2nd May 1999
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What on earth does Cold Patootie Tango mean and
where did it come from?
Kev and
Cheryl
'Patootie' means the female sexual area, cold means 'off the boil' and a tango is a dance. You figure it out!
What made you do an acoustic country and western
version of Caffeine Bomb for the Tokyo Suits Me album? Also, where did the name
Tokyo Suits Me come from?
Kev and
Cheryl
The country and western idea was Willie's. 'Tokyo suits me' was a line from a Japanese interview. We all looked at each other and said 'that's the title for the live album', and so it had to stick.
Does your mum know you smoke?!
Leeb
Yes she does. She found out a long time ago, and let's face it, I could have been doing something a lot worse.
How did you create the sonic booms on the Endless,
Nameless album? Is it some tuned down bass drum or something?
Jens Gallmeyer
The sonic booms are a result of distorting drums through a 'D-Drum' console, feeding them through speakers then shoving shit in front of the speakers and making them feed back on themselves. It's more fun than it sounds.
I've always thought that a good bridge is an
important part of a song and The Wildhearts always had amazing bridges. Hate
The World Day and The Miles Away Girl were some of my favourites. What was your
favourite, and how much value do you put on the bridges in your songs? Also,
what do you think of Enuff Znuff? You seem to have the same love of melody and
the ability to write loads of songs just like they do. Have you ever met
them?
Jamie
I kinda like all our bridges as I'm a big fan of them myself. They're a good complement to a good chorus. I'm getting to hear more and more Enuff Znuff stuff and I like all the more pop material they've got, but I hate the 'ploddy' rock and the lame 'metal' stuff that they sometimes do.
Hello Ginger. I'm a big fan of the Wildhearts
(they're a large influence on The True Way, a band I'm in). I was
wondering what guitar you're using at the moment, and what, if any, effects
pedals and stuff you've been messing about with. Oh, and don't you
think the amount of success that Stereophonics get is shocking considering how
they rip off so many great bands, the Wildhearts probably included?
Craig
I'm still using the Les Paul, with all the stickers, and no pedals... just can't get used to the idea of standing still on stage to play 'em. And as far as Stereophonics ripping people off goes, I don't think there's anything wrong in ripping stuff off as long as the stuff they rip off is good and they use their imagination. Having cool influences does not write songs for you, you have to have a talent in the first place. C'mon man, there's room enough in rock n' roll for everyone. If you don't like a band, don't listen to em!
In the last round of questions to you I asked about
the song Junkenstein and the guitar riff. To clarify this point, can you write
the riff down at the start of the song in guitar tablature or musical notation,
'cos with the mind-blowing production I'm a little lost trying to play
along with it.
Gaar
Sheepdug
Gaar Sheepdug? Now that's a name. Are you ready for this? I can't write music so here goes: E, F#, G, =A, G, =F#, G, =A, G=, F#,G= F#, G_, F#, G_, F#, G_, F#, G_, A, G (repeat). Good luck!
Great to hear there may be a chance to see you tour
during May. I just wondered if you had any plans to guest at any of the
Yo-Yo's gigs during that month? Particularly since you missed out on
playing with the Backyard Babies in London the other week. There is of course
also the FA cup final coming up...
Catherine Rosell
Looks like the tour will be taking place in July instead of May. As I said, things always change so keep watching this space. I don't think I'll be showing up on stage with The Yo-Yo's. There's no more room in that band for any more noise!
Do pseudo heroes 'masticate' or
'masturbate' their egos in News Of The World? Both seem to make
sense.
Alice Wealleans
Pseudo heroes 'masturbate' their egos!
Do you ever need a dictionary or thesaurus to write
songs, or do they form themselves entirely in your head?
Alice Wealleans
Because I'm usually travelling I never use a thesaurus, but I have used one when I've managed to ground myself enough to get a flat. Maybe that's why I don't like living anywhere permanent.
What are your preferences...
Kerrang! or Metal Hammer?
American Beer or British Beer?
Newcastle or LA?
American women or British women?
Here's a profound one, what's your
philosophy of life (apart from 'fuck apathy')? If you come back for
some acoustic shows, will they be all over the country or just around
London?
Joe Dimmer
1) Metal Hammer.
2) British (weird question).
3) Newcastle (weirder).
4) Just women.
5) Fuck and ye shall be fucked.
6) All over the country.
I was talking to Nita Patel (from Gold Star) and I
asked if she was Nita Nitro. She informed me that she isn't, so who is Nita
Nitro?
Scott Thorneycroft
That's private I'm afraid, but let's just say that it was someone that I was very fond of and they were very fond of me... and because we are both mental nothing ever came of it. But Nita Patel is sweet and 'locos tambien'!
Once you've got everything sorted music and
band wise, would you consider doing a gig with The Yo-Yo's and Backyard
Babies, as this would be a great evening of rock and roll?
Scott Thorneycroft
What a bill. I'd love to do that. Jesus, I'd love to watch that. I'd better be headlining though.
The Manics started releasing albums about the same
time as The Wildhearts, and also seemed to have the knack of being totally
amazing but never receiving as much recognition as they deserved. I was
wondering if you liked their music and if you know them at all.
Craig
One of the first tours we did was with the Manics. They were just taking off, so the atmosphere was really exciting. Since then we all feel very comfortable around the Manics and get on with them better than we naturally should. I really like the guys and James is especially friendly. Sometimes it makes me a little sad that I see in them the potential that The Wildhearts had, but we never got the big number one that we all dream about (whatever you may hear to the contrary). Good luck to 'em, it couldn't have happened to a better band... except maybe one!
Do you think the future of music lies in more dance
influenced rock?
Craig
The future of rock music will be rock music! I've heard twice already that guitar music is dead (and that doesn't count the time before The Beatles got big). Dance music is great BUT COMPUTERS WILL NEVER REPLACE PEOPLE IN MUSIC. Never ever ever! Guitars look sexy, computers do not, end of story. And the good news is that all the insecure musicians will desperately grasp hold of dance music and two things will happen. 1) It will take them so long to get good at it that guitars will be back by the time they get proficient, and 2) it makes more room for us real rock guys! And I'll tell you another thing, you watch everyone in a year's time with the same bad 'bob' cut when they try to grow their hair long because rock music has come back. Ha ha, keep the faith, mate!
Have you heard of the Goo Goo Dolls? If so, what do
you think of them?
Kev and
Cheryl
A lot of Wildhearts fans like them, but I haven't heard enough of their material to say if I like 'em or not. There seem to be too many minor chords on the singles for me, though.
I've just picked up several bootlegs in Japan.
One has two tracks I've never heard of before - U Wanna and Truth.
What's the story behind them? Also, I found a video from the Astoria in
1996 which is pretty good quality. When you go to Japan, do you pick up these
bootlegs yourself? I saw your pic in AIRS and also a handwritten message in
Gold bootleg shop (you helpfully advised that the show I had planned to buy was
'dodgy as fuck!'). Do the ever-wonderful Japanese give these to you for
free or do you have to buy them like the rest of us poor
unfortunates?
Michael
Church
U Wanna was a proposed B-side for no particular A-side, and Truth was a song that was recorded in the Mondo Akimbo A-Go-Go sessions that turned out to predict our future. Of course I get bootlegs for free, these people are sitting on their arse making money from us, so you bet we get free fuckin' copies!
How long did it take you to realise that the band
sounded shite with Snake on vocals and that your voice was much more suited to
the music you wanted to make? Did you find it difficult to pluck up the courage
to sing or had you sung before?
Michael
Church
It took us roughly two demos before we changed singers to me, and no it didn't take courage to get up and sing, just alcohol. (I had sung on a couple of demos before.)
I'm a great fan of The Wildhearts and the
Senseless Things. What actually happened when Mark Keds left the band / was
sacked? I heard rumours that he went on a shopping trip to Japan, is this true?
Have you heard of Jolt? If so, what do you think?
Malcolm Hobbs
Mark Keds never really joined the band. He rehearsed with us but we never even played live together. We just got drunk and smoked pot together. I haven't heard Jolt on record yet, but I thought they were a weird band to get live. I told Mark I didn't get it and he seemed happy.
Everyone knows The Wildhearts could have been big,
but could The Wildhearts ever have been The Wildhearts had they got really
big?
Michael Knowles
The chicken and the egg. I dunno, man, all I know is that if we had got big there would at least be one interesting band in the world. No one gets up to any shit since we've been gone. Yaaaawwwn.
I know it's all gonna be an anti-climax, but
why not make the millennium more interesting by having a huge fuck-off party
with all the various Wildhearts-related bands performing? The only problems
would be organising it and deciding where to have it!
Mark Leatham
Great idea. You set it up and I'll turn up. Yeah, not such a good idea now, eh?
After reading the message at the front of this site
I am very encouraged by the optimism shown for good tunes. Are they going to be
drenched by distortion or not, though? Are they gonna be like Endless, Nameless
or like earlier Wildhearts-type stuff?
Shteevan
The new album will be like neither of those, it will be better... MUCH BETTER. There won't be distortion, but it won't be like The Verve either. It's gonna ROCK and it's gonna ROLL, and it's gonna be so good that it will do BOTH at the same time.
Is there a proper recipe for Caffeine Bombs?
'Cos I had a go and it worked well - that plus half a bottle of vodka and
five pints. But I can't help thinking there must be more to it. I did
'overdo the coffee and the sugar and the whisky', but I don't know
about proper proportions. The proportions I used led me to attempt murder on
one of my best mates. Thank goodness I was grounded just outside the
bogs.
Shteevan
The Caffeine Bomb must be made with strong coffee, no instant. Jack Daniels, no substitute. And lots of sugar for extra buzz value. Mix to taste. And if it don't taste good, have a beer.
On Weekend 96, is the crowd singing taken from a
real gig?
Shteevan
Yes, that is a real crowd singing, probably from that gig in Leeds.
Are you gonna continue mixing electronica in with
real instruments, as you started to do with Endless, Nameless? 'Cos I think
you should. It worked well, especially on Thunderfuck.
Shteevan
I will always try and use the best sounds, and computers do have some handy sounds to be utilised. So yeah, I'll keep mixing and matching.
What has changed your opinion on America so
radically from the days of Turning American?
Shteevan
I can't believe I'm still asked questions about that song, but here goes again... TURNING AMERICAN IS NOT AN ANTI-AMERICAN SONG, IT IS ABOUT LOSING YOUR ROOTS. (There, that'll do until the next time someone asks.)
You seem to say that the music scene at the moment
is pretty dull. I have to agree. What do you think about the way certain bands
such as Pulp (who I find very musically interesting) are being dropped out of
the mainstream by engineered projects such as Pete Waterman's
Steps.
Shteevan
The charts have never been any indication as to how 'good' bands are, it merely reflects what young people are buying this week. I'm sure Pulp are glad of the break from all that nonsense.
Can you put into words why you stubbed out 60
cigarettes on your arm, as I keep causing myself pain with matches and blades
and have no idea why or how to explain the scars to friends and
family?
Shteevan
I burned myself to feel something, and I wouldn't recommend it as the older you get the more ugly the scars get. And you won't get anyone taking you seriously. And girls will find you repulsive. And too many people do it for effect. Do yourself a favour and stop... start boxing instead.
I read in a magazine some years back that you
thought Barry Manilow's Mandy was a fantastic song. Good man. It's one
of my favourites, too. What other Baz songs do you like? Lonely Together is a
heartbreaker, in my opinion. Also, Bad Time To Be Having A Bad Time is one of
my favourite Wildhearts songs. It's quite country, I think, and I've
heard you like that stuff. You should offer it to The Eagles. It'd suit
them.
Ross Halewood
I'm not a massive fan of the 'Baz', it's more of a case of one tune clicking with me as opposed to his major output. I'm not a big Hall & Oates fan by any stretch, but She's Gone is a cracker. The Eagles, huh? Don't fancy setting it up for me do you?
I saw an interview with Steve Earle recently where
he said he was embarrassed by how much he enjoyed listening to his own stuff.
Do you listen to your stuff, and what do you make of Steve Earle and the whole
'leftfield' country scene? I reckon, with the exception of the
Wildhearts, it's as close as you'll come to proper rock and roll in the
Nineties.
FiSH
I love Steve Earle. He is responsible for possibly the greatest set of lyrics in history as far as I'm concerned (My Old Friend The Blues). In the Eighties, the best music was leftfield country music - Lone Justice, The Long Ryders, Tex and the Horseheads, Del Fuegos, Hoodoo Gurus and of course Jason and the Scorchers are at the very top of the list. Steve Earle is the only one still flying the flag now that Dwight Yoakam has pussied out and Lyle Lovett has abandoned rocking. And he does have credentials all the way down to, at one time, shagging Maria McKee. So for all the time he spent in prison he's still one lucky bastard. And yes, I do enjoy listening to our stuff, 'cos it's good!
Let's hope the Silver Ginger stuff is going to
be as great as The Wildhearts. But is it going to be more
successful?
Michael Gould
Much, much more than The Wildhearts. I've got the advantage of experience and an extra desire to prove to those that dismissed the band as a soap opera that talent doesn't die as quickly as hype.
Can you solve an mystery? Who supported The
Wildhearts when I saw you with 3 Colours Red at the Ilford Island in April
1996? It was when Sick Of Drugs was out, and the band did an A-Ha
cover.
Michael Gould
The band was RealTV (now sadly defunct). Keiron, the drummer, is now playing with the Prodigy, and Jay, the singer, is in a new band called Vive Finito (who coincidentally I'm listening to right now!). And I can say without a shred of doubt that they are fucking amazing and you are going to love them!
I've heard The Beatles, Ramones and other
catchy bands mentioned as influences. How about Abba? I think there's many
similarities.
Michael
Gould
Any band or musician who says they aren't influenced in some way by Abba is a shit breath liar and therefore does not deserve your time or money.
I only got to see The Wildhearts once. It was
fantastic while you played, but you can't have been on for more than an
hour. Why? When you next tour, how about some longer sets, and will you be
doing any Wildhearts songs?
Michael
Gould
The sets were short because I was playing with two broken ribs. This is extremely painful when breathing, so singing hurts like nothing you can think of... ever. I guarantee that you could not have played any longer. I was in absolute agony, but I figured the show (albeit a shorter show) must go on. And I know for a fact the crowd would have preferred a shorter gig than no gig at all. Of course I will play longer in the future. I'm fitter than I've ever been in my life and I'm so psyched up that by the time I get back on that stage you will realise how much you've missed me!
Just wondered whether you've heard of a band
called P.H.L.U.I.D. (wonder where they got that idea from) with a drummer who
calls himself Ginner (who models himself on yourself). Yet they claim not to be
influenced by you in any way. I wonder how it feels to be an inspiration to
young musicians. Unfortunately their music is pretty dire. And Ginner has an
unfortunately high voice, so when he squawks things from behind his drum kit he
sounds like Orville on helium.
Jamma
It's a pretty good feeling even though, unless they're from another country, they never admit it. Maybe this is the 'cool' generation where people honestly think they are inventing something instead of just carrying on a tradition like all the other generations. It makes me glad that I'm not a young musician!
I've just been looking through the lyrics on
Endless, Nameless and (probably from reading too much into it) I'd say that
it's an album that shows utter misery and frustration courtesy of too long
in the drugs / music scene - especially Danny-related stuff like Pissjoy and
Why You Lie. Is this true or am I talking bollocks?
Andrew Wren
The lyrics definitely reflect the confusion and paranoia of the time, but to say they were all about Danny is grossly unfair. If you look at the lyrical content of any Wildhearts album, you'll find similar subject matter. We were obviously not overly keen on airing dirty laundry in public (but it does make for a good story!)
Please tell me about the samples that you've
used on various songs - the intro of Sky Babies, the 'fuck' outro of
All American Homeboy Crowd and the outro of In Like Flynn. What are they and
where are they from?
Jens
Gallmeyer
We use so many bits and pieces it would be impossible to remember where they're from. Usually bits and bobs recorded on my dictaphone.
If it's possible, please let me know more about
your unreleased song called Where Did Everyone Go. CJ from The Jellys said this
song was like a blues.
Yasuhiko
Yashiki
This is a really cool song about loneliness that will be on the new CD of unreleased Wildhearts stuff that I'm working on.
Star Trek or Star Wars?
Nik
Star WAR - the track off the Super Shit 666 album that Dregen sings.
Do you have any plans to do something other than
music, like write a book or direct a film or something?
Hicks
Yeah, you bet. I've got a couple of irons in the fire at the moment but I can't say too much about them yet. Bad luck! But rest assured I will not die with an epitaph that reads 'Ginger... used to sing in The Wildhearts'.
Is Prozac a good idea?
Ste
No. It's harder to come off than most street drugs. Too little is known about the long term effects, but the latest results don't make it look too likely that it will ever be this common a prescription for depression. There are other anti-depressant drugs that have been proven to be more effective and more gentle. Ask a doctor for advice on non-zombie medication. Research on mental problems has advanced and subsequently the drugs have come up to date. Alternatively, you could try getting fit and eating well. Join a gym and, if you can afford it, get a personal trainer. I know this sounds a little straight. If you look good you do feel good. Also, drinking and taking drugs seriously affects ones emotions. Try spending some time off all of your vices, get in shape and see if that works. I guarantee that ten weeks of solid exercise works better than any anti-depressant.
Which are your favourite biscuits?
Andy
Disco biscuits.
I was at the Rock City gig on the Endless, Nameless
tour where just about everything seemed to be going wrong. You said that gigs
there had a habit of fucking up and added that it was a shame because that
night was usually one of the best on the tour. Which venue is best and
who's got the best crowd?
Andy
All venues are special for their own thing and to single any one out is unfair. Nottingham Rock City is special for its own type of welcome that only Andy Copping could manage to arrange!
Have any groupies left you itching where you
wouldn't like to be left itching?
Andy
All of them.
It's documented that E**tW**t failed miserably
to fund the best band in Britain, so how come you can afford to venture off to
LA etc when I've got a regular income and can't afford to go down the
pub?
Andy
Because you are paying for rent and a car or something and I got rid of mine to come here. Either that or you have a really shit job, in which case leave and move to another country to get a good one. There are always more excuses than reasons.
I can't release any E**tW**t stuff as they own it and it would get me into very deep shit indeed. It's illegal for me to release or make any money from most of my material.
On the Caffeine Bomb EP it says that you made the
cover illustration. Does this mean you drew it? Any other artwork
around?
Brina Francavilla
Yep, I drew it and no I don't have any other stuff available. But I'm sure that will all change in the future, now that I have a bit more control.
If you can excuse me being slightly cynical here,
Backyard Babies and especially Dregen seem to be milking their connection with
you, and on every possible occasion seem to allude to your relationship. Do you
feel that they are relying on your reputation and connections to further their
career, especially in the respect that they are including 'x' amount of
your own songs on their next album, and in a recent Kerrang! interview put you
up in the realms of Satan, Jesus and Hitler?
Paul Lever
Dregen is a good friend and he can mention my name as much as he wants to! What on earth is wrong with that?
At the end of Fire Up, the intro of In Lilly's
Garden starts to fade in. Was this intentional or was Fire Up originally
supposed to be on p.h.u.q.?
Matt
Tritico
Yes, that was supposed to end like that. It was recorded before In Lilly's Garden and we were assured that In Lilly's Garden would be the big single from the album. Big budget, etc. And, of course, E**tW**t didn't even release it as a single at all. So the joke back-fired a bit!
In the Q&A, you were talking about releasing
Tokyo Suits Me in the UK. My question is this: have you fallen out with
Mushroom? Can't they release Tokyo Suits Me?
Martin Gower
I don't think Mushroom would want to release Tokyo Suits Me after the last time they worked with the band. Let's just say we weren't the easiest signing in the history of Mushroom Records.
I've been a Dogs D'Amour fan for 13 or so
years now (fuck, I'm old) and loved your version of Heroine 'cos it
sounded even more screwed up than the original (and I identify with
'screwed up'!). I was pissed off, though, that the press saw it as just
a drugs song where I see it as being about obsessive love too. What did it mean
to you when you decided to record it?
Sarah Bates
We were sitting in the pub talking about how we hadn't seen Tyla or Bam for ages and just started singing the melody to Heroin. We went back to the studio and rattled it off in about half an hour. It reminds me of why I got into this stupid business in the first place. When things go right this is the best way to make a living in the world. That song is such a beautiful thing that it sort of skips the drug references and becomes art. I see huge similarities between addiction and love anyway. Both are a result of prolonged weakness of spirit.
Have you heard the new Monster Magnet album? I
can't recall if you said that you had. Is it not the bollocks? Do you agree
that the second 3 Colours Red album is simply bollocks? The first had some
great punky tunes, but Paranoid People? Come on... Can you play the UK gigs in
early July, please? Rather than late July? I missed last year's 'cos I
was in Jersey working, and probably will this year too.
Jamie
The new Monster Maggott album is superb. And no, I'm not a massive fan of 3 Colours Red. I don't know why, but I just don't like 'em. They sort of put me to sleep, which is a good thing if you like sleep. Sorry, I'd like to postpone the tour for you but it's already booked, so tough.
I figured that it was about time someone sent you a
slightly opposing question, so here goes. My main regret about the split of The
Wildhearts is that the last time I saw you live (Cambridge, July '97, just
before the release of Anthem), I walked away disappointed. Since 1993, I have
always come away from your gigs ecstatic and close to tears. I'm not sure
why this occasion was different. I'm not sure if it was because the PA was
awful, you were suffering a broken rib or because you played mostly Endless,
Nameless material which I grew to love on record, but had not heard at this
point. I was just wondering what your views of that tour are. Maybe you
remember that gig as being one of your best? Just curious.
Dazz
We were a very unhappy bunch of guys at that point. If a band as honest as The Wildhearts are having a bad time it shines through everything like a beacon. We just can't lie! So all I can say is I'm sorry for what was a sub-standard show. It was the very end of the band and no one was too joyful about it. But look at it this way, in 5 or 10 years, when you've seen another few hundred faceless bands put on safe, lifeless shows, you are going to think back to the Wildhearts gigs and wish bands could be that erratic again. Rock 'n' roll is supposed to be 'the best and the worst'. The dodgy gigs show the band to be human, and the good ones remind you why you like it in the first place. This is why I got into this business, for the spontaneity. Life is up and down, so why shouldn't the soundtrack be too?
Are you really secretive about your real name?
'Cos it's printed in some encyclopedia of rock as David Walls. I prefer
Ginger, personally.
Shteevan
I'm not secretive about my name, it's just that no one knows it.
