more, echo and the bunnymen ... VIDEO LOUIS ELOVITZ ... punk rock

[click on the 'jumping dog'...]

LApunk13

echo and the bunnymen

and

Kiki Moretti's

XPOSER

an inside look ...

[by Kiki B. Moretti]

[kiki] YOU WERE THE FIRST SO CALLED "ROCK GROUP" TO PLAY INSIDE THE LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL. WHY WERE YOU CHOSEN?

[pete] WE ENJOYED CATHEDRAL. WE PLAYED THERE FOR A TELEVISION SHOW. IT WAS NOT A LIVE CONCERT BUT MORE SO AN ACOUSTICAL VENTURE OF GUITARS AND A HARPSICORD THAT WE RECORDED FOR TV. IT WAS LIKE A NORMAL DAY AT THE CATHEDRAL, PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH, WE JUST SET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF IT AND PLAYED.

[kiki] YOU HAVE ALSO PLAYED IN THE ISLAND OF HEBRIDES TO FISHERMEN AND CROFTERS, THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A CHALLENGE.

[pete] THERE WAS AN ARMY OF KIDS FROM SCOTLAND, 75% LOYAL FANS PLUS THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED ON THE ISLAND. FANS FROM THE NEIGHBORING ISLANDS CAME OVER ON FISHING CRAFTS! ALL OUR GIGS ARE DIFFERENT. WE STARTED OUR TOUR IN NEW YORK THEN WE WENT TO ICELAND AND PLAYED TO 3000 VERY DRUNK VIKINGS! WE PLAYED WITH AN ICELAND ROCK STAR. THERE WERE 2 FERRYS A DAY SHIPPING IN FANS AT HEBRIDES.

[kiki] DID YOU GET MOBBED AT ALL?

[pete] NO! IN ENGLAND WE REALLY DO NOT GET MOBBED. WE TRY NOT TO PUT OUT AN IMAGE OF OURSELVES AS ROCK STARS. I REMEMBER WHEN WE PLAYED THE WHISKEY HERE IN L.A. WE FELT THERE WAS A STAR FUCKING ELEMENT. IT DOES NOT FIT IN WITH WHAT WE ARE AS PEOPLE AND WHAT WE DO AS MUSIC. WE THINK OUR MUSIC IS IMPORTANT AND BETTER THAN ALL THE CRAP THAT IS AROUND, BUT THAT IS NO REASON FOR STARRY-EYED GIRLS TO GO CRAZY OVER US.

[kiki] MEDIA HAS COMPARED YOU TO 'THE DOORS'.

[pete] THE DOORS HAVE BEEN COMPARED TO US!

[kiki] YOU HAVE TOURED MANY PARTS, WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST COMMONLY WRONG?

[les] TOO MANY PEOPLE AND NOT ENOUGH SMART DOLPHINS! BUSINESS PROPERTIES IS WHAT IS WRONG. TOO MANY PEOPLE WITH GUNS AND TOO MANY WITHOUT MEANS OF PROTECTION. THE ACCEPTANCE OF THINGS CALLED 'HUMAN NATURE'. THEY FIT THEMSELVES INTO A WAY OF LIFE THAT ALLOWS FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN. THEY CALL IT HUMAN NATURE WHEN IN FACT IT IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING WRONG LIKE GREED. GREED IS THE BASIS OF CAPITALISM. ONE MORE THING FOR YOURSELF IS THE BASIS OF BUSINESS. IT IS EVOLUTION IN ACTION. IT WOULD BE FAR MORE INTELLEIGENT TO BE MORE FAR SIGHTED. TO BUILD A FUTURE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME!

[pete] PEOPLE DEVELOPE THINGS AND THEN MAKE MORE THINGS. BOMBS AND TECHNOLOGY. THINGS BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED BUT PEOPLES APPROACH AND THE WAY THEY USE THOSE THINGS SEEM INTEGRATED COMPARED TO THE ACTUAL THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM! WE SOULD USE TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE PEACE INSTEAD OF THINGS THAT KILL!

[kiki] NOW TRUTHFULLY, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT AGAINST THE PRESS?

[pete] 'CUS THEY ASK US QUESTIONS! I DO NOT READ ANY PAPERS AS A RULE. NEWS OR MUSIC. I LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND SOMTIMES SEE A HEADLINE. AFTER THAT I AM BORED!

[les] WHEN YOU FIRST START OUT IN MUSIC YOU ARE ASKED WHAT THE SONG IS ABOUT AND WHY YOU ARE DOING IT, ETC. IT REALLY DESTROYS YOUR CREATIVENESS. PRESS HOUNDS YOU. IT 'S WORSE HERE IN THE U.S., THAN IN EUROPE.

[pete] IN ENGLAND THE PRESS FREQUENTLY LIKES A BAND BECAUSE THEY ARE UN-SUCCESSFUL. AS THEY BECOME MORE SUCCESSFUL, THEY TEND TO BECOME A 'HIT' BAND. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE THE SAME BAND PLAYING THE SAME MUSIC, THEY WILL GET A BACKLASH FROM THE PRESS! WHERE AS OUT HERE, THE PRESS SEEMS TO WANT A BAND TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THE FANS AS WELL! BUT IN ENGLAND THE FANS THINK "WHO IS GREAT WHEN WE USED TO BE ABLE TO SEE YOU IN A LOCAL CLUB-IT'S A SHAME YOU HAVE BECOME SUCCESSFUL!" FANS IN ENGLAND ARE VERY PROTECTIVE OF BANDS. THEY TAKE IT PERSONALLY.

[kiki] WHO WERE YOUR EARLY INSPIRATIONS?

[les] JERRY HENDERSON!

[pete] WE LIKE ALL SORTS OF MUSIC BUT PUNK WAS HAPPENING JUST BEFORE OUR BAND WAS STARTED. IT MADE EVERBODY WANT TO BE IN A BAND! THE MEDIA GAVE THE PUNK BANDS MONOPOLY ON THE RADIO, AND IN THE CLUBS YOU SUDDENLY YOU HAD TO PAY FIVE POUNDS TO SEE A BAND! IT WAS JUST LIKE KICKING THE LEGS OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE RECORD COMPANIES. AND SO THE PUNK BANDS GOT THEIR ATTITUDES, RIGHT OR WRONG. NOW, IT'S REVERSED, BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE PUNK HAPPENED. BUT IT'S STILL NOT AS GOOD AS IT SHOULD BE, OR THE WAY THAT IT USED TO BE.

[kiki] WHAT GOES ON WHEN YOU'RE OFF THE THE ROAD?

[les] WE USUALLY DO NOT SHAVE AT ALL UNTIL IT'S TIME TO GO ON TOUR AGAIN.

[pete] WE ALL LIVE IN THIS HUGE FLAT IN LIVERPOOL WITH OUR EQUIPMENT AND ALSO OUR RECORDING EQUIPMENT. IT'S A BIT LIKE THE MONKEES, BUT WITHOUT THE UNICYCLES!

[kiki] WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ON AMERICANS GOING TO ENGLAND TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL?

[pete] IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, IF IT IS PEOPLE WHO GO TO START A BAND IT WILL PROBABLY WORK OUT. THERE IS A DIFFERENT ATTITUDE AND IN A WAY, IT IS EASIER TO GET A BAND STARTED IN ENGLAND THAN IT MIGHT BE HERE IN THE U.S., OR ANYWHERE ELSE.

[kiki] WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

[pete] I CAN'T SEE THAT FAR AHEAD.

[les] WE CAN'T SAY. WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT OR WOULD LIKE TO DO, BUT BY THE TIME WE CAN DO IT, THE SITUATION HAS CHANGED.

[kiki] WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANYONE THINKING OF MAKING A CAREER IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?

[les] IT'S HARD TO GIVE ADVICE. YOU WOULD LIKE TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL ON THE KIND OF MUSIC YOU PLAY RATHER THAN HOW YOU LOOK BUT THINGS TEND NOT TO GO AS PLANNED.

[pete] IGNORE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND DO WHAT YOU CAN DO BEST WITHOUT LISTENING TO PEOPLE WHO TELL YOU SHOULD DO WHICH IS THE HARDEST THING- YOU WILL GET INFLUENCED INTO CONFUSING DIRECTIONS. WHEN YOU ARE CONFUSED IT DOES GET HARDER TO WRITE A SONG!

[kiki] WHAT DO YOU WISH TO ADD?

[pete] I THINK PEOPLE EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM BANDS! MORE THAN PLAYING OR WRITING SONGS!

[les] IT'S AS IF THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING IN THE MUSIC ITSELF! THEY HAVE TO SEE YOUR NAME ON THE BACK OF T-SHIRTS OR STICKERS, ETC. TO KNOW THAT THIS BAND IS REALLY BIG BEFORE THEY CAN SAY TO THEIR MATES- "LET'S GO SEE THIS BAND, I HAVE TO GET A CONCERT T-SHIRT!!"

AND SO THEY CAME AND WENT!

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN ON A KILLING MOON...

THIS IS KIKI B. MORETTI WITH YOU ONCE AGAIN THROUGH THE THICK

AND THIN OF IT ALL...ALWAYS!