My JDB interview
Thought I'd post this here. My piece for The Japan Times on the band's upcoming Japan gigs. A personal career highlight!
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture...apan-20-years/ If it doesn't work, let me know and I'll put up a PDF. Any feedback graciously received. Please bear in mind I'm usually an editor, not a writer, so be kind! J (And: One quote that didn't make it into the piece which I loved... "I've seen words connected with me in terms of describing me musically, especially in a live scenario. I've seen the words 'bluster,' 'boring' and 'burly,' all the fucking Bs connected with Bradfield. ... I suppose I'll have to take journalists word for it and assume that's my default setting." Poor James!) |
Oh wow, and I just found this - that a predecessor wrote for The Japan Times in 1992!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DMpnADxX...jpg&name=large |
Thanks for sharing. Will read it soon.
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Thanks for that - really enjoyed the read.
Finally an answer to the Nobody Loved You question. From my hazy memory when they were originally promoting TIMTTMY I thought it was pushed as one of the album highlights by both the band and the press, so strange to see such a turn around in opinion of it from the band. |
The only thing I'd change is Prog has a capital P.
Fantastic interview and congratulations on the article. Further to the bit you didn't publish, James for me is the UK's Hendrix. (James would probably insist on Welsh Hendrix) and if he sang to me the sky was falling down, I would believe and flee screaming. If Matt Bellamy sang to me the sky was falling down, I'd wish the sky fell on Matt Bellamy first! Those seven songs never to be released join the vault with "Anniversary To No-one" then? Thanks for posting! |
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Congratulations...they say never phone your idols but you did alright |
Great stuff! Thanks for posting.
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Thanks all! :-) Really enjoyed the interview and, of course, the writing too. Could have fit a bunch more stuff in there, but I had a word limit...
And apologies for the American English. It's our house style! Have had to relearn my own language...! |
Nobody:
Band: The fans don't like Nobody Loved You so we took it off |
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“Rectifying a wrong decision” really makes it sound like “Nobody Loved You” is a heinous mistake of a song. That’s just fucking stupid; it’s a great song. |
He picked up his Troublemaker yesterday :)
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But I see Fender Japan has released it now too in white, black and crimson... To be fair, they all look pretty sweet. So if you see the big man with this - https://d1aeri3ty3izns.cloudfront.ne...00/preview.jpg - he stuck to his guns! |
“I’ve been working on a little project with another lyricist, a little conceptual thing, which I might get out next year” - that’s intriguing.
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Thank you!
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Really enjoyable interview, cheers for posting.
Keen to find out who he has been working with. Wonder if it’s someone James / the Manics have previously worked with or if it’s someone new. Did he drop any hints? :D |
He didn't, and stupidly I didn't push for more details! Bad journalist!!!
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Although last time we had "[Serious Face] We dont know if we've got another album in us [Wipes away tear]" then next day "Boo! Surprise M.F.' ers Enormo-Arena tour and deluxe editions new album announcement". |
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I have heard a rumour that there will be a JDB duet on the next Anchoress album...
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By the way, wasn't their a soundtrack album coming soon James had done that was mainly acoustic? Or did I dream that?
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He did The Chamber soundtrack a few years ago. Haven’t heard anything about a new one.
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He did mention working on a soundtrack in a recent interview but I remember him being quite vague which is quite typical.
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A new soundtrack?
Please, be it anime, please be it anime! I know it won't. But, as I said before in a post about the possibility of a Richey film, a girl can dream. |
He's doing the soundtrack to the Final Fantasy VII remake, didn't you know...
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That would be lovely. Looking forward to hearing his version of One Winged Angel. ♥ |
Great interview, thank you. Looking forward to the new material.
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Thank you for the interview :)
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Thanks for this! Good work dude! :D
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Anyway, a minor quibble about a brilliant piece of writing x |
Haha, thanks!
Yeah, it's a strange one that, whether to use "fuck" or not. JDB used it so much it seemed like part of his aura was missed if I left it out, but my publication's house style is to use "f---" instead. So I was bound by that really. Thanks all for reading, though! Really appreciate it! |
This reminds me of when the band had just got signed to Sony and just finished Stay Beautiful as their first single for a major record label and they were asking their agent / manager / whatever - can't remember the details off the top of my head if it's going to be good enough. Agent / manager geezer, before hearing it, goes, "So long as it hasn't got a massive FUCK OFF in the middle of the chorus, it will be fine."
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Wasn't it Steve Brown, the album producer, who told James that one of the rules of a hit single was not to have swearing in the chorus. Then thhey went away and put together Stay Beautiful...
I think the story was on the DVD that came worth the GT reissue. |
Did they ever play Stay Beautiful in the same set as It's So Easy?
"Why don't you just fuck off!" "Why don't you just... fuck off!" |
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I wonder what the most songs containing swearing they've played in the same set is.... |
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Also, the last Astoria gig had Yes, Repeat, Motorcycle Emptiness, and Roses In The Hospital in there.
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And Of Walking Abortion.... I wonder if you can get those five plus Stay Beautiful anywhere
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Also Symphony of Tourette. I'm surprised they've never played it live or James' guitar solo.
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