24th October 2000
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Any news on the album release yet?
Ginger Wildheart... no, not that one!
Everyone approached so far has turned it down, but there are still an awful lot that have not been approached yet. A record company in the States turned it down because the head said it sounded like Terrorvision! Go figure!
When do you think Black Leather Mojo will get a
European release?
Jimmy
Andersson
At the moment it doesn't look like it'll get released until this nu-fucking-metal craze dies down. It seems that all record companies are deaf to tunes these days.
Any luck with US distribution for the
album?
Sam Weller
Absolutely none. One guy thought it was too positive! Can you see what I'm dealing with here?
Me and some friends from Sweden will be going to
the Scala gig. What should we expect? Is it gonna be a long, rockin' night with
guests? Are you gonna play some old stuff?
Nick Olssen
You can expect everything your imagination can stand - times it by ten, and you aren't even close, my friend. Old stuff? Yes, but not too much. There's plenty of time for solo shows. This is a band with a new album out. Having said that, it's good to have written everything I ever put into a shop - it means I can rip off my stuff as much as I want to and no one can say shit!
Any chance of the SilverGinger 5 tour coming up to
Bradford (or Leeds)? I'm really looking forward to hearing the new tracks
live.
Lemo
Not until next year, after the album has been released.
Are there any plans to work with your former
band-mates in the future, maybe on another Wildhearts album? God, we miss them
so much. I have a copy of Black Leather Mojo - fuckin' ace, man, not a bad
track in sight. Are there plans for any more Clam Abuse or Super$hit 666
releases ? Also, what's happening with the tracks you wrote for Alice Cooper?
Are there any plans for them to be released, by either Alice or
yourself?
Barry
With The Yo-Yo's, Grand Theft Audio and SilverGinger 5 in the world, are you seriously expecting me to believe that you miss this one band? Tell me, what exactly do you miss about The Wildhearts anyway? Dunno about S$666 or Clam Abuse for sure... maybe it would be cool to do something else with them, but it would be cool to just do new things in the future too! As for the Alice Cooper songs, of course I'll be recording them for future use. Man, if that guy doesn't have any taste in music it ain't gonna affect my judgement!
On the Clam Abuse tour you played a song which went
'klang-klang, dah-da, klang-klang, dah-da', etc, on the geetar. Halfway through
you started singing a Nirvana song, and at the end you and Alex did some tip
top geetar posturing, turning 90 degrees every four 'klang-klang's. Now then...
what was it called?
Matt
Roberts
That song was a cover version of a track called Godzilla by Blue Oyster Cult (a personal fave of Alex's and mine) and the inspiration of the riff from Smells Like Teen Spirit, which just goes to show that all the best riffs are gratefully 'borrowed' from another great riff. We kinda beefed it up a little, but the original version still rocks like a big Japanese lizard and can be found residing amongst the fine, fine tracks that appear on BOC's Spectres album, also home of the preposterously catchy Goin' Thru The Motions.
Is your guitar strap just an average strap from a
guitar shop or is it customised? It looks like it's longer than any I've ever
used, and I need a longer one as it doesn't feel right playing the guitar
anything higher than groin level.
NAD
I get my straps custom-made, but if you need something longer and don't have much cash, do what I used to do and cut a piece of car seatbelt to length. Those fuckers never snap... and they're black!
When you wrote Pissjoy, had you been listening to
Jesus & Mary Chain at all? There's a song by them on my college jukebox
that has the same tune and the same noisy sort of sound to it. However, I know
which one I think rocks best, if anything just because of the fact that it has
a choir of kids on the choruses. That chorus has become a drinking anthem for
me and a few of my mates. That and the theme tune to Jim'll Fix It.
NAD
I love Jesus & Mary Chain so they probably got in there subconciously, but they weren't the ones that I thought I had ripped off on that song. Think Sweden rather than Scotland and you're getting warm, which is ironic as both places are fucking freezing.
In Black Leather Mojo's thanks list, I can find CJ,
Bam, and all ex-Wildhearts members' names except for Jef. Why?
Jimmy C. Popp
Thanks lists are a nightmare and I probably won't do one again for this reason. In the list I thanked all living ex-Wildhearts (or something like that) meaning the many people that had appeared in the band, but it looked like I had missed out Jef, which I would never do. There's no reason for me to do this as Jef is a fine fellow. So from now on I'll just say "thanx to everyone that has been good to me".
Have you ever been in a covers band?
Laura
Yes, I have been in covers bands. In the North East that's your only way of serving your r'n'r apprenticeship. And man, those crowds were tough! It's a real test of those about to rock versus those about give up.
I really want to come and see you at the Scala, but
I'm only 16. And my mate who I want to go with is only 14, so we're
fucked!
Josh
Get a prosthetic pot belly and tell your mate to wear a fake beard and you should be all right. Other than that, well... yeah, it's a pisser being young but at least you don't have to pay bills, sex is still dirty, and you don't have tax to pay. Sheesh... you should be glad you're missing this gig!
How did you and Angie meet?
Morgan
Me and Angie met at an orgy held for the benefit of paraplegic guppies on the Isle of White. It was a turgid affair with sloppy weather and the booze ran out by 9.30 pm. But the cabaret featured a singing teabag and a pint that danced to Reef songs. Strange that... I didn't think you could dance to Reef.
What kind of computer do you have?
Sam Weller
A big square thing with a typewriter sort of thing underneath it and a box next to it that makes funny noises when I turn it all on. I'm so down with this shit.
I've worked like mad to track down every official
and unofficial CD that you've ever been involved with. I've succeeded in
picking up most of them, but with some of the super-obscure / rare stuff, I've
turned to the 'Net to grab the MP3 files. I know this probably sounds naive,
but it's really screwing with my conscience since I don't pony up the cash for
'em. Is there someone I can throw some cash to to make up for this? I've read
the question / answer archive to find out what your stance is on MP3 trading /
Napster, and you seemed to shrug it off... but I still feel like a complete
shit.
Ron
Listen Ron, until American record companies start signing bands that sound original (ie, unlike whatever current bands are scaling the heights of the charts) then Napster and the like are the only way to get hold of something I've recorded, other than spending a fortune on imports, which is fine if you have the money, and if you do then buy, but otherwise don't sweat it. I owe more than a few 'thank you's' to Napster. Fuck everyone that doesn't like this new version of bootlegging. Some of us need this kind of recognition, whilst others are so financially comfortable they've forgotten where they came from. Me? I'll always be happy somewhere in the middle. Napster rules. Keep the faith, fuck the fakes... fight for the future.
I recently asked Devin about the Infinity album and
the EP that followed, which had a couple of tracks co-credited to you. I asked
him what exactly you had contributed to the stuff as I couldn't work out which
hooks were yours. He sent me back this cosmic kind of reply which, after
deciphering, basically said that you had contributed some harmony lines, but
that really he just wanted to thank you as you were there while those tracks
were being recorded. That's really nice of him as Christeen, Sit On A Mountain
and Om are some of my most favourite Devin songs. How fucking cool must it have
been to work with somebody like that? You lucky bastard.
Smoult The Bolt
Devin Townsend is far too good for this business. To tell you the truth about Christeen, I wrote nothing on that song. My hunch is that he wrote it and it reminded him of something I'd maybe write, so he gave me a credit. Either way there's no surprise, or secret, that he's my favourite person in this heep of fucking turd business that we call home.
How come you never made it to Australia? Would The
Wildhearts reform for a tour?
Brent
The reason I never made it to Australia is that I never had a record company show enough of a shit to sign me. No records = no tour. As for The Wildhearts reforming, I usually sway between "sounds like fun" and "absolutely no fucking chance in the world". Though at the moment I've got me a new opinion. "Why?"
What do you think of the state of music in general?
I watched Top Of The Pops the other day and it was frightening.
Matthew Batey
The only good thing about music these days is that I'm fortunate enough not to be young and have to listen to this shit. Jesus, that would kill me. I had a great soundtrack to grow up with and I'm pretty fucking grateful for that now!
This may sound really whiny but I'm gonna ask you
anyway: should I buy the album now on import or wait for a UK release? Is it
really that far off?
Paul
Oyston
If you wait for someone to release the album in this country there's a fair chance that you'll be either a) too old / deaf to appreciate it, b) dead, or c) living without it in your life. It's out there and it's fucking brilliant. Go buy it and enjoy.
What do you think of the Smashing Pumpkins? Billy
Corgan lives a few blocks away from me and he's a pretty cool guy.
Sam Weller
He's a cool songwriter with a very annoying voice. Hope he thinks the same!
I've recently been trying to play some of the songs
off the new album, and have noticed that you seem to have gone to standard
tuning with your guitars, rather than dropping a semi-tone as you did with the
Wildhearts songs. Did you make a conscious decision to do this, or was it just
'one of those things'?
Chris
Harrison
I upped the tuning to give it a more 'positive' feel. The world could fucking do with cheering up a bit.
How did you get in contact with Conny
Bloom?
Jimmy Andersson
Rock 'n roll hearts always beat to the same rhythm. It's like radar.
