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JadeWeb
: What is your first musical memory ?
I was born in 1957, I have a vague recollection of 78rpm
records by Elvis and Lonnie Donegan, everything being in Black &
White and the word being "Rock n' Roll". There was nothing
like the saturation of pop music that there is nowadays, there just
wasn't the technology.
The first dance I learned was the Twist, a very good
dance for a toddler.
Which
artist or song has "affected" your childhood ?
It has to be the Beatles, they were more or less totalitarian
in their influence.
I grew up in the north of England and Liverpool wasn't
far away - my dad even took me to the Cavern Club where the Beatles
famously played. But in the daytime - I didn't see them.
I don't think there's been the level of saturation and
hysteria about any group since. I particulary liked the weirder
stuff John did with Yoko.
Did
you think of working in music ? What did you really want to
become later ?
I wanted to make psychedelic films. I didn't have any
musical talent. Later I realised I was obsessed with music and had
to make music whether I had any talent or not.
Are
there any disturbing or nice sounds that have "affected" your childhood ?
I hated classical music and church music, I found it
disturbing.
Did
your parents give you a musical education ?
I got sent to piano lessons, which I hated. My parents
said I could quit if I passed an exam - thinking that if I achieved
something it would spur me on to learn more and practise more. I
just passed the exam and then quit. I had no interest at all in
the crap I was supposed to play.The piano is not designed for a
child's hands - it's too big an instrument. Also it's difficult
to carry around and look cool with.
When I was about 11 I picked up an old guitar of my
dad's and my parents taught me the 3 chords they knew. It's the
instrument I most like to play badly for fun.
Can
you tell us about a musical memory of your childhood (a concert,
a show..) ?
When I was about 13 I went to Sheffield City Hall to
see the Edgar Broughton Band and the Pink Fairies. Broughton's van
broke down so the Fairies played an extra long set, then Broughton
turned up at the time the hall was supposed to close and insisted
on playing his full show, so the people who ran the place turned
the house lights on, but no-one would leave. It was brilliant.
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