| Q: |
So you've just got back from Japan. Did you have a good time? |
| A: |
Yeah, it was OK. We were just doing promo stuff really - interviews
with magazines, and loads and loads of photos. |
| Q: |
Any plans to go back? |
| A: |
In September we'll be back in Tokyo, to play at the 'Air club' in Tokyo,
and we'll be doing a signing session in their big HMV store there. |
| Q: |
Talking about Japan, why is it that the format of EPs was changed to
mini-albums? |
| A: |
We never released a lot of the earlier EPs in Japan, so compensated
by combining the older b-sides with newer tracks and releasing the mini-albums.
Some of the decision were taken for us by the record company, who obviously
wants to release what the market in each country demands. |
| Q: |
The release date for your first album varied by country - can the same
be said for 'Six'? |
| A: |
It'll be released on the 26th of August in Japan, and two weeks later
in the rest of the world I think. |
|
. |
| Q: |
Do the new chart rules [two b-sides per format] annoy you? |
| A: |
Yeah, that pissed us off loads, as we liked releasing EPs. Also, [since
Stripper Vicar,] up until now we've had CD1 which anyone can buy, and then
a CD2 sort-of just for the real fans who want more, with like acoustic
tracks, live tracks & remixes. Moving to three formats sort-of mucked
that up, and also means the fans have to pay more. I guess it's tough shit
really. |
| Q: |
Is 'Legacy' and 'Being A Girl' a sign that the third format will be
cassette? |
| A: |
I don't think so. We still released Legacy on limited edition vinyl
a week later, and we sort of like to chop and change. 'Being A Girl's on
cassette, yeah, but that doesn't mean the next single will be. |
| Q: |
What's Legacy about? The video suggest's it's very cynical of the pop
industry. It is it autobigraphical in any way? |
| A: |
No, it's just about living for today, and not bothering to bothering
to try and 'leave a legacy' when you die, cause basically, when you're
gone no-ones gonna give a fuck. This guy approached us who had a plan for
a video with these dolls, and we liked the idea, so we just gave him the
track, and he like built the video around it. |
| Q: |
I know you personally don't like doing music videos, but what are your
favourite videos by other bands? |
| A: |
Ermmm... 'Teen Spirit' brilliant - you know the one? |
| Q: |
Er, he [Kury Cobain]'s just singing in front of a crowd isn't he? |
| A: |
Yeah, they [Nirvana] just play in front of their fan club. I'ld like
to do that sort of video. What else? I like 'New Years Day' by U2, and
my favourite's probably 'Londons Calling' by 'The Clash'. That's a fucking
brillinat video. Their just playing outside in the rain. |
| Q: |
Does 'Legacy' mark the end of you being in your own videos? |
| A: |
Definitely not. Now we've got a bit of control [unlike their first
few videos] it ain't that bad. We haven't got time to do a video for 'Being
A Girl', [with the August tour] but we're very likely to be doing a video
for the next one. |
| Q: |
Paul said on Radio 1 you'll be releasing four EPs from 'Six', what
will be the next two? |
| A: |
Well after 'Being A Girl' we'll almost definitely release 'Negative',
but after that I have no idea. |
| Q: |
Paul also said you originally planned to do a double album. Is that
why there's a 'Part One' and a 'Part Two'? |
| A: |
Well the reason for both is because we wanted it to be like a vinyl,
we're you get half way through and have to turn it over - you remember?
Instead of turning the CD over though, we've put the interlude 'Witness
To A Murder' in. |
| Q: |
'Railings' [Being A Girl b-side] was originally supposed to be on 'Six'
- do you have any plans to do any more tracks with Howard Devoto? |
| A: |
Well we really enjoyed working with him - we all really like playing
'Everyone Must Win' live. But we haven't organised anything more with him.
I dunno, that path's still open to us like. |
|
. |
| Q: |
With the June tour you choose lots of very small venues. Why? |
| A: |
Well we like a bit of variety. We've got a big tour in October, and
this tour was only meant to be a warm-up for Glastonbury anyway. It's quite
a laugh playing in the small venues, and it's good to play new places we
haven't played before. |
| Q: |
Was the decision to go to Colchester influenced by the fact the venue
is an abandoned church (with Stripper Vicar)? |
| A: |
(laughs) ...no, we had no idea. There's quite a few venues like that
actually - we've also played the 'Cue club' in Birmingham, which is like
a cathedral, and then there's a venue in Norwich... |
| Q: |
I saw you at Bury. I've got some great pictures of you all cracking
up when Paul forgot the first line of 'Drastic Sturgeon'. |
| A: |
Yeah, Paul's always doing that - he usually just shouts 'I've forgot
the fooking words' just in case no-one noticed! He's got something about
this one line in 'Drastic Sturgeon'. |
| Q: |
Paul seemed to be enjoying himself this tour - really encouraging fans
to get up on the stage. |
| A: |
Yeah, we like to have a luagh on stage, and Paul loves to give the
bouncers a hard time. |
| Q: |
What was your favourite date on the tour? |
| A: |
Well it was probably Bury really. |
| Q: |
Yeah? [I live in Bury] |
| A: |
Well you get this feeling about some places. The crowd were really
up-for-it, which just made it for me really. I get the feeling you don't
get many bands there? |
| Q: |
Practically none. |
| A: |
Well perhaps we'll come back to Bury - I'ld like to. |
| Q: |
Wicked! Anyway, talking about warm-up tours you've got another one
in a couple of weeks. Don't you think you're spreading yourself a bit thinly?
There's going to be a lot of travelling with gigs in Scotland, Ireland
and the UK. |
| A: |
Well, becuase we had trouble booking some of the venues we had to cancel
some and it's a really short tour now. We've got Gloucester, then Shrewsbury,
Newport, and Dublin with 'Page and Plant' in the week, and the 'Reading
festival' at the weekend, so it ain't too bad. |
| Q: |
Released at about the same time is your next EP. What can you tell
us about that? |
| A: |
Erm.. well it's got 'Railings' on it, which is really good, and one
of the b-sidess I wrote the lyrics for: 'Hideout' |
| Q: |
Really? |
| A: |
Yeah, well Paul had this track and he was like asking Chad if he had
any lyrics, and I said 'well I've got some I wrote' and we ended up using
mine in the end. |
| Q: |
So do you want more involvement in the band? |
| A: |
Well I'm the least musical in the band; I've had the least experience,
so naturally was just happy getting the hang of the bass to start with.
But now as my confidence is growing, yeah I'ld like to help Paul more with
the lyrics. We all wrote 'Negative' - I've got a credit for that on the
sleeve too. The first song I wrote was 'K.I.Double.S.I.N.G.' with Chad. |
| Q: |
With your busy August schedule will you have time to appear on 'Top
Of The Pops'? |
| A: |
Yes we will. |
| Q: |
Why do you sometimes play live on 'Top Of The Pops' and sometimes mime? |
| A: |
Well it's a long day with all the sound-checking and all that, and
you get to the end of it all and you're nackered and would probably sound
crap, so you just take the easy way out. |
|
. |
| Q: |
After 'Being A Girl' comes 'Six'. Do you think this will take Mansun
a step away from pop and towards rock? |
| A: |
Well no, I think Mansun has always had a mixture of pop and rock right
from the first EP where 'Egg Shaped Fred' was probably considered rock
and 'Lemonade Secret Drinker' pop. We've never really tryed to be one or
the other. |
| Q: |
Do you think this is a darker album than your first? |
| A: |
Oh, definitedly so- |
| Q: |
-with song titles like 'Anti-Everything' couldn't it get a little depressing? |
| A: |
Well all though it's 'dark rock' the song's don't sound depressing
like Radiohead or something. And negative subjects are treated in a positive
way. For instance the track, 'Negative', is about going for an [AIDS] test
at the hospital and the result turns out postive. So even though the title
is 'Negative' the result is postive if you know what I mean. |
| Q: |
A lot of your back catalogue seem to be influenced by television from
'Rebel Without a Quilt' to Doctor Who and James Bond. Do you watch a lot? |
| A: |
Just a bit! (smiles) It's probably the best learning tool there is
- I've learnt everything from television. |
| Q: |
Is that why a track on the album is actually titled 'Television'? |
| A: |
No, that's just a wierd take on 'Sky News'. You know we took samples
of the programme, you know, 'This Is Sky News', and built a track around
it. It's quite wierd really. |
| Q: |
What bands do you think influenced the style of the new album - with
the effects pedals and all that? |
| A: |
Well we're into so much music it's hard to say. Chad's listens to just
loads of Bowie and Hendrix, and who knows what rubs of on us. Basically
the album is quite original. |
| Q: |
Do you think it will have more commercial success than 'Attack Of The
Grey Lantern'? |
| A: |
Well yes, but only really because every month we pick up more fans.
The EPs' chart positions are evidence of this - we've now risen right up
to number 7. We're not changing our music to become successful, it's just
more people are getting 'into us'. |
| Q: |
Next on the calendar comes the mammoth October tour. |
| A: |
Yeeeess. |
| Q: |
With so much new material will you finally be laying the older tracks
to rest? |
| A: |
Oh no, they'll always be space for the 'Stripper Vicar's and the 'Wide
Open Space's. |
| Q: |
Will the set get any longer then? |
| A: |
It will probably have to; we're still to lay all the tracks out and
fight over what to include, but yes the set's likely to be quite long in
October. |
| Q: |
Brilliant. Whose idea was it to open up the support slot to unsigned
bands? |
| A: |
Well, that was Pauls, but we all really wanted to do something to help.
You see all these bands kept on giving Paul tapes expecting us to be able
to get them a record deal or something - but we've got no influence over
record companies. So we decided to get some more tapes, and try to accomodate
them on the October tour. There's so many, some will probably spill over
to other tours as well! |
| Q: |
Are they any good then? |
| A: |
Yeah, though we've not made any decisions yet as to who to invite along
with us. Some of them are just cover bands, some are rock, we've got all
sorts of choice. |
| Q: |
I heard a rumour that 'Dandy Warhols' may be your 'special guests'
for the October tour. |
| A: |
No. Definitely not. |
| Q: |
Oh good! Back to the point, Are you looking forward to the Chester
[home-coming] gig? |
| A: |
Oh definitely, the last time we played there it was fucking brilliant
- my favourite gig of last year. |
| Q: |
And your going to be having 'after-show parties' on this tour that
the fans are invited to?! |
| A: |
Yes, that should be good. We want to be closer to the fans, and it
gives us a better level to meet you on than standing outside in the rain
in the middle of the night. They'll be some free ale or something, and
we can all just mingle. |
| Q: |
Brilliant! So how do we get into these parties? |
| A: |
Those who have wrote to us, or do so in time, [e.g. those on the Dark
Database] will be sent a letter where they can choose which ones they want
to go to, and then you'll get sent special tickets to get in. |
|
. |
| Q: |
After the October tour - what comes next? |
| A: |
After a heavy year touring the UK, we're going to take some time off
and look at doing the third album. We'll be returning to the USA next year,
but I don't know what else is in the pipeline. |
Stove signs off, promising to visit 'Mansun Heaven' when Chad's got
him a nice new laptop. He slams down the phone, jumps in his car, and hurtles
down to the station, where Chad's been waiting for him whilat we were busy
chatting away. Sorry Chad! Anyway, I personally am very grateful to Stove
and the rest of the band, and eagerly await whatever is in that pipeline.