Tuesday 21 September 2010

Dancing With Myself: PAUL BRAZILL interviews PAUL BRAZILL




Look up the word ubiquitous in the dictionary and you're likely to find Paul D Brazill lurking somewhere in the definitions. He's probably wearing dark clothes. Possibly even a cape. The weapons he carries, a precise tongue and a huge imagination.

When I first came to exploring Twitter and the world of blogs, I was fortunate to start following Paul fairly early on.

It was like having a map, compass and personal guide all in the one package.

He's been published all over the place (a link at the end should help you locate some of his work).
He works hard to help out his fellow writers by posting about and linking to competitions and submission calls.

He helps by pointing out books and stories and things of note.

That's why I've come to think of him as a really helpful, supportive and considerate bloke. And bloke does seem to be the right word in this case, fitting to his northern roots in Hartlepool.

As well as all of that he's a talented writer who can show many of us a thing or two.

Here he is (and not to be confused with a country), Paul D. Brazill.

Q1: Is it true that you were in Oceans 11?

Yep, in the early 80's I played bass in a couple of post punk bands and one of them was called Oceans 11 after the Rat Pack film.

Q2: Have you ever been to Brazil?

No. My name is apparently Irish and rhymes with 'dazzle'. My grand-dad on my dad's side was an Irish traveller who ended up in Gloucester, England at some point after WW1. No one knows how he got there.

My dad joined the navy when he was 17, at the start of WW 2 and travelled the world ending up in Hartlepool.

My oldest brother was a musician who also travelled the world and died in Gambia.

I now live in Poland.

None of us made it to Brazil, though.

Q3: When you lived in London you bumped into lots of celebs. Who was the drunkest that you encountered?

Tracey Emin, Derek Raymond and Shane McGowan were pretty sozzled when I saw them but the winner must be Pink Panther actor Bert Kwouk who was super hammered when I saw him in Gerry's Club in Soho. I was kicked out shortly after trying to gatecrash the club and I sometimes wonder if it was Cathi Unsworth who kicked me out.

Q4: Didn't you once get a film review published?

Sort of. When I lived in London, my then girlfriend used to work for Family Circle Magazine and sometimes she got press passes to film screenings. I saw about eight films including Robert Benton's 'Twilight'. I wrote a review for the magazine and they published this ':An atmospheric thriller'. Eat your heart out Anne Billson!

Q5: Didn't you go to a lesbian all girls school?

Sort of. I attended Dyke House Comprehensive School, after a fashion. I left at 16 with one O level. I did go to 6th form for about two weeks but realised very quickly that I wasn't going to stay, since I didn't exactly attend too much when I HAD to go to school!

Q6: What is it with the monkey?

Well, legend has it that during one of Britain's many wars with the French a shipwreck was washed ashore at Hartlepool. The only survivor was a monkey. The people of Hartlepool had never seen a Frenchman or a monkey so they assumed it was a French spy. They put it on trial and hung it. Seems reasonable to me.

Q7: Why have you never seen Star wars?

Dunno. Never got round to it. I saw 'Empire' at the cinema when it came out and liked it a lot but the rest of the stuff just passed me by.

Q8: Who did you vote for in the last general election?

Er, Tony Blair, actually. I helped get him in. sorry. I haven't voted since, mind you.

Q9: Best gig?

Morricone, Magazine, Rickie Lee Jones, The Fall, Gang Of 4. One of them. Maybe.All years, ago.

Q10: Best books that you've read recently?


Bloodlines-Mark Billingham; Bad Penny Blues - Cathi Unsworth.

http://pdbrazill.blogspot.com/p/online-stories_30.html


20 comments:

  1. Thanks for letting me have a go at this, Nigel!I wouldn't trust a word that bloke says though. And NEVER lend him money.

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  2. Nice Q&A Mr. Brazill. What was the gig with Rickie Lee Jones?

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  3. Love it - great stuff, Mr B! :)

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  4. Thanks, Paul, for debunking all those myths about you, especially the one about the lesbian all-girls school. Like David, I'm still laughing.

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  5. The man, the myth, the enigma that is P. Brazil rolls on. Smiling going on here.

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  6. Hilarious. And now I finally know how to say your name correctly...

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  7. Paul, you dazzle me with your brazilliance!

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  8. Excellent interview! Thank you so much for the wonderful insight into the enigma that is Paul D Brazill! Some very good questions, but you forgot the most important one, Paul. I really, really want to know what Mr. Brazill's favorite breakfast cereal is! :)

    I would very much recommend Mr. Brazill take a weekend sometime and watch STAR WARS Episodes 4,5 & 6 (1,2 & 3 were more than a bit tedious.) I think he will find well worth his time.

    I just read the very short review of Cathi Unsworth's "Bad Penny Blues"... I shall be adding it to my reading list; thank you for the recommendation, Mr. Brazill!

    Now... that cereal...? :-)

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  9. Very amusing. I would never have thought Brazill would sound like Dazzle.

    The Fall - serious genius.

    Weird you should mention the monkey. I was only telling my 6-year-old all about that t'other day as we wandered around a Martello Tower in Eastbourne.

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  11. Ta ,all. Harry, I saw Rickie Lee at the Roaal Festival Hall in London. It was in the early '90s. She had the Blue Nile in her band.
    Chris. Almost no one pronounces my name in the Irish way. Even I pronounce it like the country now!

    Ronnie. I NEVER eat breakfast cereal. I'm a toast and cheese man or, during sommer, a full English Heart- attack-on -a -plate fry up!

    Post a comment.

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  12. Witty and a nice slice of Brazill.

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  13. Paul, I have it from the horse's mouth that Cathi wasn't the one doing the throwing. She mentioned to me that she only had to do any slinging on a night when she was alone, apart from one ageing gentleman who helped her out, when the place was being trashed. Also pleased to say that Cathi should be here in a month or so, so you'll be able to leave a comment for her.

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  14. Paul, whether it's story or interview , your tongue in cheek words never cease to delight me. The monkey story always gets me. Ha!

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  15. Thanks for telling us the truth (or at least some of it) about yourself. Fascinating, my friend.

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  16. Always a joy to learn more about the talented Mr. Brazill!

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  17. Brazzle huh? You the shizzle my friend.

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  18. Thanks all. I should have said theat Brazil rhymes with Razzle, the porno mag!

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