20+ years of writing — the best blogs, essays and rants from billywatson.tv.

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Gig reviews, concert write-ups and live music adventures from across the decades.

Browse Concerts Hub

Every Edinburgh Fringe run from 2009 to 2021 — the shows, the stories, the chaos.

Browse Edinburgh Festival Hub

Every interview Billy has done — artists, performers and interesting people he’s tracked down.

Browse Interviews Hub

Books, playlists and audio — everything you can read and listen to from Billy Watson.

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The full Nob Stewart saga — the spoof rock star alter ego that took on a life of its own.

Browse Nob Stewart Hub

All of Billy’s live gigs, stand-up shows and stage performances in one place.

Browse Performing Hub

Billy’s adventures living and working in Turkey — stories, videos and dispatches from abroad.

Browse Turkey Hub

Billy’s writing content that is in his books — watch multiple versions of each piece.

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Browse Writing Hub

I’ve been doing stand-up comedy since 2000, mostly as characters who have no business being on a stage. Here’s where to start.

The Great White Shaft — My very first comedy character. A 70s suit, a blue afro wig, one amazing gig followed immediately by the worst bomb of my life. I still can’t watch the video.

Internet Wanking — The material that got me permanently banned from The Stand Comedy Club. Make of that what you will.

The Grand Gong Show — The full story of a dispute with a comedy promoter that escalated beyond all reason. It’s long. It’s worth it.

Cockgate — What happened when I got involved with Kunt and the Gang at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe. Involves Bob Slayer, Frank Sanazi, and a sequence of events I probably shouldn’t summarise here.

Funny Cunt — A poem about trying to make it in stand-up when your brain either floods with jokes or goes completely dry. Written in Scottish.

Christmas — My routine about why the festive season makes me want to crawl under the duvet and not come out until February.

Browse the full Gigs archive here: Gigs

I’ve reviewed over 160 concerts since 2018, mostly in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Photos, stories, and honest write-ups. Here are the highlights.

Bruce Springsteen — Stadium of Light — The Boss. Three hours. Every penny worth it.

PJ Harvey — Glasgow — One of the greatest live performers I’ve ever seen.

The Flaming Lips — Edinburgh — Absolute chaos in the best way. I’ve seen them twice and both times were unforgettable.

Van Morrison — Usher Hall — I’ve reviewed multiple Van Morrison gigs across Scotland, Belfast, and beyond. The man delivers every time.

Mark Knopfler — A Dire Straits fan since forever. This one meant a lot.

Mogwai — Barrowlands — Scottish legends on their home turf.

My Bloody Valentine — OVO Hydro — Bring earplugs. Seriously.

Primal Scream — Glasgow Barrowlands — Barrowlands on a good night is the best venue in Scotland. This was a good night.

Slowdive — Glasgow Barrowland — Shoegaze perfection.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor — Glasgow Barrowland — Not for everyone. Absolutely for me.

Browse the full archive of 160+ concert reviews here: Concerts

I’ve done over 160 interviews. Comedians, musicians, authors, researchers, activists, and people with stories that needed telling. Here are ten good starting points.

Tom Stade — Canadian comedian who came to the UK on Craig Campbell’s advice and never left. A great talker.

Craig Campbell — One of the funniest men on the circuit. We’ve spoken multiple times.

Steve Hughes — Australian comedian with a cult following and zero interest in being polite about anything.

Paul Daniels — Yes, that Paul Daniels. Magician, TV legend, and surprisingly candid in conversation.

David Icke — The interview I’d wanted to do for 25 years, ever since watching Turning of the Tide.

Chris Thrall — Ex-Royal Marine, bestselling author, brilliant storyteller. His podcast is massive and he’s been on mine too.

Jan Robberts — Bullied as a kid, turned his life around completely. One of the most powerful personal stories I’ve recorded.

Dawn Lester and David Parker — Authors of What Really Makes You Ill. Multiple interviews that go deep.

Terry Alderton — One of the most original comedians working today. Completely unpredictable.

Barb Jungr — Singer, interpreter of Dylan and Cohen, and a genuine friend. Our interviews grew from me filming her concerts.

Browse all 160+ interviews here: Interviews

I write poetry in Scottish and English, plus longer pieces about life, comedy, and everything in between.

The Harder They Come — A poem about going to Jamaica as a young Bob Marley fan and the adventure that followed. Written in broad Scots.

Shame On The Family — My sister’s wedding story versus mine. Family at its finest.

The Damn Doonfall — A trip to Amsterdam with the boys that went exactly how you’d expect.

Magic Mushies — The poem about the time my workmate Jim turned up with a carrier bag full of magic mushrooms. It escalated.

Fantasy Fitba — For anyone who has ever lived near a lower-league Scottish football ground and wondered why they bother.

Valentines Day — What happens when you’re supposed to show your love but you’re skint and hungover.

Porn Addict — A cautionary tale about buying a personal computer and discovering the internet. Written in the 2000s. Still painfully relevant.

The Spirit of Billy Connolly Award Entry — My submission to the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. The longest poem on the site and probably the most personal.

Browse the full writing archive here: Read

I lived in Antalya, Turkey for over 12 years. It wasn’t a gap year. It was marriage, divorce, remarriage, a son, a motorbike, quiz nights, karaoke, expat chaos, and eventually coming home. Here’s where to start.

Turkeygate — The full story of what happened between Turkey and the Edinburgh Fringe in 2012. It’s the longest post on the entire site and it pulls no punches.

Marmaris Hotel — I got a job as a hotel animator. They didn’t mention I wouldn’t be paid. This is that story.

Billy and Aynur Wedding — My second Turkish wedding, the day after a surprise stag night. With photos.

V-GO Blue Cruise — A four-day boat trip from Fethiye to Olympos with my family. The Turkey section at its most beautiful.

Waterfall Trip — A Sunday afternoon motorbike ride to a hidden waterfall outside Antalya. A reminder that tranquillity is never far away.

The Olympos Bender — A night out in Antalya that ended 24 hours later in a town 70km away. Told in pictures.

King Bar Karaoke Night — What happens when you host karaoke in an expat bar in Turkey.

Irish Bar Gig — Nob Stewart performing to a room of unsuspecting expat grannies while the mosque blasts the evening prayer through the open doors. Peak Turkey.

Browse the full Turkey archive here: Turkey

I performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2002, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2019, 2021 and 2023. Here’s what that actually looks like when nobody knows who you are.

Edinburgh Festival 2011 — The Full Diary — Day-by-day account of doing a run at the Fringe. The most honest thing on this site.
(then follow Days 2 through 16)

Edinburgh Festival 2009 — Argyle Bar Gigs — My Free Festival run where the first gig had zero audience. Every second of every gig is on the site.

Malcolm Hardee Comedy Awards 2011 — Footage from the award ceremony. Kunt and the Gang, Bob Slayer, Scott Capurro, Frank Sanazi, Puppetry of the Penis, and Nob Stewart dancing at the end of the night.

John Fleming’s Blog About My Rant — Respected comedy writer John Fleming came to see me perform in 2012 and then wrote about it.

EdFringe 2023 — Six nights. Zero audience. Every night documented. Surely some kind of record.

Browse the full Edinburgh Fringe archive here: EdFringe

I’ve written five books and self-published all of them. Each one has a read version, an audiobook (me reading it), and AI music versions where the lyrics become actual songs.

Buckin’ Cunny Funt — Over 20 years of funny poetry in Scottish. Drink, drugs, sex, rock’n’roll, and the self-inflicted disasters that follow.

Sex, Drugs & Marriage — The story of my adventures, written from the heart.

Duality or Love — Deeper poetry. The things I learned going down rabbit holes and trying to make sense of the world.

Politically Corrected — Poetry with a political edge.

The Plane Facts — Questions that needed asking.

Read more and find all formats here: Books

I grew up in South Queensferry, worked in a factory at 16, discovered Bill Hicks, invented comedy characters, moved to Turkey for 12 years, performed at the Edinburgh Fringe seven times, got banned from comedy clubs, got married twice, got divorced twice, conducted 160+ interviews, reviewed 160+ concerts, wrote five books, and put it all on this website.

Read the whole thing here: Billy’s Story