Belfast Telegraph 10th December 2004



Ian Brown: I'm glad The Stone Roses split


Along with his band The Stone Roses, Ian Brown was one of the most important figures in the Madchester scene of the 1990s, but now he says he's happier being a solo performer. Ahead of his two Ulster shows next week, he gives his only Northern Ireland interview to Richard Purden

Ian Brown sits down and leans forward with his hands on his sides. The 41-year-old still exudes confidence without arrogance and he has the kind of charisma reserved only for proletarian superstars.

There's still an air of mystery about him and he hasn't lost any of his wide-boy charm and spark.

Before his Irish tour, he was playing a one-off gig in Greenock, Scotland - to kick-start a community project of which he is patron, working with teenagers in one of Europe's most deprived areas, trying to steer them away from drugs and towards music instead.

"We're not looking for kids who want to be stars but kids with a hunger to change things; all the best bands come from those backgrounds," he says.

Contrary to what many would presume, back in their heyday The Stone Roses were relatively clean-living - intellectual and political. They represented an intelligent working-class world view, which opposed parochialism.

For a short time they even boasted the best song-writing duo since Lennon and McCartney, but they were also a cohesive team - Reni was the finest drummer since Keith Moon but with added funk and melodic backing vocals. Mani's loose, flowing bass lines kept a distinctive rhythm to Squire's electric folk and effortless beatnik cool.

Brown has retained his scepticism towards the guitar and is now famous for epic soundscapes, poignant strings and funky breakbeats. Had he been in charge of his former band, maybe things would have turned out differently after Fool's Gold?

"I hear what you're saying. We were a magical group but we allowed John (Squire) to turn us into a fifth-rate Led Zeppelin. The dictionary definition of psychedelic is mind-expanding and that's what we were always interested in; I still say I'm making psychedelic music but it doesn't sound all Sixties with swirling organs; there's a thought process behind it all.

"I've moved on and worked with about 15 different musicians since going solo. I'm glad it didn't work out with the Roses because I've had an unbelievable eight years.

"The band I've got at the moment are the most talented and the best that I've ever worked with."

This year Brown has also dabbled in some acting, with a cameo in Harry Potter. Prior to that he had a shot at directing his own video for F.E.A.R: "That was a one-off, because I wanted to show the amount of waste in the music industry. It's a blank screen; fill it. There is no mystery to any of that stuff. I don't believe in art and I don't believe in people who call themselves artists.

"The people that call themselves artists love cash, they collect cash. A true artist would sit painting and would do it for the sheer love of it but they don't; they paint it, they flog it. There are no artists."

Evidently Brown can still come up with a slogan. "It's not where you're from; it's where you're at!" was his reaction to the localism of Madchester, a line he borrowed from Muhammad Ali's trainer. Brown has embodied something of all his heroes over the years.

In fact, individuals seem to drive him more than music. "My walls were covered in Ali and Bruce Lee growing up" he says.

Presently Brown is releasing some of his best work and has been joined on stage by a number of recent collaborators including Noel Gallagher, James Lavelle of Uncle and former bandmate Mani.

"People are really buzzing seeing us together because so many people's favourite groups are the Roses and Oasis; they love it. I'd say some of my best work has been with Uncle; they've done some amazing things. Be There and Reign are proper tunes. Me and James (Lavelle) have been guesting at each other's shows doing fundraisers for Stop The War and things like that.

"DJ Shadow (formerly Uncle) is a joy to work with as well. He's a dead good kid. I'd love to do an album with him."

Brown remains a voracious reader and still draws inspiration from religious and historical texts. "I read all factual stuff, I rarely read novels," he says. "At the moment I'm reading A Brief History Of Everything. If you don't understand science, that will explain it to you in layman's terms."

Scarcely drawing breath, he continues: "I've been reading The Scramble For Africa; it's about how all the European nations, except Russia, picked a county and pillaged it to become wealthy.

"Have you read that book Bearing the Cross? It's about the last two weeks of Martin Luther King's life; he knew he was going to die, he knew he was going to be taken out … he's a big hero of mine."






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