Phil Cornwell- Videos and Transcript

Superstars and Aliens

In this weekly roundup, there’s Phil’s caption video, links to Chesney’s video on Phil’s chosen song, and one of the roughest transcripts you’ll ever read. 🤪

And if you missed Phil’s podcast episode click here.

Phil’s Quote: ‘It's All A Game’

Phil’s Song: Modern Music

Caption Video:

Watch Chesney put the song together on Instagram or TikTok.

Watch Chesney put the song together on Instagram or TikTok.

A Very Rough Transcript:

And hello everyone, welcome to this week's episode of Ferguson Harrington Hawkes. I'm Ferguson. I'm Harrington and I'm Hawkes. Woooh. Oh, Hello! I thought I'd start this one sexy darling. 

Hey Chesney, do you ever call yourself adorable, because I call you adorable. Oh, goodness, me. Do you? Do you ever go “I'm adorable”. Do you never say “I'm adorable”? But you are adorable! Do you just say it by walking into the room? Do you just walk into the room and people go, yes. Chesney you are. Is that what happens? 

I leave it entirely to you, Lynn. You just let people know. I just wondered if we were ever going to get to a place where we would go, “I’m Ferguson, I’m Harrington, and I’m adorable.” Right, I just wonder if it’s ever going to happen, but it’s never gonna happen, then I’m okay. We can do it in the edit, you know, it can be done. We could, right. He can work magic, can’t you? Yeah, yeah. 

Hey, so, have we got a guest this week or is it just us creeps talking? No, we have a guest. We have his name is Phil Cornwell who will be joining us shortly. I love him. Yes, legend, legendary Phil. I toured with him, we’ve been up to no good. 

Really? Ah, well, we will look forward to, to hearing all about that, and of course we’ve, um, we’ve got Phil’s choice of song, Ches, you’ve had that and worked on that and we have Phil’s quote as well,  to start us off. What’s his quote then? 

‘Cause listener, if you’ve not been listening for awhile, you’ll uh, not know that Chesney had this idea. I know, not just attractive. He’s a thinker as well, ladies… and boys. Lots of brains going on up here. Yeah, a lot. Upstairs for thinking downstairs for dancing. So Ches had this eh, thought that we should, um, he would like to make it a little bit more thinky. Is that right? Thinky? 

Well it was more structured was the words I used, but I think just uh, yeah. Yeah. Just give it a little bit of, uh, I don't know, um, somewhere to go. Joosh*. And we, and we did. Go, no, not “shush”. Oh I thought you said “shh, shh, don’t, stop talking!” No, no, joosh as in, weesht. Joosh! Oh, joosh, yeah! There was so much more that- and we have gone somewhere, and we’ve arrived somewhere, haven’t we. With the whole quote thing? So listener, what we do is each episode we have, we ask our guest the, to give us a quote, a quote, or a saying that means something to them. Mhm. And, that’s what we’re doing with this episode. So what is the quote Neil. The quote from Phil Cornwell is, “It’s all a game.” 

Now I know he is a big Spurs fan. I knew that as well, yes. I don’t think it’s anything to do with that, um. So it’s not like it’s a game of two halves. No, exactly. In my journey- in my journey of digging into this, of course there is a book titled “It’s all a game.” And it’s about the history of the board game. Now, do you want to spend a whole podcast talking history? I don’t think that’s what he meant either. 

I-I-I’ve got the information, if- if you want. I do like board games though, I have to say, I do like a board game. Well, I would just give you a little nugget, cuz I thought this was quite interesting. So, during world war two. So, the- “During the war.” During the war, the prisoners held behind enemy lines in Germany were entitled- because of the Geneva convention, the humanitarian groups like the red cross were allowed to distribute care packages to those prisoners. 

I would just give you a little nugget cuz this, I thought this was quite interesting. So during world Wari, right? So the, during the war, during the war, the prisoners held. Behind, um, enemy lions in Germany were entitled because of the Geneva convention, the humanitarian groups like the red cross were dis were allowed to distribute care packages to those prisoners. 

And they used this to smuggle in escape kits. So they disguised the kits as monopoly games. So the compasses and files, they were disguised as playing pieces. The money was in the form of French and German, Italian bank notes. And that was hidden in the monopoly money. The maps were concealed within the board game-, within the board itself, and that was the significance of board games and world war II.

See, I'm a fountain of useless information.

I don't think that's useless information. It does now make me think that I might find Monopoly more interesting. Because I am married to a man who, despite all of his adorability, not in the same adorable way as Chesney. Right. He's a different kind of adorability, he's more a kinda hammer and saw adorability, but, uh, he is very, very, very competitive, like very competitive. 

Yeah. I understand that Casey, my, my eldest is a bit like that. He's is? Well, it's hard to play monop- monopoly with him cuz you know, it has to be by the book as well by the rules. You can't do any kind of you know,.

Oh no Mister Tweddle will cheat. He would cheat.

Oh, he does? Oh, good man. Good man.

But you know what makes me think about that is just as, as you guys are talking, as I'm letting you talk- for a second, only! Um, is that actually that is how life is. That some people are really competitive.

Some people like just show up and they're like happy to be part of the group. And then you get people who are really competitive. And then also there are people who have to be playing by the rules. It's important to win. So I wonder if that's what he means.

Thank you for going there, cuz yes, I think it is all about life being all a game.

 I think that that's where, where Phil's going. So I've done a little bit, bit of digging on that and um, some nice quotes about life being all a game. I've- I- I've picked three of my favorites, I think. There's one that really made me smile. Uh, and this is actually by Neil Gaiman. “I believe that life is a game, a cruel joke. And is what happens when you are alive. So you might as well lie back and enjoy it.” um, that one… I love it. That one really makes me smile.- Positive guy.

Yeah. You know, I love that guy. Do you know what he did me the, the greatest favor, Neil Gaiman right. Really? Yeah. And it's sort of a name drop, but it's not because he just, he shows what a proper good human being is.

Right? Yeah. So I was doing the Moth, uh, main stage, uh, in London and he was, uh, hosting it. Right. And I was doing a story and, um, at the time my eldest was in middle school. So that's like, I guess that's like early high school, but maybe third year or something. And he had the book project and the book project was one of Neil Gaiman's books.

Right. Right. So when I was at the Moth thing and we hung out and everything, and then afterwards I said to him, “Um, my, uh, son is doing this project.” I never told my son that I was doing this. Right. He just knew that I'd go into the UK for something. I said, “My son's doing this project. Is there anything that you would do to advise him or help him or just encourage him? Because kids, they have quite a rough ride.” Yeah. And he said, if you got, um, what did we do on it? Wasn't WhatsApp. I think it might have been WhatsApp. He went “Come on's no point talking, let's film.” And he did a message to Fergus, my son, and also to the school. So he did this whole thing. It all got played at the school, from Neil Gaiman directly to students about, um, why it's important to allow yourself to grow and to not be afraid of making mistakes.

And don't be anybody else's version of you, be your version of you, right. And that intellect frees you from everything, right? Learning frees you from everything. And then he put a personal message in for Fergus. It was like the kindest thing ever. I might even try finding it. And I could put it on the thing, but, um, at the end of it, once we finished, I said, thank you so much for that.

I can't, can't believe that. And he said, what he said was, he said, “It's the only point in being famous.” He said, “Everything else is rubbish. Everything is rubbish. But if you can inspire someone else's kids… it's worth it.” Ah, isn't that amazing? He's an amazing guy.

He is an amazing guy. That’s the sort of people we need in this world.

One of the things you said there just actually, there's two more points I'm gonna mention before we, we get in with it with Phil, there was more of a clever succinct one. And I think you just touched on it and what you just said, Lynn, I love this- “Life is a game where either you lose or you learn.”

Ah, right.

Mm. I truly believe that. 

How about that? Yeah. That's powerful. That one. Isn't it? Yeah.

It's hard to know where to go from that. Isn't it? That's a deep quote. Well, there's a thing, a narrative that like, you know, when I'm working with people one on one and they'll go, well, why do I keep, why does the same thing keep happening?

Why do I keep doing the, why does this happen to me over and over again? I'm like, because it's the same narrative set. So like, if you are in a situation where you go, well, I like bad boys. I know this is you choosing. That's why you always getting all those pants thrown at your chairs. That's why. 

Yeah. I'm constantly saying that to myself.

I like bad boys by Chesney Hawkes. Always liked ba- (Laughter) That’s the name of my autobiography. Yeah! (Laughter) Oh, please, I would love that!

But, um, but the, but you know, the people that people who go, I like, I'm only interested in, uh, people who are a bit aggressive and then they get upset when they get like- Aggressive men in their lives. Yeah. And then you're like, well, you know, you have to consider that maybe you want to change perspective, you know?

Yeah. Or change the way you're thinking. That's all subconscious though, isn't it, don't you think.

Yeah, but you got, you, can't just keep doing the same thing over and over and over again and expect a different… Why it doesn't work out. Can you? Now I'm, I'm gonna move on to the final point for us to just pull apart for a few minutes before we jump on with Phil a bit more in this, a bit more detailed.

“Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family health, friends, and integrity, and you are keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably, scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.”

Ooh. Oh, deep. You've been in the brainy cupboard this morning. You nailed that.

Yeah. The old, long winter nights just fly by with me.

Absolutely. And I also think that you guys are just excited about being able to talk about balls, frankly, just like.

I'm not dropping my balls.

No, that's why you can still sing high.

Especially if it's gonna be irrevocably, scuffed, nicked, or even shattered!

That just made my eyes water.

Oh. Supposed to be doing,- we’re having a sensible moment and you've reduced it to balls. It's my job for God's sake. It’s all part of the game, mate. It’s all part of the game. All part of the game.

After Phil Cornwell. Phil. Phil. Phil Cornwell. Oh!

Phil's sitting in the dark.

Hello darling. How are you? Longest time, no, see. Still no see cuz you've got no camera. Is it- is there a reason, for this? He has a camera, he has a black cloak on and he’s sitting in the dark. Hello Chesney. Hello Phil. Nice to see you. Yeah I’m-- I’m sorry, this is a bit like I’m being, I’m being weird, aren’t I cuz you can’t see me, but it’s just a technical thing. You’re actually naked aren’t you, that’s the, that’s the issue. Yeah, I am. I am actually underneath what I’m- underneath under all this stuff I am actually technically naked. I’ve always said you had a great face for radio, great face for radio. You’ll remember, ‘cause I accused Tony Hawks of this and it’s totally not his fault, at all. Um, do you remember you, me and Neil Robert Heard went on a gold beer tour of Scotland, and as part of-- Yes! Remember that? Well, I have b- Like, 1990 Lynn or something… Was it? And I could never remember- I dunno. Well, cuz part of the payment was as much gold beer you could drink. And so, like we just- Which actually now wouldn’t be a good idea for me, really. Oh, wasn’t a good idea at the time! No, it wasn’t, but it got me where I am now, so that’s good. Wee cloud. Wherever that is. Um, but yeah Lynn I do remember. And I remember those gigs, that uh, were from Karen wasn’t it? Were with Karen. And I could never remember Neil Robert Heard’s name. Right. Every, I was com- comparing it. And every time I went to introduce him, I would go… “Ladies and gentlemen… Neil!” So everybody did! Took a knee. Hey, he’s here all week! He’s here all week. Try the veal. Anyway, anyone from Bedford in? That’s a good line.

It was such a great line.

Can I steal that line though? That’s such a great line. Isn’t it? He’s here all week. TRY THE VEAL. You know, you’re doing a, a gig in a restaurant. Brilliant. Anyway, anyone from Bedford in, um, yeah. I haven’t introduced you yet. We would need to do an introduction. No, let’s do that. We ready, team? 

Here we go. So today’s guest has one of the ubiquitous and versatile voices ever. An elastic and hilarious comedian and also a proper actor. To Gilbert the Alien to my absolute favorite stellar street, Adam Partridge and also the voice of Murdoc Niccals from the band Gorillaz. It’s only Phil Cornwell on our Podcast, everybody! 

Gilbert the Alien, in the flesh.

Yes. Chesney. I'm not sure. I don't think I had a go at you. Did I, mate? I mean, you probably did, but I don't... that's fine. That wasn't you. That was, that was Gilbert.

I know, mate. I'm not sure. Maybe- did you come on, get fresh? Did you come on? 

I think I did, yeah.

Did you must have come on as well. Did you get fresh? What were the years though? What were the years? 87 and then 88. Those were the two series we did. It was live. Oh, then it was then I definitely didn't come on. But, and I was more of a, I was more of a fan of Gilbert, but I, because I, I would've been like 16, 17 at that point.

Yeah. And, uh, my, my time was kind of 91. So. Yeah.

It was a very odd job. It was extraordinary job. Absolutely extraordinary thing for me to be doing at that time in my life, actually. Yeah, it was. Why was it extraordinary? Very suitable. Why extraordinary? Well, well, Lynn, uh, I, I, well, it was just so apt was it. It was just so ripe for how I was at that time and the kind of where my head was at.

All over the place.

I mean, and it was a perfect fit. Yes, it was the perfect fit. And they got me in, to sort of try out for the voice and everything. And the brief was really just that, um, he's an alien. He comes from, you know, out there somewhere and he's just been influenced by our television and, and, and so great off you go, you know, and in those days, you know, they just let me get away with murder.

No, I, I just, but, well, quite literally, no, I, and it was, um, it was kind of, um, yeah, I just riffed. Yeah. And how extraordinary to be able to do that, you wouldn't be allowed to do that. Not now. No. You know, no, no, what you can't say this, can't say that.

It's funny because they it's almost like they don't allow you to say things and then they've got, cause I I'm a big fan of Gogglebox and this is how I know that this exists, but that, um, they've got a naked dating show on channel four where people have just got all their, you know their you know, stuff- Yeah. You get your Johnson out and everything. They’ve got their meat and veg out.

meeting vege out. Right. And, but you're just like. So you're not allowed to say stuff, but you're, I- tacos, right. But it's really very, uh, taquitos in some cases, taquitos, obviously. Yeah, but like. It's true though, that things have become quite formatted. You, you can't do this stuff that you were doing, but actually what you can do is, is show bits of yourself. It's weird. It's a weird change. 

I know that is, Lynn. I, I know, I know it was, um, it was just, it was just so right for me at the time and I, I just loved it. I loved it. Just sort of making stuff happen. Yeah. It was great

Gilbert, but to me was like, was nuts. It reminded me of like Robin Williams. When he used to, he just, the first thing come into his head and then he'd do an impression and then he would just go off onto another tangent and well, that's what I - That's you basically isn't it? That you are. 

That's what I did and look, it worked perfectly behind that, that character, you know, a massive puppet, huge puppet and a real presence. It wasn't some silly little thing, big, huge- sweaty green blob! It wasn't, it was made by Flack and Law and all that, you know, the spitting image workshop. 

And they came up with it and did it, and it, so it was all, it was all good, you know? And, um, yeah, it was quite… quite a time that was.

Became quite a cult hero did Gilbert at one point, if I remember right, I mean, God a long time ago now, but like… he. You know, it, it became, I felt like Gilbert was kind of inching into, away from, to ch children's TV to kind of adult humor.

You know what I mean? Or you never really kind of stuck to the kiddie’s humor. Did you? Let's be honest.

I didn't and I didn't need to, I didn't think I needed to because just cuz of the visuals they love, they love the visuals of it and the snot and all that. Great. That's fine. And I can do all my stuff. Use it as a mouthpiece if you like.

Well, what I was going to ask you actually is-  there are people who are improvisers, right? And that's what they're known as, as being improvisers. And you're not really known as being an improviser. Yet t hat's one of the things that I think you've always been really brilliant at. Yeah. Like being able to take something and just go with it.

I much prefer to do that. Are you like that in life? Well, yes I am, but that's why I did it on stage. Yeah. Because that's really me really. That's what I mean. And it's yeah. I mean, I, I think it's quite good to have some sort of structure. Uh, I realized that cause I have done gigs where I thought, ah, I'll just go on. I'll do something of course when you get up there, it's very different, you know?

And, um, I've found, you know, late, it's better to have a little bit of a structure, but you can go off. I love going off and seeing where it goes and takes me. I love it. And that does it for me. I enjoy, I just really enjoy doing that, you know, riffing and you know, 

It's amazing. It's a real talent though. I think Phil, cuz it's not something that I. You know me, God, I'm, I'm not a comedian, but like, you know, I have to have everything planned in advance. Otherwise I'm not, if I'm not ready to go on stage with, with everything planned out. Um, I just, I'm kind of f**ked.

Well, most people do Ches. I mean, that's it, that's the deal. Absolutely. Mate. No, no, no. I think, I think that's yeah, absolutely.

It's just, I just, uh, I just really, uh, I just, and people do like, you know, if I get the right audience, they do appreciate it. You know, I don't do a lot of live stuff now. And, and I did Edinburgh like three years ago, which was very brave. We are going to Edinburgh.

We are going to Edinburgh this summer.

Yeah, yeah.

Yes, yes. Where are you? Where are you performing? We're at the Gilded Bal-. Well, we're with the Gilded Balloon. They're producing us, but we're at the museum, the national museum of Scotland. I know you can't see this listener. We have one listener, but at this point in time-- And it's my mum. Yeah. I can see the visuals of this and both Neil and Chesney are literally rubbing their hands together with anxiety.

I just have to imagine Edinburgh and they both go “Oh!”

Oh, Lynn, you know what it's like, that, you know what it's like, I was out there on my own, on stage for an hour every day. And, and I did it, I got through it. I did the whole thing and I've never done the, the whole thing, that must feel good once you're done.

It, it did Ches.

It did, mate. It did. And, and the whole show changed completely from the beginning. Yeah. and by the end I was doing something else completely. That's, that’s Edinburgh. Isn't it? Oh, I totally is. So, oh, you do have to be, you do have to sort of brace yourself, but then you just jump in. Yeah. All right. Thanks for that.

Not jump in. Sorry. Have I? No. I’m sorry You've opened up the can of worms, Neil, is it?

Yeah. Yeah, no, it'll be fine. It'll be fine. You're all fine. You'll get over it. Well I dunno. It takes a couple of years, but you'll be okay. You  know, it's character building. Yeah, of course. You know? No, no, it'll be brilliant.

God, sorry, Lynn, what you said?

No, there was a quote that Neil said earlier on about you either, uh, lose or learn. And I think that that actually is, that is Edinburgh where you just have to learn, cuz you're like, oh, okay. That's how things are now.

That’s showbiz.

Did you ever read any of your reviews or anything though, Phil?

That may be different from the beginning. Foolishly, foolishly I did, from the beginning. I  did look at the beginning and uh, they didn't get it. No, they didn't get it. Cause there's some, it's probably like, you know, it's like, does your mother know your here? You know, and all that. And you know, what time you gotta be in tonight, you know, it's all that they're like, I don’t know how old these people were or they didn't get it.

Some people did, but, but that's the problem. That's what I have. It's that it's not everyone's cause it's not a slick sort of, I'm not really into that. Other people do that and do it well

You're not at all vanilla. That's- nobody would ever say, oh, Phil Cornwell, he's a bit vanilla, right? no, I think

raspberry Brit, but sprinkling of nuts.

Do you know what I mean? He is here all week. Try the veal.

Could you improvise so much on stage, right? Like you are responding to what's around you. Is that also how you, uh, navigate life? Like, did you have, do you have a, like a five year plan or are you a guy that's like, Hey, I'm going to Spain. I think I know the answer to this because I listener will be wanting me to ask or one listener will be like, come on, like ask that question.

No, I haven't have, I I've never had a planI haven't really, I dunno what I've done, what I've done.

I've done some, some things , you've done things. I just woke. I have done loads and I've me what I have taken it. No, I often look at it Chesney. I do. And I am so grateful for the body of work that I have, even if I did nothing else, I think. Well, that was all right. You didn't do bad,

there. I think the word in bingo just was used in your intro mate.

So that, that kind of says that, well, the. Was it?

Yeah. Was the word weetabix used? yes, it was anyway,

I would've gone with shreddies, but

it was very shreddies. I love shreddies. I like the lattice work. Yes. Like the lattice work. sorry, Lynn. Anyway, but Lynn, that is an interesting, it's an interesting thing. You, you know, this whole thing of getting up.

There, you know, I I've questioned. I thought, well, why do you need, you? See, you gotta have tremendous low self worth to get up on you really are to be any good. That's true. You gotta true. You gotta be insane to be any good. I think really? Or slightly insane. Yeah. Uh, helps. Because people like to see controlled people sort of having breakdowns up there in a controlled manner.

I think that's entertainment. That's what I think. Oh yeah. And it is, it is. You're watching someone go a little bit nuts and, and, and it takes you out. I, I like, that's what I, and it's okay to do that. It's all right. I'm alright with it. You know, but I think I started out wanting to prove something, you know, love me, love me and all that bullshit, you know, but, um, you know, it's not really about, I do want people to love me though.

we all do!

Chesney23:31

no, sorry, Neil. We need to, we need to Phil about his quote. We've gone, you

Neil23:35

know? Yeah, absolutely. We kind of got off a tangent haven't we? But we it's all really, I still

Chesney23:39

haven't recovered from the latest work on shreds. That's did me in, oh,

Neil23:44

Well, Phil, when we chatted, before you came on the podcast, yes.

I asked you what your quote was and you didn't even have to think about it. You came straight back lighting fast and your response was, of course it's all

Phil Cornwell23:57

a game. Well, it is. I mean, and that's the old expression. Life is just a game. And, and I'm not saying when you say you, when I say it's a game, I don't, and then you die.

That, that is the point. That's exactly the point. What, it's a brief, um, interval in the light little, an experience, which is nuts. Completely nuts. You come out of nothing suddenly by some sort of magic. It's extraordinary, you know, you, you, you form into all these being, and you have this experience of this, all this noise and the color of, and they're like lights out.

Yeah. And it's like, whoa, what happened there? What was that all about? Yeah. Did I win? And, and the whole point, yeah. Did. That's right. Chess. And it is just a game. And I don't mean that in a sort of like one should treat it like, oh, it's just a game. But just to know, just to know is important. I, this is only something I've contemplated in the last couple of years actually, cuz I'm getting older.

I guess it's an age thing maybe as well. But with the, the inevitable, the inevitable sort of onset of, uh, you know, the, the decline of the organism, which is natural, perfectly natural, like leaves on the trees and all that were seasonal. And then in the end and we go, you know, some of us go sooner than others, but in the end it don't matter anyway, because you're gone.

Cause we're all gonna go. All of it's you. I was, I was dead for billions of years before I came here. And so, and I was fine. So I'm not too worried about the Mark Twain quote, that's a brilliant. And I don't wish to say morbid or anything like that, but I've got to this point where I want to embrace the whole, because it's the process, it's all part of the same birth implies death.

If you're born, it implies death. Yes, it does. Yeah. And so I've come to see all that. And I'm so grateful. I do see that now, cuz I used to be quite, oh God, I'm gonna die. And all that, you know, and I probably will be scared if I'm told you you're dying, whatever. But underneath there is this knowing that, okay, so what's gotta be done, gotta do it.

And plenty of people I know have done it. Yeah. Yeah. And that's the other thing that's got me in touch with it. Uh, certainly Lynn will know whatever contemporaries of ours. You'd definitely who have just passed, gone. You know, people act slightly younger than me, even many people, uh, and they're not bothered anymore about anything.

Uh, and it just seems so poisonous

I said to Mark. It's weird going back to Edinburgh, cuz everybody that I used to hang with is either dead or famous. Right. Like, or both. Yeah. They both felt like you dead famous, but like,

no, it's the great thing. It's the great event. Isn't it? And, uh, and it gets, it gets way, gets talked about, well, oh my God, let's not talk about that.

And there's a huge denial about it. Like it's not gonna happen. And then there's this obsession with keeping people alive as long as possible. Why why you gotta, you gotta, you gotta do it at some point, but I understand it. It's, it's a primal thing. This survival thing. Of course it is. Um, but beyond that, there's this, uh,

it's definitely not a subject that comes up.

Like when you're young though, is it, you know, it's like, yes, you say, mate, you’re born

No mate, I wouldn't have talked like this no, I wouldn't have talked like this. No.

As we get like older, you know, it definitely comes into, into focus a little bit more. Doesn't it? Yeah, it does. Isn't that funny? And you hear that don't you when you're young and you don't, it doesn't really suck.

No, you don't think about much cuz you're young. Yeah. And don't you think it's quite, elusory really in a way, quite an illusion. Cuz I thought when I was sort of younger, I, I just thought I'd always kind of be young and just thing of getting old and all that was a sort of, um, assumption for older people thing out there.

Some. Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah, totally. Yes. Yes. That's right. Exactly. Well, yeah. And, um, and of course, as you do get older, it suddenly, as you said, mate, it, it sort of comes into view. It's when people, you know, start going, oh, I've known loads in the last couple of years, not just with that virus, but, um, just gone, you know, Lynn people and Sean Locke and Sean Hughes and Jeremy Hardy and Carolina, her and no loads of just Johnny Sesh.

John Sessions. Yeah. He's your old contemporary John John Sessions. Of course. Yeah.

Cause I'm over here. I don't, I don't notice it. Right. Well, it's not that I don't notice it, but like, you know, like I guess living in LA is a death, all of its own. Oh my God. but like I'm so it's, so you're in, you're in LA of course.

Yeah. So it's a different place. We're and you hear about things like a different, um, space. I actually do think that younger people do think about death more, certainly more than I did. Because they have dealt with the pandemic and, um, you know, all this shit that's going on with, uh, Putin and Russia and all that stuff.

Yeah. Because actually my kids are more aware of death cer than I was. I, I thought was like a big, I was more interested in Donny Osmond, which in itself is his form of death. Well,

Lynn, there's another side to that. What you're saying there is that, you know, your kids actually went through a brush with perhaps losing their mom at one point.

So yeah, there is, there is that.

Yeah, no, they are. They are aware of that. Like I, I go, well, I had cancer. I don't have cancer anymore. It's fine. Right. But I do go with the cancer doc every three months and uh, every time I go, there's a gasp in the house. Yeah, of course. They just like to know. They see,

I didn't know that.

And so basically you've sort of confronted it a little bit and you've you've yeah. You know, I, I contemplated it there was a

time when I was very, very sick and I did think, do you want this? It's a creepy story. Do you want a creepy story? Come on, brain on you started, so you'll finish it

as a creepy story.

And, um, I was, I had an infection, they had done surgery and I had an infection and then they'd given me a really big antibiotics to deal with the infection, but the, it turned out I was allergic to the antibiotics. So rather than helping me, they were making everything a lot worse. And it was the middle of the night.

Everybody was asleep. And inside my face and everything was all blistered and it all started to blister inside my nose, in my mouth and all, I was all bleeding. It was scary shit. And I was lying there and I was sort of half awake and half asleep. And I had this sort of dream. And what it was was I was at a fairground, right.

It was the fairground and the fairground was called life. And there was all these bells in like the guh-ding, right, right. And the, the bell, like an old fashioned thing where they hammered it and the bell goes guh-ding and we got on this, um, roller coaster with a big life thing on it. And it was sort of weirdly in black and white and the roller coaster had all these big metal structures, like big trees, either side of it.

And on the trees instead of leaves, they had these, um, big sort of signs that had like, uh, respect, uh, wealth. Happiness, right? Oh, they were all, all just like slogans. It was like one of those hallmark places, but all written on these black and white trees. And, um, as you get onto the roller coaster, the bell rang every time that this sign lit up and it said, this ride is experiential.

Keep your hands inside the carriage. Right. Ding that's what it would like say. Right? So I'm in the roller coaster and I'm going up and there's a bald guy. I don't know who it is in front of me. And as we go up, say, tell Alice. Yeah. Right. Tell Alice is in front of me in this, in this carriage as we go up and he reaches out to grab, uh, success from this tree.

Right. He wants success and he grabs a hold of it, but the ride keeps going and he won't let go of success. And so then he just like explodes and all this like shit. It's everywhere. And then the bell rings and says, this rides is experiential. Keep your hands inside the carriage. Right. and evidently all the stuff that was going on was like crazy drug shit.

But what it did make me think was in all the times in life that I've really struggled are when I'm trying to hold onto something. That's really not for holding

onto oh, Lynn.

Right. Oh, you should it let shit go. Like, I don't need it to go anything just so maybe, uh, that's my version of it's a game and it's a better phrase to say it's a game.

Cuz if I said it's a ride, you'd be like, oh, who that guy from Northern exposure. Yes, he was a ride, but that's not like what

we're talking about. Yeah. But it is as well. It is like that. The role look, I love that. That's amazing. Yeah. And I, I think that, that, that idea of uh, the letting go, the sort of letting go of attachment, I'm so attached to everything, you know, worries and all that attachment.

We just cling on don't really? Yeah. And really when letting go is a much better idea, easier said than done.

But um, you know, this is a bit where I do a weird story thing. We've all got a story running in our head all the time that we think other people can hear and nobody can. Right. So with this exercise, it sort of lets us get into what that story is. Are you willing to try it? Maybe rubbish might not work, but it might work.

And as an improviser, I challenge you to say no to it.

Yeah, exactly. No pressure. how could I, it would be very, uh, be rude,

right? Yeah. It would change my opinion of you to be honest. yeah.

but you judge him in a different way. You judge him in a different way. Okay.

So here's what the exercise is, is, um, I'm gonna set my timer.

You can say for two minutes it says five, but it's oh, cool. Yeah. Great timer. Two minutes. Yes. You're going tell me the story of your. right. Are you ready? Tell me the story of your name. Yeah. Go store

Phil Cornwell as the label lay attached to this particular organism that, uh, that, uh, appeared, appeared one day and it has nothing to do with corn or well, as it is but a label, and I am part of a, a group of, uh, organisms that had the same label.

And I, uh, I fear I should go end Williams runner. Um, just a minute. And, um, Phil Phil it's, it's a name, it's a name. And, uh, and it's, it's, uh, I've kept it. I've kept it. I haven't got rid of it. I've not changed it. Uh, I could have done, but then a name's just, it's just a, it's, it's a sound and it's also a group of symbols.

Uh, and so there, there it is. That's what it is. Is it important? Not really, but it's useful for identifying different individuals to have a name. I think it is quite useful. So I think, I mean, if we were all just alright mate, I think I, anyway, I dunno. I dunno. What, what else to say about it really? Um, time.

I don't think I can be more helpful. You need to see my dad about that. how much longer Lynn how's that?

37 seconds. You've gotta keep going.

Oh, I gotta keep going. I gotta keep going. Yeah, I've gotta keep going. Yeah, I didn't, uh, I, I would've liked to have had another name, of course. Uh, but it wasn't my choice.

So I'd like to have, um, I'd like to have been, uh, I'd like to have been called, uh, should we say, uh, Cuffburt I like Cuffburt, would've been nice, I think. Or, um, Or, or, or ma mammalsbry. I kind of like that as a name. Mammalsbry Chartworth. I think that would've been good. Uh, or, or Alistair Thring. Uh, hello everybody.

My name is Alistair Thring. I'm here to tell you about geography in Peru. Let's help the Andies don't explode. Like they said they would. Yay, Mel. Well done. Well done. You made it

well done. It's a weird thing to now. You've got to translate that into Croation. Oh, I don't know. I can do CRO if anyone could do it, Lynn

no,

man.

She you're in. You're in LA. I, I forgot that. That's all nice weather. It's beautiful.

I'm gonna jump in and I'm gonna steer this back. No, go on away. You're not getting away without the translation of your name. I'm afraid. Yeah,

go on. I won't hear him. Well, try. Totally. You know, Lynn, come on, Lynn.

It totally sums up. What's in the translation. What just happened, which is right. So your name. It's how you see yourself and you would rather not, you'd rather see other people and other things and things that are more interesting you're inside looking out and you don't really like looking in and the way that you will avoid talking about yourself is extraordinary.

Extraordinary. Oh, Lynn, that's wonderful.

It's true though. Right? Or you can disagree with me though, right? I'm happy for

I'm I'm nodding like a good man. I'm not even on camera and I keep thinking, oh God, they can't see me. I'm nodding it. yeah, go on. And Karen, interesting. The

go on. I don't wanna get too into it because the impressions are a bit making life more interesting.

There's a lot of, uh, tedium in your younger years. Loneliness, tedium, isolation. Yeah. Bleak, um, nothing happening. And literally the way that you've got out of situations is to, um, make them, you know, like make your, your imagination and your voice. And, and what could be of.

does that make hundred percent hundred? Yes.

Lynn that's ding, ding, ding, ding. Yeah. A hundred percent. A hundred percent. Yes. Yeah. It's but it was a way out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It was, it was fantasy world, you know? Sorry on

no, no, I won't. I'm actually interested in you. you're the guest like that's.

There you go. You have to tell me that. Isn't it funny?

Uh, it it's extraordinary that it's so true. And, uh, you know, that was probably why. And I found that I could do different voices, so it was like way, you know? And so it was, uh, just a way of, uh, yeah. Tedium. Use that word tedium. Yeah. Ooh, isolation. Yeah, definitely.

There's not, were you, that's a personal question.

So you can tell me to f*ck off if you want to, but were you like an out, I wouldn't do that. You candle, you know, you could, I love you. You, we do it often in the show.

Yeah. Tell me a show. It's the only way that they could give it his shot. Right? I wanna say f*ck off well done, right? I don't say f*ck off. Michael Kane.

You never hear him. Say f*ck off, f*ck off you c**t. That doesn't happen. Doesn't happen. You are f**king sh*t c**t. Lynn, carry on. I just to hear Michael Kane do it. I like that. But then, so, um, with your, when you were young, did you feel like, was there anywhere that you belong. Because there's not a sense of like, you're the, it's interesting that we started talking about an alien and because actually a lot of your sound is that you're like a little alien that where you came from was really not like, there's a thing where you go, I don't really belong here.

Yeah. Within narrative, there's a thing of going, if I use these voices, I can fit into these different situations that make things totally tolerable and interesting. But overall, the only way to survive this is to not really bother with being me. But to be the game. Yeah. Does that make

sense? Yeah, yeah, yeah, it does.

And then I picked up a drink

yeah, that'll be a good idea. Um, yeah, of course you can see it all. It's so common. Uh, yeah, needing. So I, I know what it is now I'm onto it. I'm onto it. I know what it is. It's it's that, that old, old friend of ours, the ego, that silly little constructed load of bollocks, but, but actually, you know, it sucks you in doesn't it and, and, and you believe it and all that, and it separates you and it's ridiculous, cuz we're not separate at all.

We're all, you know, it's all one. Yeah. I, I used to think that obviously, but not anymore. I kind of see it now more, you know, I see it for what it is, you know? Well,

I wanted to say to you, there was everybody sound is interesting and I do believe beautiful. And that with narrative it's not about good or bad, it's clear or unclear and like in the same way that everybody has their own, uh, sort of, it's funny, cuz we talk about people being different according to what their face is, but not really to what their sound is or what their experience is or what their perspective is.

All that, isn't

it? Yes. Whereas your perspective. I think, I think about how, cuz if I'm honest, what I, I hear, uh, what's in your read is about how frankly f**king bleak things were when you were younger and how you chose to make it better. And I think that, that we have a thing with, um, staff where we look at ourselves in life and go, I wish I hadn't done that interesting, but I think about how many people you've entertained or made laugh or, uh, allowed them think in different ways.

And I'm like, that's kind of brilliant taking something bleak and making it beautiful.

just see it. Oh, Lynn. Oh my God. That's so lovely. I I'm, uh, that's such a beautiful thing to say. Um, and, and that is the most wonderful thing when anyone actually ever said, and they, and it does happen from time to time.

I've had people actually say the sentence. Thank you for making me laugh. I've actually heard that. And, and I, it blows me. Oh, really? Oh, thank you. no, it's true. It blows me away and that's a beautiful take on it, Lynn there that you've just, um, yeah, that you've just given actually, um, not far off, not far off.

I.

You've definitely made me laugh over the years. You know, I'm a, I'm a big, uh, Gilbert fan, but I'm also a stellar street fan film.

My favorite, my favorite, I wasn't that a great bit of work. Oh, I'm so proud of that. I just don't mean that from a trumpet blind point of view, I just mean it was a great bit of work.

It's B it's really British. It's great stuff. I love it. It's great little world. It could

stand test of time as well. Cause it's now like a cult. It does cult show. It does, you know, it does amazing. So I used to love at you doing the beat. The Beatles used to make me laugh. That was, that was

always.

Oh, John and I, we, we, it was such a thrill doing that cause we loved the Beatles of course.

And all the people we did, we actually loved mostly. So it was a sort of homage thing, but, but doing the Beatles, we were so chuff at, oh, look at us. We're dressed in Sergeant peppers, getting there filming is doing it there. And it's great. And um, yeah, it was fun. The whole idea of it was utterly ridiculous, but actually it, as you say, it stands up today.

It's a lovely bit of work. I, I remember there was one

moment where you did the, the Beatles thing where you had the, um, you did a thing on the Maharaji where it was at the mystic of the east. And she goes man, manna park, manna, forest gate

like that in stone. Yeah, man park. Yeah. Men are apart like, yes. Yeah.

I like, you know, I was just doing John, you know, and just, you know, I just love, I just love doing John. Yeah. You know, John's the one, you know, really. Yeah. That's, you're so f**king mystical. You tell me they said that to the Mahara mystical, mystical. The, my, he said, why are you leaving, John? Why are you leaving? You’re so f**king mystical.

You tell me I love it. Yes. But the George was much more serious about it, you know? And I love the way George talks about the Beatles, you know, we were in the eye of the hurricane and it was so, yeah, lovely that story. The whole story of them anyway. Yeah. We're digressing, but,

uh, no, you're not digressing because you have prayed us laugh.

You have made us laugh and I've gotta jump in there cuz I mean, we work together over the years and I'm not just blowing smoke up your ass, but stellar street, Mick and Keith's corner shop was f**king genius.

is I know, but what an idea. No seriously,

Chesney43:58

just to lift idea alone. Yeah.

You know, I just love the, you know, the little, um, the little thing in the corner shop, they have to stand on to get up to the , let make, get up to the top.

It was stern and the shreds had fall down. It was extraordinary. Wasn't it? I have to credit Peter Richardson a course for, for getting us together to come up with he's comic strip. He was so genius. Yeah. Yes, he was, and it was his, his, his, his bit of a genius in a way he just thought, okay, we'll get those two together and see what they come up with.

And he did cause he worked with both of us independently and it, and then I never would've thought of it. And John wouldn't have come to me and gone, oh, let's do Steller street. You know, so Pete initiated it all and it, and it just had had this and it ran, you know, and it, and it was extraordinary. It's brilliant actually, you know, get it on from the first place, but it was just a cult.

It wasn't a mainstream thing, but people speak fondly of it. They do. And I think a lot people, those that know it. Yeah. Those that know it and people in the industry as well, like comedians is honestly, I think that it, you know, it's actually quite influential. You know,

I would, perhaps it was, I mean, that's what I mean if I didn't do anything, I think, well, I did.

That was great. That was great being in that. And that's what life is, isn't it a series of? Um, well, it's one long experience, actually. It's not different experiences, but it's the sort seems like it's broken up, but, um, but it having done something like that, it's like, oh, that's great. You know, like I said earlier on I'd, I'd have taken all that at the beginning.

You know, when I started out, if you'd have told me you're gonna do all that, I'd have taken that. Thank you very much. You know, whatever, you know, it's um, yeah. Yeah.

Did it start with the, the, the David Bowie? Where's my sausages. Is that, where is that? Where it all started?

oh my oh, Bowie. Oh God. Bowie's so poignant.

I love, I love it. Of course he's passed as well. And he's he's out there now. And he watching hopefully he is listening. There's a, I'm glad somebody is. Maybe he's our one listener.

I like it. Right. I don't have to worry about things anymore. Oh, that's right. It's very quiet anyway. Um, no, but, but doing that, he like, see, that was the thing I got reported back.

The fact that he actually loved it. He loved, he did, to me meant it's a lot. Yeah. He found it hilarious. Um, just the way I did him and, and he did, he actually did me doing impression of him which was very funny. I, I didn't meet him. Uh that's great. He did one of the lines from Stellar street, uh, which was great.

And I thought, you know, again, it was homage, but doing Bowie, that was, that was a great one to do at the time. Then, you know, just to come out with that one, cuz not a lot of people were doing Bowie. So I did it. I did it. I got, but was thatimpression, was that befores Stellar street though? You did that cause that before

Saturday live Saturday, Saturday live.

Oh my God. I was actually remember watching live doing that. And then singing that song. Where's my sausages and all that, which I write, they're not where I put the Hester, Jay. I like cheesy footballs but I think that

was what did, because the reason I asked that question is that where it started is because that was all before to the street and it was Chesney and it was all about, and, and the, and it was similar because it was, you know, you got these like incredible.

Extraordinary characters, famous characters in kind of everyday situations, which I think is why Stella street work. But that's exactly what that is. Isn't it? It's like David Bowie singing about his sausages, you know, it's brilliant. Yeah. Yeah. It, it had a life of its own, uh, you know, and, and the way it sort of developed it, it literally started with the idea of Mick and Keith running a corner shop as a sort of sketch really sort of thing.

And then it grew from there, you know, with a street, a shops, the shops in the street and all these sort of famous people live in this street, which is in Serviton, but it's nice actually in, in, uh, where was it now? Anyway, never mind. But, um, but, but it, it grew and, and, and as you say, it was just odd, wasn't it?

And, and it, and, uh, but it worked, it worked, it was nothing else quite like it at the time.

No, it was, it was definitely unique. it still is. It is. Yes. You could say.

Because, you know, Phil was never gonna shut up. So, I mean, you know, glad we, I know mate.

I'm so sorry. Mind you an audio show? Hang on. It's an audio show. Hang on. You want words? Guest?

You are technic the guest, right? You're the

interesting one. Yeah. Right. It's funny. You have to keep reminding me Lynn, that it's alright for me to speak.

I love that.

It's great Chesney.

Yes. It's my turn now it's me, me, me, me. I am the singer. me, me, me. It's all about

me. I am the singer.

Uh, so every week we have wonderful guests, that's you? And, um, as well as giving us their quote, they also, um, give us a song that has some kind of emotional connection for them. Happy, sad, whatever.

Um, so you have chosen. I'm gonna let you, um, tell, tell us what you've chosen. Tell us the song.

Um, it's the, track's called modern music, um, by a band called Bebop Deluxe. Oh, well, um, people won't know who they are now. I don't think, but, uh, they were quite, they were big in the S big in the seventies and, uh, and they did several albums and, and, um, yeah, this particular album anyway, modern music.

I dunno. I just, I got quite obsessed with them, which I always got obsessed with things. Obviously I Don I'd never do things by halves of course. And, uh, and I used to just. Yeah. I used to just listen to it all the time. And it was a certain period where I listened to it all the time. It's very, it's a, it's quite beautiful.

Actually. It's quite be bill Nelson's the lead, the lead guy of, of Bebop. He was, he's the sort of, you know, guitar virtuoso, so if that's the right thing to say, so he is guitar, his guitar used to sing, you know, basically, but

yeah, he was a bit of a guitar hero and I I've, I actually that re research on him and uh, you know, there are a lot of, you know, people that have come after who, who quote him just as one of the greatest guitarists, um, you know, ever.

So yes, yes. Che I, I think so. And he wasn't mainstream. It wasn't, he wasn't massive. No, but, but they did have success. It was that a reasonably successful period and it, it was this very gentle sort of Yorkshireman bill Nelson, but his guitar, he used to make it sing, you know? Yeah. And there was something sort.

Beautiful beautiful about, and the production was very good as well on it. So anyway, it just struck me. That's all, it just struck me and struck a chord with me. Yes. The Bebo music,

you know? So it was a period in your life that just, uh, that, that, where that music, that particular song kind of, you know, takes you back to that moment.

Very

much so late 78 or something like that. Um, yeah. Yeah. And I'd sit for hours. Listen. Well, I have recreated

that song for you in my studio. So I

was, I was Chesney, Chesney. I thought I can't give him that one. How can I no, give Che that one. He's gonna go believe me, I vote worse. Why am I supposed to do I bet you have?

And I thought, I also thought that I also thought that as well, so,

right. So Toyah Wilcox gave me, uh, a Human Behavior by Bjork. So

how that, what am I supposed to do with that Toya Donald Dole? So I, so yeah, through the, this journey of they're doing this podcast, I've had to recreate all of these, uh, you know, people's favorite songs and, and I've tried to make it very, very simple acoustic, just one instrument and a vocal.

So, um, so I have done this for you. Here we go. Phil

Cornwell, just for you. Here is Chesney Hawkes, performing modern music.

Modern music.

Another station,

another

show

when you are lonely and

when still gets as begin

play,

please don't let them

steal heart.

Hear

the rhythm rain begin shining broadcast.

When you receive these programs deep,

the Moonies melting in the ING sky. I hear the flame sing, but I don't know.

I hope that only shadow or see me cry. I

feel I can fall.

Music is calling me

the.

Just for you, Phil Cornwell. There you go. Are your present to you? Chesney Hawk performing all the music. Well done, Ches.

that, that Chesney. That was beautiful. Chesney's superb mate. Absolutely superb. Well done mate. Thank you mate. Ly. So beautiful. Absolutely look, mate. Did, did you know it? You didn't know it?

No.

Never heard. It was. And why would you, why would you yes, slightly before my time, I guess. Um, yeah, course. Cause they were like kind of mid, mid to late seventies, I guess. Yeah. That was the peak. Yeah. Yeah. So I would've been a bit young for that, but yeah, but I mean, it was nice. That's one, one of the great things about doing this show is like, you know, some, sometimes I haven't heard these songs and I get to kind of, you know, experience and, uh, delve into these artists that I might not have even found.

You know, it was really good mate, if you didn't even know, I mean, but that's your gig. That's what you do. But I, I just think it was, uh, yeah, it was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I love it. Did this one. Totally.

What does, what does it mean to you, Phil? That song? What does it mean? I know you hate talking about yourself, but try

right.

I love talking about me. You do

not. You totally do not. You'll get me

voice in the world. You've got my number I do got, she's got mine. She's got mine number. No. Um, I, I, um, it, it meant a lot to me. It was a, um, I, I just thought it was something beautiful about bill Nelson, you know, and, and, and that sound, and it just really captured me, I suppose.

It took me away. As you say, from the tedium mm-hmm , uh, it was escape, escape, like music is isn't it. And, uh, and, um, it was a period of, uh, what was I doing? Oh, it was off midnight a lot at the time, I think right. And, uh, that, that was great to listen to, you know? Yeah. Are you a sober man now? I have been, I have been sober for 26 years.

Well, one day at a time, one day at a time, of course, God bless you. So, and one of them as, as you may or may not know, I'm sure people will hear, I dunno, uh, what a journey it is. You know, it is an interest Mr. Toad's wild ride, as I heard, right? Yes. Without the anesthetic, you know, doing life fancy. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I absolutely love it. It's challenging, but I love it. I love it. I do, but, uh, yes, yes, yes. Uh, you're you're absolutely right in my house. It wasn't encouraged to have feelings and, uh, you know, I it's there's no, there was no alchies in my house, anything like that. I can't claim that it wa it wasn't like that, but there was a, there was a great, there was a sort of a sadness there and, and I sort of tapped into that and I've always hated, oh, anything sad?

Oh God, no. Don't have feelings run away. Of course. I'll make people laugh. Yeah. I want, I don't want people to have feelings, but I just want 'em to laugh, go laugh, go and laugh. Don't don't be sad. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, but

there's also a, a thing about, um, I mean, that, I think that's a really, really brilliant quality in you.

Yeah. Really do. And I think that you

would probably, oh, I can't knock it, Lynn. I should, but

I think you would probably have had it anyway. That's what I think, you know, like we talked earlier on about like, Uh, was, I was dead before I came here. Right. This thing of coming into the world, I actually do think that you didn't need a bleak childhood to make, to want you to make other people laugh.

I think that, um, I see in your sound, what is in it is about the isolation of your childhood that, uh, yeah, that was, but, but

you know, um, self-imposed, self-imposed bollocks little mean bollocks

looks just, I'm calling bollocks another time when we're not online and I'm not like taken up all the airspace with my opinions, but bollocks looks it wasn't

selfimposed watch that load of our old bollocks.

Well, I've got a part to play. Yes, you do read, but no, that's beautiful. Lynn, that's beautiful for saying that. Uh, it's bit lovely, sort of absolutely. Absolutely lovely. You've done a lot of good for people, Phil Cornwell. That's a thing to remember, especially. And the key. Well, can I, no, you talk, you're allowed to talk.

Yeah, man. I, yeah, no, I was gonna say, uh, and I, like, I was gonna say, I mean, when I say it's game, it doesn't mean it's like, you know, necessarily take it, like honor it, honor it and honor it. And, uh, that's the that's the key is to honor it, respect it, respect other people's desire to take it seriously.

Obviously all of that as I do all the time. and then I remember, oh, hang on, I'm taking it a bit seriously here. uh, because I know what comes at the end, you know, so, so, um, but it's all part of the experience. Isn't, it's part of the drama, this thing we do here. So it's all part of it, really all that, the thrill of it.

Oh, you know, all the fear and all the who. Yeah. And the joy and the sadness and everything. It's all part of the one, the thing, the experience. Yeah. They call it. We're doing, I call it

existence. I've heard someone call it the dash. You know, it's like the. You know, on the, on the, on the, uh, gravestone where you've got pure lies and you've got the, you know, the date they were born and the date they were, they died.

And there's the dash in between. That's the life.

Oh, that's great. I like that. I like that. It's the dash and it is, it is. And it's an extraordinary experience. It's extraordinary. I'm certainly not knocking it. I don't wanna hurry the departure from it. but it will happen. It will come. And I've got my turn.

My turn's coming. I can have a good old

kick. Hey, can I ask one question? I want one question. I know we should finish, but I'm, I'm really intrigued in asking. Um, and I don't know whether you'll answer cause you're such a cause you're like, oh, smoke and mirrors.

It's all smoke and mirrors. Anyway, the whole thing

the world is, you know, it is like you are, it is knowing who you are now, right?

Like what you've journeyed through now, including sobriety and, and like this whole period of being lost and not fitting in. Right. What would you say? Cuz a, a lot of people in the world because of what's happened in the world are in that place of bleakness and isolation and not saying their feelings and, um, feeling disassociated from the world like you were when you were young.

Any advice it's lighthearted. Mm. You could have Gilbert tell . What can I say is everybody's got, got their, and people are going through dreadful privations and genuine suffering and, you know, suffering from external factors. I'm talking about, uh, uh, here, you know, not just internal, internally suffering, which is nine 90% of my suffering's caused by thought, you know, and that's all it is.

And what is the thought? It's nothing, but, um, just, uh, you know, I'd say, keep, keep going until your number comes up. keep going. I keep on that. I, that Sage that's. So Sage, Sage, no, I dunno. What would you say, li what would you say? I

think keep going until your number comes up is pretty good, I have to say.

How amazing to have come here at all. What are the odd on that? Not, not everyone's born, you know? No, not everybody. Right. Oh, it's great. I thoroughly enjoy enjoyed this, you know? Um, it's been a wonderful experience. We adore you

so corn we've loved having you.

I, I can feel, listen. I can feel it. And I find it really touching.

Actually I do. I do. Oh, good. I find it touching cuz it was it's quite altruistic and I can sense. It's not a load of bullshit. I can feel it. We love you. Ah, absolutely

NOT FROM YOU LYNN. 

Not from me. 

I hope not from me. How's that? How's that brother is that? 

He's good. He he's doing good. Yeah. He's good. Everybody's good. We're

good. Oh, thank God. Great. That's good. Love 

and my brother's doing really well as well. In case you were 

Neil doesn't have a brother, so you're not allowed to ask about brothers Neil doesn't well, he didn't 

Now see he, he lasted for three weeks. So that was his span. Who three weeks he had, who, who your, my brother, I had a brother before I came along. He had a three week span and, and went, so he and died at 28 days or wherever it was. Oh, wow. His dash wasn't very long. So that is the sadness. My friend. Yes, there it is.

Yes.

And also what I'll tell you is the its in the house.

Yeah. Yes. Sadness in the house. That's right. And the desire to be somebody else. This thing about, I can be whoever you need me to be is from makeup.

Well, I was what I make up who wasn't here. I've looked at all this stuff. I've, you know? Yes, it does make sense, but you know, Hey, we've all got a, we've all got a story in we and it's, it's great.

We all do.

And you know what I do, why I think it's awesome to share it, even though you're reluctant to, because you think you're not that interesting when you are. Um, the matter, no, but you'd think that what you can do is interesting, but not what you are is interesting, which is a different thing. But the reason I think that yeah, it's worth sharing it.

Yeah. Is because everybody's in a narrative and they don't know who. We don't know who the best help comes from narrative, the narrative, the narrative, the narrative, that's it. We all have a story story. We to, we cling to that's me. It's me. It's my identity. Don't take it away. Ah, but it's all right. It's all right.

To let go. It's all.

You can let, go with a, an idea. You're not that interesting my friend. Like where that one

yeah. Oh, oh, I've been really, oh, well said look. Oh Neil. Thank you, mate. Thank you. You're very welcome. Thank you mate. You're marvelous. Chesney. Thank you very much.

My marvelous. Am I marvelous? Am I marvelous?

My marvelous. You you're beyond that.

I Marvel the side. That's horrible. Lynn. It's so lovely to see you. I know you can't see me, but you can hear me. Yeah. But, um, lots of love to you, man, darling. Lots of, they love my family. A very own little alien for this show. Phil Cornwell. Thank you so much, Phil. Thank you very

much. Thank you, Phil. Thank you for having me.

It's been great. Wonderful. Bless you.

What a lovely chat with Phil, right? How lovely was that amazing?

I was so glad that he said at the end, cuz the horrible thing with doing a read is you hear things that you're not sure. In fact, I might have to change the exercise into making it something else. Right?

Cause you hear things where you're like, uh, shit, man. That's a really terrible thing. But it's not my place to say that happened to someone who's just come on to talk about lovely things to go where the big, bad thing, what was the catastrophe that you couldn't help? Right. What was the isolation? And then when he just dropped it at the end, at the end there, bless you, my friend.

Yeah. Isn't it interesting. The man that's made, he doesn't know how much he's made us laugh. I don't think, well, he's gotta take it on. The thing about. Incredible depth of, of what he's done over the years. Yeah. And we didn't even touch on like Dr. Who? No, you know, he did the Allen Partridge. Yeah. And the Gorillaz, the voice gorillas and voice in the Gorillaz for wouldn't even touch on any of that.

But he's, he's a legend. He's our total legend. He's just lovely. And what a lovely man's lovely man, and kind and remembers you and all that stuff. He's just, yeah, really a warm, I got a lot of warmth from him. For somebody that has so many different people has the ability to be so many different people. He actually, when you know him, is only ever really one.

He's like a total genuine guy, you know, he really is. He's like a real sweetheart. Oh, I like that. Well done Neil for booking that one. Yeah. Yeah. Look at you. You're covered under the stairs. I told you I've moved house now. It's no longer covered. It's huge. No, that's spoil the illusion. Neil. You're in a cupboard and that's that?

Yeah, it's huge by that. It means you can get a chair in there. You got a chair in there now instead of just a bit of sad cloth stool, stool, little toast,

kinda a back. So you can turn around for all the things to be done. Yeah, it was, um, he was wonderful. Wasn't he? He really, he enjoyed that. He' wonderful.

I just think he's a good guy and I, what I like about what his suggestion is as well about it's all a game, is that, um, there there's, I think it's the stoics that talk about, it's not the wound. It's the irritation around the wound. right. It's not-. Oh that’s interesting. It's not the issue. It's the, when you fight the issue, right.

Mm-hmm, , you're talking about the stoic people. Is that what you mean? Stoic, stoic, stoic attitude, right? Um, I don't, I think it, probably some Roman said it right. I like this idea that cause the idea that it's not the wound, that's the irritation around the wound. That if you think in life that, uh, even certainly in my, in my head, what I think about is if I get to a place where I go, I can't pay a bill.

Can't pay that bill. Right. That's just the fact that's, that's the wound, but, uh, I can get into this thing going, but why can't I pay the bill? What was it in me that I didn't work hard enough? Why didn't, uh, what is it that means that I can't do stuff. Why can other people do it? And I can't. Yeah. I'm not good enough.

What's my right. All that. That's all just the irritation around the fact. Right? Mm-hmm whereas like the wound is I can't pay the bill. Okay. One of, okay, what am I gonna. mm-hmm right. Just how do I heal this situation?

So you go straight to the solution rather than worry about the crazy stuff that's going on around in our heads.

Yeah. Rather than bringing up all this shite about why, like it literally, I think what people do is they hit a point of weakness or vulnerability, and then rather than going, whoa, this is a bit difficult. Uh, I must look after myself. They give themselves a really good kicking. This is my fault. I bring this on me.

I do this stuff. Yeah. It's such a crazy thing that we do to ourselves. Isn't it? I mean, how, how ridiculous is it that we do that without realizing we just like give ourselves a good kick in for no real reason. When, when really all you need to do is look, look for clear clarity and solution.

You know, I think people, we are taught as people to give ourselves a good kick in aren't we that's, because that's what parents did and that's oh God, the way society runs.

Totally. But like, even if you can get to a place where you go shit, I'm in trouble right now, maybe I'll save my good kicking until I'm not in trouble. Maybe this thing that I'm about to give myself any trouble for I'll wait until I'm in firmer ground. And right now, while I'm in trouble, I'll kind of try and be my own ally.

I think the trouble is that most people don't realize what they're doing to themselves. Well, don't cause you've got story, not aware because the story is in the head and it keeps going and it keeps going and it keeps going and it keeps going and it keeps going and you just, there's no escape for them because they just can't see what they're doing.

Is there any benefit from it

or from the story or from change? Well from how giving yourself from having that default of giving oneself, the kick in all the time. And

I think we believe that we're being responsible. I think that's what it is that we believe that that's what other people need us to do. I mean, I can get into a whole load of that's an entire other episode.

Yeah. I'm looking at the clock and on that bombshell on that bombshell,

well, oh,

I was Ferguson. Was I still am Ferguson. I was Harrington and still am Harrington 

And I was Hawkes. And still am Hawkes. 

We’ll see you next time? 

No we’ll see you next time. Listener. 

We'll see you next time. Yeah, mom, 

listener. Yeah,

You've been listening to Ferguson Harrington Hawkes with Lynn Ferguson, Neil Harrington and Chesney Hawkes. Whitland produced for source productions by surprise, surprise Lynn Ferguson, Neil Harrington and Chesney Hawkes.