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C = Claire Sturgess
M = Marie
E = Emmy-Kate
C: Actually I’ve just noticed there’s no tea, coffee or alcoholic beverage in front of you
and I’m very embarrassed.
E: We were offered an alcoholic beverage, but it was so bizarre that we had to turn it
down. It was very specific.
M: Strange
C: I know exactly what you’re thinking about, no we won’t go any further. We’ll get
some coffee in later. Um...so what are you up to at then?
M: Oh “what aren’t we up to?” would be a more appropriate question.
E: Indeed
M: Well firstly what’s happening soonest is we’ve started a club which is on...um....the
3rd of December in...er..a place called The Clinic on Jerard st. in London. It’s called
Shimmy
E: And that’ll be great. And also me and Marie are starting a new band so...
C: That’s the big thing question, we’ll talk about the club in a minute. Obviously after
the, I won’t say demise cos I don’t think it really was a demise as such, was it? (E: No)
It was just a decision you took. You decided (M: We did) you’d had enough.
M: We were like a big old pop balloon and we...we flew into the sky and a little too
close to the sun, like Iccarus and we exploded.
E: You’re mixing your metaphors terribly. The big pop balloon floated by the sun with
it’s wings (M: Of wax and straw which melted) that melted.
M: No we just decided, y’know pffff (odd blowy-out not caring sound effect) that’s it.
We’d been doing it for years, and years, and years AND years and we’d been having a
lovely time and we just thought. “ Y’know we could do this for years, and years, and
years, and YEARS or we could pack it in.”
E: So we packed it in
M: decided to do something a little bit different. try and Spice up our lives as those
crazy Spice Girls say.
C: Your fans are a very dedicated bunch and I’m sure you’ve been looking at all the
letters pages in all the weekly music (E: Yeah) papers, feeling very passionate about
you. Obviously wishing you well. Obviously, hopefully, listening tonight, just to find
out what’s going on....um.. I mean how has the reaction been so far? Been getting
many letters to yourselves?
E: Um..it’s been good actually, really encouraging. I mean there’s been a few sort of
fairly..y’know ( M: Crazy is the word). But y’know the majority have just all been
really supportive and people saying that y’know they’re really looking forward to
seeing what we’re all gonna do next. Despite the fact that, y’know they were quite sad
that we split up and everything. Cos I think Kenickie was the sort of band where the
people who did like us, really, really did. So, bless them.
M: It’s good. No, I mean the thing is with our fans, I think they realise that we didn’t
go “And you can get lost and you can shuddup, bye” and storm off. Y’know, it wasn’t
that sort of break-up really. And so they’re rather than, most of them, not all of them,
rather than going “Oh my god they were my idols it’s terrible” , cos most people don’t
feel that way about us. But like they go “oh well, that’s more groups then, I think. If
they all split up and do their own group, that’s plenty more albums to buy”.
C: Exactly and we’ll find out what else you’ve got planned and we’ll talk about your
club as well. But back to business. Why we’ve invited you here this evening. It’s the
X-rated Review, we like to talk about some new tunes that are coming up (M: Oh
excellent). Now...um.. what I want to play now is the Levellers who have a best of
compilation out, and they’ve..er..remixed their classic torch song ‘One way’ 1998.
E: Hoorah (M laughs in background)
C: Would you like to hear it?
E: I’d love to.
M: Oh go on then
(The Levellers are played)
C: In fact I sort of misled you there, I said it was gonna be remixed, in fact it’s just
been re-recorded and I think there is a difference. Because when you say remixed you
think dance.
M: You do
E: We thought it was gonna be sort of Gabba or something. (M: Yeah) But no.
M: Bit excited
C: Emmy-Kate, were you saying you’ve got a bit of a Levellers history?
M: Spit it out
E: Oh god yes, my Levellers past. My brother used to live with the singer from the
Levellers and so there’s small warm corner of my heart for them. Because..um.. they
used to get me into sort of all kinds of parties and things. when I was kind of 13,
14.
C: All kinds of trouble I thought you were gonna say. Really?
E: Yeah, cos..um...I used to come to London to stay with my brother, go to their crazy
parties, I had a great time. And although the Levellers, they may not be so cool, but
y’know I had a good laugh.
C: Lovely boys
E: Lovely boys
C: do you think that re-recording of ‘One way’, could you spot any differences in there
at all?
E: No
C: I thought maybe there was a chord change.
M: I think what they did was they’ve had a cup of tea, they’ve said “shall we re-record
this or shall we say we’ve re-recorded it? Now let’s all have a band vote” And they just
decided to say it. That’s what I would do personally.
E: Fair enough.
M: yeah, if that’s what they’ve done I admire them more than if they’d actually spent
days saying “ what did I play? Was it G to A?”
E: I don’t really see the point though. Seems a bit of a pointless move to me.
M: No, waste of time.
E: But, hey, there you go.
C: I think basically they’re doing that just to advertise the fact the best of is out
now.
E: Well fair enough
C: ah, the best of The Levellers. I mean how long have they been going now?
M: As I say about 40 or 50 years. Since the war
C: Seems that long
E: Yeah
M: Since the end of the 2nd World War.
C: And there’s a good 30 years in them yet, I think
M: Oh definitely.
C: Bless the Levellers, they’re okay by us. So anyway, new band. So what have you
done so far? Written some songs?
M: Oh we have
C: Have you just talked about it?
E: No! No actually we’ve been...we’ve had quite a work ethic about it. Um..sort of we
had two days off after the band split up. To sort of recover from our terrible hang-over
and also I damaged my foot on the night Kenickie split up. But that’s a whole different
story
M: Dancing to ‘Come on Eileen’
E: ‘Come on Eileen’ fell over, glass in the foot, in casualty by 3 O’clock. Anyway
that’s not the point so, we had two days off and then we started writing songs and now
we have loads. So we’ve been demoing them and stuff.
M: We’ve only been having a work ethic about it because she comes round my house
every day at about 12 and goes “Come on, out of bed now’s the time”. And I go “I’m
sleeping”.
E: I know, I’m the cruel task master of this operation.
M: She’s the ring master.
C: But I’m very impressed. I’m very impressed. Two days off and then off you go
again.
M: Oh I know, there’s no flies on us
C: Well you didn’t wanna take two weeks and fly off to the Bahamas maybe ( E: No)
just to wind down?
E: Not really. I mean it’d be quite easy to, sort of, run away from it all and hide and
then come back to find that everyone’s forgotten, y’know. And so we had loads of
new ideas and things we wanted to get them all done. We were dead excited about
doing new stuff. We went on.
M: And it was good. And it is good. We’ve remained good.
(Bjork is played ‘Alarm Call’)
C: I’ve read recently she has been thinking about giving up the whole music industry
because of these weird fans that continue to stalk, not just her but her family in
Iceland.
M: Stalk and tried to kill indeed.
E: It’s terrible
C: I really hope she doesn’t, because I think that’s a work of genius. Are you a fan of
Bjork?
M: I love Bjork, I think she’s fantastic (E: She’s great) I think she’s really good, and
it’d be terrible shame if she packed in making music and Bjork.
C: Exactly
M: I think, well, we both are of the opinion that there are always crazy people in this
life and they will hunt her down and find her anyway whatever she’s doing. Whether
she packs it in or not. It’d be a shame if she did. And that’s really good that one. It’s
ace.
C: You were a fan of the Sugar Cubes? Or is that a bit before your time? Cos you’re
quite young aren’t you?
M: I used to like the Sugar Cubes. I used to like, what was the one? ‘Hit’
C: ‘Hit’
E: ‘Hit’ yes, we used to dance to that down at the indie disco.
M: We did yes. No they were good. I didn’t like the bloke in the Sugar Cubes though.
He used to wind me right up. That bloke who used to go “Lalalalalala, (C: was that
Inar(sic?)? What was his name?) I’m so rubbish, lalala”
C: The really whiny vocal one.
M: yeah, he used to wind me up.
C: Emmy-Kate you mentioned how you used to dance to the in your indie disco and
now you’ve decided to start up your own club.
E: Yes
C: Now what inspired you to do that? Because there are plenty of clubs around town
which I’m sure you have frequented.
E: Oh yes we do, but we wanted to...er...have one that was kind of like our party,
y’know? Where we were the boss, like at school were you go “that’s my game”
Y’know? So we wanted it to be our game.
M: We’ve already drawn up the list of people who are barred and we haven’t even
started yet.
E: But no, we wanted to do something that we had total control over really and could
make exactly how we wanted.
M: I think alot of clubs, especially in London, are really up themselves as well. And
they only play records that are cool. They won’t play the records that people want to
dance to just because they’re not cool and because they haven’t been remixed by, I
don’t know. Who does cool remixes?
C: Oh, Fatboy Slim
M: Fatboy Slim, Apollo 440. These things haven’t been done so they go “No, I
think..I..no”. If you’re dancing to these records they go “Oh, I don’t know about her, I
think a bit crap”. So...like..but on the other side of this coin is the Kitsch clubs who go
“Oh isn’t it delightfully ironic”. I want to just get rid of all that and just have a proper
disco in the true sense of the word where we play records and people would just come
to dance.
C: So is this going to be a one-off thing, or are you hoping to have it maybe
monthly?
E: It’s going to be regularly. It’s going to be every other week.
C: And when’s it gonna be? When’s it gonna start?
E+M: The 3rd of December
E: But then it starts again on the 7th of January and then from then every other
week.
C: Right okay, so the one in December is sort of the inaugural party so to speak.
M: Gala opening.
E: there’ll be people arriving in limousines, paparazzi.
M: Prince Charles is coming, it’ll be really good.
E: Will he bring Camilla is the question on everyone’s lips?
M: We’ve asked the palace and they have no comment
E: Fergie actually probably will be there.
M: She probably will.
C: And it’s going to be at the Clinic. So give us some sort of idea of the kind of music.
Will you be DJing?
E+M: Oh yes
C: And what sort of music will you be playing?
E: What ever the hell we like.
M: Well yes we like ABBA so we’ll them and we like proper disco so a bit of
D.I.S.C.O. But probably Aerosmith as well and Motorhead and all the records we like.
Kylie is a big one (E: Hmmm) we love Kylie and Betty Boo really is a dance floor
staple.
So the 3rd is the inaugural night, we’ll look out for our invitations
M: Yes, wear a hat.
(Pearl Jam ‘Go’ and Metallica ‘Turn the Page’ are played)
Emmy-Kate and Marie, are we Metallica fans?
E+M: Oh we love Metallica
M: The crazy Metallica rock ‘n’ Roll guys, they’re brilliant.
C: Would you play them at your club?
E: Oh yes, we have done [Obvious reference to last DJing slot]
M: And danced at other people’s clubs
C: What like ‘Enter Sandman’ or something? Now have you seen them live?
E+M: Yes
E: I first saw them live in ‘92, which was very good. Whitley Bay ice rink. Me and my
friends lit fires outside and sat there all day, for no reason at all other than we wanted
to be there early. Erm... so I saw them then and I’ve seen them at festivals more
recently and at the Ministry of Sound last year.
C: Which was an amazing gig, wasn’t it?
E: They are so good.
C: What do you love about them . We were saying earlier that they are probably one of
the tightest bands live that you will see.
E: Oh they are so great, you’ve gotta see them live. I mean they’re records are good,
but live they’re just so incredible, honestly.
C: And there’s just no pretence either. Especially with the audience. You’re just there
to Rock basically.
E: One of their songs, Kids you’ve gotta love ‘em, one of their songs starts with a
sample ohweeeohooooo [or summat like that] and everyone sings it and then they
come in and it’s brilliant.
M: And everyone just wears a nice black T-shirt and some black trousers.
E: And shouts “Sandman, Sandman”.
C: not many mullets anymore as the short hair is in, so I’m happy. I also played you a
new track from the Pearl Jam album (M: Less good) called ‘go’. I must admit I have a
history with Pearl Jam, with the little woolly lumber jack shirts and the cut off
shorts.
M: Oh we’ve seen it, we know the fashion.
E: I had that fashion.
C: What d’ya reckon of the song?
M: I thought it was abysmal
E: No
M: appalling, terrible excuse for a record
E: Why? Why twice, why do we need it again? Y’know we had it once
C: We had it first time round
M: Here it is again, slightly out of tune.
E: Hooray
M: No, it’s bad. Bad, bad, bad
C: So you weren’t Pearl Jam fans first time round?
M: No, I didn’t, never liked them. I thought they were rubbish. Loved Nirvana,
thought they were great, bad name for a band.
E: I flirted with Pearl Jam, not personally but as a concept, cos I liked Heavy Metal
and they were sort of heavy metal.
M: I’ve just remembered (E: What?) the thing you said to me when Pearl Jam were the
fashion.
E: What? Oh shut up, what?(M laughs maniacally in the background)
M: You were just telling me that they were good and I was going “But they’re not”
and you went “Naw have you not even got ‘Ten’?” and I had I’d been bought it for
Christmas I go “Actually I’s have” and you go “Oh man you’re just crap,
shuddup”.
E: Oh god.
C: I thought ‘Ten’ was quite a good album actually.
M: No bad. Nice colour, the cover was good, sort of red.
C: Nice cover yes. Well that came from the new live album ‘Live on Two Legs’
M: what a stupid name is that? ‘Live on Two Legs’, ‘Live on One Hand’ Pearl
Jam.
C: Now some more music from a band who used to be Trans Global Underground.
These are Temple of Sound with ‘3 Dreads and Brew’ [I know this band’s agent]
(They play Temple of Sound)
C; Just want to tell you the names of the guys in the band Neil Sparks and Count
Dubulah.
E: Y’see I thought the record was really bad until I found out he was called count
Dubulah.
M: It was an amazing record!
E: D’ya reckon he wears a cape?
M: yeah and a beak as a homage to Count Duckula, his brother. That was really good.
I liked how every now and then someone would come in and go “wahey” and shout
something.
C: “3 Dreads and Brew”
E: Y’see (M: It was great) the more I say this record is bad the more Marie is saying
it’s good. So now she’s got it pinned down as a classic.
M: It is, it’s a modern classic, (E: But Marie is..) it’s a ‘Smoke on the Water’ for our
generation.
E: Oh shut up.
C: Marie, you can take this way with you
M: Hooray
E: Marie is the most faddy person I know.
M: I’m not faddy!
E: This is the music equivalent to the blender you bought that had too many
attachments and so you put it in the cupboard.
C: I was just going to ask you for evidence of her being Miss Gadgets. So it’s the
blender really.
M: I’m not, I’m not [ sounds hurt] this was really good and I’m not faddy at all.
C: Now are you fans of Mansun?
M: Yes, I like Mansun sometimes, and sometimes I think they should Shuddup so I’ll
with hold my judgement. For now. Sometimes I think they’re really good.
C: In what they say in interviews, or just their music?
M: No, no just when they start to...
E: ‘Stripper Vicar’ that was good
M: ‘Stripper Vicar’’s an amazing record
C: A classic already
M: Yes, but then what was that one went “Mwaynway” [or some such whiny
noise]?
E: The other ones
M: The other ones, yeah. They should shut up with all that business.
C: This is from ‘Six’
M: The concept album
(They play ‘Negative’ by Mansun)
C: What d’ya reckon?
M: It’s not as good is it? It’s no ‘Egg Shaped Fred’, it’s no ‘Egg Shaped Fred’. I think
they’ve got a bit miserable, I think they should cheer up. Really, No I do. I dunno
what’s going on with all these modern groups with their “aww, isn’t everything crap”
and it’s no good. People don’t want to listen to other people being miserable. Well I
certainly don’t. I think they should cheer up.
E: I think it was bad because I’ve forgotten what it sounds like already. I remember
there was a noise.
C: Y’see that’s not good
M: But I remember it was “Feeling Negetiiiiive” I remember that bit, he was
apparently. No that was rubbish frankly. And if Mansun were here tonight I’d tell them
to their face.
C: But you do still have a little soft spot for them?
E: Oh yes. I mean their crazy fans’ll love it.
M: Isn’t one of them called Shovel or Spade or Bin? or some such?
E: Trowel
M: Trowel, grout
E: Wheely bin, Wheely Bin from Mansun, me old Mucker.
M: One’s got a good name anyway, basically and that’s good.
(They play Paul Weller ‘Brand New start’)
C: Are you Paul Weller fans girls?
M: Oh I love Paul Weller.
E: She loves Mr. Weller
M: I think he’s great
E: I think he’s had moments of greatness and I don’t think that’s one of them. We
think that sounds a lot like something off the Still Crazy soundtrack. Which is very
good
C: I haven’t seen that
M: You have to go, it’s very important
E: It sounds like the work of the band in it who are called Strange Fruit, but that
sounds like one they rejected.
M: No it doesn’t! You’re being far too harsh on him
E: No, I’m sorry Marie, I know you love him, but that is just...
M: It’s great
C: So did you think the Jam were good Emmy-Kate?
E: Yes, the Jam
C: Because I think there have been some moments of greatness in his solo career
M: Yes so do I
E: I did not enjoy ‘wildwood’ I’m sorry I just did not enjoy that at all.
M: Oh well y’know, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t any good, it just meant that you didn’t
do something right, or something. No Mr. Weller’s very good and you admit yourself.
When we met Mr. Weller we were all very impressed
E: Did I say He wasn’t handsome?
M: No
E: He’s a very handsome man and he’s very physically impressive in real life.
M: He is yes
C: What do you mean by that exactly?
E: Well he’s sort of tall and dresses neatly and well.
C: Well turned out young man then?
E: Well not exactly young but I mean I don’t think that was very good. We all know,
everyone in this room knows it’s bad.
M: Well I thought it was good. Paul, if you’re listening you can come round to my
house and I’ll make you your tea. That’s all I have to say on that matter.
C: Well thanks very much. You haven’t come up with a name yet for the band?
M: We’re keeping it all under our hats for now.
E: We’re being quite cagey about the whole thing. We wanna come back with the
whole complete package and go “Here we are the new thing it’s great”.
C: Well when they’re done we’ll play them on the radio Okay?
M: Great
C: Quickly what are the other 2 up to?
M: They’re up in Sunderland and they’re doing their own thing and they’re very
happy.
C: I’m sure we’ll find out what they’re up to in the not too distant future
M: Oh you will, you will
C: good luck with the club on the 3rd
E: As I say, dress up kids, come down bring your dancing shoes.
M: Wear a hat, very important.
E+M: Thanks, bye
© 1997 xdk42@dial.pipex.com
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