.jpg)
Alan McGee
February 2010ZANI – Off Macca’s Christmas Card List
“I’m really not bothered about being on Paul McCartney’s Christmas list anymore" What about him retiring from making music because I believe that would be the truth. I am a massive Beatles fan, but they spilt up in 1970, we need to focus on new bands, not the past anymore But can anyone remind me of a great record he has made post 1975?” says Alan McGee after his recent comments on banning The Brits (and that Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones should retire) comments that inspire many and in the same breathe irritate others. As for me, they confirmed what I already thought. I have never been inspired by The Brits (well perhaps the only time I found it exciting was when The Jam won best video for Going Underground, and Weller did not go to receive the award, leaving it to Buckler and Foxton) Even from Geri Haliwell’s famous dress to Jarvis Cocker jumping on stage with Michael Jackson these are moments that never really made any impact on me. Yet in contrast seeing Morrissey raising ‘The Queen Is Dead’ banner at the Brixton Academy, and the likes of Danny Rampling going mental behind the decks at Shoom, now they are the magical moments that filled with my heart with joy, and inspired me to be creative. But each to their own.
But unlike The Brits I do not believe everyone should see the world as I see it. Yet I do view The Brits as a corporate take on music, it is the equivalent to Roy Keane’s “Prawn Sandwich Brigade”, and the amazing anxiety that you feel when at a live music event is lost, as the record company executives slap each other on the back. Even when Weller performed for his life time achievement award, it still felt meaningless because my take on Weller’s career is more than just a montage of greatest hits.
As for McCartney and The Rolling Stones music is all they know, and both artists have given us so much. Surely they can still perform providing there is a demand? However like an ageing football team that has had a glorious past with a cabinet bursting with trophies, we do need to start letting some of the younger players on the pitch. Forget the tag the next Clash, or the next big thing, let the new bands be themselves, and flourish as musicians.
With Alan back in London after recently being a judge in a local battle of the bands, I caught up with him at small bar, for a quick natter.
ZANI – Did you really mean it about The Rolling Stones?
Alan McGee – The last great record they made was in 1972, Exile On Main Street, after that it’s only been Miss You and Its Only Rock And Roll. But apart from that they haven’t made a good record.
ZANI – Undercover wasn’t bad
Alan McGee – (Long sigh) It was OK, they have now made more bad records then they have made good records. I am not saying that these people shouldn’t play concerts, if you want to hear the Rolling Stones greatest hits, fine. But if you are talking about making music and recording it, then the stones shouldn’t do it.
That is what is happening in my local town in Wales, we are doing The Battle Of The Bands, it is all about kids coming through.
ZANI – Sounds good, as you know your recent remarks about The Stones and The Brits have caused quite a stir.
Alan McGee – Look the internet hasn’t overtaken the mainstream, it has become the mainstream. I wasn’t just in The Telegraph, I was in The Telegraph online, which is the biggest online newspaper. The bottom line is now, that is not about being in printed newspapers it is about being online.
ZANI – To paraphrase the quote from Svengali: ‘Print Media is Dead’
Alan McGee – Exactly, that story started because I did that Macmillian Cancer Trust story for The Daily Record. I mentioned to Laura Coventry, the journalist who wrote the Cancer Trust article, about my loathing for The Brits, she asked if I would a couple of comments on the Brits to John Dingwall, one of their writers.
I’ve known John all my life, he is a proper little dude, and I had a bitch about The Brits. John is cool, there is footage of him from two years ago, with him dancing with Iggy Pop when he had reformed The Stooges. He is a little rock and roller, and he is a pop writer at The Daily Record. After we did it, we thought nothing of it. Then Seventy three internet articles later including The BBC, ZANI, The Telegraph, and the NME, how the fuck did that become a story?
ZANI – Because you said what a lot of people are thinking, The Brits are bullshit.
Alan McGee- I agree.
ZANI – Its corporate mainstream media ramming it down people’s throats, telling people that The Brits are important and where it is at. Peter Kaye is introducing it, (hardly a man associated with Rock and Roll) a great comedian yes, but not a man involved in music. And no one will say this is a farce, a fucking modern Emperor’s new clothes.
Alan McGee – You are totally right, every body is too scared to stick up for themselves and when somebody does say what every one else is thinking, It becomes a big story, I told you to put it on ZANI because I thought it was hot, but I had no idea where I thought it would end up.
ZANI – It there anyway The Brits can redeem themselves for you?
Alan McGee – If Oasis were to win the best album for the last thirty years.
ZANI – Let’s talk about the future, and something that can challenge the mainstream, but that’s its intention. Just for bands to meet and challenge each other.
Alan McGee - Nina Lyons who runs The Globe at Hay, asked me to help. So I twitter it, fifty bands applied and she cut it down to ten bands. They were all from different parts of the UK, it ended up down to three bands, one of the bands had that Scottish swagger
ZANI – Bonehead and I chatted about the Manchester swagger, which is an attitude and a confidence thing, what is the Scottish swagger ?
Alan McGee – Rock and Roll in their blood. Bass and drums from Rock and Roll, just rolls, for some reason.
Anyway this band KGB Slideshow played, they were so uncontrived and they naturally had it. But they only had three songs- they were like X-Ray Specs. It was their first ever show, ever and they won
ZANI – Cool, that is a promising start to their career.
Alan McGee – The lead singer was pissed, they gave her coffee to sober her up, but she did the rest of the performance on the floor. But KGB Slideshow will actually make it. They did to realize they are good, they might know it, but they were so pissed on the night, they won’t remember it. They are twenty one year old kids, against all the odds they will make it.
ZANI – You know a thing about successful bands,
Alan McGee – The other judge my mate Welsh Pete actually loved them. He wanted to be their manager, and other people I am sure will too. But what I loved about it was it wasn’t a recording contract with Universal records, it was a crate of Stella as the first prize
ZANI – What happens if the band is teetotal?
Alan McGee – They just give it to their mates that drink or hand it to the crowd, and is what KGB Slideshow did. But it was a great night- it was so Anti X-Factor.
ZANI – What did you get out of it, not in terms of money?
Alan McGee – Enjoyment, and seeing new bands. I think they want do these battle of bands every three months, and I think The Globe will end becoming a bit of a music venue. So with more entries, we only announce it a week before the night, and we’ve got fifty bands.
ZANI - I like the concept, no major prize, just a chance for bands to hang out and play to a new audience. DIY culture, so if there is shit on TV, don’t complain, go and form a band
Alan McGee –Exactly.
ZANI – It could grow, instead of local pubs getting these tribute or cover bands, get new bands playing original songs, get three bands on and they bring their mates. The spirit of adventurous entertainment lives on.
Alan McGee – I reckon you are onto something, every town in the UK, has bands, give them a platform.
ZANI – I just hate bands having a set oozing with nothing but covers, usually played in the wrong key and performed in real karaoke fashion, that ain’t music to me, it’s a fucking cabaret and a shit one at that.
Alan McGee – Perhaps the times are changing, but you know what?
ZANI – What?
Alan McGee – I have been DJ-ing all over the world, given speeches on music, acted in Svengali, but being a judge made me really nervous.
ZANI – No way.
Alan McGee – I never judged before, and these kids really listened to what I said.
ZANI – Nerves are a good thing because it shows you are conscious
Alan McGee – What really threw me, was I was expecting eight shit bands and two really good ones. But in fact it was the other way round. Even the two I weren’t really into didn’t really matter because they were good at what they did. It made it hard with the bands being really good, because I had to really think about their music.
ZANI – When you’re judging what do look for? I don’t mean it in terms of music but what overall feel?
Alan McGee – All the other bands were good, but they are just, in a way, paying homage to a genre. KGB Slideshow, just had it, and I know when a band has got it. They will be signed, and make it big
ZANI – I know you’ve got to dash, final question you deleted your Facebook account, any reason behind that?
Alan McGee - I moved to Wales and found I was getting asked more of my DJ-ing and giving talks than I did in London. So I deleted FaceBook, Twitter and Tumblr. If you actually know me e mail me if you don't and you have a new band join my 35,000 mates on MySpace. Actually I like MySpace its about music and bands I actually hate FaceBook and Twitter as they are both personal drama bollocks so I deleted myself. To be honest it felt like freedom personally when I did it. I advise you to all do it.
© Words – Matteo Sedazzari/ZANI Ltd
Additional material – Tracey Wilmot
KGB Slideshow MySpace Page
The Globe At Hay Official Site
