"I don’t get any creative satisfaction from the Bunnyme

[redgumball]

Did I miss this back in October?

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/w ... -1-6155145


Will Sergeant can be credited for coming up with some of the most iconic guitar riffs of the 1980s as part of Echo and the Bunnymen, but his new band Poltergeist draws its inspiration from German Krautrock.

“It’s something I’m doing in tandem with the Bunnymen,” says Sergeant. “The Bunnymen are still going, but we haven’t done a lot lately.”

The dynamic of Echo and the Bunnymen has changed drastically over the years, and the band is a source of frustration for Sergeant.

“There’s quite a lot of stress in the Bunnymen, so it’s nice to be able to call the shots,” he says.

“In the early days, we’d just go into a room and jam, and just see what came out. Nowadays Ian [McCulloch] just presents me with the songs and says ‘here you are, play some guitar on that’ – it’s c**p really.

“I don’t get any creative satisfaction from the Bunnymen stuff any more,” he adds. “I was driven to forming Poltergeist because the Bunnymen had gone so weird. It just feels like I’m a session musician nowadays – without Poltergeist, I’d probably top myself to be honest.”

The new project has given Sergeant the creative outlet and freedom that he so craves.

“We don’t want to have to stick to the verse-chorus-verse format, because that’s what we have to do in the Bunnymen,” says Sergeant. “We’re trying to do something that’s a bit different, and a bit more open-ended. We can do anything with this project because we’re not governed by any preconceptions about what people expect.”

“If we wanted, we could do a 40-minute ambient nose flute solo if we really wanted, you know? I just like that aspect that we can take it anywhere.”

For the project, Sergeant reunited with former Echo and the Bunnymen bassist, Les Pattinson. Pattinson left the group in 1999 and stayed away from the music industry for a decade.

“He was treated really badly by various members of the band,” says Sergeant. “He’d just had enough. I never fell out with him, so we always stayed mates. So it’s been really good, he’s just got straight back into being Les on the bass.”

[fat cherry]

yep you missed it. in the run up to the gig in leeds (brudenel place?) i think, or maybe the first attempt at york.

[Dr Cheese]

Just confirms to me they should have knocked it on the head ages ago.

[5times]

They are strong comments to make in public. Why does Will continue with the bunnymen if he feels that way?

[fat cherry]

was all in this thread rgb.

http://forum.villiersterrace.com/viewto ... n&start=75

Cash I suppose.

[5times]

Do they make much money from the xmas concert, supporting the mighty James and appearing in village fetes?

[Dr Cheese]

Do they make much money ... appearing in village fetes?

Mac's home-made jam goes down a storm I believe.

[Voodoo Billy]

Mac's home-made jam goes down a storm I believe.

Is that rude?

[redgumball]

Given the current state of things- I can promise a lackluster Fountain II for the new album. Will's not happy - Mac no longer gives a flying fuck (You heard Pro Patria Mori, right?). They neutered MAC buy taking away his nose candy, he's been rolling session musicians since '97. Gone all Nat King Cole on us.

Being a 50+ divorced Daddy can't help - so Christmas shows and tours with James - it is. As long as collectors keep showing up and buying the blue/white/red vinyl releases - they'll keep rolling out the oldies collection. Anyone for a 2014 "Grey / Evergreen Album" - played in their entirety Tour?

I guess the good news is that they haven't succumbed to the "tramp stamp" of creating an all covers project (where they do "Heart Of Glass", "Alive and Kicking" or some other knobs work.

If I was Will, and I had to kickstart my earnings by producing Glide + Poltergiest then - I'd be mining the shit out of my back catalog too (a la Pearl Jam) by looking for table scraps like soundboard, FM shows, live tracks, demos, shit caught on bad tape from 82-87, and the like. Fuck the Crystal Days box set- that's just the tip of the old iceberg. Time to look under the couch for pocket change.


These poor lads can't even get a tribute album....(I'd love to see Interpol, Wax Idols, David J, A Place To Bury Strangers, The National) do some bunnymen covers...

Here's my recipe for kicing in the toilet doors. Will and Mac - take note:

1). Put out Shit - Clear your pipes. Drain UR bad mojo. 2014 album can be the last one.
2). Focus on stringing 2-3 songs together. Focus on an EP. Quality not quantity.
3). It's a digital age - unload a few songs on iTunes - less pressure, more focus.
4). Embrace your history - Break-Up to Make-Up. Is Johnny Marr around?
5). Go Nostalgic - all the newer bands rip you off. Do it Clean, Do it Better.
6). All Bats Report To The Belfry - Broudie, Drummond, Balfe, Hugh Jones, Gil Norton
7). Less is More - Give the guy a pennance. He can barely walk or play. Guest tracks?
8). Change of Pace - Forget UR 50+ in Liverpool. Act like 28 in SF , Paris or NYC
9). On The Road - Record in Argentina, Norway, Czech, Sochi, New Zeland
10). Sit Back, Drop In - Ask Arcade Fire if you can tag along (Coldplay, Oasis are dead)
11). Channel Lou - Get you inner swagger back. Sing like "Dirty Blvd."
12). Rude Boy - Okay to not be coolest guy in the room. UR new friends are duds.
13). Pay Your Respect - Visit Pete's Grave. See Jake's. Walk alone in a Cemetery.
14). A Walk On The Wild Side - Fuck the fans - do the unexpected. Challenge norms.
15). Lift Up The Couch Cushions - Find every drop of rare music to salvage for sale
16). Join "Swinger Life Style" - Will play with Win Butler. Mac play with Mick Jones.
17). Fucking get a hobby - Will paints. Mac what exactly to you do besides get faded?
18). Baltic Fleet - Bring back that keyboardist. He knew what was up.
19). Open the Vaults - Sell your demos, Reel-to-Reels, Unreleased - Your IP.
20). Act like LeBron James - Make others around you great. Invest in upcoming talent.
21). Feeling Supersonic - The Sitar worked. The Doors guy worked. Try a new sound.
22). Kickstart Warner Bros - Pitch in to get old licenses and shows out into the public.
23). Under Covers - Keep contributing singles to cover compilations, soundtracks.
24). Monster's Ball - Is there room on the Gaga bus? Rare appearances, Artistic shows
25). Oldies? No oldies tour w/ Simple Minds or covers album where you sing Tom Petty.
26). Deliver the book - Morrissey did it and he's an author now. Timberlake's an actor.
27). Soul Kitchen - Why don't you sing songs from Black artists? Blues? Girl Groups?
28). The Song Remains The Same - Channel your innder Led Zepplin / Rober Plant.
29). Tribute album (see above).
30). Get Pissed, Find A Cause - Screaming Beneath The Waves - Remember?
31). Lights in The Sky - Trent Reznor got a spot on his recent tour?
32). United We Stand - Work Together, not Apart. Bury The Hatchet.
33). Overuse / Spin Cycle - Stop selling us Author + Ribbon and Chains over and over
34). New Direction - New Vison, Themes. Love Songs? Quests?
35). Slipknot - Embrace horror into your act. In fact, ring The Horrors. They'll help.
36). Kickstart the Fans - Let them pony up cash to select what you play/record.
37). Sir Mix A Lot - If your going to re-package me to death. Make it obscure tracks.
38). Garden of Meedin? Seriously we can bring Noel Burke back...
39). Easy Money - Write songs for other artist. Kick back and let the checks roll in.
40). Sequel - Channel and early album and create It's Siamese Twin. Part II
41). Recall the Recipe - U2 made a career of selling the same album. Can you?
42). Tech-Not - Avoid the 12" Mix, re-Mix, Dj, Techno, House, Ambient, Jungle...
43). Weak in The Knees - Your Rythm section needs an upgrade. no balls.
44). No Tour, No Cry - Don't over-extend. Hit and Run Shows. SXSW?
45). Find Common Ground - AARP, Dog Races, Eating Fiber, Lasiks, Footie, Loungers
46). Your Production Sucks - Get help. Hire a Professional. Is Gil Norton Dead?
47). Scarred and Marr'd - Find J. Marr courrier and kick his ass. Free the Tapes!
48). Van Halen - Yes, I said it. for the other guy on the forum who rocks like Eddie V.
49). Go Global - Drummers of Burundi, Trinidad, Sitars. Worked for late stage Stummer.
50). Axe Man. More Guitars. More New Wave. More Punk. More Darkwave. More Reverb

[5times]

I hope they read that.

[Dr Cheese]

There's more chance of Mac changing the setlist.

[Mr.Sparkle]

Hard to believe that interview is real given how open Will is in it. Turn out the iights, the party is over. If a new Bunnymen album is coming out I'm guessing it'll be like WAYGTDWYL, where Will was barely even on the damn thing, although the guitar at the end of Fools Like Us almost makes up for it.