Latest news with #BrassTacks
Glasgow Times
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
This Glasgow pub helps comic to Edinburgh's Fringe Fetsival
The 27-year-old says before he found out about the funding there was 'no way' he would have been able to do a show at the Fringe. READ NEXT: Derelict sites to be regenerated and jobs created as £3.5m funding announced He told the Glasgow Times: 'I couldn't have afforded it, there was no two ways about it, so I'd written it off. 'I feel like we need to keep fighting for Scottish representation.' Calling the support 'amazing', he continued: 'Without Blackfriars and Brass Tacks, I wouldn't be doing it. 'Chris Conway has put his money where his mouth is in terms of supporting acts - there's nobody more supportive.' (Image: Two Trolleys) Jack, from Cumbernauld, previously worked in a series of minimum wage jobs before he decided to 'give comedy a go' during lockdown, saying it had been 'scratching at the back of my head throughout my life'. He said: 'I wasn't a massive fan of comedy, it was surface level, but as soon as I got into it, I was obsessed.' Since starting his comedy career three years ago, Jack has been cutting his teeth as part of a collective called Wholesome Prison Blues who perform mixed bill shows for inmates at prisons across Scotland. He has also taken part in the Roast Battles League and was awarded the Worldwide MVP title in 2024. This isn't the first time Blackfriars and Brass Tacks have supported Jack, after they also funded a trip to Los Angeles May to compete in a Roast Battle at iconic venue The Comedy Store, giving him an opportunity to gain fans across the Atlantic. READ NEXT: Lewis Capaldi performs new single on The Tonight Show Jack's Fringe show Before I Forget focuses on the theme of Dementia which he says has affected a lot of people in his family. He explained: 'It's about all the things I'm happy and not happy that one day I'm going to forget. 'I take the audience through dealing with the family members that have had dementia and my experience. 'Usually when you go to a Fringe show they put the sad bit at the end, but I've flipped it.' He added: 'We're two weeks out and I'm bricking it [...] but I've got good people around me.' (Image: Two Trolleys) Chris Conway, co-owner Blackfriars, said: 'My take on the Fringe is its almost completely inaccessible to someone like Jack because you can't afford to not work for a month and put all the money in to be there for a month. 'I think there's a lot of talent that don't go to it now because of that. 'The Fringe a worldwide thing but there needs to more of a push for Scottish acts. 'Jack is an absolute fireball of energy and comedic talent.' Katie Palmer, of Brass Tacks Comedy, continued: "Working with Blackfriars to support Jack Traynor is one of the things I'm most proud of in my career so far. 'Blackfriars as a comedy club are so values led and the way they stepped up to support Jack financially shows that. 'Jack is one of my favourite comics in the country. 'The very first time I saw him perform I knew I had to work with him in the future. And I've never been in the company of someone funnier. 'He's a true talent and it's terrifying to think that a local act as brilliant and talented as Jack wouldn't be performing at the Edinburgh Fringe without this support.' Jack Traynor: Before I Forget will be at Pleasance Courtyard from Wednesday, July 30 until Sunday, August 24.
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Scotsman
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Festival Fringe: The producer who contacted 100 firms for 'missing out' Scottish comedians
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A comedy producer has told how she contacted over 100 Scottish companies looking for Edinburgh Festival Fringe funding for local comedians 'missing out' on fame. Katie Palmer, of Brass Tacks, decided to create a fund to pay for the costs of performing at the Fringe after realising Scottish comedians were being under-represented at a national and international level, in part due to the rocketing costs of performing at the event. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After sending out a sponsorship proposal to around 100 Scottish companies she believed might be a good fit to support local comedy, Ms Palmer heard back from only ten - with all of them refusing to fund the idea. Jack Traynor is from Cumbernauld but still felt he could not afford to perform at the Fringe. | Jack Traynor Eventually, she sent out a letter on spec to drinks giant Red Bull UK, which offered her £4,000. She has since managed to find match funding from Glasgow comedy club Blackfriars of Bell Street to allow her to sponsor two comedians Jack Traynor and Ayo Adenekan, who were among more than 50 applicants. 'We had over 50 applicants, which was incredible to see,' she said. 'But [it was] also devastating to see that 50-plus Scottish comedians felt like they could debut this year, but couldn't afford it.' The idea for the fund was born during last year's Fringe. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Palmer said: 'It really came to light in my head during the Fringe last year of the lack of support for Scottish comedy. It just feels as though there's very rarely a Scottish comedian who will be nominated for any awards or get big TV opportunities off the back of the Fringe, despite the Scottish comedy scene being genuinely incredible.' Ayo Adenekan is to receive money from the Brass Tacks Debut Fund. | Colette Ms Palmer added: 'At this point, it feels as though the comedy industry in the UK should be over-represented by Scottish acts, but it's not. People who watch Live at the Apollo or go to comedy in London or Birmingham should be thinking 'how come so many of these people are Scottish?' Because we have the biggest festival in the world on our doorstep and Scottish comedians should be over-represented in that. But I think in many ways, it's the opposite, they're missing out.' Ms Palmer started Brass Tacks Comedy in January last year, and has produced a range of successful shows at the 2024 Fringe, including Amy Annette's sell-out run with extra shows added, and Grace Mulvey, who was named one of the top 12 shows of the Fringe by Rolling Stone. The producer said: 'The fact that Jack Traynor felt the Fringe was not on his horizon and he was completely priced out of it, despite living in Scotland, was unbelievable. He lives in Cumbernauld and he just wasn't planning to ever come here. It just wasn't - and couldn't be - in his plans.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Katie Palmer of Brass Tacks. | Katie Palmer of Brass Tacks. Mr Traynor said: "There's no two ways about it - if I didn't have the backing of Blackfriars and Brass Tacks, I wouldn't be doing the Fringe. 'The Fringe is a different beast and trying to compete with the finances … even though I live in Scotland, it's easy to just get left behind.' Mr Adenekan said: 'I applied because this was an amazing opportunity - being able to make my Fringe debut without having to bear the financial burden was a major factor for me. 'The fact the fund was created for Scottish acts, by a Scottish company, made me even more eager to apply because I feel the Scottish scene is often overlooked, even on our own doorstep.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Festival Fringe: The producer who contacted 100 firms for 'missing out' Scottish comedians
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A comedy producer has told how she contacted over 100 Scottish companies looking for Edinburgh Festival Fringe funding for local comedians 'missing out' on fame. Katie Palmer, of Brass Tacks, decided to create a fund to pay for the costs of performing at the Fringe after realising Scottish comedians were being under-represented at a national and international level, in part due to the rocketing costs of performing at the event. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After sending out a sponsorship proposal to around 100 Scottish companies she believed might be a good fit to support local comedy, Ms Palmer heard back from only ten - with all of them refusing to fund the idea. Jack Traynor is from Cumbernauld but still felt he could not afford to perform at the Fringe. | Jack Traynor Eventually, she sent out a letter on spec to drinks giant Red Bull UK, which offered her £4,000. She has since managed to find match funding from Glasgow comedy club Blackfriars of Bell Street to allow her to sponsor two comedians Jack Traynor and Ayo Adenekan, who were among more than 50 applicants. 'We had over 50 applicants, which was incredible to see,' she said. 'But [it was] also devastating to see that 50-plus Scottish comedians felt like they could debut this year, but couldn't afford it.' The idea for the fund was born during last year's Fringe. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Palmer said: 'It really came to light in my head during the Fringe last year of the lack of support for Scottish comedy. It just feels as though there's very rarely a Scottish comedian who will be nominated for any awards or get big TV opportunities off the back of the Fringe, despite the Scottish comedy scene being genuinely incredible.' Ayo Adenekan is to receive money from the Brass Tacks Debut Fund. | Colette Ms Palmer added: 'At this point, it feels as though the comedy industry in the UK should be over-represented by Scottish acts, but it's not. People who watch Live at the Apollo or go to comedy in London or Birmingham should be thinking 'how come so many of these people are Scottish?' Because we have the biggest festival in the world on our doorstep and Scottish comedians should be over-represented in that. But I think in many ways, it's the opposite, they're missing out.' Ms Palmer started Brass Tacks Comedy in January last year, and has produced a range of successful shows at the 2024 Fringe, including Amy Annette's sell-out run with extra shows added, and Grace Mulvey, who was named one of the top 12 shows of the Fringe by Rolling Stone. The producer said: 'The fact that Jack Traynor felt the Fringe was not on his horizon and he was completely priced out of it, despite living in Scotland, was unbelievable. He lives in Cumbernauld and he just wasn't planning to ever come here. It just wasn't - and couldn't be - in his plans.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Katie Palmer of Brass Tacks. | Katie Palmer of Brass Tacks. Mr Traynor said: "There's no two ways about it - if I didn't have the backing of Blackfriars and Brass Tacks, I wouldn't be doing the Fringe. 'The Fringe is a different beast and trying to compete with the finances … even though I live in Scotland, it's easy to just get left behind.' Mr Adenekan said: 'I applied because this was an amazing opportunity - being able to make my Fringe debut without having to bear the financial burden was a major factor for me. 'The fact the fund was created for Scottish acts, by a Scottish company, made me even more eager to apply because I feel the Scottish scene is often overlooked, even on our own doorstep.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
News18
29-04-2025
- General
- News18
In 1986, This Soldier Saved 236 Indian Army Personnel With His Timely Action
Last Updated: Ramaji, who served in the Indian Army for 26 years, set a unique example by saving the lives of 236 soldiers in 1986 through his vigilance and courage When the spirit of patriotism is true in the heart, even the impossible becomes possible. One such inspiring example is Ramaji from Bherukheda village in Khandwa city of Madhya Pradesh, whose bravery still lives on in the hearts of people. Ramaji, who served in the Indian Army for 26 years, set a unique example by saving the lives of 236 soldiers in 1986 through his vigilance and courage. A Unique Story Of Courage In 1986, during the military exercise 'Brass Tacks', Ramaji was posted in the Ranau area of Rajasthan. That year, India launched its largest-ever military exercise in the subcontinent, known as Operation 'Brass Tacks'. One night, as the sound of rumbling tanks echoed all around, Ramaji sensed imminent danger. Acting swiftly, he used the radio and signalling system to alert and protect the 236 soldiers in his workshop unit. His timely action redirected the tanks and averted a major accident. The Army honoured Ramaji's indomitable courage. He was promoted from Naik to Havildar and received special recognition. His then-officer, Colonel Randhawa, praised his bravery on a public stage. Ramaji's act is still regarded as an ideal example of military discipline and alertness, a spirit that remains strong to this day. Now residing in the Prabhu Prempuram area of Khandwa, Ramaji may be retired, but his patriotism remains as vibrant as ever. Locals proudly recount his heroic deeds and view him as a true inspiration for the younger generation. His story reminds us that real bravery lies not just in wielding a weapon, but in making the right decision at the right time. First Published:
