3rd November 1999
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Any news on the release of your SilverGinger
project thingy? I've been waiting on that forever!
Lissa Bryant
No release date yet I'm afraid. I'll have to finish the album first, and anyway I don't believe in release dates any more. I've become an agnostic. The dates in the Bible are more believable.
How do you feel?
Gav B
F.I.N.E. (Funning It No End).
Super Furry Animals. Fuckin A or what?
Neil
Super Furry Animals are the best band ever to come out of Wales, in my opinion. I love 'em with every fibre of my person, every atom of my being, etc, etc. I think that Ice Hockey Hair is their best song, and what a fucking song it is. That end bit where the drums come back in... bejesus mother, that's class, that is. And I'm talking class with extra emphasis on the yowza... or simply C.L.A.S.S. (Clearly as Lovely As Super Shit).
Firstly, thank you for Inglorious', undoubtedly
your best work... to date! Secondly, what do you think of: Stiff Little Fingers
(as mentioned in 29 x The Pain), Mott The Hoople / Ian Hunter, Anti Nowhere
League and those other lovable Geordies, Angelic Upstarts? My idea of Heaven
would be for you and Jake Burns to write a few songs together.
Mark Wilson
Stiff Little Fingers: they were the most popular punk band in South Shields when I was a wee scruff (apart from the Upstarts, obviously). You couldn't go to any punk club without being magnetically drawn to the dance floor by On The Edge, Alternative Ulster or Suspect Device. I loved them more than The Clash at the time (now that the Clash are currently hip people will probably deny this, but in my neck of the North it was number one Fingers, number two The Clash). Jake Burns was it. In fact, when The Wildhearts were auditioning for a singer, he was the blueprint for our ideal voice. It took a while before I realised that I sounded more like him than any of the warblers that turned up!
Mott the Hoople: I was a bit too young to really 'get' them when they were around. I love them now, of course (Roll Away The Stone is part of my all time top 20).
Anti Nowhere League: the greatest looking punk band ever. Animal looked like what I wanted to look like. Unfortunately, I was too young to have had that many years of abuse!
Angelic Upstarts: c'mon, I'm from Shields... they're the royal family, man.
I've just been to a storming 'A' gig at
the Fleece and Firkin in Bristol. Have you heard of this top class rock band? I
haven't enjoyed myself so much since I saw Clam Abuse there earlier this
year (by the way, how is Alex's head?).
Rachel Hambleton
'A'? I fuckin' love that band. Apart from having the best voices in this country, the greatest chorus of the year ("old folks are losers, they can't work computers" - class), and the fact that they are unashamedly hardcore fans of ROCK, they have made me gasp in sheer joy at two of their songs - namely, Ender, from the first album, and Last Girl, that was relegated to a B-side (?????). Oh yes, they most definitely rock with a capital 'yeah'. Alex has recovered from his fight with his microphone (and I can report that the mic came off worse), but I can't vouch for the insides of his head.
Do you dig Korn at all?
Lissa Bryant
I don't like Korn at all. It makes me feel old, but I really can't hear anything attractive in their sound. But hey, maybe that's the attraction.
What's your favourite Hellacopters
song?
Chotto Shio
My favourite Hellacopters song is Gotta Get Some Action Now, but it's closely followed by my second favourite, which is Like No Other Man, from the second album. Maybe if it sounded like their first album then that one would be my favourite.
Comedy wise, what do you reckon to Eddie Izzard and
South Park? And music wise, what is your opinion on Stereophonics and Baby
Chaos?
Lee and Nat
Eddie Izzard is one of my all time top five stand-up comedians (the other four are probably Bill Hicks, Dennis Leary, Jerry Sadowitz and Ned Kelly, with Jo Brand and Harry Hill to make it a tidy seven), and South Park is easily the greatest cartoon to ever be. Now and forever... amen. Have you seen Alfred Packer: The Musical? It's written by Trey Parker and features Matt Stone, and it's the absolute last word in cannibal, gold-mining, comedy musicals.
I don't get Stereophonics' popularity. I think they're a really good band, but they aren't as good (in my opinion) as Groop Dogdrill, Cardiacs or Super Furry Animals (The Yo-Yo's haven't got an album out, before anyone sends me any hate mail!). Baby Chaos are the most underrated band this island has probably ever produced.
Yes, Cardiacs are brilliant, I'd have to agree
with that. Anyway Ginger, why are you such an arrogant prick? It's a pretty
simple question, really. I've been into The Wildhearts (and the Quireboys)
for a long time, I saw Clam Abuse in Leeds in July... but there was something
like "I'll never play Germany again 'cos the birds are too
ugly" in the German Metal Hammer three years ago (were you frustrated
because AC/DC were more popular?). It's not really an important question,
but if you're desperately looking for a record deal, politeness might come
in handy. Go on then, answer my question and make me look a complete twat, I
know you can. I still love your music and you're not that unattractive for
an English bloke, either...
Svenja
Oh dear, three years seems to be a millisecond to some people, doesn't it? In the last three years I've been to many lovely places, met many new friends, made some very strange music, tasted all that is good and bad in people and split up with The Wildhearts. What have you been doing, apart from staying upset about something someone said in an old interview? C'mon, force yourself to change and expand... it's fun.
To tell you the truth, it doesn't sound like me calling girls "birds", and I can't remember having an opinion on German girls either way. Now, if you had heard that "German AC/DC fans are the most humourless bunch of wankers I have ever had the misfortune to play in front of," then that was probably me. Though I'm sure amongst the thousands of people sticking their middle finger in the air and booing (before we'd even played a note) there were a lot of lovely guys and girls who really like having a good time and enjoy giving a new band a decent chance to show their ability. I'm sure that I would love Germany as much as any place I have been made welcome. And Alex (being German) assures me that the sense of humour is so dark that the rest of the world doesn't get it. I know some gorgeous German people of both sexes, and there isn't any country in the world that specializes in breeding 'ugly' people.
I am not looking for a record deal, and would never be polite just to satisfy anyone but myself as a tribute to my mother and my good upbringing. And I am an "arrogant prick" because I hate meek-minded people who think the majority has the upper hand because there are more of them. Being polite is a right, not an obligation, and some people just don't deserve it.
Thanks for the reply. I was amazed to hear from you
so soon (well, at all if the truth be known). I was really impressed by the
Clam Abuse album, and look forward to your new stuff.
Matt Slater
It's always a real pleasure to answer these questions when I have time. You understand that recording an album takes up at least 12 hours a day, which gives you no time left to do much else really (like writing lyrics or guitar 'tabs', whatever the fuck they are... oh, hang on a minute, Alex just told me what they are! Jesus, why don't people sit down and learn the chords for themselves? As I once feared / suspected, the easy access nature of the Internet is turning some people into lazy bastards).
If I can get an hour off recording, chances are I'm sitting here with my dinner writing to you guys... hence the often lousy spelling mistakes [rarely seen in public - Ed]. But thank God most of you are kind enough not to take advantage of the chance to talk direct to someone in a band that you respect. There are always going to be wasters that demand more than they get for free, but as the lyrics to a song called Government Cheese by the Rainmakers go: "Give a man free food and he'll figure out a way to steal more than he can eat because he doesn't have to pay." If these words remind some of you of yourself then shame on you. Karma always pays back, and it knows how to hurt you. Thank you, Matt, and all of you 'good people'...
I'm looking forward to hearing your new album.
If you have the time, could you please include the lyrics in the booklet? This
way I'll enjoy the songs even more. By the way, did you like the Dogs
D'Amour tribute CD I handed you after the Dingwalls gig ?
Brina Francaville
Rest assured I will definitely be putting the lyrics on the new sleeve! It will save me a lot of time explaining that I don't have time to send people lyrics through the post. I usually destroy them after the vocals go down on to tape anyway; it's just one of those habitual things. I really enjoyed the Dogs tribute CD. It's a pity such an influential band didn't get the critical recognition they deserved. But, hey, New York Dolls ended up on a car advert! Time has a funny way of showing appreciation.
I have a question about the sound you have on The
Wildhearts' CD, p.h.u.q.: did you play two guitar tracks? Or did you have
four tracks, two left and two right? And did the producer throw any effects on
them, or is that just plain Les Paul and Marshall? I'm asking because I
really like the sound of the record - it's really fat, not too clean and a
bit noisy. I would like to achieve a similar sound on my band's next
record. Also, how do you get such a fat drum sound? Is Ritch only hitting the
snare, or is he hitting snare and rim at the same time?
Sven Jesgarek
We only used Les Pauls straight through Marshalls. We (CJ and I) used to play one take live when the bass and drums were going down (all live), then bump them up by putting on another track each of the same rhythm guitar. I think the art of getting a good sound is to hit the guitar hard! Ritch hits the snare and the rim (perfect rim shots). Again, the art of getting a good drum sound is to get a good drummer that whacks 'em hard.
What guitar strings do you use? Rotosound? What
gauge?
Sven Jesgarek
I use any brand of guitar strings (they all look the same to me), as long as they're heavy (10s or 11s). Gotta feel that pain!
In the photos section, you're pictured with
Willie playing an acoustic at the 12-Bar Club. What kind of an acoustic is
that? I love the antique-ish colour and style.
Makito Kawata
It's a Fender Coronado, a very rare guitar that I saw in a guitar fair and spent my very last penny on. It just looked so wrong but so me! The guitars were made in '68, but not given the 'banana sunburst' paintjob until the early Seventies. And there's only two or three of them in UK. The only other person I've seen with one is the guitarist from Puffy.
I keep on reading in magazines that Stop Thinking
is an acoustic album, but is it truly an acoustic album? I beg to differ. Maybe
it's just me, but I'm sure I can hear electric guitars on the album. If
it is an acoustic album, then why were you playing an electric for the live
shows?
Makito Kawata
Stop Thinking is a total 100% acoustic album. There is not one electric guitar on the whole record. Even the bass is acoustic. We just put them through a lot of effects and stuff. And we used electric guitars on stage because acoustic guitars look stupid.
What inspired Jonesing For Jones, and what does it
mean?
Lee and Nat
Jonesing For Jones is using the term 'jonesing' (American slang for drug withdrawal symptoms) as a metaphor for missing a loved one. The sensations of both aren't entirely dissimilar, except for the fact that love is a lot cheaper (although sometimes not in the long run). It was inspired by my girlfriend of the time, whose surname was, funnily enough, Jones!
Can you please tell me what your favourite song
ever is? Also, what song of yours do you feel most proud of?
Tim Alsop
I really can't say which is my favourite song ever. There are literally hundreds. So all I can say is that my favourite song for today is Best Day Of Your Life, which is on Alex Kane's new AntiProduct album. I cannot, and not for lack of trying, get this tune out of my head. It's been two days now and it's frankly driving me nuts! The song I'm most proud of, of my own, is probably something off the new solo album (maybe Girls Are Better Than Boys). But I recently played Endless, Nameless to Tim Smith and was personally blown away by Thunderfuck. I am so proud of that album. So can I have two self penned faves? I can? Thanks!
I was wondering how different a version of Church
of the Broken Hearted you were recording I have the original on a bootleg (oh
the horror), and it is definitely cool.
James Ellaby
Church Of The Broken Hearted is now recorded as a 'gospel revue' sounding thing that defies all expectations of "large". swear the horizontal and the vertical are threatening to be issued with an injunction for not having a license. Would I exaggerate?
Now that you're getting a bit older, how about
doing a covers album (like Lennon or McCartney doing rock n' roll covers,
or Sid Vicious covering Johnny Thunders) of the artists who have influenced or
are influencing you?
Ian J
I would love nothing more in the world than to make a covers album. Unfortunately they don't make much money so I'd have to pay for it myself, and that means selling lots of albums of original stuff to pay for it, etc. It's a rickety bridge that, with the grace of God and a good stout stick, I will succeed in crossing. Patience, as they say, is a virgin.
How do you go about writing a song? Does the
inspiration come from a lyric, a melody, a riff, or just an idea? Sorry if this
question is as dull as shit but it's something that's been bugging me
for yonks.
Sam Brown
This seems to be the major concern among new songwriters. The basic truth is that there is no fixed way to write a song. Whatever comes to you first is your style. Tyla, Dogs D'Amour, always writes words first, whereas Tim Smith, Cardiacs, always writes the music first. I settle somewhere between the both of them. If it's a phrase or popular saying then I'll use that for a chorus; if it's a great riff I'll base the song around that. Whatever comes most naturally to you is definitely the right way for you. Don't be in too much of a hurry. Everyone's first songs suck compared to their later ones. And don't be too much of a critic. Whack 'em out at a fair old speed and you'll find you've got a style before you've got a hit.
I was wondering, what happened to Snake? Sorry, I
just had to ask, it's been bothering me for ages.
Chris Rodwell
Dunno what happened to Snake. If anyone knows his whereabouts, could they please ask him to get in touch?
