The Automatic Interview
How’s the tour been going so far?
Really good, I’ve kinda been surprised as it’s not exactly gig weather.
(The hatch on the side of our authentic 1980’s tape recorder abruptly falls off onto the pavement.)
Is that thing alright? Vintage... Yeah, I’m glad people have still turned up, it was sold out but I probably wouldn’t have bothered going! I’ve still not even seen our support bands yet. We were in Brighton yesterday doing our press photos for the next six months which involved wearing winter clothes as well as summer clothes. We were dying in the heat with knitwear and cardigans and jumpers on.
How long have you been touring now, the list of gigs on your website looks like you’ve not stopped since the start of May...
We’ve been pretty much on tour all year! We’ve just had gaps for recording and that’s it really. I got really tired last week and felt a bit shit, it was just too hot to enjoy the gigs. But I’m happy with it again now.
Are you looking forward to Japan Fuji Rock Festival next week?
I can’t wait, it’s going to be amazing! I just love Japanese things and people, it’s like another world.
Where are your most enthusiastic fans from?
Norwich I think, oddly. Only cos of one or two really keen fans who’ve come to about thirty gigs, and they’re not groupie-types so it’s cool. If they were, y’know, hopefully they’d try and fail and then give up, you don’t want to be turning up to a hundred gigs and still not have slept with the band!
Have you got any decent presents from fans?
Yeah, from our first crazy Japanese fan. I’m not sure where she’s from - hopefully she didn’t travel all the way from Japan – she gave us Hello Kitty bath sets.
Well, we heard of the band’s request for shrines to David Hasslehoff to be provided at your gigs so we’ve got a small gift for you in fact...
Oh cool! Put in brackets “rustling of paper”.
(Rustling of paper.)
Wow! The Hoff’s melted! He’s quite Tim-Burton-esque. You guys really need to get a hobby. Nah, you gave me a Hoff, you’re friends for life now! Is that a shark? And have you given him armpit hair too? Attention to detail, I’m impressed... Ahhhh, I’d forgotten how good Playdoh smells, it’s amazing...
What new music are you listening to at the moment?
I met the Young Knives earlier, I liked them, they’re pretty cool. And some friends of mine called Viva Machine are really good, they’re from Swansea.
Who would you like to see win the Mercury Music Prize?
I’d quite like Guillemots to win. I’ve never really liked Hot Chip. And Arctic Monkeys is a bit... Y’know. And they won’t want to win anyway, so why should they get it!
Brighton Concorde 2, 19th July 2006.
Interview with Pennie (synths / percussion / vocals).
Bonus Trivia: Pennie lost his virginity to Stevie Wonder. He is, however, keen to stress that this comment is only meant in a soundtrack-to-the-event sense.
