Paul Black – Self Care Era Review

Paul Black’s ongoing rise on Scotland’s comedy ladder took another step on Saturday 29th January at the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow. 3,000 people took their seats for the sold-out ‘Self Care Era’ show, which featured 12 steps of self-care for our difficult, modern age. The steps were all born from Black’s first-hand experiences and hardships faced in his life--of which, he is certain he has seen them all. Opening the show with ‘No Limit’ by 2 Unlimited started rapturous clapping and stamping along...then laughter and cheers as the curtains opened to reveal Black dancing (a term used lightly) with his back to the audience. As he lapped up the adulation and looked out across the crowd the music died away with Black stating: “turns out there is a limit, I’m knackered!” to start the audience howling from the outset. Black’s form continued throughout the show, with his 12-step plan for self-care projected onto a screen behind him to provide the backdrop for his “TED talk”. He also enlisted the help of a couch, some cushions and one prop to round off this simple but highly effective show. The 12-step plan followed a tongue-and-cheek look at 90s-00s life growing up in Glasgow, with a perfect blend of observational social commentary and self-deprecating humour that thrives in Scotland. From Sky TV envy to now becoming ‘Klarna Kardashian’ due to his poor monetary management skills, the relatable laughs rolled in, and Black had his biggest audience to date in the palm of his hand. Black’s friends and family did not emerge unscathed from his set either, with equally funny (and embarrassing) stories being told about them too--from a Gran whose autobiography would be titled ‘To Live and Die in Mosspark’ to a Mum who lovingly gifted a three-foot bottle of coppers; no one was safe. Tales from his high school ‘Flop Era’ and childhood as well as more current events felt all too familiar: old fashion, hairstyles and questionable music tastes also struck a chord. You really wouldn’t have thought Paul Black had only played to a few hundred people before. Throughout the show he strutted across the stage with the confidence of a comedian much more battle-worn than himself. Having sold out a run of shows at the start of January to then complete a very accomplished show at The Armadillo--his confidence is warranted with his current success being nothing short of meteoric. His social media prowess has no doubt had a massive factor in this and will shape the future path for comedians to follow (a sign of the TikTok times). Where shipyard workers had Billy Connelly, and ‘Millennials’ have Kevin Bridges, perhaps Paul Black will be the one to fill the Scottish comedy scene hole for this next, quite different, generation. Only time will tell, however, if he can go from selling out Oran Mor to the Armadillo in the space of a month. Who knows what is next for Glasgow’s TikTok star turned rising comedian – after this run of shows, he has definitely earned the latter title. 4/5 - ★★★★☆ - Relatable, honest, and undeniably funny. Black proves he can perform on the big stage, not just the small screen.

The Haining - A Frabbit Fan's Pilgrimage + Some Words on The Work ☨

The Haining in Selkirk hosts a new bench, which will attract people from far and wide due to the meaning behind its being: a memorial to Scott Hutchison.

Born in Edinburgh in 1981, Hutchison grew up in Selkirk and formed the band Frightened Rabbit in his mid-twenties.

The band grew to form a devoted fanbase and I consider myself firmly among them. Musically, the band are brilliant, but it was Scott's brutally honest lyrics that drew most people in - he had a way of saying things and expressing complex feelings in poetic, simple ways that made you feel understood... like you knew him.

The What3words location for the bench is: https://w3w.co/concerts.ethic.touched should you fancy a visit yourself.

I took my copy of The Work, a book published by Frightened Rabbit's remaining members to celebrate Scott's lyrics, as a companion for the trip.

Please read on for more on The Work:

The Work: The Lyrics of Scott Hutchison

A book dedicated to the lyrics of a band isn’t something that would usually be warranted, let alone be a complete necessity. The Work contains the entire opus of one of Scotland’s most potently poetic songwriters – Scott Hutchison.

Hutchison founded and fronted the band Frightened Rabbit, after studying illustration at the Glasgow School of Art. The book encapsulates all his creative outlets in one, combining printed lyrics, original handwritten scrawls, and illustrations to accompany them. In opening these 160 pages, you are taken on a journey through the way in which Scott saw life and are allowed an insight into his creative process – and what a journey it is.

Scott dove deep into the darkest abyss and ascended from it with songs which paint vivid pictures on some of the deepest and most personal areas of life and - for the most part -found hope. His ability to write these brutally honest, poignant songs garnered them a cult following of loyal fans. Each record a cathartic form of audio therapy, his words helped make sense of life in ways it’s hard to even form in your own thoughts. That’s why in 2018, when he took his own life, it felt like losing a friend.

The Frightened Rabbit songs remain a solid companion in life, that’s why this book exists – that’s why it matters. I have found myself setting their discography to shuffle and flicking through the book to find each song: savouring every word and moment. I think that is where this book can be enjoyed most. It is a poetic masterpiece on its own but when accompanied with the music – it is perfect.

Get your copy of The Work, here.