Freebass Interview: Stereoboard Spends Time With Bass Supergroup
Wednesday, 09 June 2010
Written by Adam Simpson
Stereoboard.com writer Adam Simpson spends time with latest supergroup Freebass.
Freebass consists of three bassists Andy Rourke (formerly of The Smiths), Peter Hook (formerly of New Order and Joy Division) and Gary "Mani" Mounfield (formerly of The Stone Roses and currently in Primal Scream) and singer Gary Briggs (formerly of Haven).
It's been 5 years since Hooky and Mani came up with the Freebass idea, in a few hours the guys are going to be playing their first gig at The Duchess in York. I wondered if this had been a frustrating time for the group.
Hooky stated that the time had flown, "I only realised it had been 5 years when I read the press release the other day." He explained that it was a weird situation to be in, because they still had to work for a living and the group couldn't just break off from that to concentrate on the Freebass venture. "Mani was working up a storm during the first 2 years with Primal Scream, so we worked around our commitments sporadically and waited and then leap frogged it around these commitments when we could." Hooky went on to explain that the group did not exist as a group either at the start, where as if they were to be recording now, they could record it in an afternoon. "There was 3 years to get Gary involved after doing a bit of Indie Pop Idol", which he explained as being terrible, sympathising with Simon Cowell. He compared all this with today's musicians, explaining that they have a lot going on rather than just one thing, which with a chuckle; he stated that this made the group fashionable.
I wondered how much preparation the group had during these 5 years or whether they had been too busy to do anything together?
Hooky explained that they hadn't done anything together as a band until they started rehearsing, which started last Tuesday (6 days ago) Mani went onto explain that these last 4 days have been the first time they have all been together as a group. He and Gary explained though that it had come together really quickly and they had got stuck in to it. Mani explained he was really pleased with what they had achieved, "It's time to get out there now and enjoy it."
There has been talk of collaborations with some big names, Ian Brown and Liam Gallagher to name a couple and also reports that these did not happen due to their workloads, I wondered whether there was any truth in either of these statements and if this is something that the group are looking to do later if time allows?
Hooky explained that although it was a great idea and Mani's idea to do it. "At the time we got about 9 yes's including fucking Robbie Williams, but the problem is how do you get these cunts together and as it transpired we couldn't, cos they were as busy as we were and you just couldn't get it organised. It's really funny because every time I see Ian Brown, he's like, "Oh, I'm gunna finish that track" and I'm like, yeah whatever, so it's one of those funny situations that you put other people into, even though they probably had the best intentions at heart." He also explained about the difficulty of working with such names "It was also funny because you went from having one difficult singer to having fucking 9, so if we'd have got to playing live it would have been a fucking nightmare". Mani added "It is a fucking nightmare, you couldn't pull it off, I look at mates of mine like David Holmes who have guested on our Scream tracks, but once you come to playing live it's a fucking nightmare getting everyone together". Hooky explained further that when they did have the tracks with the other vocalists that they did not fit in with the rest of the band, because they sounded different to the other stuff and they had to be separate. "There's a real cohesion to the band, so we were lucky to get those 4 tracks done really early, even before Gary had appeared and now we can concentrate and have been, on our own sound".
I asked the group if they had found expectations and media pressure to be very high considering that they have been part of some huge and very influential groups.
Mani explained, "We've already changed the world with bands, this is just a bunch of guys who wanna get together and put some music out, we don't wanna cure any diseases or become Bono via it, we just wanna get out and have a good time".
I asked if they felt the media have accepted that or do they think you'll always be compared to the Roses, New Order, etc?
Mani explains that people are invariably going to be disappointed if it gets built up too much "We want people to accept it and enjoy it for what it is, not saying they're going to be disappointed by the workmanship, but if people build it up to be something that it's not". Hooky went on to explain that the strange part is that Bernard Sumner's band, Bad Lieutenant have done something he would never do, he has amalgamated the old bands he was in with his new band and Hooky does not think that it works "I've never felt that it worked and every time we've done it, from Joy Division to New Order, to Revenge and Monaco, we've always kept it pure because otherwise it isn't a band and what Bernard's done is what I think people expected us to do, which is do a couple of Roses tunes, a couple of Smiths tunes and some New Orders and then mix it with some of the stuff you've done now. But that doesn't make any sense to me cos' the thing is you can go away on your own and do your act as I've just done with the Unknown Pleasures. But I wouldn't bring it here, I wouldn't dream of it, OK for an encore. But not the hole part because you have to stand by what you have done even though we've only done one record, cos' it's very difficult to get a set out of it".
He explains further why it has been difficult. "Because the thing about a record is you have slow tracks and fast tracks, but live, you just wanna play your fast tracks and I know from experience that when you're starting a new band, the first gigs that you do are hard, when you just have that 1 LP but by the time you've got to 2 LP's your fucking rocking. But everyone's different though, cos' there's tracks I don't think work live, but Gary loves and Mani loves or they won't like 1 live and I'll love it, but generally when you've done 2 records it's a damn site easier to choose your sets. And maybe that's why Bernard's done it, but I think if you do that it fucks up the dynamic of the group, because it isn't about the group it becomes 1 person in the group and their back catalogue. But your gonna invariably get that but it's about us proving what where doing and sticking to it".
Does that mean that Freebass is a completely new direction then?
Hooky explained that it isn't completely. "I hear elements of all our bands, I hear elements of Gary's band now that Gary is with us and it is an interesting mash up and what Mani has brought is very interesting, which is quite a bit of Northern Soul and Reggae". Mani went on to explain "It's a good way of surprising people because if people thought we would be a cross between the Roses and New Order and that, but it would have just been a horrible freak show so we're gonna surprise people and I think we do some really nice pop songs and from our history we've never really done proper pop songs, in a way yeah we did a bit, but not any as accessible as some of these are". Hooky continues saying that people will come along to gigs and they will make their own minds up, if people are expecting to hear the groups back catalogue of works then they will either be disappointed or pleased that the group have not done that.
I asked if the group still enjoyed playing live and if they still got a buzz from it.
Hooky certainly does, he told me he loves it when he plays, he loves it when he DJ's, "It's nice to be busy", he also explains that its terrifying and that he suffers from "audience amnesia", "even though you learn everything over and over and over, as soon as you look at the audience it all goes, but it must be something to do with age, cos' its happening to me more and more".
This week is a busy week for the group they are gigging for 6 nights solid, I wondered if there was one gig in particular the group were looking forward to.
Mani explained that they want to do all of them, "We wanna give people a buzz wherever we play". Gary explains that he likes the Glasgow one and Mani has always had a great time in Middlesbrough, "we're playing the same venue where I played with the Roses in '88", which is where Hooky explains, he got bottled.
I wondered whether the group were happy with the album, it was obvious that although the group are happy, Hooky is dismayed by the way the music industry operates today and the pressures illegal downloading have put on recording artists.
Hooky explains that they are happy although "It's a bit of a patch work quilt because of the circumstances" but Mani goes on to say that with the personnel they have now he's very confident that when it comes to making the next "we can just blast one out". Hooky explains further telling me that the way you write has changed dramatically over the last 5 years because of illegal downloading, "because you can't sell anything like what you used to sell, so you can't take the time that you used to make to record".
Following this answer I wondered if Hooky felt that the groups around now are watered down purely on finance and time availability.
Hooky disagrees and explains "that it's not the case because they're young and when you get to 50, your time's more precious, but when you're in your 20's you can afford to put the time in, but the point is I think musicians now have a pretty shit time of it. Me and Mani thank god went through the glorious 80's, the pretty wonderful 90's, when record companies were wiping your arse, shovelling fucking coke up your nose and then sending you home to your 5 star hotel, that is never gonna happen again, I had to make this record, because I couldn't get signed and Bernie (Sumner) couldn't get signed, because nobody wants old musicians anymore. Because nobody knows what to do with them and they're all staffed by 21 year old girls called Chelsea and Fucking Paris". Mani goes on further to explain "Another reason is that we all have individuality where as all these kids now are so desperate to get signed and whatever that they'll do fucking anything and jump through hoops, whereas we would have never done that".
I wondered then, if the group felt that they were musical legends anymore.
Hooky told me "The thing is about been a musician these days, is you have to work like fuck and you have to be very adept at selling your own music and marketing but in the old days you never had to do that, musicians were spoilt, they were treated like kings and rightly so. Its shit now and also if you look at something like MySpace there is millions of bands on it" He continued further "It's made musicians realise how precious being a musician is. But what made me piss myself is, the biggest age group of illegal downloaders is 16 - 19, now my mate has three sons that age and they laugh at him, every time he goes out and buys a record, but what makes me laugh is, what age are you when your gonna start a band right? 16 - 19, so there gonna join a band and go, why aint we got any money? Well its cos' of cunts like you downloading them all, you clever twats, you're not so fucking clever now are you. But the thing is, this will turn around on them when musicians are having to sell themselves like a common street hooker to make music and the sad thing is downloading will and has affected music, people cannot put the time in that they used to because they don't get paid for their time". He explained how this had affected him personally. "Shall I go in the studio or shall I go and DJ, well if I go in the studio I'm paying out, but if I go and DJ I'm earning a good wedge. So I go out and pay to record and then at the end of it nobody buys it cos' they're all illegally downloading it. So it will get to the point that musicians doing it for love will be the only boring bastards doing it".
I asked Hooky how he purchased music.
"I go out and buy them, I buy my CD's, normally at the airport".
Having touched on modern music, I wondered if there are any modern bands who the group are particularly enjoying.
Hooky states that there are loads of fantastic bands; Manchester in particular has got some fantastic bands.
I took it from that answer that the Manchester scene is alive and well.
"Well it kicks the arse off everywhere else". Hooky tells me. Mani explains further "Every generation will produce a great band, you wanna hear his" pointing to Gary Briggs of Haven.
I wondered then if there were any groups in particular that Freebass were enjoying.
Hooky goes on to credit The Corals new record, "There's a great band in Manchester called Everyone, Everything. There's a few good bands in Manchester, I can't wait to hear the Ting Tings new one, their difficult second album". Gary tells me he is into Them Crooked Vultures.
I asked the band if they ever listen to groups and think "Yeah, that's like our sound, we've influenced that".
Mani explains it happens all the time.
I wondered then if this was a good feeling or if it left them feeling ripped off.
Hooky states it depends. "You get some groups like La Roux and Little Boots who sound so like New Order, but it's a compliment, when I started I was trying to rip off Kratwerk", with a chuckle he adds "I didn't fucking manage it... but you still do it and use it as inspiration, but the Cure have never been able to pull that off, The Cure listen to a lot of our music and sound just like New Order and its really weird, because you'd think a band as talented as The Cure would be able to change it, but they seemed a bit shameless, but although it's a compliment it can be too much like when I went to watch The Cure I nearly got up and chinned that cunt. But it was weird when you see someone ripping you off physically as well it's too much". Mani laughs and says "Primal Scream are as guilty as sin of ripping off a few of Hooky's acts. But with The Roses we wanted to be a cross between The Birds and The Clash, with the jangly rhythms cos' you gotta have an influence as a reference point to start from, so anyone who says they haven't been influenced by no one is a fucking liar". Hooky carries on saying he thought that guy was great from The Editors when he said they'd never heard of Joy Division "Yeah whatever it's like White Lies saying it or Interpol".
Having looked at the group's setup earlier, I was very impressed with the use of analogue pedals. I asked the group why this was so and why they had not gone with a digital setup.
Gary explains that it sounds better, which I couldn't agree more with. Hooky tells me about some of his gear. "The pedal I use is from 1979 and the pre amp is from 1978, Martin Hannet recommended I buy that and it warms up the sound".
It's at this point that Mani's wife and the groups tour manager Imelda comes along and tells the group, who are already running a bit late that they have to start getting ready, that I decide to cut the interview short with one last question. Who is going to win the world cup?
Gary has no hesitation in telling me England will, Hooky tells me Argentina and Mani lists every team in the competition.
It was there that the interview sadly had to end, it was unfortunate that Andy Rourke could not be present during the interview or at the gig that followed, but it was clear having spent a bit of time with the group that they are a bunch of great lads, who enjoy a laugh and enjoy what they do. I wish them every success and hope the public enjoy the Freebass work.
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