United We Stand December 2004



What are you up to?
Painting, playing guitar, playing guitar, painting and bringing up kids

Are you making any music at the moment?
At the moment I'm trying to incorporate music into my next art exhibition, so I have a soundtrack for each painting, so there's music playing as you walk round the exhibition.

What, so would each particular song relate to a particular painting?
It's a bit of a vague idea really (laughs) I've not really thought it through properly yet; think I just made it up as I dialled your number. I've kind of got the concept sorted but not the practicalities. One of my art shows is coming up in Japan and I want to try and do it there.

They'll be able to sort it out over there won't they? I've heard that they're pretty futuristic in Japan.
I'm not too sure about that. When we played over there with the Roses they'd have venues that were acoustically perfect but there'd be a weird atmosphere. They'd be really well behaved during the gigs and didn't clap in between songs as they thought it was impolite as they might make noise over the start of the next song. There'd be a deadly silence… The Roses played over Japan; it was in Tokyo - our biggest gig over there. They had a video link from the dressing room to the venue so we could see the crowd before we went on. We were bottling it because from what we could see there was no one there. We were saying we weren't going out because it was empty but it turned out the way the camera was positioned it looked like it was empty because the crowd all had black hair and were sat down.

How did you get into doing all The Stone Roses’ cover art?
The Clash and Jesus and Mary Chain used Jackson Pollock a little bit and that was what got me interested. With the first two record sleeves - So Young and Sally Cinnamon – I tried to do my own thing. Then I started painting guitars and drums and did a shirt for Ian and then I went on to covers. After that I stopped trying to be original and started doing the Jackson Pollock copies.

What music are you into at the moment?
The Beatles. I got myself some Yellow Submarine figures a couple of years ago and my daughter really likes playing with them and she loves listening to Revolver in the car. She’s calling the shots over the music. She likes a lot of old soul too. We’ve been listening to The Beatles Live at the Hollywood Bowl as well.

Have any new bands impressed you recently?
I saw Kasabian on top of the Pops recently; I liked the fact that they were obviously singing live. They stood out as real people.

I wasn’t too sure about them but I saw them on Popworld the other week and the singer, referring to the little cock who presents it, said, “Can I just say that this guy is alright”. The presenter asked why and he said, “Well, my mates are always saying they’d love to fill you in.”
Reminds me of seeing the Bay City Rollers on Saturday Swap Shop when someone phoned up and said, “A lot of my mates think you’re puffs but I don’t.”

Has Morrissey’s recent comeback registered on your radar?
I wasn’t really into The Smiths. I was into Johnny Marr but not The Smiths.

I think Johnny Marr is making music for Shameless on Channel 4, have u seen it?
Yeah.

I saw the bloke who plays the dad in Marks and Spencer’s last week…
I saw Johnny Briggs in Manchester and he was dead small.

What Johnny Briggs off the kids TV programme?
No, Johnny Briggs who plays Mike Baldwin. I saw him walking down Deansgate. He’s really small. There was loads of building work going on and I really thought he’d fallen down a trench but he was that small in real life. I couldn’t get over how small he actually was.

He’s into music Johnny Briggs. He did a track with Alma off Corrie – a cover of something stupid I think.
I’ve got a Corrie album; I’ll dig it out and check.

Jack Duckworth sings too. He still performs every week up in Ashton.
I’ve heard he’s pretty good.

Did any bands inspire you when you were young?
There were plenty of bands that made us think it was possible; The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Generation X and The Cockney Rejects – they were always good for a laugh. I was more into London bands. I had mates who were into Joy Division, New Order and the Buzzcocks but Manchester bands always seemed a bit second division to me. Ian was into The Smiths.

How often do you make it to Old Trafford?
I don’t go as much as I should. I’ve got a couple of season tickets that I lend out to people.

What was the last match you went to?
I went to Liverpool. I thought Heinze was good. He reminds me of Denis Irwin. He has a real galvanising effect on the team. Steven Gerrard didn’t really seem like he was contributing much to that game.

What was your first ever United match?
My first game was the Derby. Stephen Husbands’ mum took me to the game. We were mates and he lived in the next road. I can’t remember what year it was or the score though. After that I didn’t really get involved until Mani got a couple of season tickets in 1990 and we started going together again. It was the Russell Beardsmore, Clayton Blackmore era. We sat in the corner half way up, next to Stretford End. We went regularly. We were living next door to each other in Chorlton, so we’d walk it there. It seemed totally different then, the ground didn’t really seem to get full.

What’s your favourite United game ever?
That’d have to be the FA Cup replay against Arsenal at Villa Park. I went to Barcelona too but I think the game at Villa Park was the one. I went to Barcelona and the FA Cup final with Roy Keane’s brother.

How do you know Roy Keane’s brother?
It’s quite convoluted really; my ex got to know a friend of Roy’s sister’s wife or something and we went to the wedding and the bloke getting married used to get Roy’s brothers tickets. He asked Roy if I could get tickets for the finals. It turns out Roy was into the Roses and I ended up going on this heroic drinking session with his brothers to Wembley and Barcelona… Roy ended up getting clearance off us to use a track for a T.V documentary or video. Can’t remember which track they used.

Who’s your favourite United player?
Mark Hughes for those volleys he used to score. Then Cantona, he used to read the game like he had a spotter telling him what to do from a helicopter. Me, Ian and Reni were snubbed by Bestie once on King’s Road. We didn’t ask him for an autograph, he just looked at us funny and crossed the road.

How come you decided to start selling your art prints?
Simon Moran (Manager) was looking for a promotional angle for my album and he twisted my arm into doing it. I’d always flinched at the idea because I’ve never considered myself a painter but I ended up doing it and they flew out. I was really pleased with it.

Are you going to release a third solo album?
No, I’ve dropped myself from my own record label (guffawing).

Why?
I’m not selling enough records (guffaws)

Why don’t you drop yourself and then resign yourself for more money?
It’s a good idea that. I might give it a try. Can you have a word with someone about it?

…I should have prepared myself for this interview really, it’s going to look really negative me talking about dropping myself.

What if I put laughs in brackets (laughs) so it doesn’t seem like you’re being too negative?
Guffaws would be better (laughs).

When are the Stone Roses going to get back together?
Today. Now, in fact.

When are the first rehearsals going to be?
We’re rehearsing now.

What, all the band?
Yeah, they’re all here now in the kitchen. We’ve got two drummers.

What Reni and Robbie Maddix?
Yeah, They’re both here. It’s got a Sigue Sigue Sputnik vibe to it. We used to cover their Love Missile F1-11 before Mani joined the band. We played it in Leeds or Sheffield. We used to do it in rehearsals and one night, when there were about six people there we thought we’d finish with a really long version of it.

Do you think the band will ever get back together?
I don’t respect the bands that have done that kind of thing.

At the time of the release of your first solo album you seemed pretty positive about the idea of a reunion. What’s changed your mind?
It’s quite confusing because I’ve got lots of great memories of that time but I can’t escape the fact that, it seems to me like, Ian blew it and then tried to blame me for it.

In what way?
All the stories about me having a coke problem being the reason for it, that’s just crock a shit.

I read somewhere that you were meant to be working with Liam Gallagher and Richard Ashcroft on some new stuff. Is there any truth in that?
Everytime I see Liam we're going to form a great band but it will never happen, its just the beer talking. I've not seen Richard Ashcroft since the Seahorses supported them at Slane Castle, they were just about breaking up so I don't think it was a great time. He made some good music. I was surprised to hear he doesn't have a record deal any more... perhaps he's labouring under the weight of his former band.



Huge thanks go to Owen (Sugar) who gave up plenty of his time typing up this big interview!




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