An Interview with Neils Children (3/4) By Caroline Murphy

(1/4), (2/4), (3/4), (4/4).

Someone asked us the other day, do we look like this all the time. Well we do look like this all the time, maybe not as extreme, but it's the same style. It's just something in our personal lives that we put into the music to make it everything that it is. I think that's why some people really like the band, because it's the whole thing with us, and I don't think there's been a band like that around for a long time. I like the idea of going back to when pop bands used to make a big effort, I mean The Specials and stuff, sharp suits and pork pie hats, and stuff.

James: I think that's great, especially when you go to live shows, it lifts your performance. John: I think it appeals a lot more aesthetically to kids with a bit of imagination, maybe people who aren't worried to rip up a t-shirt and wear makeup if they're boys. It's like we could have always had those inhibitions to look like everyone else. We did, and I think that just says a lot about us as people, because we've chosen a more difficult path. If you know what you're about and you believe in what you do, that's alright, that's it.

Cari: Who writes your lyrics/music? John: I write them, then I come in and play the song -guitar and sing it to these guys. You can always tell from their immediate reaction whether it works. I don't think there've been many songs that we've worked on and they haven't sounded good. It's not an arrogant thing to say on my part, or as even as a band. I'm not saying everything we do is amazing, but it's because it's the only band we've ever been in and written for, so you just know how to write the songs for the band. I think it just really works. I don't know if it comes that easy with other bands, but it seems to be ok with us.

Cari: Tell me your top 3 bands to tour with, dead or alive, and why? Brandon: Early Pink Floyd, it would've been quite fun to tour with The Sex Pistols. Early Cure, I guess I'm really into that and I think we probably would've complimented them in them days.

John: Siouxie and the Banshees - there'd be similarities in the music I suppose. I think they've absolutely done their own thing, although they're probably not one of my top ten favourite bands. I just think it would have been good for us to do that. (Thinks...) Cari: I should've warned you about this one... ! John: Yeah! The Who in'66, with all their pop-art gear, and when they were really fuckin tight and really going for it.

That would've been amazing, purely because they were such an incredible band, full of incredible musicians. Maybe someone like Public Image. They didn't do a lot of gigging cos they didn't really believe in it, but the live stuff that you hear, from like '79 maybe, is just fuckin incredible. It really would've been great to see them cos the songs are fuckin ten minutes long. The perpetual motion of like one thing over and over again, and I think all the bands at the height of their powers were incredible actually. Even if not to tour with them, just to see them would've been amazing.

James: For me, The Small Faces, cos they were amazing, and I reckon they'd be a really good laugh. (Sorry James, couldn't tell what you said for your second one, but agree with your third one... sounded like Whirl Wind Pete! I'll have to look him up...). And maybe Nirvana, mid period Nirvana, just before he got really down... Cari: John, you reached No.30 in the NME Cool list - who would be top of your list and why? John: Depends how you define cool, I mean the way I think of it, it's someone like Paul Weller ... I think Paul Weller's quite cool actually, I think he always has been.

I think people get the wrong idea about it at times. I think people think The Jam's like bordering on a lad's sort of band and I don't think they were at all. I just think that some of the songs and some of the albums progressed themselves and I think they were one of the best bands around at that time. I think Paul Weller's great at writing songs.

Continued ...Next Page

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