In Conversation with Clare Grogan
Exhibition closing event
3 November 2022 - 7.30pm
To mark the close of our current exhibition celebrating Scottish rock and pop, we’re honoured to welcome performer, actor, author and presenter Clare Grogan to the BME for an evening in-conversation.
As a performer who’s been gigging since she first jumped in a Transit van aged 16 and drove from Glasgow to London for a John Peel session, Grogan has barely left the stage in the last two decades. After initially splitting, after six Top 40 hits, in the year of the release of Bite, their third album, Altered Images have been touring, on and off, since 2002.
As an actor, she’s appeared in multiple films, TV dramas, comedies and soaps over the years, from (of course) Gregory’s Girl to Comfort and Joy, Waterloo Road to EastEnders, Taggart to Doctors, Red Dwarf to Still Game to Father Ted. And she remains busy on screen – My Old School with Alan Cumming, based on a true story about a Glasgow chancer who went back to his former school as a 32-year-old, has recently appeared on the film festival
circuit.
As an author she’s written two books, Tallulah and the Teenstars (Number 2 with a bullet in the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Chart) and Tallulah on Tour.
As a presenter, she’s hosted film, travel and music shows on television and radio, appearing front and centre on The One Show, BBC Scotland’s Corner Shop Cook Off, STV’s Scotland’s Real Heroes, 6Music, VH1 and BBC Four. There have been radio and theatre comedy/drama adventures aplenty, too, with appearances alongside Josie Long, Mel Giedroyc and, in 2020, a touring production of Neil Simon’s classic Barefoot in the Park.
This year, Altered Images released their first album in 39 years – Mascara Streakz. Grogan got to work, write and record round the kitchen table during lockdown with musician husband Stephen Lironi. Their near-neighbour Bernard Butler was only too happy to contribute, and Robert Hodgens (aka Bobby Bluebell), an old friend from the thrilling Glasgow music scene of the early Eighties, also lent a songwriting hand.
“When you're approaching a landmark birthday,” begins this indefatigable artist who recently turned 60 years young, “you do start thinking a little bit about how you're perceived. But when people talk to me about slowing down, taking things a bit easier, I just think: NO! What the f***? No, none of that applies to me.”
Clare will be in conversation with Ronnie Gurr, CEO of the Scottish Music Industry Association.
All tickets £13. On sale Monday 17 October, 10am.
Why not upgrade your event ticket to an adult annual pass? For just £3 extra you can visit BME as many times as you like over the next year*. Just select ‘event ticket including annual pass’ at the checkout.
* museum entry only