For folk of a certain age in Glasgow, they will fondly recall the time the city centre pavement was ruled by a dancing sheriff of a different kind to Leo The Silent Raver.
A robot. And not just any robot, it was Robert The Robot, the mysterious, white masked cyborg mime artist that ruffled kids hair, peeked into shopping bags and amused and frightened the living daylights of youngsters in equal measure.
Regarded by one social media user as the greatest Glasgow entertainer ever, he spent years dancing outside of Marks and Spencer's on Argyle Street and on Buchanan Street.
Dressed in his white boiler suit with motherboard attached to his belly, phone wires connected to his arms, sunglasses and diamond-studded belt.
It seemed he was a bit of a star in the city, appearing on none other than Rab C Nesbitt, where he received a 'Glasgow Kiss' for his troubles off the string-vested, alcoholic Glaswegian character in one episode.
And his moves were that good, its not impossible to suggest that folk in the citys nightclubs were copying his moves on the dancefloor at the weekend -being a 'Rezerection' raver before it and the old skool/hardcore scene really took off.
Back in September of 2018, Glasgow Live were able to track down the cyborg after he got in touch with us to break his 'robotic' silence, and he revealed how he was "terrified" when he performed in Glasgow city centre for the first time.
He told us: "I started one Friday afternoon in December of 1983 performing as Robert the Robot in Argyle Street and I can remember my first day like it was yesterday.
I caught the train from Dalmuir station with my mask, glove and glasses in a bag. On arriving at Argyle Street station, I put my mask on just before I walked into the street.
"It changed my life and made me the entertainer that I am today.
Now living down south, Robert - real name Robert Harris - gained celebrity status in Glasgow - he even appeared in an episode of Rab C Nesbitt, as well as on That's Life with Esther Rantzen.
He also appeared on stage at The Barrowlands with groups such as TTF, Ultrasonic and Rhythmic State at the famous Source nights back in the early 90s.
I was so nervous as I had only ever watched the body poppers and break dancers perform when I walked through town on a Saturday afternoon. I didn't realise how difficult it was to make the public part with any small change they may have.
"I mind I used to practice and practice and practice the robot moves in front of the mirror and I didn't think I 'got' it ... until I did it in front of a friend and they were like wow," he continued.
Robert made 12 on his first day, mostly made up of 10p pieces and coppers, and from then on he was hooked, working from 10am till 6pm every day without a break.
Counting all the money that I made on that first day and every day since then has always made me smile with the thought that the public must have thought that I was good enough.
We send a range of newsletters each day on the latest news, up to the minute stories and information on coronavirus, as well as the latest foodie news.
It's a daily email bulletin of the most important stories of the day - delivered straight to your inbox for you to read at your leisure - when you are ready.
To sign up, simply type your email address into the purple box at the top of this story, hit subscribe and we'll do the rest.
"For people to throw some loose change my way instead of any of the other buskers was fantastic. It's a feeling that I just can't explain even to this day", he said.
And back in December of 2018, he pulled on his white gloves for a one-off return to the streets to raise money, like he did previously, for Cash For Kids - with plenty of hid former fans turning out for the occasion outside Argyle Street Station despite the rain.
See original here:
Remembering Robert the Robot - Glasgow's original 'silent raver' - Glasgow Live
- Upload your Real body to a Virtual Avatar ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Transcendent Consciousness for Transcendent Technologies : Part I - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Transcendent Consciousness for Transcendent Technologies: Part II - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Visions of the Future - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Lessons from the Silver Surfer ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Playing God in a Video Game ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Rebellious Voyeur in our Society - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Renewable Energy and the New world - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Chennai Science Festival 2008 - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Cyborg Football Time ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Wont be posting for a while - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Spiritual Transcendence in Transhumanism now published - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Widgetize time ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- An Inconvenient Truth indeed ! - Google style - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The latest Cyborg movie ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Lost in Transcendence : A Tribute to Dr.Albert Hofmann - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Who came first ? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- How to truly become "BetterHumans" - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- A day in the life of a Transhuman Memestar - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- My Lonely Love - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The First "body slaves" : how ready are we for the posthuman body ? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Realizing our humble place in the posthuman civilization ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Brain controlled devices have come of age ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Touch and Go - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Cyborg Mystic - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Avatar..a great movie ! - January 31st, 2010 [January 31st, 2010]
- Iron Man 2 and the cyborg technology offshoots - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- Saving the "Humanism" in Transhumanism - June 13th, 2010 [June 13th, 2010]
- Christina is Bionic - June 22nd, 2010 [June 22nd, 2010]
- My recent article in IEET - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- REASONS FOR LOVE AND HOPE TO OTHER SPECIES IN THE POSTHUMAN FUTURE - February 14th, 2011 [February 14th, 2011]
- Misleading Perceptions of Improving “The Human Condition” - April 10th, 2011 [April 10th, 2011]
- Jean-Claude Van Damme - CYBORG (1989) Part 1 - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Cris Cyborg Spinning Back Kick KO - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Cris Cyborg Suplexes way to Gold Medal Mundials (BJJ Worlds) 2011 - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Cryptic Metal Gear Rising trailer lets you not understand the story right now - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- 009 Re:Cyborg Anime Film's Live-Action Promo Streamed - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- 009 Re:Cyborg's Extended "International Version" Trailer Posted - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Colourblind artist wants to be world’s first cyborg - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- Moribito Designer Asou to Draw 009 Re:Cyborg Manga - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- National Geographic announces its Emerging Explorers for 2012 - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- Colourblind artist wants cyborg eye in Irish passport - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- Week in science faces our cyborg future - May 20th, 2012 [May 20th, 2012]
- Gary Oldman - Gary Oldman Signs Up For Robocop Remake - May 25th, 2012 [May 25th, 2012]
- Gary Oldman joining 'RoboCop' remake - May 25th, 2012 [May 25th, 2012]
- Gary Oldman signs up for Robocop remake - May 26th, 2012 [May 26th, 2012]
- Supertrailer - The best trailers of the week packed into one cinematic video - June 2nd, 2012 [June 2nd, 2012]
- Policemen Undergo Stress Management Seminar - June 3rd, 2012 [June 3rd, 2012]
- Scott Coker Says Cyborg Vs Rousey at 135 Will Happen: Fan Reaction - June 4th, 2012 [June 4th, 2012]
- MMAFighting: Coker vows Cyborg-Rousey fight - June 4th, 2012 [June 4th, 2012]
- Would Ronda Rousey Beat Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos in a Fight? Fan's View - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg: Is the Biggest Fight Strikeforce Can Make - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Scott Coker on Ronda Rousey vs. Cyborg: "Cyborg Is a Whole Other Level" - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Rousey vs. Cyborg in January? 'She Wants My Arm, I Want Her Head': Fan's Look - June 6th, 2012 [June 6th, 2012]
- DIY cyborg appendage is less exciting than it sounds (video) - June 8th, 2012 [June 8th, 2012]
- Robot Chicken goes free range, Seth Green says - June 9th, 2012 [June 9th, 2012]
- Cyborg Fuel Cell Powered by Brain Fluids - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- Hugh Laurie - Hugh Laurie To Play Robocop Villain - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- Hugh Laurie set to play villain in Robocop remake - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- Hugh Laurie is being lined up to star in 'RoboCop' - June 14th, 2012 [June 14th, 2012]
- CFT: Star recruit Henry decommits from Georgia - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- Cris Cyborg and Sarah Kaufman Mean Mugging on Fight Promo Video: Fan Reaction - June 18th, 2012 [June 18th, 2012]
- Amped Shows the Downside of Becoming a Cyborg - June 18th, 2012 [June 18th, 2012]
- Is that really just a fly? Swarms of cyborg insect drones are the future of military surveillance - June 19th, 2012 [June 19th, 2012]
- Interior-Decorating Androids, Coming to a Living Room Near You - June 19th, 2012 [June 19th, 2012]
- A message for our cyborg drivers - June 23rd, 2012 [June 23rd, 2012]
- Cyborg system stifles your need to drink water - June 24th, 2012 [June 24th, 2012]
- Cyborg makes art using seventh sense - June 30th, 2012 [June 30th, 2012]
- A Surgical Implant for Seeing Colors Through Sound - July 2nd, 2012 [July 2nd, 2012]
- My life as a cyborg - July 2nd, 2012 [July 2nd, 2012]
- Making Location Services Slick & Simple - July 2nd, 2012 [July 2nd, 2012]
- Cyborg Gaming Mouse - July 5th, 2012 [July 5th, 2012]
- Nightwing And Cyborg Join Cast Of Injustice - July 12th, 2012 [July 12th, 2012]
- Nightwing and Cyborg coming to Injustice: Gods Among Us - July 12th, 2012 [July 12th, 2012]
- See Cyborg and Nightwing in 'Injustice: Gods Among Us' - July 12th, 2012 [July 12th, 2012]
- SDCC 2012: Nightwing and Cyborg Join 'Injustice: Gods Among Us' - July 12th, 2012 [July 12th, 2012]
- NEWS: Cyborg and Nightwing Revealed for Injustice: Gods Among Us - July 12th, 2012 [July 12th, 2012]
- 'Injustice' reveals Cyborg and Nightwing - July 13th, 2012 [July 13th, 2012]
- Human Cyborg: McDonald’s Employees Assaulted Me For Wearing My Gear - July 17th, 2012 [July 17th, 2012]
- Do Not Anger the Cyborg, People! - July 17th, 2012 [July 17th, 2012]