah 2 which brings together the work of fifteen artists from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent and North Wales. This exhibition came with a welcome twist as the artwork is set in the hall way of Jane Nicoll’s beautiful flat. It was lovely to see artwork in a domestic setting and let’s be honest (and maybe a bit cheeky), have a wee wander in someone else’s flat. After viewing the artwork Phil ended up singing a song with Sparky the dog and we planned the rest of our day over cups of coffee.

On our drive to City Centre to check out what Le Drapeau Noir at Renfield Lane opposite from Stereo was all about I found out that Phil Kay used to live on the same street that I live on at the moment. The phrase ‘It’s a small world’ comes to mind. At least it wasn’t the same number. When we got to Renfield Lane there wasn’t much happening yet other than Phil unravelling their black flag so we had a nice dinner break munching Stereo’s food and planned to visit the cafe again later on in the evening.

From Stereo we headed to Jim Lambie’s exhibition ‘Neon’ at The Modern Institute. It was bright, colourful and full of all creative, arty types enjoying chat, drink and the artwork. Neon is an exhibition I’d like to visit again when not so busy and take my time walking around in the space. The Modern Institute also had a book shop which seemed to have plenty of inspiring looking books not available in mainstream shops. Their big windows created a sort of fishbowl effect on the opening night as a group of people looked in from the dark Glasgow evening into what seemed like a burst of colour and enjoyment. It all made the world seem a bit drab and boring on our drive to pick up Phil from Stereo where he had cycled using a White Bike to see The Trembling Bells.

Our next stop was Guantanamera Record launch event at The Grand Hall at Trades Hall. Unfortunately due to visa and volcano issues, artist José Andres Ramirez hadn’t been able to come along as planned. I spent most of my time in there trying to get a signature from someone who had been filmed. While I finally succeeded in my task, but only after being asked to draw a shoe (who said that being a runner/assistant isn’t glamorous), Phil had a wee dance in the light of two big screens showing the two artists singing Guantanamera.

We finished the night at Le Drapeau Noir, a venue rumoured to be THE place to be during the festival. We entered the absolutely packed place about midway through Gummy Stump’s energetic set. The night continued with ‘Love Alien’, an artist Michelle Hannah dressed in silver skintight spandex taking the stage, or top of the table to be correct. After her spoken word performance she walked around in the crowd sharing her alien love by giving hugs and bringing a smile on people’s face. Phil Kay then improvised song about volcanic ashes before people dressed as bushes took over the dancefloor. This was our cue for the exit and some well deserved sleep before another GI day on Sunday.

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See Phil’s insights from GI 2010 here.