For this month’s Pick Six, we turn to political comedian and impressionist Matt Forde who brings his show Defying Calamity to the Theatre Royal on Sun 31 May.
Notts Spot
It’s got to be the City Ground. I was tempted to say Market Square or even my mum’s house. Possibly the chippy on Stoney Street. But come on – the City Ground is totally unique. You can still feel the spirit of Cloughie there. As a kid it felt massive but compared to modern stadiums you realise how intimate it is. An evening game under the lights, the waft of chips and beer (and piss). Heaven.
Album
Be Here Now by Oasis. People slag it off for being overblown, overlong and a damned racket. They’re all the reasons I love it. It’s where Oasis had to go. Bigger, louder, more mental. D’You Know What I Mean is pure agg, All Around the World is a sprawling brass section masterpiece and My Big Mouth is an unprovoked act of war on the eardrums. Stand By Me is so good even Halifax used it. What more do you want?
Personal hero
Hanny Anwar – he is the surgeon who saved my life by operating on me in 2023. I’d been diagnosed with chordoma, a rare form of spinal cancer. Not only did he do a superb job of removing the base of my spine, he said something I’ll never forget. Explaining that my cancer has a very high recurrence rate, he told me that they treat patients with recurring cancer who live for decades. “So it’s not a death sentence?” I asked. “No more than life is,” he replied.
Notts Pub
The Dragon. If you drink ale, you’re often served a pint of something so disgusting that Severn Trent would tell you is perfectly clean drinking water. But not at The Dragon. They look after their beer and they have cobs on the bar. It’s a cosy, friendly place and they have DJs who play music that’s actually good. And isn’t so loud YOU HAVE TO SHOUT AND SPRAY YOUR COB EVERYWHERE. So thank God for that.
Sports team
Nottingham Forest. Supporting Forest is chaos. Getting promoted back to the Premier League was the single most euphoric moment of my life. Getting back into Europe felt like we’d fully arrived back in our rightful place. Nothing compares to a matchday at the City Ground. A few beers beforehand, Mull of Kintyre, watch Elliot Anderson be a genius, then off to The Dragon after. YOOOOU REEEEEEDDDDS!
Film
The Goonies. This film has everything. Secret treasure. Gangsters. Booby traps. And a one-eyed pirate whose name sounds like a euphemism for a penis. I still listen to the soundtrack for a bit of nostalgic escapism. That weird sensation when you came out of the cinema as a kid, feeling like you were in the film and not just some oik. The Goonies made you want to take off on your bike and go exploring. Although I never found any pirate treasure in Colwick Woods.
Matt Forde brings his live show Defying Gravity to Nottingham Theatre Royal on Sunday 31 May.
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