Having Irvine Welsh as one of your best mates was not without its problems. Sandy Macnair and Irvine Welsh were friends long before fame and fortune arrived by train, and their adventures and Welsh's novels have obvious parallels. Their adventures were certainly extraordinary. Irvine Welsh was always the instigator, the free spirit who would act on a whim and deal with the consequences later. Sandy Macnair was his loyal wing man, there to enjoy the ride and to help pick up the pieces when ...