DOP magazin pop & off kulture

Otvaranje europske promotivne turneje u Hrvatskoj ne radi samo Beyonce Knowles. Nikako. Taj privilegij možemo dobiti i ako su u pitanju jedan od najvoljenijih britanskih rock bendova o čijem se kultnom i klasičnom statusu na ovim prostorima priča s posebnim čarom. Wedding Present predvođeni Davidom Gedgeom po prvi puta gostuju u Hrvatskoj u Zagrebu na zatvaranju 11.-og Žedno uho festivala u PETAK 30. travnja 2010. Tim će koncertom započeti svoju europsku koncertnu turneju, a kako su poznati po odanom sljedbeništvu, ekskluzivno za hrvatske medije frontmen David Gedge je najavio dolazak velikog broja fanova privatnim i skupnim aranžmanima direktno iz Engleske kako bi svjedočili njihovom PRVOM koncertu na početku turneje. Ekskluziva je u tome što će u cijelosti izvesti svoj najhvaljeniji i najpoznatiji album BIZARRO, te preostalo the best of odabir pjesama. Također, taj će trenutak popratiti i neki od najpoznatijih glazbenih medija u svijetu - poput New Musical Expressa (NME, www.nme.com) i drugih specijaliziranih glazbenih časopisa. Prije svih ostalih imali smo prilike ekskluzivno popričati s Davidom za vrijeme njihova sviranja u Americi. Interview prenosimo u integralnom obliku. Učite engleski i engleski rock.

* One of the new brit rock bands 1990`s are having the song on their first album and the name of the song is "Cult status". Would you mind to reveal us the question and the answer of Wedding Present cult status not only amongst the young Brits, but worldwide...

I think 'cult status' is how people describe artists who have been around for a long time without achieving huge success. These bands are usually not guided by commercial pressures, though, so they are free to make more interesting and challenging music...

* Was it hard to make it through the years and all kind of bareers in music business?

It can be difficult at times... but I'm kind of obsessed with what I'm doing, so I do not allow anything or anyone to stand in my way!

* Have you ever regret a lack of constant presence in the first commercial league of the brit rock bands? Or your situation suits you just fine?

I think we have done OK! It's sometimes frustrating to see terrible bands achieve success simply because of good fortune or the current fashion... but that's part of the game, really... and a lot of other really great bands never got anywhere.

* Are you nostalgic for the past times or you catch up with 21st Century?

No, I love the 21st Century! These are exciting times. The future has arrived... iPods, smart-phones, GPS, ProTools... people being able to travel all over the world... The Wedding Present playing in Iceland, Istanbul and Zagreb! Things are changing fast and it'll be very interesting to see what happens in the next decade.

* Please, if you could compare two of the Wedding Present beginnings. The one from the mid eighties and the one after the waving goodbye to Cinerama...

They are not really 'beginnings'. The only beginning was about forty years ago when I set off on this journey. I have been in a band ever since, just with different names... The Lost Pandas, The Wedding Present, Cinerama... it has just been a continuous project, really...

* And the situation you have found in the music scene and media...

I like the way the scene changes all the time. Despite what I said earlier, I've always been interested in the way that fashion is influential and styles change. It keeps everything fresh and moving forward. And it will be fascinating to see how people adapt to the death of the traditional media formats, too...

 * You have been compared with The Fall, Gang Of Four, Velvet Underground...which of those stickers makes you feel fine and which are completely wrong?

We have been influenced by all of those bands in a small way, along with many others... but I consciously try not copy any band in particular because I'm proud of The Wedding Present's unique sound.

 

* How did you come up with the name after the proceedor Lost Pands broke up?

It just came to me one day. I decided that it was an unusual name for a band... it sounds more like the title of a book or film. And I like that!

* And how about the Cinerama. It is also a boyfriend/girlfriend thing that became a regular band...

I suppose so! It started as a 'solo project' to which I invited guest musicians. I kind of forced my girlfriend to join the band because she has a lovely singing voice... but she wasn't very happy performing.

* Were you ever mistaken for Wedding Present when playing as Cinerama...or similar?

Not at first, because the two projects were separate and distinct... and very diferent... but later on the two bands sort of merged together, which is where we are now.

* Wedding Present was always more about the emotional feedback and transfer more the actual and big musicans knowledge, is it so?

Correct. We have never pretended to be brilliant musicians. I have always been more interested in energy and passion and just playing a modern version of rock 'n' roll, really!

* There were many line up changes and numerous people left, leaving you as the only constant in Wedding Present. Have you ever felt lonely for some of them? And did it ever influenced on the band sound?

It is always sad when someone leaves the band, because you have obviously worked closely with them and established a close relationship. So, yes... I do miss people who have come and gone... but at the same time when someone new joins they bring with them new ideas and enthusiasm and the band goes through a little renaissance.

* What was the John Peel`s role in your career and growing up as a worth musician? Was he really mass influental guy in that time in Britain?

Yes, he was very influential.He was almost too powerful, in a way, because on his recommendation a band could become successful... but it was much harder if he didn't like you. Fortunately for The Wedding Present, he liked our music! I personally didn't actually mind that he was so powerful because I thought he had great taste... and he was a good person.

* Why George Best for the first album. What was connection between Irish footballer and you as musician?

I grew up in Manchester and my team is Manchester United. When I was a child George Best was the star of the team as well as an icon in pop culture. He was something of a hero to me. But his tremendous success was coupled with some personal problems and I found his life story compelling. I guess you could say his genius was flawed...

 * "Bizaro" and "Seamonsters" became very successful...did it scared you or you have enjoyed being top 40 artist?

It wasn't scary at all... it was a fun time, if often slightly surreal. We began to appear more frequently on TV shows and the concerts got bigger and we started to play more often outside of the UK, but it didn't affect us as people or the way we worked.

* Could you share with us some details from RCA and Island era...

The Wedding Present has always been very independent minded so being signed to a major label didn't really affect the band at all, apart from earning us more money and enabling us to sell records round the world. I have heard horror stories after bands have signed to major record labels but we made sure we had artist-friendly contracts...

* Was it good decision or you would think twice nowdays before entering and signing the major deal?

It was a good decidsion because it gave us some financial secirity, bigger recording budghets and better distribution, but the record industry has changed a lot since then, so I don't know if that kind of deal exists any more.

* Scopitones is your own indie label. Do you control all the legal rights to your music?

Yes.

* You have worked with numberous people. And of them in particular and selected memory? Steve Albini - how was dealing with him?

I was always slightly disappointed with our early recordings. I mean, they were OK, but I never thought that they really managed to capture the big, full live sound of The Wedding Present. I was very impressed with Steve's work on The Pixies' 'Surfer Rosa' and so we asked him to record us. I was very happy with the result... I think he added an extra dimension to the recorded sound of the band. He's also incredibly entertaining!

* Few words about your still last studio album "El Rey". Is it named after the theater or Pablo - the famous drog dealer?

It was written while I was living in Los Angeles and so I wanted it to have something of a Southern Californian title. I also wanted to pay tribute to Elvis Presley - the king!

 * Your last official release is compilation "How the west was won". What is it all about?

In the old days we would record a few singles and b-sides to accompany an album release, but shops don't stock singles any more. So this time we decided to collect them all together in a box and release them that way... it's kind of 'the singles that never were'! It also included 'Holly Jolly Hollywood' the first 'real'' Wedding Present Christmas song...

* This year is quarter of Century for Wedding Present. Is it making you proud or you have mixed feelings and emotions regarding that fact?

I fell pretty proud, yes. And quite old!

* Talking bout the influences - ten years ago in Zagreb were band called Brassneck - fine guitar rock band mostly influenced by Pixies and you...ever heard of them maybe? And which are the bands nowdays you heas/see as the "children" of the sound you have come up ith two and a half decades ago?

I have not heard of that band, no. As for current bands who are influenced by The Wedding Present... it's hard for me to say. If I name a band and you speak to them they'll probably say 'The Wedding who?'!

* Tomorrow...for the Wedding Present - new album after this tour maybe?

 We are playing our 'Bizarro' album live throughout this year, but inbetween the concerts we are working on new songs. It's going pretty well and I'm hoping that we will record a new album next year.

 * Few lines for the audience in Croatia - dying to see you play...will it be the best of Wedding Present or playing more songs from particular period...

As I say, we will be playing 'Bizarro' in its entirety at the show, but we will also add some other songs if we have time!

You are very welcome!

Best Wishes,

David