May 22, 2019
So here we are. The end of the
line. As a wise man once said "That's the gig. Part of the journey
is the end"
I have tried multiple times to
write this eulogy to the last decade and every time it feels like
I've come up short. Either being too verbose thanking every single
person by name, or being too brief and flippant giving a send off
akin to "so long and thanks for all the fish" so I'm just going to
go for it and let the chips fall where they may.
The Black Dog podcast has been a
part of my life almost constantly for ten years and it still amazes
me that something that started off as a way to reconnect with a
friend and deal with my depressive moods evolved into a global
community of friends (and that poor sod in North Korea - God speed
my friend) most of whom I would most likely never have had the
honour of meeting and calling friend, without this nonsense we did
every Tuesday just to make ourselves laugh. And this is never
better illustrated than in my co-hosts, Jim
and Elton
two brilliant, funny, interesting
and charming guys I didn't even know existed back in 2009 and who
it is now my privilege to count amongst some of my closest friends
thanks to this podcast.
One of the joys of this cast was
that it was always evolving, changing and many times in ways we
couldn't have even imagined when Darren and I started back in 2009.
This is in no small part due to the feedbackers and Blackdoggers
here on the facebook group; From the early days of
Brad
Thornton's Aliens
musical number, Jamie and the Magic Torch intro and recording at
one of the earliest shindigs of everyone there to make a version of
Lou Reeds Perfect Day, through to Sean Mac An
Ghabhan and
Melissa
McGowan's version of
Suddenly Seymour on the Little Shop of Horrors episode and of
course the epic Danny
Davies intro to the
Blair Witch episode which features at the start of Episode 400.
Everyone's creativity outside of the cast has always been
astounding, humbling and a joy to receive.
But it wasn't all musical
numbers. Feedbackers contributed with interesting, witty and down
right bizarre feedbacks and it all contributed to the one thing I
will cherish about the cast, its community feeling. From the sweary
missives of the Profannobard Scott Mathieson and the eyewateringly funny comments from "Yogi"
David Lefebvre
Sell (his feedback
on Adam Sandlers Jack and Jill still lingers in the mind to this
day) to the crazy random apps and film finding skills of the
shitfinder general Chris
Johnson. The
brilliantly weird, charming and utterly bonkers feedbacks from "The
Bellystapler" Michael Kent Cornett
and his martian miscreant partner
in feedback Voldar T. Martian to the slew of shitty superheroes supplied by the
Fiendish Dr Will Catlin-Hallett
and Otterpunching fist of
rightous justice of Jack P. Starro, our community always felt unique, diverse and
fun.
And if I am going to name check
and give a potted history then I cannot ignore the contribution of
the Geekplanet Online community which in 2010 pulled the cast out
of the shit when podcast host Mevio decided to start charging huge
amounts of cash to host and wanted full control of any content we
made.
Geekplanet was there and got us
out of the shit to put it bluntly and I will always be grateful
to Dave
Probert,
Gillian
Coyle and Matt
Dillon for that opportunity that undoubtedly saved the cast from
withering on the vine after only 10 months. I will always be
grateful for Geekplanet for new friendships and relationships that
continue to this day with brilliant, creative people like
Martin
Thompson, Reverend
Peter Organ, Anne-Marie Organ, Leslie Byron Pitt, Iain Boulton, David Jackola, Brandi Jackola and Wayne Talbot. Even after the site itself passed beyond the veil
its influence lives on.
There are tonnes of people I could
continue to thank by name but this post would simply become a roll
call of the Facebook members list and reduce individual
contributions over the years to a check list. But before I wrap up
I would like to thank all the guest co-hosts wherever they may be
now (not every relationship ends on a happy note) the filth master
of the inappropriate Danny
Graydon, James
"Foxy" Fox the only man to co-host from a toilet while taking a
piss and talking about Man of Steel, Badger
Spry ardent defender
of Armageddon and the man responsible for the apocalypse now style
descent into madness that was the Twilight trilogy rewatch
with Laura Fox
and a large bottle of
tequila, Andy
Poulastides our war
film correspondent, Kubrick aficionado Trek geek and Sean Connery
impersonator and finally Herc a friend lost and lamented but never
forgotten.
And although she was never a host
I need to thank "Lucky Minty" Sarah
Lazell for her
continued moral support coffee fuelled lunchtimes, especially as
the end of the cast drew closer and resolve wavered.
Finally I have two more people to
thank who have more than anyone else made the cast what it
was.
Carol
Medcalf - My
wonderful wife. Supportive, encouraging and understanding (very
understanding given how impossible it was for her to get some kip
when we were laughing up a storm or recording a Darron Diamond
intro downstairs at 2am). You never judged, you never discouraged
and you helped me push on when I felt lost and indulged me when any
other sensible partner would have quite reasonably questioned why I
was abandoning my family to go get drunk and watch sparkly vampire
films in Bristol for a weekend, or organising a pub meet for 80
strangers on our wedding anniversary.
Darren
Barnard my friend
of more years than I care to count, hilarious, witty, mad, geeky
and a sickeningly talented singer. You're a narcoleptic lunatic but
there is never a day goes by that I regret you nicking my 2000AD
comics in Mallory school library in 1982. Without you mate, this
cast simply would not have happened or lasted as long as it did and
I will always be grateful for this, your support and your
continuing friendship.
So that's all folks. The Black Dog
is at an end... I'm sure there is a good end line to play out on
but I think I'll just stop here.