Interviews



This page is for interviews with artists that have played or are going to play at Optimo. The interviews are conducted by Chris Boyd who writes for the groovy independent Scottish music magazine Is This Music?.

Here's the latest interview with Clinic who are playing the club on Sunday February 4th (Interview by Kate Connolly)

Q .How are you, where are you, and what are you doing there?

A. I'm fine, at home eating food.

Q .I've read that you appreciate the anonymity that the surgeon's outfits give you onstage. Is that your main reason for wearing them, and are there others? Would you consider playing a gig without them now?

A. The main reasons are entertainment. The outfits evolve over time, which means we'll keep using them.

Q. How do you feel that 'Visitations' differs from its predecessors? It seems like quite a dark record to me, how far would you agree with that?

A. I think 'visitations' is dark in places but actually more humorous than the past LPs. It has more Neanderthal riffs and urgency.

Q. How do you write your songs? What inspires them?

A. The songs are always based around drums and rhythms. They're the starting point for us, rather than chords.

Q. You don't seem to tour the UK very often. Why not? Do you enjoy the experience of touring?

A. Touring is good if the music changes constantly and it keeps the imagination so rather than play endless gigs, it's best for us to play shorter tours and come back with something different.

Q. What music are you listening to at the moment?

A. At the moment, Exuma 2, The Mystic Tide and Le Fille Qui Mousse.

Q. I heard you had to cancel a show at St Martin's College recently. How does it feel to have been the planned target of a student protest?

A. I understood the reasons for not wanting the gig to happen. It was just a pity but funny.

Q. What's been the highlight of your time with Clinic so far?

A. highlight by far would be the John Peel live show at Maida Vale.





Here's the latest interview with Psychic Ills who are playing the club on Sunday November 5th


Q: Firstly, where are you?

A: New York, practicing before we go on tour.

Q: Your record label describes your music as "future primitive pop compositions". Are you consciously trying to escape contemporary definitions/pigeon holing?

A: We?re just playing what sounds good to us.

Q: On a similar note, if you could play in any movement/era, what/when would that be?

A: Now

Q: In your gig heaven, who would you open up for and who would open up for you?

A: Have no idea?Sufi musicians ? we?d open?and hopefully play with.

Q: The Social Registry points us in the direction of your Myspace page. Do you think Myspace is helping aspiring musicians get heard, or is it just a cynical ploy to sell kids stuff?

A: It?s cool that it?s allowing anyone to get heard. It?s also a good way to not have to deal with a website...

Q: Are you excited about playing in Europe for the first time?

A: Yeah, will be cool.

Q: What do you miss most when you're on tour?

A: New York

Q: "Psychic ills, mental violence, etc..." Your language is quite...disturbing. Do you play consciously "difficult" music?

A: No, it?s just language; we want to play vibrant music mostly.

Q: You seem to play with The Double quite a lot. Is it just about the music or is there any other reason?

A: We played with them a few times because our friend, who was helping us out, was also helping them out ? they?re nice dudes.

Q: The San Francisco Weekly, in their review of your debut album Dins, said that ?one too many tunes teeter on the edge of retro shoegazing?. How do you respond to this?

A: It?s no skin off our back if the guy thinks that.

Q: I understand that the band relocated to NYC from Texas. What sort of effect has this had on you?

A: A couple of us are from Texas, but the band has only existed in NYC.

Q: How have West Coast audiences reacted to your live performances? Has there been a marked difference from those in NYC?

A: We have a real good time on the West Coast. There might be some differences, but I don?t know what they are? time and weather?

Q: Are you sick and tired of the Spacemen 3, My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth comparisons?

A: Don?t really see the relation, but it?s no less flattering ? cool bands.

Q: Who are you all listening to at the moment?

A: John Fahey?s and Three 6 Mafia

Q:What do you know of Glasgow (without doing any Googling, just off the top of your head)?

A:I?ve got a good friend from there?Liz has been there. There?s been lots of good music from there for a long time? Fried Mars Bars?





The first interview is with Edinburgh band and signings to our own OSCARR label X Vectors.

Q: It has been a hell of a job trying to get hold of you. What has been keeping you so busy lately?

A: We pride ourselves on our lack of availability. Apart from anything else, it means that if you do find us, you've put effort in and are therefore more likely to be more worthwhile. We'll see as things progress though. As ever, fine wines, crap drugs and computers take up swathes of our time.

Q: Which bands are better than you?

A: We don't know. We haven't seen a good band in a long time. Don't all the other great bands have at least one dead member? We like to think we're in the top 2 of the UK rankings. Of course, with better training and facilities and a programme to nurture young, upcoming talent, we can probably move a few places up the leader board. Milli Vanilli, Dead or Alive or The Fuckers apart, obviously.

We have a plaque above the practice room door which says "EVERYTHING IS a competition and you can only win by beating others". We take a lot of inspiration from that.

Q: Why exactly do you wish you lived in Chicago in the 1980s?

A: So we could go to the Warehouse all the time. Detroit would be just as good with the high school clubs and the Music Institute. The best solution would really be to be on a space station, shuttling alternately between our stellar home, Detroit, Chicago and New York.

Q: Were you surprised at how popular your version of "Your Love" became?

A: No. It's one of the best songs ever written. Our version hopefully brings something new to a timeless classic. Jamie Principle likes it too which is the greatest compliment you can have really.

Q: You have already played Optimo. What are you going to do differently this time?

A: Each time we play Optimo, we try to make it something special. It's always been a good atmosphere and we respond to that by trying to go that little bit further for them. A lot of what we do isn't always appreciated in some situations, but the people at Optimo just seem to get it.

Q: What's caused the delay of the release of your record?

A: A million and one little problems more mundane than you can imagine, coupled with a psychotic perfectionist streak.

Q: The Pure Groove website lists you as being "the hottest new band in Scotland". Does this ever lead to fist fights with Bricolage over the coveted title?

A: We played with them before and it was a bit like West Side Story. We?re a lot taller than Bricolage, but I can't exactly see them quaking in their winkle-pickers, can you?

Q: Does everyone in the band get on or do you all pick on the drummer?

A: We all get on wonderfully, we share a big house, we all have cigars by the fire every evening, wearing monogrammed smoking jackets...in black, of course. The laptop's in charge though, regularly picking one of us out for extra "correction".

Q: What do you think of the whole Myspace "phenomenon"?

A: People love talking about themselves and a network where people advertise themselves to strangers is a smart idea. It seems to be useful for bands like us that haven't mastered web-design, but the personal pages don't give enough info to make it that interesting for us. There is an obsession with community that lies at the heart of things like this that offers a way for outcasts like us to feel embraced. We're just not convinced how worthwhile it is yet (are my friends really my friends or are they advertising themselves?). The main difficulty is that it's owned by Murdoch; still, we'll keep using it till he starts charging us.

Q: What's been the band?s biggest achievement to date?

A: David was actually employee of the month once ? we all took a lot of pleasure from that.

Q: Do you have a stalker yet?

A: Yes. It?s "Your Love"; indeed, Richard Ramirez commented only the other day that he actually preferred our version to Jamie Principle's.

Q: I've got a fiver left. Why should I buy your record ahead of a sixpack?

A: Because if you buy our record you can take it home, put it on and have an instant party. You can invite people to attend that party. They, in turn, will feel a social responsibility to not arrive empty-handed and they'll bring beer with them for their own and others consumption. Assuming you know at least 6 people, unless they're really posh (they never bring anything), you should come away with at least the equivalent of a sixpack. And - here's what clinches it - you can repeat this trick weekly.