Safety Last Productions

As 2018 draws to a close, here's a quick look back at the year that was. 

Like most years, when you sit back during those strange, long-weekend-like days between Xmas and New Year, it’s hard to remember what was…

It's almost Xmas. I'm exhausted. My defences and usual cynicism have been gently eroded over an intensive month. I've been holed up, writing until my fingers bleed. On the few occasions I have ventured out into the real world, my…

When I was in my final year at university, my friend Tom and I had a simple plan for the future: Move to New York. 

This was back in 1998 and when the internet still hadn’t really come…

In the early 2000's I went to see the brilliant, pranksterfly rap artist Chilly Gonzales at the Scala in King's Cross, London. One of the best live acts I've ever seen, here was a Jewish Canadian rapper who lived in Paris…

Just a quick one to say that I am on my way to New York to attend the Nordic International Film Festival (NIFF) where we'll show a few scenes from the film, which is now called 'Big in Sweden'…

I need to start this blog post with a warning and a caveat. 

First the warning: This is about Linköping’s cultural life, so perhaps appeals to a very small group of readers. If you have any sense and…

Woody Allen famously said that 80% of success is showing up. And he was absolutely right, as I almost found out thanks to a very close shave. 

A couple of weeks ago, I had a twelve minute meeting…

Henrik Källman and I are on tour. Very possibly the world’s most ill conceived idea in the history of tours, but nonetheless, we are on tour, so suck it up! And it all kicked off on Friday. 

The…

Do you do sport? Sport, we are told, is good for you. If you do do sport, good for you.  

Sport is great. There's the getting sweaty and the bonding with other sweaty people. There’s the balls and the…

In a few weeks, it’s election time in Sweden. What I have learnt over the years is that local politicians don’t really do a lot. There’s a lot of scratching of balls and drinking of coffee, with the occasional clipping…

As the title to this blog post suggests, I did a gig last night in a cellar in Norrköping and it was sweaty.

Not much more needs to be said. Nothing beats stand up in a sweaty cellar. 

Thank you…

When I was about sixteen, my mum bought me a copy of a book called 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To Europe'.

I wasn't sure if giving it to me was a subversive act by my mum, a gentle nudge towards a…

I wanted to write a few words about Mr Cool-gate and what it means for Linköping. Within the context of Linköping's desire to be the third biggest event city in Sweden, I think it may be significant. I know that…

In the past, I may have inadvertently ejaculated barbed comments to the effect that you never get anything from Linköpings Kommun. I take it all back. I retract all previous allegations. Last Wednesday, on Sweden's national day, Linköping Kommun…

This time last week, I was wandering the streets of Tiszafüred, Hungary, trying to find some small remnant of my life there as a twenty year old back in the early nineties. Perhaps I had expected too much, but…

It's almost fifteen years since I was last in Hungary. And about twenty- five since the small town of Tiszafüred was the place I called home. Back then it was like the Wild West, a step back in time, there…

There’s a lot of north in Sweden. In fact, it’s mostly north. Just take a look at a map. When you think there can’t possibly be any more north there’s a whole load more north even further…

The excitement is starting to build. It’s almost time to hit the road and start filming phase two of a project that first saw the light of day just over a year ago. Yes! This time next week, I’ll…

If the Swedish world of stand up has a spiritual centre, around which it revolves, it is Södermalm. On the Facebook group for stand up comedians, whenever a new club opens up, the question is never 'Where in Sweden?'…

There is no delicate way to put this, but right now, at this very moment, there are farming folk, yokels, honest toilers of the land, who are getting off on a film to which I have lent my voice.

…

Friday was largely dedicated to spitting out the words ‘Linköping Bloody Kommun’ through gritted teeth. 

For accuracy, I should say that this wasn’t just an average day to day ‘Linköping Bloody Kommun’ swearathon - When you live…

Over the last few weeks, I've started to come to terms with the great blog conundrum: The more you do that is worthy of writing in said blog, the less likely you are to find the time to sit…

On Saturday night, I was back at The Crypt to do a short set as part of my friend Gustav's birthday celebrations. The Crypt has the potential to be one of the nicest venues in Linköping, if it weren't…

I haven't written a blog post for a couple of weeks. I apologise. I was busy. Then I was ill. Then I was busy and ill. Traditionally, it's February where everyone gets ill. But this year, February was a…