Montpellier backstage 1982

Radio Alligator, backstage Montpellier, France, 03 June 1982 (never aired actually !)

- How was it here playing in such a bad place ? Do you feel bitter or really disturbed somehow ?

Robert: Huummm, we’ve just, anyway, played in far worse places than this. That was all right on stage. Somehow...

- Did you expect few people like that or many more ?

Robert: I didn’t expect anyone, never do.

- It’s the second concert here. The first concert was a success. Do you feel this one is as good, or somehow better to do ? How do you feel after the second concert in Montpellier ?

Robert: I don’t actually remember the first one, so I’ve got nothing to compare it to. I mean, on the whole it was all right, there were some good bits and there were some bad... I mean, it was pretty bad tonight, I thought. But it was ok, there's nothing particularly wrong with it, it wasn’t a very good atmosphere.

- Do you believe your music is somehow issued from the current local situation in England, the social, economical, political situation ?

Robert: Hummm... No, not exactly, although obviously the social climate of where we live is gonna influence what we write. I think it shows more in the new album, Pornography, because we actually were in England for six months, and the two previous years we had only been in England for a total time about four months in two years. So it’s far more agressive. It’s pretty awful in England at the moment... But it’s awful anywhere.



		Radio Alligator, backstage Montpellier, France, 03 June 1982 (never aired actually !) - How was it here playing in such a bad place ? Do you feel bitter or really disturbed somehow ? Robert: Huummm, we’ve just, anyway, played in far worse places than this. That was all right on stage. Somehow... - Did you expect few people like that or many more ? Robert: I didn’t expect anyone, never do. - It’s the second concert here. The first concert was a success. Do you feel this one is as good, or somehow better to do ? How do you feel after the second concert in Montpellier ? Robert: I don’t actually remember the first one, so I’ve got nothing to compare it to. I mean, on the whole it was all right, there were some good bits and there were some bad... I mean, it was pretty bad tonight, I thought. But it was ok, there's nothing particularly wrong with it, it wasn’t a very good atmosphere. - Do you believe your music is somehow issued from the current local situation in England, the social, economical, political situation ? Robert: Hummm... No, not exactly, although obviously the social climate of where we live is gonna influence what we write. I think it shows more in the new album, Pornography, because we actually were in England for six months, and the two previous years we had only been in England for a total time about four months in two years. So it’s far more agressive. It’s pretty awful in England at the moment... But it’s awful anywhere.
	- The reason I was asking : the rhythms are very severe... Robert: Yeah, I mean, it’s not specifically England... Anyway it’s just everywhere. There’s also age, we’re getting older, getting near to the end of doing something. - What kind of music do you personnally listen to, without being influenced by it ? Robert: Frank Sinatra (laughs). - Anyone else ? Robert: Erik Satie. A lot of people... Ligeti. I listen, I tend to listen, try and listen to things that aren’t our peer groups. Things that won't influence me. I mean bands I like are playing in the same spirit as us, I like the Banshees, Echo and the Bunnymen, my two favourite bands at the moment. - What kind of music has influenced you ? Has any music influenced you ? Robert: I don’t know, really. On each album, or on each record, there’s usually some influences. It’s not necessarily musical though. I remember there's a lot of Gregorian chants music influenced Faith, and Seventeen seconds was influenced a lot by Eno’s atmospheric stuff. The actual sound but... - What about the last record ? Robert: That hasn’t got any musical influences at all, other than being influenced by ourselves. We just wanted to do something that was quite different to what we’ve done before. - Do you believe the video you put at the beginning of the concert... Robert: "Drugs and sex". - Do you believe it’s well accepted by the public ? Robert: No ! We don’t always show it, just sometimes. - Why did you choose tonight ? Robert: Well, Ric, the bloke who made it, Simon’s brother... He chooses, he decides if he wants to show it and we just let him, so... - You’re not personnally interested in movies ? Robert: Yeah I am, but up until now we haven’t done anything that would achieve what we seek out to achieve... The music is different, and we’ve done loads of things, film soundtracks and stuff, but we’ve never shot. This is only like the second film we’ve ever shown in public, it used to be worse than that (laughs). No, I mean, eventually... - You'd like working there ? Robert: Yeah, it’s difficult to imagine...(smile). Eventually we will do something that we’ll devote some time, but usually there are like just one offs, so they’re not really meant for public consumption. But they sometimes get shown, like tonight. Sorry ! - One question that doesn’t have to do with music... Would you care about the Falkland Islands being British ? Robert: No. - Not in the least ? Robert: Not in the least. I think that everything that has to do with nationalism is a sort of... I don’t think I should run to Argentina... I don’t think any country should have its boundaries... All problems lie in the idea of boundaries and nationalism and culture. Like Europe divided, it's exactly the same. There’s nothing I can do to change it, so therefore I just divorce myself from it. I wouldn’t join in the Army to fight for it. - It seems that a majority of English people are following what’s happening there ? Robert: Yeah but it's... I mean, I think Argentina only invaded the Falkland Islands purely to direct the public’s interest away from what was happening in Argentina. But it’s almost happened to a degree in England as well, I mean, media and everything... And everything else is forgotten because "the boys are fighting the Argentinians". And it’s got to the point where it sounds almost like a joke, really, I think. I mean, I’ve got no regards for human life sometimes, so in that sense it doesn’t worry me. But I don’t know... England is in the right I suppose, 'cause it was invaded. - You suppose ? Robert: Yeah, I mean the idea of colonialism and who actually owns the Falklands is something other than... No, it should... It can’t be settled by force or anything. - Ok. I'll make it sure this interview is on the air tomorrow, is there something else you wanna say ? Robert: No ! - Is there something you don’t wanna talk about ? Robert: Humm... my little sister. - You don’t wanna talk about your little sister ? Robert: No, not at all ! - Can you still give me the address of your hairstylist ? Robert: My hairstyle ? Simon does it. - How is he called ? Robert: Simon. Our bassist... He’s a part-time bassist, full-time hairdresser. - Can you tell me what was your motivation for the concert in Bourges ? You know, during the festival, in April. Robert: I don’t remember it... - We do ! Last month, you gave a concert in Bourges, in the Printemps de Bourges... With Durutti Column. Robert: Oh yeah, that’s right ! I remember that. Yeah, I enjoyed that. It was good. - It was a very different concert from this one... Robert: Yeah. - Tonight you played new tracks that you didn’t do in Bourges... Robert: No, hummm.There was... The main reason for that is that we only knew about it a couple of days before, because we were all in different parts of the world. And we hadn’t rehearsed any of the new songs, we didn’t know how to play them. That was the only reason, really. I liked it, I really liked the Durutti Column. That was a really nice day but I don’t think we were very good that day. - Can you tell me if the new songs you played tonight will be recorded later ? Robert: Some are already recorded, there’s only a couple of unrecorded ones, but... I don’t know, I’ve got no idea of what we’re gonna do next. We’re gonna stop for a while, I think. Anyway, not do anything. - Sorry, a last question : is there a special French band or French artist you especially enjoy ? Robert: (...) - Hard question, sorry ! Robert: Yeah, it is. I seriously don’t know any ! - We have a few, they are pretty good, you know... Robert: Name one, and I might have... I honestly can’t think of one. This is being horribly English but... - Do you listen to Marquis de Sade ? Robert: Marquis de Sade ? I hate the Marquis de Sade ! - Orchestre Rouge played in Bourges too... Robert: Who ? - Orchestre Rouge played in Bourges too ! Robert: Did they ? Oh yeah. I wasn’t there when they played, I was in the bar, down the road (laughs). I would have liked to see them actually but noone told me they were on stage, so I didn’t know. Who’s a good French band, then ? In England you only get German bands, really... - Do you listen to French radio ? Robert: What ? In France ? No. Well, it might be French, I don't know. I listen to a station that plays Indian music. It's really always Eastern music. - Listen to this radio (interviewer gives Robert a Radio Alligator sticker) ! Put it on your bicycle or your car or... Robert: On my guitar ! - What do you think about this wine (pointing to Robert's glass) ? Do you have the same in England ? Robert: No. It's got orange juice in it... - (interviewer laughs and makes a face) (Interview : M. Fulcara/Radio Alligator -local radio-)