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Pete Atkin / Words / Shakespeare in Perspective |
02.11.25 at 18:45 |
| Started by S J Birkill | Newest post by S J Birkill |
Yes, it has been a while since I added anything to my Clive James Website Archive. Lots to be done, but here's something I couldn't keep back.
In 1980 Clive contributed to the BBC TV series Shakespeare in Perspective, an adjunct to the epic "BBC Television Shakespeare" series produced by Cedric Messina. Each 25-minute episode featured a writer or television personality airing his or her personal view of the play to be broadcast the following night. Clive's play was Hamlet, and he delivered what must be one of the finest ever essays on the great bard's genius. The film, directed by David Wilson, features some atmospheric location shooting, at Pembroke College (Cambridge), Berkeley Castle (Gloucestershire), the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and at Clive's then London home in the Barbican.
The film survives, but unfortunately for us and indeed for all of Clive's admirers, it is heavily copyright-protected and blocked by YouTube. I can't imagine who might benefit from this. The best I could do right now was to make the soundtrack available on our site.
In 1982, transcriptions of the texts of the Shakespeare in Perspective series were published by Ariel Books, an imprint of BBC Publications, and Clive's text from that source is reproduced here in our Essays section, at:
archive.clivejames.com/essays/hamlet.htm
This is a direct link, as I haven't yet integrated the page into our fast track/menu system -- this will await completion of a bunch of other essays I still have in my mountainous to-do stack, including columns Clive wrote for The Listener.
Steve
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Pete Atkin / Gigs / The Mermaid, Exeter - Wednesday 24th Sep 2025 |
29.09.25 at 12:00 |
| Started by Pete Atkin | Newest post by Pete Atkin |
Downstairs at the Mermaid turned out to be an excellent spot for a bit of troubadouring, so many a thank to Steve Brown for having the idea in the first place, for setting the whole thing up, and for organising and running it all so helpfully and well with the help of his team.
I’m guessing that by now there may not be any further audience reports (clearly everyone was emotionally exhausted) so I’m presuming to post my own self-regarding version of the setlist in case anyone who wasn’t there is interested. My list wasn’t quite as carefully laid out as when I’m working with that nice Mr Wallace, so I’m not entirely sure I’ve got the running order correct, especially for the second half when I was making some changes as I went along , but I think I’ve remembered everything I did. Please feel free to correct me if you remember it differently.
The Way You Are With Me gtr
Ice Cream Man gtr
Practical Man gtr
Dancing master kbd
Faded mansion kbd
Touch has a memory kbd
National Steel NS
Beware of the Beautiful Stranger gtr
—-
Screen-Freak kbd
History and Geography kbd
Commercial Traveller kbd
Girl on the Train gtr
Colours of the Night gtr
Luck of the draw (1 cho only) gtr
Have You Got A Biro I Can Borrow? gtr
Canoe kbd
Thirty Year Man kbd
Master of the Revels kbd (1cho only)
Enc: Payday Evening gtr
I hope my occasional fumbles didn’t impinge too badly on the spirit of the song; at least I hope they prove my performance wasn’t created by AI. (But then again, I suppose AI is clever enough to build them in, so watch out.) Special thanks to whoever it was who requested I bring along the National Steel, and apologies for my less than impeccable performance on it; I hope the novelty value made up for it at least a bit.
Big thanks yet again to everyone who came along and made up such a tolerant and generous audience.
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Pete Atkin / Members / Re: New members |
23.09.25 at 20:11 |
| Started by S J Birkill | Newest post by Steven Beech |
Hi, I thought I'd introduce myself on the eve of Pete's gig in Exeter tomorrow, which I'm planning to attend. After picking up Secret Drinker and A King at Nightfall from a bargain bin in the early 70s (never has a bin been so appropriately named) I went to see Pete and Clive on the Together at Last tour in Nottingham in 1975. It was a mere 25 years before I saw them again, having moved to Bristol when they played St Georges in the city.
Another 25 years on I'm going to travel from my (and of course Pete's) home town to Exeter to see him play (it would be good to see him perform in Bristol again in his own right, though I've seen him with The Shrinks many times). As for my favourite tracks, I always loved the two that ended Secret Drinker, the title track and Tongue Tied - together they seemed to sum up my life at that particular time!
I look forward to perhaps seeing some of you in Exeter tomorrow.
Steve Beech
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Pete Atkin / Gigs / Re: Lost Gig: Intimate Theatre 1971? |
22.09.25 at 21:09 |
| Started by Derek Wright | Newest post by S J Birkill |
Hi Derek
Interesting. The only mention of the Intimate Theatre I can find in the MV archive is in MV5566, a post from Bob Kingston on 7th February 2001. Bob writes:
Quote:| Think of my excitement when I discovered that PA was playing at The Intimate Theatre in Palmers Green, London, supported by Mama Flyer (whoever they were) and if I remember correctly Dave Edmonds? (Another senior moment!) I still have half the ticket tucked inside the album sleeve of AKAN (Vinyl) but, unfortunately, the date was on the other half. Any helpers? I have no doubt that it was a wonderful evening but my only clear recollection is the support band on stage playing to (putting it politely) a select audience commenting: "The Intimate? This place is about as intimate as an aircraft hanger!" |
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Bob states that the date must have been between 1972 (when he first heard Pete on the radio) and 1978 (A&R at the Donmar). Which of course fits with our listing (28th June 1974) for the Palmers Green venue. Was there an earlier one?
As for the Shaw Theatre on 5th May that year, I have no information on any support act (Mama Flyer was Pete's own backing band for the 'Road of Silk' tour), and I can find no mention of Soft Machine (or Matching Mole for that matter) ever having played that venue.
Can anyone help?
Steve
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Pete Atkin / Newsletter / Re: Newsletter, 7th August 2025 |
12.08.25 at 16:24 |
| Started by S J Birkill | Newest post by Stradageek |
Hi Steve and Pete
I'm ridiculously excited to have booked two tickets for my wife and myself for the Exeter gig.
I'm trying to remember but I think the first time I saw Pete was a the Jesus College Ball in Oxford in 1975-ish and the last time was the last time he played The Stables in MK.
Glad we've now moved to Exeter.
So will Pete accept requests?
In order of preference the requests would be:
Faded Mansion on the Hill
The Commercial Traveller
The Beautiful Changes
Just thought I'd ask - excitement building 
Toodlepip
Crawford and Jean |
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Pete Atkin / Music / Re: Suit of Lights |
07.08.25 at 09:16 |
| Started by S J Birkill | Newest post by Seán Kelly |
Terrific - a real pleasure to hear this. I keep thinking subconsciously that it's the lead track from a new album (I wish!). I'd be very interested to hear what anyone makes of lyrics that seem a bit impenetrable to me - but I love the line about the first flakes talking the others down - another example of Clive importing a military image into everyday life. Anyway thankyou Pete and Steve and all for this : class CJ/PA surely.  |
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