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Interview with the Madmen on the AP website
Yes, folks, Warped Tour season is upon us once more, and AP has dispatched its most intrepid reporters to bring you the best and the latest of the new bands out there. Today, special reporter Viv Norstrom brings you her interview with the Madmen, from marvelous Mad-chester—uh, Manchester—England.
(Video)
Close-up of Viv Nordstrom speaking into a mike
caption reads: Kansas City, MO
AP: Hey, you guys, welcome to the latest Warped Tour news here at AP. Today we’re with one of the best new bands to hit US shores from the UK, the Madmen, hailing from the hometown of that other great band from the north of England, Oasis.
Camera pans back and reveals each group member as he is introduced.
AP:Please say your name, and what you do.
Joe: Joe McCullough, lead guitar.
Tom: Tom McCullough, lead vocals and bass.
Glenn: Glenn Prothero, drums.
Bryan: (raising a beer bottle) Bryan Fawkes, rhythm guitar.
AP: So tell us, how did the Madmen get started, and when?
Tom: We got together about four years ago. Joe and I always used to play music with various friends where we lived, but we never ‘ad a regular drummer. Bryan told us about Glenn playin’ with a band down the pub.
Joe: (smiling) Yeah, Glenn was just tearin’ it up with that lot. He was way too good for them, so of course we nicked him.
(General laughter)
Glenn: Yeah, where are they now?
Tom: Bryan we knew from school. Actually he’d just graduated from university when we found Glenn. His folks were thinkin’ he was gonna be a history professor.
Bryan: (laughing) Yeah, we showed them, eh?
AP: So how long before you felt like you were really a band?
Joe: (rolling his eyes) God, y’know, I think we felt it right away. (More laughter) No, no, I mean it! We’d agree on a song, and then play it, and it just came together for some reason.
Glenn: …and that reason is me.
(More laughter; beer bottles clinking)
AP: No ego problems here, I see.
Glenn: No, not since the lads have learnt to show me proper respect and, you know, worship. It’s been great since then.
(Joe’s hand enters the frame as he pushes Glenn’s head, and Glenn tips over like a bowling pin.)
AP: Who would you say are your biggest musical influences?
Bryan: (looking thoughtful) As far as music we’ve loved, I would say just about all the great rockers from way back, like Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent, Cliff Richards….
Glenn: (horrified) What! Cliff Richards, man? What the f___?
(shock horror amongst the band members)
Bryan: Calm ye down, lads. Cliff Richards wasn’t always just a bloody pop star. He made some great rock’n’roll records in the day. Me granddad gave ‘em to me years ago. But we also took a lot of energy from classic punk records from the late 70s; me folks had a s___load and they let me play those as well.
AP: Tom, do you have any particular singers that you like to listen to, who might have influenced your style?
Tom: Well, once upon a time, I might’ve wanted to sing like Elvis, but that Swede, whatsisname, Ville Valo, he’s already taken that position. (Bryan pretends to sing like Presley—or Valo.) But I like Elvis’ phrasing, I loved how he could get down there, y’know? But these days I just try to sing like meself, and not worry about who I might sound like. I’m happy with how I sound.
AP: And Joe, were you always on lead guitar? Or did you switch at some point?
Joe: Well, I played sorta strummy, y’know, right, for a long time, because it was just me and Tom and whoever might wanna play with us. (Glenn pokes him and refers to him as “Joe Strummer.” He turns to Glenn.) Yeah, I know, if only, I wish, right? (He turns back to the camera.) I f___ing love Strummer and the Clash! I wanna meet Lily Allen just so I can ask ‘er about him. He’s a god to us. But after awhile, I started listenin’ close to a lot of the old records—and there was a lot of ‘em at our house—and tryin’ to make the same kinda noise.
AP: Bryan, from watching you onstage these last few days, I should ask you where all your energy comes from. (Boisterous laughter. Viv looks around nervously.) Or, given your reaction, do I really not wanna know?
Bryan: No, no, please don’t worry. Ah, I’ve just—I’ve always been like that. Truly, I don’t do much for most of the day. I just sit round on my arse and watch the telly, yell at the bloody announcers. I’m very sloth-like—is that even a word?—for much of the day, and I just let loose when we get onstage cos I have all that pent-up energy and I need to let it out. Otherwise I’ll be up all night, and trust me, nobody wants that!
(General agreement to this statement.)
AP: Well, that’s about all the time we have with the Madmen today here in KC. (All the guys begin to wave and yell goodbye at the camera.) Thanks so much to all of the marvelous Madmen, and we look forward to hearing more from you in the next few weeks.
the Madmen: Thanks AP! Come and see us soon! We love Warped! It’s bloody great!
Fade to black
Yes, folks, Warped Tour season is upon us once more, and AP has dispatched its most intrepid reporters to bring you the best and the latest of the new bands out there. Today, special reporter Viv Norstrom brings you her interview with the Madmen, from marvelous Mad-chester—uh, Manchester—England.
(Video)
Close-up of Viv Nordstrom speaking into a mike
caption reads: Kansas City, MO
AP: Hey, you guys, welcome to the latest Warped Tour news here at AP. Today we’re with one of the best new bands to hit US shores from the UK, the Madmen, hailing from the hometown of that other great band from the north of England, Oasis.
Camera pans back and reveals each group member as he is introduced.
AP:Please say your name, and what you do.
Joe: Joe McCullough, lead guitar.
Tom: Tom McCullough, lead vocals and bass.
Glenn: Glenn Prothero, drums.
Bryan: (raising a beer bottle) Bryan Fawkes, rhythm guitar.
AP: So tell us, how did the Madmen get started, and when?
Tom: We got together about four years ago. Joe and I always used to play music with various friends where we lived, but we never ‘ad a regular drummer. Bryan told us about Glenn playin’ with a band down the pub.
Joe: (smiling) Yeah, Glenn was just tearin’ it up with that lot. He was way too good for them, so of course we nicked him.
(General laughter)
Glenn: Yeah, where are they now?
Tom: Bryan we knew from school. Actually he’d just graduated from university when we found Glenn. His folks were thinkin’ he was gonna be a history professor.
Bryan: (laughing) Yeah, we showed them, eh?
AP: So how long before you felt like you were really a band?
Joe: (rolling his eyes) God, y’know, I think we felt it right away. (More laughter) No, no, I mean it! We’d agree on a song, and then play it, and it just came together for some reason.
Glenn: …and that reason is me.
(More laughter; beer bottles clinking)
AP: No ego problems here, I see.
Glenn: No, not since the lads have learnt to show me proper respect and, you know, worship. It’s been great since then.
(Joe’s hand enters the frame as he pushes Glenn’s head, and Glenn tips over like a bowling pin.)
AP: Who would you say are your biggest musical influences?
Bryan: (looking thoughtful) As far as music we’ve loved, I would say just about all the great rockers from way back, like Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent, Cliff Richards….
Glenn: (horrified) What! Cliff Richards, man? What the f___?
(shock horror amongst the band members)
Bryan: Calm ye down, lads. Cliff Richards wasn’t always just a bloody pop star. He made some great rock’n’roll records in the day. Me granddad gave ‘em to me years ago. But we also took a lot of energy from classic punk records from the late 70s; me folks had a s___load and they let me play those as well.
AP: Tom, do you have any particular singers that you like to listen to, who might have influenced your style?
Tom: Well, once upon a time, I might’ve wanted to sing like Elvis, but that Swede, whatsisname, Ville Valo, he’s already taken that position. (Bryan pretends to sing like Presley—or Valo.) But I like Elvis’ phrasing, I loved how he could get down there, y’know? But these days I just try to sing like meself, and not worry about who I might sound like. I’m happy with how I sound.
AP: And Joe, were you always on lead guitar? Or did you switch at some point?
Joe: Well, I played sorta strummy, y’know, right, for a long time, because it was just me and Tom and whoever might wanna play with us. (Glenn pokes him and refers to him as “Joe Strummer.” He turns to Glenn.) Yeah, I know, if only, I wish, right? (He turns back to the camera.) I f___ing love Strummer and the Clash! I wanna meet Lily Allen just so I can ask ‘er about him. He’s a god to us. But after awhile, I started listenin’ close to a lot of the old records—and there was a lot of ‘em at our house—and tryin’ to make the same kinda noise.
AP: Bryan, from watching you onstage these last few days, I should ask you where all your energy comes from. (Boisterous laughter. Viv looks around nervously.) Or, given your reaction, do I really not wanna know?
Bryan: No, no, please don’t worry. Ah, I’ve just—I’ve always been like that. Truly, I don’t do much for most of the day. I just sit round on my arse and watch the telly, yell at the bloody announcers. I’m very sloth-like—is that even a word?—for much of the day, and I just let loose when we get onstage cos I have all that pent-up energy and I need to let it out. Otherwise I’ll be up all night, and trust me, nobody wants that!
(General agreement to this statement.)
AP: Well, that’s about all the time we have with the Madmen today here in KC. (All the guys begin to wave and yell goodbye at the camera.) Thanks so much to all of the marvelous Madmen, and we look forward to hearing more from you in the next few weeks.
the Madmen: Thanks AP! Come and see us soon! We love Warped! It’s bloody great!
Fade to black
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