British GQ February 2016

In the Eighties, comedy changed beyond recognition, at least in Britain. “Alternative comedy”, spearheaded by stands-ups such as Rik Mayall, Ben Elton, Keith Allen and Alexei Sayle, was a genre born on the boards at London’s Comedy Store, a small club in Walker’s Court, in Soho. Here, at the tail of 1979, a group of young, almost exclusively left-wing comics co-opted the entertainment industry in the way that punk had co-opted the music industry just a few years before. In some respects they were starting a civil war, a home front against the kind of “sexist”, “racist” comedians who had ruled the light entertainment industry in Britain throughout the Seventies. Their aim was to create a new establishment of spiky-haired loudmouths who would take on the likes of Bernard Manning and…

Gavin BOND Photographer Gavin Bond teamed up with comedy icon Will Ferrell to “photobomb Hollywood” for GQ’s cover shoot. “Between us and the team we caused chaos,” he says of their day, which saw Ferrell take over a Hollywood Stars tour bus, pretend to give a baby a tattoo (in a parlour where one of the tattooists had Ferrell’s face inked on his leg), crash a Chinese wedding and celebrate an OAP’s 100th birthday. “This is my third year shooting the comedy issue, and for sure the day I will remember the most,” says Bond. AA GILL AA Gill’s golfing adventures lead him to take golf exercise classes this month on GQ.co.uk. “Golfers are to lithe suppleness and spiritual openness what the SAS are to rebirthing. To play golf is to be a…

According to the bookies, the money is on Ed Miliband moving into Number Ten, as Labour is – in Boris’ phrase – “doomed to succeed” in the May election. Even so, it’s hard to fnd anyone who thinks Miliband Minor will make a natural captain of the school, in the way that David Cameron excels at the top job, just as Tony Blair did, greedily inhabiting the role of prime minister as if born to play it, like a great, grease-painted actor baron of the 20th century tearing up Hamlet or King Lear on the hallowed boards. As the writer and blogger Iain Dale once said (and don’t let’s forget that it was Dale who predicted Ed’s sorpasso of his big brother David, in this magazine, back in 2008), “Ed Miliband…

THIS season’s London Collections: Men was bigger than ever, with an unprecedented fourth day to accommodate the ever-expanding list of designers clamouring to show. Alongside established stars such as Burberry Prorsum (pictured) and Tom Ford, many new additions joined the line-up: Belstaff transferred from Milan; Coach showed its first menswear range. What’s more, LC: M had its inaugural couture outing, courtesy of John Galliano, who brought Maison Margiela to these shores. And of course, after the last runways were walked, GQ gave the extravaganza a suitable send off... Nick Carvell…

“Carry-on items should be stowed in the overhead locker.” The only luggage McIlroy needs to return home with is the trophy from next month’s US Masters. Win this and he’ll join the immortals of Woods, Nicklaus, Player, Sarazen and Hogan, who have won all four majors. “If we experience loss of power...” Unlikely. In 2014 McIlroy was third in driving distance on the PGA Tour, with an average drive of 310.5 yards. It’s the bedrock of his game. “Slip the jacket over your head.” If that’s to be the green jacket, he may need to improve in the bunker. He was 123rd on the same list for sand saves (getting down from a bunker in two shots). “We hope you had an enjoyable fight and look forward to seeing you again.” Maybe not.…

1 MELISANDRE Also known as the Red Woman because – you guessed it – she’s got red hair and she’s a woman. She’s creepy, seductive and dabbles in dark magic. Chance of death: 59.8% Most likely to die: Through misinterpreting a vision of the future. 2 DAENERYS Mother Of Dragons. Except, the dragons are now moody teenagers who won’t be told what to do. Chance of death: 67.8% Most likely to die: In a dragon-related incident. She may be invincible to fame, but that won’t stop her being fat-out eaten. 3 BRIENNE Three words – badass lady warrior. If you get in her way she’ll strike you down with her trusty sword, Oathkeeper. Chance of death: 27.8% (lowest of any character) Most likely to die: In exasperation at medieval misogynistic attitudes. 4 JON SNOW The bastard child of Ned Stark (originally the main…