maxbarry.com
Wed 24
May
2006

Have a Beer with Max in London

Max As I mentioned, I’m not doing any publicity while I’m in England. But I do intend to have a beer at the Warrington Hotel [Map] at 2pm this Sunday the 28th. So if you’re in range, and you care, you could come along.

I don’t really know how this will work, but I am imagining something like this: you see a 6’2” guy with no hair speaking in an Australian accent, wander over, and say, “Are you Max?” And I say, “Yes, yes I am. Who are you?” And we take it from there. My only rule—and it’s a very strict one—is that there shall be no mention of the Ashes.

I won’t have any books to sell, but I’m happy to sign anything you bring along. And I mean anything. Underwear, other people’s books, you name it. I’m desperate for recognition.

By the way, I was originally thinking of inviting people to a pub in Bedford, but realized I couldn’t live with the stain of that crime on my soul.

Update: Well that was great fun! Thanks to those who turned up. I gotta say, it’s pretty damn cool to be able to gather an instant mini-party of interesting people just by posting on my blog.

Comments

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Machine Man subscriber Adam (#24)

Location: Morristown, Indiana
Quote: "Why do I blog? Simple, because Max Barry blogs."
Posted: 6518 days ago

Wed. 24 May 2006

BAM! FIRST COMMENT!

...unless someone typed something while I typed this.

HAIKU

Haiku is awesome.
Everyone should try haiku.
You won't regret it.

Max should use haiku
It has many benifits
Make you good author

I am just writing
Not knowing what I will write.
What will happen next.

The idea came.
The idea went away.
Now I am so lost.

-adam

I am really strange
I guess I was born this way
I will never change

Ben Beuchler (#174)

Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Quote: "It's only a donut."
Posted: 6518 days ago

So... When will you be stopping in Minneapolis for a beer?

Bobbikk (#2417)

Location: Lancaster, England
Quote: "*grope*"
Posted: 6518 days ago

Why isn't London anywhere near Lancaster... I'd love to have a pint with you Max. Especially if you were buying. Oh well, remember to tell us if you're ever swinging round Lancaster way.

Flynn (#520)

Location: Chicago, IL USA
Quote: "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
Posted: 6518 days ago

Please do this the next time you wind up in Chicago. Heck, I'll even buy the beer, as much as you can drink. Maybe even as much as you can carry.

Jason (#1193)

Location: Indianapolis, IN
Quote: "The bulwark of the suggestion box has failed."
Posted: 6518 days ago

I'm from Indianapolis, and heck, I'd drive to Chicago for Beer With Max. Mmmmmmmm. Beer.

Marina (#2023)

Location: Den Bosch, Netherlands
Quote: ""Properly trained, a man can be a dog's best friend.""
Posted: 6518 days ago

Make it Amsterdam on a weekday and cola, I'll be there ^_^

Matthew (#16)

Location: Columbus, Ohio
Quote: "Unicorn on mountain top. Wind blowing through mane."
Posted: 6518 days ago

It seems Max has quite the Indiana fanbase...

Chris McBride (#1977)

Location: Belfast, N.Ireland
Quote: "Plagiarism saves thinking time"
Posted: 6518 days ago

Damn. If only Belfast had more to offer the average Australian apart from Harp (reference to little seen N.Irish ad). That and the government's aim to stop my drinking by having the drinking age being 18. At times like this I wished I was in France...

Elias (#1639)

Location: Abbaland
Posted: 6518 days ago

My mate jamieo says he loves you, and that he'll see you on Sunday. If you're really nice to him, he'll sell you his (brand new) ipod.

Maarten Rütten (#2420)

Location: the Netherlands
Quote: "We're not going to have a giant beach ball crush New York. It's creative, but it's not going to sell product."
Posted: 6517 days ago

"Make it Amsterdam on a weekday and cola, I'll be there ^_^"

I'll second that (minus the cola part :P), I'd just have to stay put in my train a little longer...

Rod McBride (#688)

Location: Gardner, KS
Quote: "www.MidwestRockLobster.blogspot.com"
Posted: 6517 days ago

I haven't brewed in a couple of years, but if Max Barry, Author of Syrup was coming, I'd fire up the kettles.

So let me know when I should plan to have the next batch ready. IPA, Wee Heavy or Trippel?

C. W. (#1092)

Location: Cincinnati, OH, USA
Quote: "Cynic: An idealist that gets let down every fucking time."
Posted: 6517 days ago

Hey Max! Thanks for the signed copy of Company. It's on the top shelf of my bookshelf where everyone can see it. You know what I would really love? To have you sign my hardback copies of JG and Syrup. But I'm an American living in the Midwest, where a large number of your fans live. So if you're ever in the Chicago/Indianapolis/Cincinnati (preferably the latter) area, I will be at whatever bar or bookstore you drop into.

Yes, I did end that last sentence with a preposition and yes, it IS allowed in English. So if anyone would like to debate CW the Linguist on that point, bring it on.

Yubi Shines (#1664)

Location: Canada
Quote: "HOPE RIDES ALONE!"
Posted: 6517 days ago

Well... That's going to be an interesting Sunday. I hope you've thought this out carefully, Max. :P

Phill Sacre (#1822)

Location: London, UK
Quote: "Computers are like air conditioners. Both stop working, if you open windows."
Posted: 6517 days ago

Hi Max.

Actually by coincidence I'm going to be staying in London for the weekend... Warrington Hotel, you say? I'll try and be there! :-)

I'll look for a tall guy with an Australian accent and a horde of adoring teenage girls ;-)

Peter Emuss (#1630)

Location: England
Quote: "Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Then, when you criticise, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes."
Posted: 6517 days ago

Dammit! I'll be in London that weekend, but I'll need to be at Twickenham by 3:00pm. Got a rugby game to go see. Isn't rugby one of the other sports where Australia lost to England last?

Any chance you could make it a bit earlier?

Peter

Machine Man subscriber Matthew Draycott (#1974)

Location: England
Quote: "Liberatis Nec Mortis"
Posted: 6517 days ago

I realise this is the first time i've posted anything, Ive been reading your blog for about a year now and would like to give a big GGGGRRRRR, im a massive fan of your books and would love to be in London this Sunday but can't Max come further north, some of us poor bastards still have to work weekends...

Machine Man subscriber Mapuche (#1184)

Location: Darwin, Australia
Quote: "Inconceivable!"
Posted: 6517 days ago

To a slim Dusty tune...

I'd love to have a beer in London,
I'd love to have a beer with Max.

You can make up the rest cos I aint gonna travel halfway around the world to drink bad beer with a good writer... :)

Hope ya have fun

M

JJ MacMillan (#819)

Location: Austin, TX
Quote: "I just wanted you to see what bad planning looked like."
Posted: 6517 days ago

I knew I listened to Hitchhiker's Tertiary (or Quandary, I can't remember now) for a reason. Even as an American who knows nothing about cricket, I know what the ashes are. And I promise not to bring them up when I get to the Warrington - unless Russell Crowe is there in which case I plan start a bar fight by talking about them.

metalbiteme (#1495)

Location: WALES UK
Quote: "Welcome to nowhere fast. Nothing here ever lasts."
Posted: 6517 days ago

Looks like you are gonna have to do one hell of a pub crawl.

I put Cardiff on the list, we are awesome over here, much better than the English, only joking (eek)

Hobbie (#1359)

Location: Cornwall, England
Quote: "There was a little man in his hair!"
Posted: 6516 days ago

Bah... I still think you should come down to Cornwall. I went to London once, and it's almost as bad as Bedford.

TSharp (#2422)

Posted: 6516 days ago

Bedford is a dive. BUT, i will be there this saturday. As for pubs there, they are vile, too many freakshows, not enough circuses (or circi ??).

If you want a pint in Bedford, try the Wellington, about the best pub in a desert of crap boozers. If I see a bald Ozzie, i will buy him a pint.

Oscar Martignani (#2326)

Location: Imola, Italy
Quote: "Leges sine moribus vanae"
Posted: 6516 days ago

Will you ever come in Italy to drink a good coffee? ;)

Clayton Nash (#1801)

Location: London
Quote: "Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity, cash is reality"
Posted: 6516 days ago

Wow -- living in London finally works out for me. I'm there.

jacob (#2241)

Location: tx
Quote: "those who are willing to sacrifice freedoms for security deserve neither freedom nor security"
Posted: 6516 days ago

i don't understand the part about the "ashes". did i miss something?

David Whetton (#1861)

Location: Hove , England
Posted: 6515 days ago

Ahhhh Damn the poor transport in this country, it is actually impossible for me to get from Lancaster to London for 2 o'clock on sunday. Thanks for making the effort to meet some of your English fans, and hope you get a good response.

Mincetro (#584)

Quote: "This isn't skiing"
Posted: 6515 days ago

Hey Max, When are you going to tour in Australia?

Tony Quin (#1310)

Location: Plymouth -urgh
Quote: "Yoga is NAILS"
Posted: 6514 days ago

I hope you're enjoying those beers... Due to the long weekend I'm stuck in Plymouth till wednesday.

Kate (#2426)

Location: London
Quote: "If you're being chased by seventeen horses, an ostrich and a tiny fire engine with a madly-ringing bell - get off the merry-go-round."
Posted: 6514 days ago

We didn't mention the ashes! heh.

Thanks for a very, very cool afternoon indeed. Thanks to Max for organising it and to Chris for telling me about it, and hi, and of course thanks! to everyone who was there :)

Machine Man subscriber David (#1456)

Location: Sydney, Australia
Quote: "Why are the pretty ones always insane?"
Posted: 6513 days ago

jacob, you poor benighted Texan:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashes

Phill Sacre (#1822)

Location: London, UK
Quote: "Computers are like air conditioners. Both stop working, if you open windows."
Posted: 6513 days ago

I'd just like to echo Kate's comments - thanks Max for inviting people for a drink, and thanks all for the great afternoon! It went ridiculously quickly - I was sorry to leave when I did, felt like it was just getting going! Ah well.

Machine Man subscriber Ian Chafee (#2437)

Location: Chicago, IL
Posted: 6509 days ago

Come to Chicago sometime, we have beer here. Its not warm like British beer (that was the biggest adjustment for me when we visited England, warm beer and no ice in the pop. wtf is up with that??) but its got alcohol in it. And if you leave it sit on the table, it'll be warm presently.

CameoAppearance (#2439)

Location: Vancouver, BC
Quote: "Please tell me I'm not related to these people."
Posted: 6508 days ago

I never got why some people like ice in their pop; it almost always melts, at least to some degree, and leaves it tasting watery. Bleah.

*adds Vancouver to the list of places Max should visit, not that she would be able to engage in mutual beer-drinking due to age issues*

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