It all started with watching an interview on YouTube in college, The La's in Japan to be precise.
The interviewer didn't have a clue, perhaps the language barrier and The La's not being the most talkative of bands. You have to love the music to know where they are coming from.
I always wanted to do scriptwriting and I'd written a number of scripts, but my teacher wouldn't advise it as the work isn't steady enough and she pointed me on the road to journalism, where I'd apparently "flourish".
She told me to contribute to the College's newsletter and website, so I wrote a short article "The demise of the Great British Rock n' Roll band" in about half an hour, which became popular in the staff room and was printed in the college paper/website. Angering a few of the students who'd been trying to get their stuff printed for months.
Kick up a fuss and shout, like.
Our final college project was to last 3 months and would be the make or break for getting the marks to get into uni. I was all set for going to Staffordshire university to study Music Journalism and Broadcasting.
My final project, I decided to make my film I'd written out of wanting to play the lead role. Two months and 19 days into the 3 months, I scrapped the project and decided to make a documentary on the Liverpool Music Scene, which I'd become infatuated with of late.
I gathered up my contacts I had at the time, managed to get in touch with Edgar Jones of The Stairs, Free Peace, The Big Kids, Weller's backing band and The Isrites, who'd left his number over Facebook, and Edgar's a very respected musician in Liverpool, the original 'Cosmic Scouser', but with the short space of time, 11 days, to get it all done, I was unable to get him. At the time I was obsessed with his band's song, their calling card "Weed Bus"
Luckily through Facebook again and attending all of his gigs and sharing a beer or two with him, I could ask a good pal, Barry Sutton of The La's, Smaller, Cast, Beatnik Hurricane and playing under the name of Fabian Rothschilde.
Barry was available and after a phone call to him he called in a favour and asked for me to record his upcoming Beatnik Hurricane gig, the same as how I had recorded his gig at The Green Room months earlier when I met him, since he had gotten me and my brother in for free to the Spirit of Shankly gig, which was £10 a head.
In return, I could interview him at the gig at Mello Mello, a venue I was unfamiliar with.
With Barry on board, I looked about and quickly grabbed Ian Prowse, who was also on the bill at the Spirit of Shankly gig and The Green Room gig with Barry, so I'd met him before in the gent's toilets...Ian was the frontman of Pele and Amsterdam and wrote that great song, "Does This Train Stop On Merseyside?" which was a favourite of the late John Peel. I asked Ian if he'd bring Ian McNabb around to, and he said he would.
I also managed to get a response from Digsy of Oasis' Digsy's Dinner fame but a songwriter in his own right, who'd been with Smaller and now The Sums and he had a record out soon, he gave me his manager Derek's number and said he'd sort it all.
Another point of interest would be the Picket and I quickly grabbed my old notebook with Phil Hayes' number in, which I had for over a year since my band had played there and the overwhelming thought of playing there was still a pleasant memory.
Few days passed, my questions planned and my documentary named "Music From The Mersey" and the camera was ready to roll.
Unfortunately, Digsy and co were unavailable as they had a photo shoot and I didn't have enough time to I had to let that slide. Still no reply from Edgar, so I settled with the Ian's, Phil and Barry.
I first met up with Ian Prowse in his local, The Baby Croc, just a stone's throw from the Cavern and Mathew Street, another point of interest. We chat for 15 minutes as he has to shoot off to a gig and I have a free meal at the Hilton to eat courtesy of work.
He reminisces about seeing The La's just up the road at the Pen and Wig during their residency there in 1986 and later at the Flying Picket when they took off. I ask him about his time playing with Elvis Costello, as his band backed him on the Jonathan Ross show some years previous. Some fond memories for the bloke.
Unfortunately, he checks his phone and says "the other Ian is pissed and the last thing you want to do is stick a camera in front of him!" which is unfortunate as it would have been entertaining from what I've seen of McNabb at the Spirit of Shankly gig where he was happily dancing with some blonde. We say our goodbye's and head off.
My first interview was complete with a semi-famous fella. Not too bad.
Two days later I was off to the Picket, I knew the way to Jamaica Street and was there in no time, heading through Chinatown district of the city. The place is locked up and seems dead and Phil's not answering his phone, but he comes 10 minutes later in his car and opens up.
I notice a few new guitar cases, reading "ELVIS COSTELLO" spray painted on in the usual fashion. We chat for a while, and didn't go to swimmingly on camera, but he named a bunch of bands to keep an eye out for or to look up, and he re-tells the Lee Mavers story of him changing the P.A system at the Picket after they had gotten an expensive one in just for him to change it shortly before the gig.
Another interview done. Next up, Barry.
I turn up at Mello Mello, Barry's soundchecking, it's sounding massive. I greet him to let him know I'm here, he says we'll do it now in case the gig goes late, we sit at the door taking the money in, so we're interrupted, so we decide to wait and we sit taking in the £3 entry.
There was me, sitting having another beer with Barry from The La's, exchanging music tips and jokes. He leaves me in charge and goes off to soundcheck his mate, Jinx Lennon, who I'm introduced to, who was an Irish poet who had come from Dublin on the Ferry. I thought he was going to be a John Lennon tribute act, I was wrong...
Barry and Beatnik Hurricane kick the night off, massive sounds, interesting sounds. I recorded the gig in full but it's not seen the light of day and remains on tapes under my bed...
Jinx Lennon steps up and starts the night with a song called "Forgive The C*nts" which everyone, mostly Barry is loving.
The gig ends, everyone packs up and I give Barry a hand with the guitars and amp "it's a heavy fucker this one Chris, so grab an end would yer?" so we up and off to his car, parked at the back, and throw the gear in and go back to the venue for the interview, on the way back, "Chelsea Dagger" by The Fratelli's was playing from the neighbouring bar and Barry let's me know his thoughts "I fuckin' hate that song!"
Mello Mello's empty apart from one staff member tidying away the chairs.
"I'll play you a little piano intro!" and he dives on the nearby piano. At this point I was helping a friend with his project, and I was acting in it and had been awake for 42 hours at the point as we had to film through the night and day, then I had to do my own interviews.
The piano moment was sheer clarity in all the madness the past 42 hours had brought.
He stops and the questions begin and his answers are great. We finish up and I pack up my camera, the thought of getting to bed was far too tempting.
"Comin' for a bevvy la?"
The thought of walking into another bar with Barry Sutton was too much to turn down. We go to Parr Street which is just a short walk up the road. I offer to buy the first drink, but he wants coffee, at 2.30am...
"I've kicked all that, drink and drugs and that for a bit. Cocaine's a good drug! if you get the good stuff, we used to get shite stuff. If you need any advice on drugs, let me know! I've taken pretty much everything..."
I've got my very own 'Talk to Frank'.
So he sticks to the lemonade and I the beer. We talk guitarists and Ged Lynn, Edgar and Mavers. I tell him my theory as James Brown comes on, ("Lee got me into James Brown, la") that people have forgotten how to drum. He agrees.
"Definitely, the groove's gone. They record drums all wrong these days"
We sit and discuss more La's and he offers to sing me "Raindance" I tell him I know it and we breaking into a "Raindance" duet which is an amazing moment. I'm not sure he's aware of The Crescent tape recording of the tune. We're joined by Jinx Lennon, who's an interesting character and is back off to Dublin tomorrow.
I go to get another drink and spy Ian Prowse and Ian McNabb with their other half's, I say hello to Prowse and he let's McNabb know I was due to interview them and McNabb gives his apologies for missing it. I catch Barry again at the bar and the memory hazes away, maybe due to tiredness or the drink.
Barry wanted a snap of us crossing guns. At 4am. I'm staring death in the face there.
I complete my documentary over the next few days, editing and such and it got me into uni, putting me top of the class. All worth it and met a few cool cats along the way.
It was presented on the 17th of June, yet my all time hero, Lee Mavers and The La's had still evaded me. Their record being my all time favourite and my admiration for him as a musician was 2nd to none.
College was over and uni still months away, so my time was spent playing bass and waiting for my university results to come through, luckily The La's board was a firm favourite of mine to visit online, for any scrap of news, rare songs and interesting stories, one particular day though, June 19th and the rumour of "Lee Rude and The Velcro Underpants" was going to be Lee Mavers' live comeback, his first since an impromptu performance at Pete Doherty concerts.
I weighed it all up in my head.
Manchester was an hour away, it was a Sunday, I had work the next day at 8AM and I was hungover.
Even worse was the fact it was only a rumour, why now? there was not logical reason for Lee to come back.
Again, La's fans up and down the country were weighing it up, his last known band member Drew McConnell of Babyshambles had just been in an accident and was banged up bad. And even more unlikely was the fact John Power was in Wales recording the new Cast album.
The deciding factor though, was my dear pal, Ellen, my usual sparring partner, we're usually found conquering all Liverpool establishments that sell alcohol, and asked for me to come to our usual spot the Irish bar Pogues, she'd just seen Bob Dylan the night before, her all time hero, at the 02 in London. I told her I was probably going to take a chance on Manchester, she wanted in. "I saw my hero, I want to see you, see yours..."
So I gave my old fella £40 petrol money and we headed to the Deaf Institute, Manchester, arriving an hour or so before the start.
I wore my La's t-shirt (what else?) and was stopped at the jukebox, hoping to create more of a buzz by sticking on "There She Goes".
The most angry roughest Mancunian voice interrupts me.
"You're a scouser right?"
Thought I was in for a pre-gig kicking.
"Are you here...with Lee?"
I decide to add to the fire.
"Maybe.."
I leave the guy confused, he's unsure if he knows more or less.
We queue up alongside everyone else, the stair case already full of anticipation, the amount of people who are desperate to get in is amazing.
There's a bloke on the smaller stage who's devastated as he thought he had a full house but everyone's piled up stairs.
We have 3 pints, we're on empty stomachs so we head out of the gig area to the shop next door, while the other act is on, just so we're definitely back in time for whoever the hell "Lee Rude.." is, as we head to the stairs, I smell the unmistakable weed aura and turn round to ask Ellen if she smells it, but there's that recognizable fella walking behind her, Jasper.
And it was easily him, no hat though, I recognized him from the Glastonbury live webcast from 2005 that was recently stuck on youtube, everyone loves his drumming, not for skill but just for it being Jasper, a cult La so to speak.
I stopped him in his daze as he was looking for the smoking section.
"erm...are you Jasper?"
"erm...yeah"
"are you playing tonight?"
"nah, erm...they'll be on about half 9"
"it's good seeing you la"
"cheers, have a good one yeah?"
And off he went. Mavers had to be there, and we ran to the shop at breakneck speed, grabbed some dinner alternatives and returned to where Mavers should be taking to the stage shortly. Back in the gig area, I instantly ran out to tell the La's fans in sight.
10 minutes later, he then came onstage and magic ensued.
Clearly the opener was 'Son of a Gun' and ran through the usual setlist of favourites 'Way Out' 'Feelin' 'Doledrum' 'Timeless Melody' the undeniable classic 'There She Goes' and 'Callin' All' and then the near tear jerking 'Looking Glass'.
Unfortunately with his hair cut and without a 6 string, Gary Murphy of The Bandits accompanying on bass was unrecognisable to me! so I spent half the gig guessing who it was. They depart, with no words of a future. The adrenaline still pumping.
Me and Ellen, still in a daze of it all, retreated to the smoking section and smoked our way through 15 cigarettes and even more beer as our lift home was on it's way down the motorway.
Completely speechless after the gig. The drive home a daze, though there was talk of fruit, apparently.
a little time later...
After hearing of The La's bass drum being sold on eBay by Neil Mavers, equally being gutted the drum will never be onstage again and pleased a fan had bought it and was putting it in the museum, as opposed to Noel Gallagher using it as a coffee table or keeping it in one of his mansions or something.
Luckily it was bought by Sam (Oozey) and Luke from The La's board, and he was bringing it to Liverpool's Victoria Museum. I arranged to meet him and his pal who had bought it and I booked them in with my friend Greedy Jesus, under their name The Elastic Band.
The drum is a special thing, still stained in Neil Mavers' blood and mic'd up from the inside. True innovators of music.
The gig was at Bier Keller, a usual hangout for music, I'd played there a few times and the same song, 'The Killing Moon' would ring out as you went down the stairs.
We get talking to an interesting character, Johnny Stock, who's a coach driver around the world, and books gigs in advance and then gets the whole coach travellers to come to the gig. Quite genius really.
The Elastic Band's set are La's, Beatle and John Power tunes, sounding mega. Another band tumble in, among them someone I recognized again, another La's protege, Karl Rowlands of The Crescent, or now The In By One's.
Karl recognizes Johnny, so he sits next to me and introduces himself.
"Alright la, I'm Karl"
"I know, from The Crescent"
"how did you know!?"
"Spinning Wheel's video la, that and Mavers"
"no one's ever recognized me before!"
He's buzzing so we carry on talking, as if we've been mates for years. He pops out for a smoke and passes his number over in case one of us leaves. Says I might be able to roadie for the upcoming Leeds festival gig. Which I'd be most interested in doing, get my foot in the door with another ex-La, and perhaps use my limited acting skills to blag an interview with some folk at the Leeds festival.
Sam and Luke finish their set and meet Karl who gives them a quick lesson in playing 'Timeless Melody'.
"let the notes ring out" and "tune to an airplane" are quickly mentioned, still a Mavers pupil.
The Elastic Band pack up and head home, I say adios to Karl.
"Where do you live?"
"West Derby, top of Huyton, by The Greyhound"
"stay out with us, get a cab home with us!"
Another drinking session with an ex-La. It's not long until we've gone through a pack of cigarettes as we head to another bar.
Along the way a drunk Johnny Stock tries convincing me and Karl to come with him on his coach trip around the world before he leaves. A truly interesting bloke. Who I hope to bump into again.
Karl tells me more, it's all about the music, it has to be. The drink flows and I'm introduced to Frank Hedges, I'm still not 100% who he is (now became aware he goes by the tour promoting name of "Talk To Frank" and books people in at the Lomax), but I'd seen him kicking up a fuss at the Green Room gig, I remind him of it, he says he was off his trolley at the time and apologises in case he was out of order with me. He wasn't. It was entertaining.
It gets late and we bundle into a taxi bound for Huyton, Karl says to call in at the dole office there, says he's stoned in and just dishes it out to anyone with a good reason. I've still not been to see him.
I get out the taxi and Karl says to come to a gig soon as. I've still not been to one either.
In the time between seeing The La's for the first time to the 2nd, they played a bunch more secret-ish dates around the UK, which was also through that time I discovered that I had a tumour. I kept it secret from everyone, and I needed to make a decision whether or not to have an operation to remove it.
Two days later, The La's announced a gig in Amsterdam. I'd never been. I needed to get away. They went hand in hand and the money I'd saved for uni was quickly thrown on Easyjet flights, accommodation and a La's ticket.
The day came a few days later, and departed from John Lennon airport. I'd looked everywhere in case Lee or Gary had been flying over, but no sign of them. I accepted I'd find them in Amsterdam and have a word.
The flight landed, and I spotted a guy 3 rows ahead wearing sunglasses on his head. The first thing I thought was that the forecast was terrible for Amsterdam, rain and thunder, so he won't be needing the shades. On closer inspection, it was Gary Bandit. Who must be with..and next to him was a battered leather jacket and the one and only, Lee Anthony Mavers.
I give him a thumbs up and a nod, he grins and returns it. Gary starts laughing a little. I catch them in the terminal and ask for a quick snap, he nods and I hand Gary the camera. Job done. Amsterdam was already worth it and I hadn't left the airport.
I got to the gig in Amsterdam earlyish to scope the place out, half a corona in I spy my old mate, Jasper. He pops out with a smoke and smiles at my La's shirt again.
"Nice shirt la"
I laugh.
"the best, I met you in Manchester"
"I know, I recognize you, you on the guest list?"
"nah, got one online"
"just a sec"
He takes my name and disappears inside.
"job done, you can sell you're ticket on now"
Scousers on tour, la.
We chat a bit longer, and Jasper lets me in on a La's joke, he (unfortunately) suffered a heart attack in 2005 during the gigs, retiring him from drums so he told me that the Doctor said Jasper had an "irregular (heart) beat" and with him being a drummer, was the cause of some laughs in the La's camp.
I ask him why Lee and Gary never had any instruments between them, turns out Jasper and Joel from "The White Bicycles" had drove the van overnight to Amsterdam with the guitars, amps, mics and drum kit, and that Lee and Gary had flown.
Turns out while flying to Marbella the last week, the guitars and the bridge on the guitar got "fucked up" because they were in the air pressurized cabin, so they had to borrow instruments in Marbella and that a local bar owner recognized them and asked them to put a gig on.
Jasper tells me to enjoy the gig and dives back inside to set up.
With my name on the guest list I get in for free, so I'm able to give my ticket to a 9 foot Dutchman (no exaggeration) who was almost breaking down in tears for not being able to get in, turns out the gig was sold out, despite the lack of adverts around and he was stressing it was easy to get in for Miles Kane who had played there a few weeks before.
The gig was very intimate, Joel from the White Bicycles took to the stage and I spotted Lee's eldest lad who I went to school with but unfortunately an arrogant Dutchman tried to push me out of my spot on the balcony that over looked the stage (giving a perfect video for those back home) so I wasn´t able to say hello to my old mate who I hadn't seen for 7 years.
While Joel was half way through his set I was joined by none other than Gary Bandit who recognized me from twitter "you're rock n'roll Parksy!" we chatted for a while about Liverpool and the fact I had come alone and had spent my uni money on the gig that "it'll all work out.." then he disappeared for a coffee and disappeared backstage to warm up.
The La's kept us all waiting long enough, the place was packed out, hardly any room anywhere, people on the stairs leading down to the toilets and cloak rooms. No new songs, unsurprisingly; They played most of the album, `Feelin´and 'Timeless Melody´getting the biggest applause from the crowd.
Due to the guitars getting "fucked up" on the way to Marbella, Lee had a brand new red Danelectro 56 U2, the same model as the one he had at the previous gigs.
Opened with Son of A Gun, will post the video and setlist pictures when I get back to the ´pool. Gary was shit hot on bass, was truly amazing. After Looking Glass, they packed away the acoustic but Gary and Jasper returned to the stage to soundcheck their instruments again, was hoping for a new song, but Lee re-joined them for a house tearing down rendition of `My Generation´ which after the amount of good beer I'd drank sounded like the Who in '69.
The highlight of the gig was starting the Dutch crowd off when a song finished by cheering. At the end, I said my goodbye´s to Jasper as he was packing away the guitars and drums, he kept repeating `that was a fucking mad one!` I told him thanks once again for my guest list spot, he said we'll meet again in Liverpool someday and I disappeared into the Amsterdam night.
On the flight back to Amsterdam, Joel from The White Bicycles passes me, I tell him he was great the night before. He sits next to me and we chat music for the flight home.
I ask him about the night before, apparently Lee was unhappy with the gig last night, the sound and the guitar's not being quite right; but apparently he was very serious when it came to the music. But no news on future plans.
He says the band were looking on the La's board and youtube last night in the hotel room and had seen my post from the hostel. So they now know me as Rock N Roll Parksy from twitter. Better that than nothing at all.
I heard a few things, trying to gather as much info as possible, Edgar Jones was apparently in a new band called Sirloin with Dave and Ozzy from the Zutons. He wasn't sure but it was the last he'd heard.
He tells me Gary has been a 'star' in helping them get some label interest. I wish him luck and grab his full name and tells me to get on Facebook for a chat and come see a full band gig, as it's even better.
We part at John Lennon airport and I've made another contact. All's good.
A few more days passed and another message popped through as a head's up "message from Gary Bandit, homecoming gig this week"
The perfect leaving Liverpool event, The La's first gig in Liverpool for 20 or so years. It was announced at the 02 for the 9th.
I grabbed two tickets, and decided to take my younger brother to his 2nd ever gig, his first being Beady Eye for his birthday.
There was no way I was going to let him miss seeing Lee at the 02 Academy.
Before the gig, a 20 something guy was running through the setlist from Amsterdam with his mate.
"I saw them in Amsterdam la"
Their faces lit up.
"will he play There She Goes?!"
"I'm pretty sure Lee will..."
I showed him my picture of me with Lee and shared some stories, they said they felt like bad La's fans. Better a bad La's fan than idolising some X-Factor act...
Jasper set up the amps and guitars, I shout his name and he gives a nod and a grin. The few audience members around me staring at me in either awe or wonder.
The homecoming was nothing new, but still to seeing them on Scouse soil was unreal.
The gig was the best sounding of the two I had already seen. Probably down to the speakers and the 02 Academy having better equipment than the Deaf Institute and Bitterzoet.
Finishing with 'My Generation' minus Jasper this time, we left half drunk and deaf after standing right at the front for the support acts and La's.
On the balcony above my brother spies Barry Sutton who's trying to get my attention. We have a brief shouting conversation.
"did you enjoy that!?"
"mental, la!"
I wave goodbye to Barry as we can't hear each other and I had to take my brother back to the car as he's off home as me and my mate wait to go back into town and 'celebrate' so to speak. We pass back by the 02, and Barry calls me over from the VIP smoking area, a few fans outside are a little envious as we're ushered in alongside Barry and some other people I don't recognize.
I ask Barry what he thought.
"ramshackle. Either do it alone, with a full band or not at all"
I thought it was quite solid, but Barry was there when these songs weren't even fully finished, recorded or released. So I could see where he was coming from. With him was his son, no older than 15, who played drums, guitar, piano and sings. Must run in the family.
I thank Barry again for his part in the documentary which has gotten me into uni and that I leave in a week. He wishes me well and says he's going to drop his kid off at home and come back out and to give him a text and we'll hit some bars.
Barry's back on the beer. Unfortunately, that was the last I saw of Barry. He never made it out I'm guessing. His missus probably wouldn't have any of it.
After searching on eBay, I ended up with a 12" of 'Weed Bus' which I was most happy with. The artwork featuring a road I used to go down everyday on the way to school.
I put the picture on Facebook and it gathered a fair few comments, one from Peter Deary. Digsy.
With a few days between leaving for uni and a hospital visit on my mind, I decided it'd be a good idea to ask him for that interview that never happened so I had a story with a cult figure before heading to uni. Back up so to speak. Experience to. Plus I'd get to meet Digsy, who I'd love to meet after watching the video below.
He apologises for not meeting me first time round and passes his house number over and says to ring "I don't have a mobile la"
I give him a call and he says he has a chest infection and has to see the doctor tomorrow, but to ring him and see what's going on.
I ring him the next day, doctor's been, and to meet at the Old Roan pub at half 3ish. I jump the bus but Norris Green's youth centre was getting done up by the folk on the BBC so it was mass panic, luckily we were diverted.
I get there before Digsy and get a pint in and think of a few more questions.
He strolls in and spots me and realises it must be me, he gives a wave to the owner Yozzer. Who's also a top bloke and his band nights are exceptional and Digsy usually pops up with the Real People.
Digsy wants to make the most of the warm day so we sit in the beer garden and I run through my questions. We quickly establish we're both massive La's and Jeff Buckley fans and that we share a birthday, only 30 years apart.
He found it ironic Gary Murphy was playing with Lee, after they had a musical run in at a party, when Digsy claimed The La’s album to be the best of all time, and was challenged by Gary who claimed The Bee Gee’s debut was the best album ever. Might have to pull Gary up on that someday.
Digsy decides to pull out the big guns when it comes to stories and with him being one of Noel Gallagher’s best mates, was once in a room with Noel, Paul Weller, Russell Brand and Johnny Marr.
Knowing Marr had produced some of Lee’s stuff, they asked him what Lee was like. So the story goes, Lee was standing, playing the acoustic and singing in front of Johnny.
Johnny’s watching Lee, then his eyes “wandered” to the window for a few seconds, and Lee stopped and yelled “I’m HERE! Not over there, HERE!” and Johnny said for the next hour he didn’t break eye contact once with Lee!
Digsy told me the truth of the famous mythical meeting between Mavers and Noel Gallagher when Oasis played Liverpool Royal Court in 94/95, Digsy’s band Smaller, of which at the time, the line up had Barry Sutton on guitar.
Lee came down to see Barry and was backstage strumming on an acoustic, Digsy, Noel and Coyley (Mark Coyle, producer etc) this is where Noel met Lee and said “it’s great to meet you” and Lee gave him the “I know it is la!” then Lee turned to the manager and said “can we have a jam?”
Apparently Noel’s face was “like a smacked arse”
I told Digsy my own tales of meeting various La’s members, and how I’d love to meet Neil and Cammy, he says they are both lovely fella’s and that he calls them ‘the silent duo’ as they just sit there moping most of the time!
Digsy confirmed the word in La's circles that Cammy is a plasterer now, and he’ll gladly introduce me to Cammy some time. I'm still waiting to meet him.
He told me his favourite La’s song is “Man, I’m Only Human” but the original demo. And says that in the demo of ‘Looking Glass’ Lee is smashing the cymbals with the head of his guitar.
At this point he asks if I play. I say I'm a bass player primarily, but I've written a few tunes.
Above the pub is a practice room, so we put away the pad and paper, get a beer in and go for a jam above the pub on the acoustics and he played a pretty impressive version of ‘Over’ and 'Last Goodbye' before I play him my song "House on the Moon" which he says to get recorded properly, playing without a plectrum, I slice my thumb big time. Can't be dealing with blood on a (borrowed) geet.
Grab another guitar then. Digsy then proceeded to snap two strings on two different guitars...
"that was you that la!" and we would laugh hysterically, the afternoon booze getting to us and noting his disgust for some of the acts out today.
"pop punk? what the fuck is that?"
But also noted the sad death of Amy Winehouse.
He also says his cousins are The Real People's Chris and Anthony Griffiths, other Liverpool cult heroes, who he thinks don't get the credit for their work with Oasis, after all there's a co-write on 'Rockin' Chair' which is a mega tune.
Digs gives Chris a ring and says "this kid is great, you've got to meet him!"
Unfortunately, we're both busy, it's my leaving night with uni pals and I'm unsure of Chris G's excuse. I'll catch them someday though.
After Oasis were at the Brit Awards, either 94 or 95, Digsy said he got a phone call of Noel the next day along the lines of “Digs, you know your guitarist?”
“Yeah, Barry?”
“that’s him, why was he busking outside of the award ceremony last night!?”
Originally, Digsy thought Noel was calling to steal Barry as he was considered one of the best guitarists he’d ever seen, along with Ged Lynn, who now works a night shift at some place.
Digs also claimed John Power had a massive ego. Said he didn’t think much of him since he saw one of his solo gigs and he came on stage with Jay Lewis, and first thing he said was “not playing any Cast or La’s songs, so don’t ask...”
I've been assured that John's a sound fella. Hopefully I'll learn for myself shortly.
Digsy said he totally agreed when I said that in interviews, John will say most of it and the 3 words Lee says, are better than everything John would say! “You’re fucking right lad!”
The frontman (Wayne) from the Crescent moved away to Norway to start a family, got bin bagged and now he’s back home.
He lets me in on a story, last year, Mark Coyle, who worked with Oasis, was selling a 70’s Perspex bass drum on eBay, arranges to meet up with the buyer at Coyley’s house, turns out to be no other than Lee Mavers, who then buys the drum and comes in for a cuppa.
He starts rambling on, but it's what I want to hear “some posh kid who played drums from Chester and he was in The La’s"
I worked out it was Nick Miniski, and Digsy went to see The La’s at Manchester Ritz in 2005, and saw him at the bar, where the kid said he got the boot for not wanting to stand up during the gig and the roadie (my good mate Jasper!) stood in instead, but “it was brilliant to see a standing drummer, the silhouette was magic!”
I've seen the London video, it does look pretty friggin' good.
Digsy let me know he had seen my documentary “you the kid who spoke to Barry?” so makes me wonder who else may have seen it. At least Digsy enjoyed it.
He also said he was recently talking to Mani, and that The Stone Roses were gonna get back together, and it was all good until Ian started singing...funny enough a month or so later, they were back together.
I tell him I'm going to run my own Bandwagon night the way The Bandits did, but in Stoke and have a 'Scouse invasion'. Digsy said he'd play any time for me. Good to know.
We grab a snap and I hear a shout from across the road, my old pal Natalie. Digsy laughs.
"It's me they normally recognize!"
We head to the train station and for some reason, we decide to run on without tickets and luckily we out run the Mersey Travel staff as they chase us for not paying.
Here's me running away with Digsy half pissed along the platform. What a sight that must have been.
He tells me the next gig is with Mick Jones and John Power, the Justice for the 96 gig. Even though he's an Evertonian, he feel's it's a privilege to be playing. We say our goodbye's, I go to give him a hand shake and he instead he hugs me.
"If you need anything, any time, giz a bell!"
He hands me his address and asks me to send a disc of La's rarities I told him I had. How could he not hear 'Tears in the Rain' especially with Barry being in his band at one point.
Another interview, another contact.
More time passes, I leave for uni, I have my operation. I spend a week in uni, earning the name of 'Singing Scouser' for performing Liverpool tunes from Edgar, Bandits, Stairs and The La's in the uni kitchen 'til 6am. Then I leave uni and decamp back to Liverpool to deal with the chemotherapy treatment.
With Twitter becoming the forefront of finding news and with "@istanbandit" being Gary Bandit's twitter, it was a point of getting in touch and getting scraps of information and the odd reply now and then.
I'd already met him in Amsterdam airport, he took the snap of me and Lee Mavers, and by the time I could say hello to Gary, they were gone; which was slightly guttering as I'd been a massive fan of The Bandits, and it wasn't like "oh, it's just Lee's new bass player" and The Bandits turned out to be my Amsterdam soundtrack.
Few days after my operation, I wake up to a 'tweet' from him, thanking me for the support over the last few months. He asks how I'm doing.
I'd just had my tumour removed and let him know. He was gobsmacked and said that him and Lee wish me all the best and to give it all I've got...
He sends me a private message on Twitter and 'follows me' to keep in touch. We banter back and forth on the private messenger, letting me know there will be new music in the new year and that he's enjoyed being back in a band and playing the bass, and had enjoyed a holiday away after the summer with Lee! he highlights Liverpool, London and Kendall Calling as his favourite gigs and that "when we get it right, it's electric.."
We both agree the funniest moment was Lee mixing up the first few lines of the "Feelin'" lyrics in Amsterdam, Gary said he nearly fell over it was that funny...just shows you can be over rehearsed!
Before I left Staffordshire uni, I was studying Music Journalism, with my list of contacts consisting of Barry Sutton, Digsy (of Oasis' Digsy's Dinner fame), Neil Mavers, The Real People,
Ian Prowse of Amsterdam, Ian McNabb of The Icicle Works, Karl Rowlands of The Crescent, Phil Hayes from The Picket and Edgar Jones (even if he didn't answer the phone), I was better off than most and thought "did I really need a magazine name behind me to get an interview from these guys?"
So I ask Gary if he'd mind me asking "20 questions" he said no problem, pop down the praccy room. With my hospital visits and him being busy it seemed I wouldn't be able to catch him before I started my treatment. Few days later the phone rings, the mobile doesn't recognize the number, it's Gary.
"sorry for being rubbish getting in touch la, been busy the last few days, Lee's got the keys to the rehearsal room"
I tell him not to worry.
We arrange a day but it's no good, I have to go back and tie up loose ends in Staffordshire. We make another day but he's in Manchester. It seems we're not going to meet before the chemo begins.
I get a text through at 2AM.
"Defo on for tomorrow. Lee will be there to. G."
My heart was pounding and I tried to imagine what it would be like.
6PM came and Gary calls and says to head towards the rehearsal room and to tell him when I'm next to the phone box. All cryptic and mythical, as if now I have to dial a secret number and the floor will part.
I get to the phone box and call.
"We're in the car, la. The room is too cold so we're going to mine"
I spot Gary who's waving out of the window. I assume Lee had gone as his car wasn't there, I'd seen him a few times in Sainsbury's car park with his kids and refused to talk to him. My stance is that it's some bloke called Lee looking after his kids, not Lee Mavers from the La's. Strange to think but it's what I think.
So I head round to the passenger seat, still nervy but Lee's sitting there. The back door opens and I jump in. Lee turns and nods his head. No need for him to introduce himself, obviously.
Gary turns round too.
"here's something for your collection"
He hands me a 12" vinyl of The Bandits 'The Warning' remix by The Mad Professor with a B-Side of 'Guns of Brixton' which is a truly amazing cover of The Clash.
I quickly join in the conversation when I can as we drive along, trying to offer some sort of service. Lee leads the way. He's buzzing in the front seat.
"It sounds crystal la, the guitars just sing"
Gary turns around to me at the lights.
"have you heard that London bootleg?"
"the one on Soundcloud?"
"not sure, our tour manager sent us the link in an email last night"
I'd heard it on the La's board. It sounded good and was surprised the band had gotten hold of it and even more so that Lee would actually listen to it.
I tell them I think it was recorded with a phone. Lee debunks it.
"couldn't be, it's too clear"
"I can find out and let you know?"
"cheers"
We pull up at Gary's. He points to a house across the road a few doors down.
"d'yer know Pete Wylie? well see that nice over house there, well he lives in the shithole next door!"
We laugh hysterically as we wait for Lee who goes to his car parked outside Gary's and comes out with a video camera and an assortment of wires.
Gary says this used to be Liverpool's music "Stella Street" as The Dead 60's, Pete Wylie and Wayne from The Crescent had all lived on the road at some point.
We go into Gary's house and it takes the two of them to get the door open, it's like Laurel and Hardy trying to open it. We step in to the living room/kitchen and I spot the Danelectro guitar Lee had been using on the past tours since 2005.
Along with that was two more acoustics propped up against the fire place and Gary's Hofner bass propped up against the window, I ask him about him using a different bass at the homecoming gig, Gary says that's Lee's bass he uses in the praccy room. I assume the one used by John Power in the 2005 gigs was also Lee's bass.
I also spy a massive Vox amp on a shelf which had a Bandits bass drum skin sitting on top. In the other corner a wall of vinyl. This is proper.
I listen to Lee and Gary, trying not to get in the way or be a nuisance. Gary had explained prior they'd had a falling out recently and hand't spoke in two weeks. I assume it was regarding the Derby match between Liverpool and Everton that had gotten their blood boiling. And the fact they'd been around the world with one another, in one another's pockets for the past few months, so it was understandable.
Gary asked if I'd heard the radio session they did in France, they played "I Can't Sleep" "My Generation" and I assume probably "There She Goes".
But, it's the first I've heard of it.
"We came out to the Pink Panther song, some French bird going "it's the ooh la la's!""
We sit on the couch as Lee sets up the video camera to show me the London gig that they had recorded. We search for the wire to watch on the TV, but no luck so we gather round the small screen on the camera.
Lee surprises me with his techno knowledge, considering people said he doesn't own a CD player he knows his way round a camera. We settle on the couch, Lee in the middle of me and Gary.
Opening shot is the camera on the stage as "Son of a Gun" and audience cheers ring out and Lee's battered blue suede samba's in shot. Gary chips in.
"Get on them! Lee's samba's wrote "There She Goes y'know lad!"
Even Lee had to crack a smile at that and hushes us down, this must be the 4 millionth time he's heard this song but he's still in love with it.
A few songs in and in between songs an audience member cries out "Lee you're a fucking legend!"
Gary chips in "you fuckin' handed that fella a fiver before the gig to shout that didn't yer?!"
We laugh a little as Lee's drum solo comes in. And then "Clean Prophet" starts and as it ends, Lee gets his revenge as he sings on the recording right before the big bang end "to me it's all a dream" dun! dun! dun! dun! and gives Gary a swift hand slap to the stomach. Which is equally as funny as it was surprising.
Both hilarious people to be around. A real good laugh, you'd love to know them even if they weren't who they were.
We watch through half way and Gary says he's starving and is off the Tesco and asks if we're sound waiting here. There was a moment of thinking and realisation.
"shit, he's leaving me here with Lee"
Lee says its sound and to quiet down as he's trying to watch the video. Gary laughs and I joke to him saying "I hope he hasn't left me to be the new bass player!"
There was a few moments of thinking "I'm sitting here with Lee Mavers on Gary Bandit's couch in his house watching The La's"
Mental la, mental.
I don't want to seem like I'm not interested or non-talkative, so I'd comment every now and then but Lee's lost in the music, occasionally breaking away and looking at me with a massive grin as if to say "we've got it!"
He explains the sound is now right, and that he was right all along, back before they were even signed (1986).
He likened the sound to that off a champagne glass being played, which was interesting to say the least.
Finally, Lee opens up to me a little once the music is off, he wasn't being non-talkative, he was just so immersed in the music, as if he'd miss something.
He gives me the run down all about the tuning and pitching. It seems some invisible wall of keeping it a secret had been knocked down and he was about to let me into his circle.
Lee's tuning techniques; brilliant, totally brilliant. At first it might be all too much, and then it begins to make sense. He engages you on another level; never breaking eye contact. The man's passion is truly next to none.
But as Lee said, it's all puzzle pieces that have been put together.
He explains, hand gestures and all, that when the Nazi's came into power they had changed everything to concert pitch. The Nazi Eagle, the American eagle. Red, white and blue, Viking colours. Vi-king. Now it's King of England, red white and blue. Passed down through the years. Fascinating stuff.
He also explained how music has effect on water patterns, which pops up again two days later funny enough with an ex-La...
He also explained how music has effect on water patterns, which pops up again two days later funny enough with an ex-La...
He explained the concert tuning it all in Hertz, and that the tuning should really be:
E = 81hz
A = 108hz
D = 144hz
G = 192hz (in the sequence should be 189 but needs to be upped 3hz to fall into tune.)
B = 243hz
E = 324hz
All of a sudden it feels as if I'm the first one other than Gary and some other inner circle folk had heard about this.
"It's all there la, you've just got to look"
He's right, it is. Gary returns with the new Tiger Woods game which he's buzzing about. He starts cooking and Lee runs over to an acoustic.
"I've pulled a tendon in me finger, so can only play a bit"
I hit record on my phone and place it on the side.
Lee says he feels like he's played his finger through better now. I'm hoping he's gonna open up with a few new tunes.
Gary asks about Liverpool FC, we're both massive fans so we agree to go to a few away days in the future, though the upcoming West Brom game was too much for me to get to.
I'm sure we'll be on the Kop someday anyway.
"we aren't human's having spiritual experiences; we are spirits experiencing a human life..."
was the most profound quote from Lee for the evening as he gets through his dinner.
was the most profound quote from Lee for the evening as he gets through his dinner.
"New record" from a scrap of paper I saw, it read "Callin' All #2" the usual suspects were on the list "Was It Something I Said?" "Rebound" "Gimme The Blues" "The Human Race". The rest is covered up with bills, letters and guitar parts, it'd be rude to have peeked. But the excitement was all there.
We decide to get down to the interview with Gary.
I had my questions ready, and seemed pretty good but they were for Gary. I assumed Lee would hopefully at the most be playing the guitar in the corner or something while I borrowed his bassist for a quick word. Instead he sat down opposite me across the table, ready for me to ask away. We decide to get down to the interview with Gary.
Pleasantries and all aside. Mavers makes his way around the table and kneels on the floor as he rolls himself a rizla made cigarette on the table between us. Gary jumps on the other end of the couch.
I hadn't anticipated him being willing in answering questions.
I had my questions ready, and they seemed pretty good, but they were for Gary. I assumed Lee would, hopefully, at the most be playing the guitar in the corner or something while I borrowed his bassist for a quick word.
How do you interview your all time hero unprepared?
well, this is how it went.
Does Liverpool influence it's musicians in anyway?
Lee: I'm sure it will like, wherever you are, wherever you're from, I'm sure London had an influence on David Bowie.
Gary: It does, course it does. Even The Wirral has a sound these days. The Coral. Not quite Scouse. The La's couldn't come from London could they!
Has the music scene changed in anyway since?
Lee: when we were around it was all disco shite. There was no one like us.
Gary: In the Bandwagon days there was that and Edgar's night and Le Bateau and The Lomax, but it went through Cream and all that before like, twenty years after The La's.
Lee: Cream though, the style that came about because of it, it's like musical graffitti it may as well be, people forget what was there before, people go over it and add to it, but the wall stays there, and we are the wall, the WONDERWALL!
Do you have a proudest moment as a musician?
Lee: Yeah, that London gig! [@ The Old Blue Last, 2011] I think the Liverpool gig was the worst one of the tour.
Gary: Liverpool was special.
Lee: I think Liverpool missed out.
Personally, out of the Manchester, Amsterdam and Liverpool gigs I witnessed, Liverpool was the strongest sounding...
I ask Lee about influences and if there's any new ones...Lee cites anything with energy is his listening music and that he only took on the Kinks this year. He notes early Who, Stones, Ramones, Beefheart as influences alongside the Fibonacci tuning techniques, prior to the Nazi's way of Concert Pitch.
I ask about the 2nd record. The La's debut was over 20 years old.
The question bombs.
Lee: what about it?
I ask if it's around.
Lee: it's been around for decades.
There's a moment.
Gary: the thing is, it will happen.
Lee tells me he doesn't want to get the 2nd record wrong. And proceeds to open up.
Lee: A band like us has to go by the back door. The people that run the business, do not want a band like us around, good vibrations, were we are the total opposite of their agenda and we're gonna fuck it up. The last thing they want is us, we're like a secret weapon, that's gonna blow it all open. I didn't believe it when we first got signed up, after a while it became clear to me, so in my head I stopped playing, if you like. I just started seeing the contract out and being uninterested as I could, looking as disinterested as I could, hoping people would go "fuck these off, these are crap" and make it quicker, but it never happened like, people are just tone deaf, they haven't got a fucking clue, because they're all brain-washed by what I'm on about. The La's were always different, even when we were signed and they tried to change us, so I just left it all.
Do you have a favourite venue in Liverpool?
Lee: I don't know what's in Liverpool any more...
Gary: I used to love the Zanzibar; when you could smoke in there. It was always the best gig in there when there was 400 people rammed in there, it was like how you'd imagine an old school gig to be.
Lee: the best gigs were before we were signed, places like The Flying Picket, the residency at the Pen & Wig, The Everyman.
I ask Lee about the iconic La's marching band bass drum his younger brother, former drummer, Neil, sold to a fan online.
Lee: that was Chris Sharrock's. I was dis-interested by then [1988] that guitar in the museum isn't even mine.
The talk of the museum leads into a story.
Gary: they've got the 'Liberty Ship' lyrics as well haven't they? that's where it was written there, by the docks.
Lee begins to get reminiscent.
Lee: 'Liberty Ship' was written by where y'know by the Albert Dock right by the end where the brick sticks out and there's
a mast on it as well, well, I was peaking on White Lighting and in a Sea farer's jacket, the double breasted one's, and purely *there*. And then the bus went past with "All Mankind" on which I needed! That was before Albert Dock was "all that" it was still undergoing.
How did you get into the guitar?
Lee: when I was 18 months old, the Beatles were just coming out and me mum bought a little plazzy guitar and I used to cry for it in the pram going "yeah, yeah, yeah!" and it was in the paper, a picture of me at 18 months with a Beatles haircut and the caption "even the kids are at it these days!" and she used to carry it around in her purse. That's when I got into the guitar. Then we'd see the Beatles films in the school holidays, then when I was like 11, it was "I wanna guitar for christmas! I wanna guitar!" I got it, played it, couldn't play it left handed, then it done
me head like a mathamatical problem. Then when I was 14-15 when you're grounded for sagging school off, and your old fella get's onto it, and keeps you in the house and all your mates walk past going "haha!" and then the guitar came out the corner and it was all on one string like and I was looking at pictures of Johnny Ramone doing a bar chord, in the Melody Maker and the [New Music] express or whatever it was, I saw this on the back of a bus and I copied it, and started noticing patterns, then you'd pick up a D chord and a G chord, and play them all like, I was a bass player before that, all on one string like.
Gary: I had a guitar, then I went round to his [Lee's], met him playing footy so I asked him to teach me to play, and I'll fix your car...I never fixed the car! [laughs]
Lee: he's still learning!
Gary: I played the drums first though. I played drums in the school band with Russ Zuton on guitar. But the guitar sits in the corner like, you just can't figure it out, then you learn a chord or see the picture, other than that like.
Lee: unless it's like intuition, then you won't get anywhere with anything, it's your natural intuition to put things together like, you've already got the sense, and then it comes out, that sense you've always had, it's math in the music.
Do you still write songs easily?
Lee: I can't remember the last time I wrote a song, 2001 was it? no fear out of not writing tunes, there's having too
many and that and I don't want to get too fat, let's get some out, let's have a shit first! I've only got the
one arse y'know!
Have you ever been touted for any other bands?
Lee: No.
Gary: I have...
He has this look in his face as if *nobody* on earth knows about this...
I joke with him..."Cast"?
We laugh.
Gary: No, ha, I got asked to do The Libertines when Pete first Went to jail. But he wasn't too happy about it so I ended up not doing it.
In the end they got the American, Anthony Rossamando, to take Pete's place.
We then begin to have a laugh regarding Digsy!
Of course they said more and told me more but for now, it belongs in my memory, maybe some kid will knock on my door asking for a story.
Lee has some errands to run and stands up with his car keys. The whole "don't meet your hero's thing" had just been redefined.
He tells Gary he'll be back soon and out of respect I reach out a hand to shake the man by the hand.
"nah, nah nah!"
There's a moment of rejection, he grins and sticks a fist out and we touch fists and he nods and tells me to get well and sticks a foot on the door and drags it open, nearly flying across the hallway and disappears.
Was that all real?
Gary's laughing as I pick my jaw up from the floor and has an early start so, he drops me home, with two Cast signed drum skins, the vinyl and Bestival setlist. A true gent.
Turns out his mum works once a week at the pub on the corner of my road and he used to work at the garage just a stone's throw from my house. As a kid I've probably walked past him hundreds of times on the way to getting sweets from the frigging shop.
The very next day I declare my last night out before treatment.
Edgar is DJing at Magnet. Perfect. We head out and hear some classic songs and I hand Edgar a note thanking him for the tunes and they've been a comfort of late. We grab a quick snap, which he's more than happy to pose for.
We have a handshake and enjoy the rest of the night. As I drunkenly stagger out, he catches me and tells me he'll be in touch...
Two days on, Saturday afternoon, the "Weed Bus" 12" vinyl rolling out of the speakers, and "EDGAR JONES" flashes on the phone, I answer.
"Alright la! its Edgar"
no shit.
He asks how we should do this and we agree to having a coffee on a Lazy Sunday afternoon on Bold Street. Sounds perfect don't it?
I jump the bus to town, and hang about outside the coffee shop on Bold Street by the Tesco for all of a second until I spot Edgar sitting inside showing the waitress the book he's reading.
I wade in and let on and grab a water, which he offers to pay for. He's done enough, these are on me.
We sit down and make small talk while I get set up. We chat for time. He looks cool as, sporting a leather jacket, purple jumper, mod like shirt, but most of all, he looks great health wise.
We get down to the questions...
I ask that same question I have to all, "does Liverpool as a place have an influence on it's musicians?" Edgar's got a great answer to it, "Yeah of course; both good and bad cause of the work ethic!"
One thing you have to ask is what's someone who's done it all's most proudest moment as a musician? He tells me it was nice to do the Albert Hall with Weller, where he played bass, to sit back enjoy, where other musicians put their trust in you with their songs, nice to give something back. He also notes it was nice for his Dad to have seem him play there before passing on.
Edgar's always been popular with big names. Weller, Marr and Mavers. I had to ask if he'd ever been touted for any other bands? I'm sure Noel Gallagher would have asked him to take up the bass for his new band.
He tells me "occasionally, had some strange requests over the years that don't get followed through, I'm usually busy, do get some weird ones, no one has rang in a while like!"
With someone's life so immersed in music, will he always be in music and have it around him? he tells me, "yeah of course, good to be able to do what you want with your life like a life choice, doing what ya want has little job security so the DJing is to keep some pocket money, I'll always be around it playing the guitar in the front room or back room!"
Even with myself when I write songs, some mean more than others, I wonder if he sees The Stairs as the glory days or vice versa? and if there's any songs he's written that mean more to him than others?
He opens up with a though that, of late definitely, he's been through a period of being more in harmony with himself, so the recent ones mean more to me now, the more honest the words are the easier it is. You know something's right. He's not struggling to get a 2nd or 3rd verse any more.
A question I had been itching to ask was with his distinctive voice, was there any pressure to sing differently with Britpop, Oasis and Blur around the corner? (at the time The Stairs' debut was released in 1992)
Edgar has a moment and speaks away "not really, there was a thing about it, but we got away with murder, me at the age of 21 self producing our own album, but we had a good manager and that. We made that album for 30 grand which wouldn't happen now"
I ask if music changed for him over the years. He tells me that over the years definitely, as you get older you lose some of the top end in hearing, and you get more aware of the richness and the performity of things, and you can hear extreme artists who live for it, relations with music do change with it, fussier but, get more out of it.
I begin to pick his brain, if there are any collaborations he'd like to do...
he answers "not really, that's all time machine business! been lucky to work with those I love, like Si Aldridge, Weller, Lee as well obviously, at the time I wish we were more focused, it wasn't as good as it could have been, I wish I had grow up with Lee rather than be introduced to him when we were both like mid-30's, so yeah I'd like to have grown up with Lee (Mavers). That'd be nice".
I get a bit more tech minded and vibe sounding and ask how was "Soothing Music For Stray Cats", his debut solo album, recorded?
"all done on an 8 track, Tescam (or Tascam?) which records onto a cassette, it has a built in mixer, it's 90% myself, or I'll get a drummer if needed or a guitarist, I'll work on it on me own til I get stuck, it was down to about the 2/3 version of the Joneses, we were into Sly + Stone, blues orientated funk, our keyboardist got acute tendinitis in his wrist, so the band split up for a while, but I wanted to do something, and we got loads of gig offers on the back of that."
A guy on The La's board submitted a question, that if there are any live recordings of The Big Kids?
"There's a recording of a gig at Magnet on a CD somewhere but it's a compressed sound cause it's from the recording desk from the soundguy, there's a video of the christmas gig at the masque with Mike Badger and Tramp Attack, but the tape runs out during Weed Bus after we were doing an long version of it, with a two minute intro with loads of people onstage doing percussion!"
I pop him another tech question from a La's fan, regarding his favourite vocal mic for recording?
"Rhodes (I assume is the spelling), don't mind the cheap copies, the Russian ones are a bit cheaper, or a AKG mic, £100, has nice top end, battery powered and I like using it for my voice at the moment."
Half of it comes to this next question. It's like asking Weller about The Jam, Morrissey about The Smiths...we've been talking and sharing experiences and philosophies, so I think it feels right to ask now...
Was there any truth in The Stairs reunion talk?
Edgar takes a moment, it's not an uncomfortable moment, or a sense of he's not going to, or doesn't want to answer. He's looking for the right words. Throw clarity on it. Maybe for me, maybe for him.
"people tried to instigate it for some gigs before we were even asked, so there's a truth in it, but no interest really, a band like the Stairs, should stay in prosperity, I saw a garage band reunion gig and it was evidence that garage bands shouldn't reform!"
It's a fair answer. A good answer to. Big respect to him.
I throw a quick fire question...Beatles or (Rolling) Stones?
they both have different uses!
Another big question is, are there any future plans?
"carrying on with the writing and recording at the moment, maybe a get band of musicians I can call on for some gigs, but definitely some live gigs just myself playing some acoustic nights, work up from the ground, I've not played live in a year and a half, or played a guitar on stage in 10 years. But slowly slowly catchy monkey..."(he later stated he has 22 songs on the go, I have 8 of his demo's and they are brilliant)
Unfortunately my video recording ran out at this point, so the rest is from memory...
Another favourite question for me to ask, is "if you could replay any gig, what would it be?"
"one where something went wrong so I could fix it! or the 2005 James Brown gig, I'd make sure the guitarist had a battery in his wah-wah!..I'd play gigs where things went wrong, put them right"
Another...are there any other Liverpool musicians you respect?
"There's Lee of course, and Paul McCartney, his musical is so symmetrical, he understands music so much."
Any memories of the time in Rat Scabies studio?
He's a lovely fella Rat. We jammed the "Love Song" with the bass and it was brilliant to do that like!
If you could form a supergroup with you in it, who'd be in the line-up?
Time machine stuff again that, la! but I'd have like 3 on bass or something!
Did Weller, Marr and Mavers have an influence on you as a writer?
Yeah of course, learn from them all.
With him he has a New York Times best seller book "Hidden Messages In The Water" (which strangely is the exact same thing Lee was talking to me about!) and we flick through and there's some very interesting stuff, definitely worth looking into.
This then linked into a CD of his new demos he's working on that won't see the light of day for a while (listening to them now and they are mega) he asked me not to share them as they are just demo's, and I will respect his wishes, but they are really great! it also includes what he calls "the best song I've ever written..." The demo's are actually brilliant. I was really touched when he handed me them, some good vibes to get well.
I pull out my 12" of Weed Bus and he glances over it with a smile. He's not to interested in it it seems. He says most of the vinyl he has doesn't have the covers on. I stick it back in the bag and pack up.
We take off down Bold Street and we talk health, our own struggles and what's on our horizon's and gives me some good vibes. He tells me he'll be in touch with some natural healing people he knows, who'll help get some bad ion's out of me.
Really lovely fella. We talk some more music and he said to get into Neil Young and get "Harvest" and that he has the best introductions to songs ever. We shake hands, and then he shakes his head and he hugs me and we go our separate ways and promise to keep in touch.
As I untangle my headphones on the way to the bus back home, I think that I've interviewed my musical heroes in the space of a week, so now I can retire at 19! a satisfying thing as I pass the Cavern and the constant tourists grabbing a snap with the John Lennon statue.
Since starting the treatment I've been limited in seeing all I want and who. Gary Bandit confirmed The La's are recording and it's sounding "boss" and they are to headline Sound City New York in March 2012. Hopefully I'll get there in some shape or form.
Edgar's back playing live, "getting his mojo back" and possibly heading off with Gary to The Stone Roses gigs at Heaton Park. Really exciting times.
Even now as I watch the George Harrison documentary and they discuss his cancer which he unfortunately succumbed to, I realise we have something else in common other than being scousers, but George, I'm not dead yet, but I'll see you up there, la, with my pen and pad for twenty questions.
The future now lies with finishing the treatment (as of 20/12/2011), getting back well and behind a guitar and hopefully helping The La's with their comeback in any shape or form, or helping Gary Bandit and Edgar with the musical adventure they will embark on in 2012.
Perhaps get my own band The Carnations back together in a blaze of glory, with my La's associations I've had a lot of offers to write songs for and with people, produce demo's and join and start bands, even been asked to replace members in phone calls and emails.
I guess James Joyce was right in Macey's book when he said people want to work with you once you've played with Lee.
Either way the plan to help change the Liverpool music scene and with their help, and hopefully bring The N.C.S.S.R. (The Nu-Cosmic Scouse Scally Stoner Rock Movement) back to the forefront of the music scene.
Keep the dream alive. CP.
p.s thanks to everyone mentioned in this. Hopefully more tales are to be told...
