Interviews

XFM - 1990 - Andrew Eldritch Radio Interview

From: sexbat@batt.demon.co.uk (Count Von Sexbat)
Subject: Eldritch Interview

You are listening to XfM, Andrew Eldritch is on the phone.
x: It's really nice to talk to you, where are you?
AE: Kassel, I'm in the middle of Germany at the moment
x: what on earth are you doing there if you don't mind me asking?
AE: occupational hazard - start of a tour
x: start of a tour
AE: yeah, we're playing Kassel tomorrow.
x: have you had any chance to do your Christmas shopping what with all your
pre-tour arrangements?
AE: I took delivery of a new lap top this afternoon which was very gratifying.
I think you mean buying presents for other people don't you?
x: yeah
AE: No, I don't do any of that.
x: you don't even buy one for your mother?
AE: She doesn't buy me one!
x: Oh Andrew I can't believe it!
AE: I haven't seen her for 15 years so she's hardly likely to
x: I know that bands get very bored on the road and they tend to make up all
kinds of games...
AE: That's why we have lap tops.
x: But you seem to invent your own language - is that what keeps you amused
on the roads these days, your lap tops?
AE: It will be as of tomorrow
x: so are you fascinated by computers Andrew, it seems to be that you know...
AE: I love them
x: It's the thing that kids are into these days.
AE: um...yeah
x: just yeah? ok fair enough
[Wonderful FM radio static]
AE: after things like sex mainly
x: so sonic the hedgehog has taken the place of sex for you these days?
AE: no no no, that's Nintendo and Sega and stuff - that's rubbish.
x: oh really, you don't approve of that at all?
AE: no, you can't play any decent games with two knobs and a joystick.
that shoot-em up stuff or jump around - it's not for me babe.
x: what would you call a decent game then Andrew?
AE: Lemmings is fabulous - go and lemmings!
x: It needs some discipline to play that though!
AE: no it doesn't!
x: oh it does..
AE: it takes application
x: because we are a station of the people we have some questions -
people phoned up earlier.
AE: You've made these up haven't you?
x: No!
AE: There just going to be the usual bullshit and you are going to say
"Anne from Mosley really needs to know..."
x: no,no,no these are absolutely genuine questions.
John from Hackney knows that you are an enormous cricket fan and would
like to know...
AE: I'm only 5'9"
x: He'd like to know who you think should be the new chairman of the English
Cricket selectors?
AE: Geoffrey Boycott - he's just so irritating he's wonderful!.
x: So are you a fan of that fine English sport then Andrew?
AE: Not much, I still fence from time to time, but it's not very English
running around with a sabre in your hand.
x: There's a rather elaborate outfit for fencing which is quite nice.
AE: It does make you look pretty cute yeah and of course it's exactly my
colour.
x: we got a fax, all it says on the top of it is "Take a Bite",
(Three radio plugs in a single day!! Actually we had a bet on his
answer to our question and we were right....)
I assume the people who sent it know who they are but the question is
"Have you heard of First and Last and Forever and if so,
what do you think of it?'
AE: I have heard of it, it seems to be all second rate naff Goth stuff so I
haven't ordered my copy. I want Stevie Nicks to cover my songs, or Cher.
x: People view the Sisters very much these days as the Andrew Eldritch
Experience do you think that's unfair?
AE: No! Over the last couple of years I have come to the same conclusion
myself.
x: so it's literally just a vehicle for your ideas now?
AE: Any band should be the vehicle of the ideas of all the people in it.
In as much as they want to contribute they should have a chance to and
that's still the case with the Sisters. It's just the way it seems to
work out that one person always seems to have more to contribute than
other people, and in the case of this band it has always been me and I
have come to realise that recently.
x: only recently
AE: Yeah!
x: The sisters seem to have been through very many line up changes...
AE: No - I always hear this question - Absolute rubbish. Most of our
line-ups last longer than most bands exist period. We don't boot people
out that often. They don't boot themselves out that often.
x: It's always rumoured that you are a bit of a furher really
AE: I lead yes - and I do have a tendency to lead in German these days. In
the current touring line up four fifths of the band speak German. In
fact even the other English person speaks German, he's got an 'A' level
in it so - Yes!
x: So you are communicating entirely in German these days?
AE: A fair bit.
x: I am certain that a number of people are wondering what happened to Tony
James?
AE: It was great having someone in the band who was despised more than me it
really was. He attracted all the flack. He's in TV now.
x: Television, really? Do you know what he's doing?
AE Yeah, he 'conceives' things.
x: There's quite a lot that needs to be conceived to make British Television
up to scratch, but there you go.
AE I can't say I've watched any for a while. Although I must say I saw a
good Joanna Lumley advert yesterday on cable. You know I tried to get
Joanna to do the adverts for our Greatest Hits Campaign
(plug the record Andrew - ok I've plugged the record - what a fine record)
Norman Tebbit said 'No' and then I thought "Joanna will do it, she's bound
to do it, but someone from the record company rang her up so that put the
mockers on it.
x: have you seen her in "Absolutely Fabulous"?
AE: Someone just gave me a video with three episodes on, it's very good!
x: It's a bit of a renaissance for Joanna really.
AE: She's going to marry me and have my children
x: Is she really?
AE: Yeah!
x: Have you already asked her?
AE: a......yy...I've been busy.
x: Perhaps she would be the thing that you'd like to get in your Christmas
stocking? What would you most like to find in your Christmas stocking?
AE: Joanna Lumley in her Christmas stockings probably.
x: There's one thing that always fascinated me about you and that's your
image without meaning to sound facetious at all, I think you are a little
bit like the Queen aren't you. I can not imagine you going to the toilet.
It must be a nightmare to keep up appearances on tour.
AE: I don't bother.
x: Of course you do!
AE: No.
x: You always look so dark and debonair.
AE: I'm not dark at all. They call me the Pale Emperor, that's because..
well I'm kind of pale.
x: But you are a pretty well turned out man aren't you..
AE: No, I'm pretty shabby these days. I go on in this psychedelic Viet-cong
outfit which consists of rather distressed combat trousers and the
nastiest, vilest coloured shirts you can find, and I've found a few.
x: Well you are playing in December in Britain at the "Sisters of Mercy
Christmas Party". Do you have a message for any of the fans that are
going to come and see you there?
AE: No.
x: Come on, be a bit more charitable than that.
AE: Oh dear......um, no I don't really, I just hope everyone has a good time.
x: Andrew Eldritch thank you very much for talking to me!
AE: Didn't hurt too much did it.