Posts Tagged Spoken Word

The Love You Take: A Gentle, Insightful Portrait of Mae Axton

August 15, 2026 at 7:31 am · Filed under Spoken Word, Storytelling, Theatre ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cory Dagg has had the kind of career most actors only dream about. He spent years in Hollywood, appearing in The X‑Files and The Commish, and sharing scenes with Robert De Niro in We’re No Angels. There were other films too — Wrongfully Accused among them — the sort of steady, recognisable work that quietly builds a life in the industry. But here, at the Fringe, he stands alone onstage with nothing more than a slide projector and a story he promised he would “tell, and tell right.”

The show centres on a chance meeting that changed him: an evening spent with Mae Axton, the American songwriter, teacher, publicist and part‑time radio DJ whose fingerprints are all over the early career of Elvis Presley. Cory recalls being introduced to her by her son, Hoyt Axton, and from there the night unfolded into one of those encounters that stays with you. Onstage, he lets Mae speak again — through her words, her work, and the images he projects behind him.

What emerges is a portrait of a woman who was far more than the co‑writer of “Heartbreak Hotel.” Cory explains how Mae and Tommy Durden shaped the song from a bleak newspaper clipping into something sharper, stranger, and unforgettable. He describes how she handed Elvis the demo, how he recorded it, and how it became his first million‑selling RCA single. More importantly, he shows how Mae championed Elvis long before Colonel Parker took over — interviewing him on her radio show, pushing for him, believing in him.

The slides, the voiceover, the quiet pacing — they all serve the same purpose: to honour Mae Axton as the “queen mother of Nashville,” a pioneer who wrote more than 200 songs and worked with Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, Mel Tillis, Reba McEntire and so many others. Cory’s pact with her — to tell the story properly — gives the show its heart. It’s respectful, insightful and gently illuminating, the kind of Fringe hour that sends you away wanting to know more.

For anyone curious about the early, fragile years of Elvis Presley, or about the woman who helped steer him towards history, this is a thoughtful and affectionate tribute.

Reviewed by Jacqueline Sharp

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In Conversation with Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman

August 11, 2026 at 5:54 am · Filed under Edinburgh Fringe 2026, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026, Spoken Word ·Tagged , , , , , ,

★★★★★ Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman make a compelling double act — warm, funny, and deeply knowledgeable — and their conversation at The Stand offered a vivid look into how two very different professional worlds combine to create the Ambrose Parry novels. What emerges is not just a discussion about writing, but a portrait of a partnership built on curiosity, respect and shared fascination with Edinburgh’s medical past.

They began by talking about their joint pseudonym, Ambrose Parry, and the decision to write under a single name. Haetzman spoke candidly about the challenge of learning to write fiction from scratch, especially alongside Brookmyre, whose crime novels — including the Jack Parlabane series — have shaped Scottish genre writing for decades. Their reflections on blending voices, negotiating differences, and discovering a collaborative rhythm were honest and often very funny.

Haetzman’s background as a consultant anaesthetist, and her extensive research for her Master’s degree in the history of medicine, form the backbone of the Ambrose Parry world. Brookmyre described how her academic work captivated him, ultimately inspiring the pair to set their novels amid the medical innovations and moral complexities of 18th‑century Edinburgh. Their first book, The Way of All Flesh, appeared in 2018; their most recent, The Death of Shame, was published in mid‑2025. The series now includes five main novels and two digital novellas.

One of the highlights was their discussion of Dr Will Raven and his mentor, the pioneering obstetrician Dr James Young Simpson. Their anecdotes about Simpson’s early chloroform experiments — including its use at dinner parties — drew delighted laughter from the audience, illustrating the strange blend of danger, discovery and social eccentricity that fuels their fiction.

Brookmyre touched briefly on his solo work, offering sharp insights into his writing style and how it shifts when working within the Ambrose Parry framework. But the real pleasure of the event lay in the interplay between the two of them: Haetzman’s precision and historical depth paired with Brookmyre’s wit and narrative instinct.

This was an engaging, warm‑spirited hour with two writers who clearly love their craft and each other’s company. The audience responded in kind, enjoying a conversation that was as charming as it was informative.

A thoroughly enjoyable event — one that deserves to be repeated.

Reviewed by Jacqueline Sharp

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The Dirty Fucking Hippies were Right!

April 25, 2019 at 6:28 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

hippies

Were the Hippies right?

LAST MONTH I reviewed a children’s publication – https://countercultureuk.com/2019/03/20/peter-paula-and-the-pelican/ – for Counter Culture.  That was a first for me as it’d been years since I’d read a children’s book let alone review one.  This is another first because – to the best of my knowledge – I’ve never reviewed an individual music track before now.

I can’t recall exactly how I came across The Dirty Fucking Hippies Were Right!

but as soon as I heard it I was absolutely hooked.  I’ve absolutely no musical talent whatsoever, but I was soon tapping my feet, nodding my head and playing both an imaginary guitar and drumming away at the same time.  Have a listen to it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKEZoY-TMG4 and I bet you’ll be doing the same!    

Whenever I come across an album (or a single) that really appeals to me I like to find out more about it.  I’m always interested in who wrote and performed on it – and particularly what inspired the track.  Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be too much information available relating to this single.  However, I’ve been told that it probably was the work of George Carlin.

For those who don’t know, George Carlin (1937 – 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author, and social critic.  His website – https://georgecarlin.com/ – indicates that he did recordings, but I get the impression that they’re live recordings of his comedy gigs.  There’s nothing to say that he was (or wasn’t) involved in some way with this track.  (On saying that, I haven’t conducted too much in-depth research on him – indeed, until his name was mentioned to me I was only vaguely aware of Carlin.)

To some extent, it doesn’t matter who was involved with the track.  It’s remarkable for a couple of reasons.  

Firstly, it’s strangely hypnotic.  This is because of the ‘swirling’ sound of a the guitar throughout the entire track.  (Not being a musician I couldn’t tell you what sort of guitar it is or what the correct technical term name is for the ‘swirling’ sound it makes.)  This ‘swirling’ sound is very pronounced during the chorus, but I also like the way it continues in the background throughout the track. 

Secondly, there’s no singing on The Dirty Fucking Hippies Were Right!   It just features the spoken word, which makes its message very, very clear indeed.  I also liked the way that it was simply impossible to categorise the track as it doesn’t really fit any genre or sub-genre of music that I know of.  (Don’t we just love to put individuals, bands and even single tracks into boxes?!!)

Much like 19 by Paul Hardcastle – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRJFvtvTGEk – The Dirty Fucking Hippies tells a story.  But whilst Hardcastle’s masterpiece just looked at Vietnam, this track covers a multitude of subjects.  War – and particularly Vietnam – is up there, but so is the environment, pollution, the power of multi-nationals, political corruption, Big-Pharma, the destruction of small town America, capitalism and so on.  Remarkably it provides quite a lot of information about each subject matter.  It’s also the first time I’ve heard the term ‘Banksters’ (a mixture of the words bankers and gangsters) on a track – but the term Banksters is a really great description of these vultures.  

Whist listening to the track I realised that I know next to nothing about hippies.  It made me want to find out about more about the origins and objectives of this counter-cultural movement from the 60s.  The Dirty Fucking Hippies Were Right! also made specific references to the Vietnam war and also Abbie Hoffman who ‘baited’ the Banksters by throwing cash onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.  Again, it made me want to find out more about Vietnam – about which I know very little – and Abbie Hoffman – who I wouldn’t know, even if I pulled him out of my stew!

It’s not very often that listening to one track opens up so many other avenues of further study.  I’d highly recommend that you listen to the track and take in its core message.  At 6 mins 30 secs it’s longer than many tracks – but it’s well-worth the effort. 

  • Reviewed by John Field

 

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