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Screaming New Messiahs - Pull up to the Bunker
BOBBY GILLESPIE'S STILL STAYING UP ALL NIGHT BUT NOW IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S A
BRBY IN THE HOUSE. OTHERWISE, IT'S ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR PRIMAL SCREAM AT THEIR
BUNKER HQ - WITNNESS COMETH, MANI'S BACK AND KATE MOSS, KEVIN SHIELDS,
ROBERT PLANT AND ANDREW WEATHERALL ALL FEATURE ON THE GROUNDBREAKING
EVIL HEAT
With the notable exception of
Motorhead, no British band has
caned it quite so hard and
consistently as Primal Scream.
Confirmation af this was supplied a
few years ago when, asked if he'd met anybody more
off their tits than himself, Shaun Ryder cacklingly
replied, "Yeah, fookin' Bobby Gillespie!"
Formed in 1983 Qs a Glaswegian riposte to Love
and The Byrds, the Scream Team's musical
mutations hove been directly linked to their
pharmaceutical intake.
"If the first album won acid and the second one
speed," Gillespie once acknowledged, "then the
third phase was E."
This "third phase" was of course Screamadelica,
on album that had just as much impact on the '90s
as Nirvana's Nevermind and Massive Attack's Blue
Lines. It was also the cue for even greater
hedonism, with the band debunking to Memphis to
record the Dixie Narco FP and developing a taste
for cocaine, washed down with copius amounts of Jack Daniel's. Then came
the brief flirtation with ketamine which, intheir leader's words, left
them "like a waking battlefield."
I'm telling you this because, despite reports of
them heave-hoing the Class A's, Gillespie looks like
he's just won the Olympic gold medol for Getting
Twotted. The disheveled hair, gaunt face and
thousand-yard stare...they can mean only one
thing!
"Yeah," he confesses, "I've a young son who wants
his daddy to wake up when he does, which is usually
four o'clock in the fucking morning," he sighs. "I
love him to bits but, y'know, there are days when
you'd gladly swap everything that's good in your life
for on extra few hours in bed.
"Sleep deprivation is like drugs - there have been
weeks recently which feel like one long acid
comedown, but the positives definitely outweigh
the negatives."
Does Bobby's embracing of fatherhood extend to
nappy changing and, if so, did he realise POO could
be that colour before wee Wolf's arrival?
(Looking mare uncomfortable than a man who's
juxt hod a lobster dropped down his boxers) Er, 'Yes'
to the first question and, 'No, It never crossed my
mind' to the second. Well, I knew it varies according
to what they eat but I didn't realms the colours
were quite so, um, vivid. This interview's getting
very psychological!"
They don't call me Sigmund Clark for nothing.
Before Gillespie reveals all about the Primals' new
album, Evil Heat, could he clear up the small matter
of Mani supposedly quitting the band earlier in the
year? A situation that was brought to our attention
by none other than Ian Brown.
"What did he say?"
Let me consult my notes. Okay: "He's just left
Primal Scream. Am I certain? Absolutely, 10O%
certain. The last time I spoke to Mani he was
sending two kids to dangle that Gillespie out the
window. He's in a new group now, man, called
Scorpio Killers. It's him and a couple of young lads
sounding like The Stooges." There then followed
dark mutterings about money and bank accounts.
"I think he got his sums wrong or something.
You'll have to ask him," Gillespie sniffs.
Actually, we did and were told by the boy
Mounfield: "Ian caught me in full rant. The beef is
sorted!"
So all is sweetness and light, then?
"It's fine, it's fine, it's fine ,"his bandmate insists.
Assembled over the past year in the band's own
Bunker studio, Evil Heat finds the Primals blending
the all out sonic attack of their last album,
Xtrmntr, with the beat-y goodness of
Screamadelica. A stroll down memory lane orjust
where their head is at the moment?
"He never think about what we did last. He just
go forward and do new stuff and the past is the
post. It's fucking anarchy, man. He do things our
way, fuck anybody else."
You can make your own mind up when Evil Heat
hits the rocks on August 5th, but I for one buy into
that explanation. There may be a touch of the
former glories about 'Deep Hit Of The Morning Sun'
and 'Skull X' - "That's short for skull exploding. A
fucking guitar holocaust, I love it" - but the rest of
the record sounds like nothing you've heard before.
A state of affairs that has a lot to do with a Mr. K.
Shields. Talking to HOTPESS recently, Alan McGee
sold port of the Primals' genius is the way they've
marshaled the My Bloody Valentine man's volatile
talents.
"Na, nobody marshals Kevin Shields," Bobby
qualifies. "He's a low unto himself. I think Kevin
Shields is a genius. He does what he wants when he
wants. He's a lovely fella."
So you don't require a Ph.D. in psychology to get
the best out of him?
"No, we're friends. It's simple. He's a nice
person."
McGee also tells a great story about himself, Gillespie, MMani and
former Primals manager Alex Nighengale bumping into Bono and going,
"never mind Third World Debt, what about kevin Shields
Debt?" The underlying theme being that a word in
the right corporate ear from U2, and their Island
Records labelmate would be freed fram him financial
shacklen.
"What happened in that we met Bono in a bar in
New York at the time he was aver there trying to
speak tar Clintan and the World Bank. Alex said, 'It's
all very well and cable trying to cancel Third World
Debt, but what about Kevin Shields? He wants to be
dropped. Can you help him?' Bono's reply - it's quite
funny, thin - was, 'Let's not lose perspective on this,
a deal was done!' (Laughs uproariously) I think
Kevin han managed to get off Island now, which is
good. Even when My Bloody Valentine ceased to
exist, they still wouldn't drop him or give him any
money. I suppose they'd given him a lot and hardly
got anything in return. Whatever, he's happy now
'cause he's a free agent."
I'm not suggesting that they've turned into the
Bruce 'C' Tarby of indie guitar rock, but Evil Heat
does find Primal Scream hobnobbing with their
celebrity chums. Having comeced in their 1997
'Kowlonki' video, Kate Moss goen one step further
and sings on the cover of Lee Hozelwood & Nancy
Sinatra's 'Some Velvet Morning'.
"We gave her a tape of the song and she fucking
loved it," her duet partner enthuses. "Her voice is
really European, like a young Nice. She's into Iggy
and classic Rolling Stones like Exile On Main
Street.. all the good rock 'n' roll stuff."
Was there any, shall we soy, electronic
enhancement of her warblings?
"No, not at all. Her voice is great. Her timing's
spot on, which probably comes from her being a
good dancer."
Another surprise is the involvement of Robert Plant
who blows up a storm on 'The Lord Is My Shotgun'.
"Robert lives near our studio and we're always
having a chat," Gillespie enploms. "I asked him
'Would you like to play some harp on a psychedelic
blues number we've got?' and he said, 'Sure. I've got
to go to America, but when I get back I'll come in.
What key's it in?' 'G'. 'Will you settle for C?' 'Done!'
We ran the song post him once and he nailed it
second take, blowing like a motherfucker."
Was he familiar with the Primals' oeuvre?
"Five years ago, when Page & Plant were playing in
London, I gave him Kevin Shields' mix of 'If They
Move... Kill 'Em', and a week later there was a call to
the studio saying, 'I love the EP. Would you guys like
to come and ploy with me and Jimmy in Eastern
Europe?' This is the singer with Led Zep! I don't
remember excatly why but the gigs fell through. A
shame 'cause apart from being one of the great rock
'n' rollers, he's a lovely guy."
Rather less unexpected is the return to the fold of
Andrew Weotherall, the man who took a throwaway
riff from the first Primal Scream album and morphed
it into the mighty 'Loaded'. The intervening 11 years
hove done nothing to diminish his talents with
'Autoboho 66' on acid doze anthem of epic
proportions.
"it's the best thing we've done since 'higher than the Sun," Gillespie
sates matter-of-factly. 'it's an absolute classic. when you hear the
track, you'll be blown away. It's as good as Kraftwerk. It doesn't sound
like them but it's go that melancholic,
beautiful driving feel."
Weotheroll also weaves his considerable magic on
'A Scanner', a gentle bleeper which relegates
Gillespie to the subs bench.
"Big deal. Doesn't matter. My ego... I don't feel
I've got to sing on it. That's how bands don't last."
There was much gnashing of tabloid teeth
last year when it was revealed that Primal
Scream were working on a song called
'Bomb The Pentagon'. Conveniently glossing over the
fact that it was penned prior to the September 11
outrages, editors and rentoquote MPs joined forces
in demanding that they be banned/tried for
treason/hove their testicles cut off. 10 months on
and its omission from the Evil High track-listing
suggests a sharp U-turn.
"'Bomb The Pentagon' was actually a line in a song
called 'Rise', which is on the album but no longer
contains that lyric. It was too specific. It would've
been tied to a particular place and time, which was
never the intention. The whole song's not about
dropping bombs on the Pentagon - it's a kind of
psychedelic rant with lots of different things and
images in there. You know what I'm saying? It might
hove been funny if all that hadn't happened but,
even then, I thought it won a bit sensational and
obvious. Rock 'n' roll needs to hove on air of mystery
about it. It would've detracted from not only the
song but the rest of the album as well."
Hating their foreign policy's one thing, but do
Primal Scream shore the Manics' general disdain for
America?
"It'd be nice to sell a lot of records in the States -
one because it'd make me richer, and two because a
lot of my favourite music comes from there. We did a
U.S. tour a couple of years ago and hod a great
time. What I wouldn't be up for is one of those 70, 80
date jobbies that turn you into a yegetoble. They're
so fucking mundane. Playing New York and Chicago's
okay, but I hove no desire to meet 'n' greet the
owner of Sam Goody's Records in Boise."
That's going to go down like a tonne of Six records
with our Idaho readers! While too busy scoring
Hollywood movies to join them in The Bunker, David
Holmes akayed the reworking of the track Gillespie
sung on Bow Down To The Exit Sign, 'Sick City'.
"Holmer's a fucking amazing guy. I was gonna give
him a call to see if he wonted to hook up, but
apparently he's bock in LA working on a film. We did
a lot of hanging out in New York (starts giggling)
which was fun."
Yes, I've heard a couple of the unprintable stories.
Was it the Bleach Boy that turned Primal Scream
onto the genius of Sun Ra, or vice versa?
"He wonted to make a record with the surviving
members in Philadelphia. Anyway, I think our
discoveries were mode independently of each other.
I sow Sun Ra in 1991 at Ronnie Scott's in London and
it was fucking amazing. They carried him on, like he
was going to be crucified, and then off again after
he'd blown the shit out of his clarinet. Shortly
afterwards he had a stroke and died.
"The only thingthat compares to that is the gig we did with george
Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars back in 1994. There was fucking 36 of
them on stage and, well, they tore the Brixton Academy apart. I
swear I saw one of the guys climb along the walls
like Spiderman. Either that or I was high."
One suspects the latter. Diehard fans will already
beau fait with the machinations of their Chalk Farm
studio-cum-club house, but far the uninitiated how
does a day at The Bunker pan out?
"Me and Andrew Innes go there every day from 12
till 6, and whoever else turns up turns up," he
reveals. "It's a good band - you've got Mani, Throb,
Martin Duffy, me and Innes. Then Shieldsy mixes and
plays live. Jagz and Weatherall do their bit as well.
That's the best fucking team squad in Britain!"
New albums are all very well and fine, but what
Hot Press readers really want to know is Gillespie's
take on his beloved Celtic and Rangers joining the
Premiership.
"We were talking about this today coming over on
the plane. Can you imagine what the violence would
be like if they were admitted? They'd became the
biggest games of the season for all the hanligan
crews. Here's a scenario for you - MilIwall get
promoted to the Premiership and bring their nea-
Nazi skinhead following with them to Celtic. Sorry,
that's not going to work."
Long-suffering readers may recall that the last
time Bobby and myself met, we spent a rather long
time discussing obscure punk records. I'm
contractually prevented from Littering the words
"Johnny" and "Moped" again, but there must be
other dusty gems we can prattle an incessantly
about?
"Well, the ones I'm listening to at the moment are
Ales Chilton 'Flys On Sherbet'; anything by Townes
Van Zandt; The Only Ones Even Serpents Shine; The
Saints 'This Perfect Day; and The Dead Boys' 'Sonic
Reducer'. A mate of mine, Grant Flemming, was in
the band Stiv Bators had after The Dead Boys, Lords
Of The New Church. They shared a house in L.A which
had Stiv in one roam shooting up all night, Brian
James awoke all day drinking in another and Grant in
the middle probably doing both!"
There you go, five records to get jiggy with this
summer. Mare frolics ore to be had an Sunday July 14
when Bobby Gillespie & Co. take to the main stage at
Witneess.
"We're on the same night as Oasis, which is asking
for trouble," he deadpans. "I don't know if it's us
leading them astray or the other way around, but
whenever we're in the same place, strange things
happen."
IT'S ONE FOR THE MANI, TWO FOR THE SHOW'
A word of advice for anybody who's thinking of
picking a fght with Primal Scream. Don't. Well,
not unless you're prepared to have mad
Mancunians waving steak-knives at you.
"We had a huge fucking fight in Austin, Texas,"
reveals the Northern blade merchant in question,
Mani. "One of the Sony people had token us to a
posh steok restouront far a slap-up feed. We were
hoving a ball till these three rednecks came in
and turned the TV above our heads on so they
could watch the bosketboll. We switched it off
and soid, 'Laok guys we're trying ta cot ond hove
o meeting here.' They completely ignored us and
put it back an, which was Innes' cue to go, 'It's a
fucking girls' game, anywoy!' Chesticuffs ensued
and then Innes, connoisseur that he is, wallaped
the ringleader aver the head with our most
expensive bottle of red wine. Nanoseconds later
this geezer's got his hands round Innes' neck
trying to strangle him; James Hunt and Throb are
jumping aver the table to drog him off; and I'm
threatening to slice his two motes up with my
steak-knife if they don't tuck right out of it.
"The police arrive and, well, we're going to jail
until this little old lady who's celebrating her
wedding anniversary goes, 'I saw it all officer.
These English lads were minding their business
when him, him and him started roughing 'em up.
After the cops had gone, she gave usa cord and
said, 'Me daughter's one of the biggest criminal
lawyers in America. I'll give hero call if you wont
and see if she wants the case!' Which she did!
That's the sort of shit you get into when you're on
the rood."
A cautionary tale for any Fairyhouse locals who
are thinking of taking the Scream Team an when
they arrive in for Witnness. A gig that the bond
started limbering up for last week with back-to-
bock shows at London's Shepherds Bush Empire.
"Gillespie - the jealous Scots cunt - said, 'You
won't be able to watch England in the World Cup
cause we ve got these dates to rehearse for', but
we nailed the entire set in three days. Apologies
for blowing our own trumpet, but we're shit hat at
the moment. The first show, as you'd expect, was
o bit nervy but the second was tucking amazing.
Soptal Ram, who was just out of prison, stayed up
partying all-night and then watched the
England/Brazil game with us."
How was he?
"In fine form. For somebody who's had 15 years
of his life stolen from him, that is. He still
reckons the state owes him a little bit of
something."
As one would. There was an added treat for
Saptal when the Primals were joined an stage by
farmerJesus &The Mary Chain man Jim Reid.
"We're trying to bully him into doing Witnness
with us," Mani reveals. "He was looking pretty
bored and up for it the last time I saw him, so who
knows? We've a new sang, 'Detroit', that Gillespie
didn't think suited his voice, so we got Jim to do
it instead. I made a new bassline up for it the
other day which has changed the texture of the
sang, so I dunno whether it's gonno make it onto
the album or be saved for a B-side."
While "glad that we'll have a proper khazi to go
in rather than one of them portaloos", Mani has
fond memories of his awn festival-going days.
"What was my rfist one? Oh yeah, I went to the
Deeply Dale Festival in Rochdale and saw a load
of punk bands like ATV. We tramped over some
fields and jibbed in for nowt - something which
me and me mates did every time at Glostanbury.
I've a goad mind to go along next year and prove
that this new tucking fence of theirs isn't as great
as they think it is!"
Little did young Gory Maunfield realise that one
day it'd be him up there on stage rather than Ant.
"I played some mad fucking festivals with the
Stone Roses," he reminisces fondly. "In America
an the Second Coming tour, we were sandwiched
inbetween Sheryl Crow and Duran Duran which
was as awful as it sounds. It picked up afterwards
when all their birds - including the bassist's
missus, I think it was - come and hung out in our
dressing-room. Simon Le Ban wasn't impressed
but, y'know, we can't help being red-hot fanny
magnets!
"Spike Island was memorable for the right
reasons - it was our awn thing and all our mates
from home were there. Another amazing gig was
Fe ile in Poirc ui Chaoimh. It was one of the lost
times the Roses went an and really did the
fucking business. It's the Scots and the Irish, the
Celtic people, who know how to cut loose and
hove a good time."
Do the Scream Team have a warm-up routine far
big gigs?
"See who can get the most drunk beforehand!"
he laughs. "Na, we just shake each other's hands
and go, 'Let's be careful out there!' It's like
leaving the trenches and going to war."
Words: Stuart Clark
Originally appeared in Hot Press, 17 July 2002.
Copyright © Hot Press.
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