TNT Trinity News Two April 25th 2006 Trinity Ball Special: Interviews with Ocean Colour Scene, Republic of Loose and Humanzi 40 days without Jack + Condi 4 What Buffy taught The best kids’ sex? Column pg 3 Ever Politics pg 9 us TV pg 14 books ever Page 10 2 Cover Story TNT Setting the Scene Being the second best band in the world. Rocky montages. The for- tunes of Birmingham F.C. Steve Clarke catches up with Trinity Ball headline act Ocean Colour Scene to discuss pretty much everything... TNT: You’re touring to support a live acoustic album you’re releasing in May, which is also titled, “Live Acoustic”. How’d that come about? Simon Fowler: Oscar and I, our drum- mer, we started this ball rolling, ironical- ly, in Dublin about four years ago. We started playing acoustically while Steve [Cradock, Ocean Colour Scene’s gui- tarist] was playing with Paul Weller. We’ve always done Ireland and Scotland- we’ve done about two or three tours, Oscar and myself, and we just enjoyed the acoustics of playing at that. Now everyone else in the band wants to do it, and so we’re doing a tour in line with that. The other thing is, it’s sort of a trail run, as it’s the first record on our own label. So it’ll be a relatively easy record to make and put out, and really guide us along as to what it’s like to run our own label. TNT: I noticed on your website that you’ve been doing solo tours recently. In my experience that can be slightly omi- nous for a band. I mean, sure, Beyoncé’s solo stuff is good, but then there’s been the detours through that Pink Panther remake… Destiny’s Child has been put on the back-burner. Should Ocean Colour Scene fans be worried? SF: No, no, I’ve always played; I’m Ocean Colour Scene: ‘Noel Gallagher said we’re the second best band in the world. And he thinks The playing a few gigs early in the week Beatles are the best band in the world, so I don’t know where that leaves Oasis’ actually. It’s something that I’ve always kinda done; its how I started…there’s on your music, but the big one has been sound is “deliberately retro”. Do you ably why you wanted to be in a band in nothing for people who like the band to Paul Weller- you’ve supported him, and make a conscious effort? the first place worry about. July 2nd we’re supporting he’s guested on your albums. Is he still a The Who in Hyde Park, so we’ll defi- mentor to the band? ‘We shouldn’t have been TNT: You just pick up the instruments, nitely be getting out the electric guitars and do what feels right. for that one. Then we’ll spend the rest of SF: Yeah, Steve’s with Paul at the pop stars, and I certainly the year making a fully fledged electric minute, in Germany, he’s been playing shouldn’t be now - I’m SF: Well my view is we should pick up studio album. with him for the best part of the year. forty...’ really, really medieval instruments and He’s like Uncle Paul! He’s exactly 6 instead of a 1960’s-style band, we’d TNT: Probably, in the public conscious- years older than me- we have the same SF: No, we’re a traditionalist band, we become a 1660’s style band. That’d be ness, your biggest hit has been “The Day birthday and ironically, his mother’s play guitars and pianos and sing songs my next port of call. We Caught the Train”. Was that based on maiden name was Cradock, so it’s a real- with harmonies and choruses, and obvi- an actual journey, or was it a metaphor ly eerie link. We’ve been playing with ously, the blueprint for that was set TNT: It’d definitely be an interesting perhaps? Paul since ’92 or ’93 and he really gave years ago. But we just do what we do- move; can we expect anything like that us so much confidence…by the time we we don’t think about anything anywhere at the Trinity Ball? SF: It was actually based on a real jour- were playing the Albert Hall under our near as much as people imagine. Most ney we took down to London with our own steam we had already supported bands are kinda retro really, aren’t they? SF: No, I think we’ll do a rock and roll then producer Jimmy Miller, the old Paul there about two or three times, Even the modern bands who people say set there I think. But at the other gigs in Rolling stones producer. But I think it playing “The Day We Caught the Train” aren’t retro. When I walk around town Ireland- Carlow the day after and was about the idea of going to the sea- to a crowd who had never heard it now everyone’s dressed like they were in Killarney the day after that, we’ll be side: about having a good time, at that before. He’s been a friend and a mentor 1979 or 1981. From the Strokes doing more of the acoustic stuff. Trinity time. It was the mid-nineties. It was also towards the bands, particularly Steve. I onwards, all of those bands look to me Ball we’re gonna play loud and fast. a bit of a nod to Jimmy on the 515 in mean, he’s Steve’s hero. It’s so strange like they could have been around 25 Quadrophenia I think. that Steve has ended up his best friend. years ago. So without banging your head TNT: Balls to the wall, rock and roll. So TNT: It’s a fairytale story almost. The against saucepans, you’re bound to have you’re been through a lot of ups and TNT: The Who have been an influence band’s page on Wikipedia states your elements of the past, because that’s prob- downs as a band in the past 17 years: TNT Cover Story / Sex Column 3 you’ve been through various record TNT: Do you think you’ll ever turn it labels, had no.1 albums, your manager around? Birmingham City I mean. nearly had his house repossessed… SF: Yeah, we’re sleeping giants. I’d say The Sex SF: We’re had a right old laugh, yeah. within five years time we’ll be the biggest team in Europe. TNT: It’s been an eventful journey, wor- thy of a montage, Rocky-style. What TNT: Why not? Noel Gallagher once would that look like, and would the described you as the second biggest Column theme tune for it be? band in Britain… SF: Come again? SF: No, it was the second best band in TNT: Have you ever seen any of the the world. And Noel says the Beatles are Sorcha Lyons thought she could last Rocky films? Each one shows Rocky the best band in the world, so I don’t Balboa’s struggle to be the best through know where that leaves Oasis. 40 days without sex. She was wrong. the medium of the montage. His whole life was a million-to-one shot. I think we TNT: A little bit further down I’d say. Sorcha Lyons does sex. Hot wet of that relationship. could apply that to Ocean Colour Scene. Do you still strive for that sort of success sexy sex, this is what I am good at. So I found myself, a lone How’d you think that montage would you had around the Moseley Shoals peri- However, being a good Catholic girl at woman, scouring the Dublin streets look? od? heart, or should I say suffering from the seeking the delicious smugness of backlashes of a Catholic upbringing, I celibacy. What now, I wondered to SF: I have absolutely no idea. Are you SF: We didn’t really strive for it then; it occasionally get acute crises of con- myself. I didn't know what to do, so I talking about Rocky, as in the boxer? kind of happened. You have to remem- science. Is sex before marriage morally got myself some hobbies, I tried: the I’ve never seen those films. ber, we were the second biggest guitar right? Should I really be fellating my cinema, theatre, knitting, basket-weav- band in Britain for two, two and a half boyfriend? Am I going to go to hell? As ing, horse-riding, baking, opera, Heat TNT: {Pause} Seriously? years, behind Oasis, but I think we you can imagine, these concerns caught magazine, watching Sienna Miller's sex became pop stars by default. We should- up with me recently and following the life instead of my own, golf, rifle club, SF: I haven’t seen them, no. But I think n’t have been pop stars, and I certainly dawn of Lent (way back on February the mah jong, solitaire, trombone, potato you university lads would probably shouldn’t be now- I’m forty. That’s the 6th for all you heathens out there), I stencilling, origami... to name but a few. come up with a better answer than me. province of the people dressed in their decided to sacrifice what was nearest I felt great- I was musical, fitter than I'd 1981 gear- people with spiky hair and and dearest to my heart...