Chris Catalyst interview before the Helsinki gig
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silentNate
- Utterly Bastard Groovy Amphetamine Filth
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I'm amazed that Eureka Machines have only sold 1,000 copies of their album and maybe I'm being niave but I don't believe this.
I had a face on the mirror
I had a hand on the gun
I had a place in the sun and a ticket to Syria
I had a hand on the gun
I had a place in the sun and a ticket to Syria
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Being645
- Wiki Wizard
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- Joined: 09 Apr 2009, 12:54
- Location: reconstruction status: whatever the f**k
So then, here's Part II - this was really hard to do, since Yorkshire slang 
,
if you've never been there for years
... well, I've put in 
where I really couldn't get it ...
If anyone should find reason to correct me, please don't hesitate ... You're welcome.
There’s been talk about a new record for ages now. Can you say anything about that?
No. No, we talk about it, we talk all sorts of stuff. It’s, ehm … we do, you know, record bits, try always out ... It’s an incredibly difficult time to be doing stuff like that and Andrew has … that’s something we sometimes disagree on … because I tend to think, if you … you know, I write these songs, you know, and people say: Why do you write songs? And I say: I can’t not do, you know, I have all these wittily things in my head and I have to put them down or put them on a, on a ... you know, record them in stuff. And Andrew’s take on it is that he, he … ehm …. it would cost us so much money to record a record, to keep it up to the standards of previous albums and stuff., that we would have to have a record company involved. We couldn’t do of our bucks.
You’re waiting for this famous 3-Million-Dollar-Deal?
Yeh, well, ...… I don’t know but … well, I’m Mr New Guy … it’s like …
But if it was up to you, you'd do it?
If it was up to me ... no, don’t know if I would. I’m not saying now, … but one thing is that the new songs sort of get out on the net now, you know, and with all the bootlegging of the Sisters … there’s always people taking the gigs and stuff… - And I’m not saying that’s alright! - …[You won’t do it!
] … But, there’s always people taping the gigs and they always get passed round on the net and stuff, and which I, personally, think not things that good, you know, …some ends to the new songs cannot get out that way and … yeah, I’d be fond to do some a bit shiny versions, but, ehm … you know, and we might really want it and we’ve toyed about it a lot and we’d like to have say we have recorded … and I’m sure we would have carried it up ... I’ve got some ideas, some things I wanna do
Is it gonna be like, like with the Guns & Roses’ Chinese Democracy … it’s just gonna be an arrest for ever and ever again, with expectations sky-high, and you can’t but fail and …?
Well … we could but make it really, really good then. Ehm, base is … yeah, I mean that Andrew … historically, there’s never been anything announced as a new here’s-a- release, here’s-a-title, here’s-a-cover, anything like that … it’s always, you know, it’s been hinted at and he’s done studio, before I joined and they recorded stuff, but … it’s to get it to see the light of days, you know … ‘cause … and it’s awful, record companies – and not all of them – but record companies are … well, this is one of the things bands always say: Bands always say of record companies and journalists – I’m sorry – … but the thing is, I’ve met so many journalists and record companies now, they’re like … 90% of them are a waste of time and actually bad people. They are leeching off other people without any discernable talent of their own, you know, I mean, it’s not … like I say, it’s not all of them, ehm …
The ones with the money, then?
Sometimes, yeah. And so to enter into a working agreement with people like that, just eh, it just strikes me as, you know, ethnically wrong. Why, why …
I’ve got an idea for you. You should make a fan contribution, that kind of thing.
Make fans contribute a certain amount of their choosing and you use that money to make the best record, keep everything under your own … ?
I’ve talked to a lot of people about it and, ehm, … and I’ve thought about it a lot, and we’ve talked about it a lot ideas and stuff, ehm … my personal take on that, although it works great for some bands, and not I don’t think it’s a great thing … I don’t know, I kind of … I can’t … but think it’s taking the
best bill to sort of go: Hey, buy, buy our record … when they’ve not even heard it …
Yeah, I’m sure there’s ‘bout three million people who’d do it anyway … maybe more, probably more..
Three million? Well, if those three million people will all give me a 10er …. then, ehm, then, yeah, that’d be nice. But, I think it’s a very good idea in principle, but working it, I think, is very difficult.
You know, there’s sort, there’s almost no point realising anything anymore. With my other band …, we released an album last year and we’ve sold like a thousand copies. It’s not that much, really little.
And I went on one of the download sections of the torrent sides and it’s on … our album’s on about 60 of those torrent sites … I don’t know anything about them, rather … it’s on 60 of these torrent sites and on one of those torrent sites, six weeks after it had come out, 8,500 people had downloaded it … and that was like … but we’ve only sold a thousand. And I’m not stupid and naïve to think that all 8,500 of those people would have bought it, you know, because people trying, you know … whatever it is … well, and at first I was really like: What’s the f**king point? Why release anything? … but then, the more I think about is … you’re not gonna be up to change that, and that’s kids with this I-do-this-tasers, you know … they’re brought up to download and they don’t see it as wrong. It’s just what they kind of do. So it’s a question now of almost like embracing them, and think you mind … this is going to happen, so how can we profit from that, I mean not, necessarily, the financial profit, just generally as a band, how we can … you know … and if people going to download, the warming it up makes ‘em p … you know, if we say that’s cool, more people buy t-shirt or come to a gig or, you know … and it’s a part in things for our next album … there again it’s about my other band … for our next album, we’ll record it and we’ll just put the album on the net, on the website, and with the artwork, you know, if you want it, and you print it out form there …
For free?
For free. ... Ehm, if you want like a really nice copy, that’s got like, you know, hand-woven ruby by the bass player, you know, then like … right, than you buy that for 20 quid .. or, or whatever, … but otherwise, for the box standard, eleven songs and art work … just off it, you know … but that’s, again that’s my tape and my old band …
Well, it’s a tricky time for music business …?
It’s incredibly tricky.
Yeah, all the best of luck with that. … You’re going to Russia next night? You’ve been there before?
Yeah, we did Moscow in 2006 which was amazing, you know. We’re doing St. Petersburg and Moscow this time. Yeah, I can’t wait. But I’ll go anywhere, you know … if, if someone … yeah, we’re doing a gig in Beirut next month … but I, I, I just ... when I was a kid I saw all these bands … you know, and I still live and I see all of these bands, and I think, wow, that’s cool … and now I’m doing it and like, occasionally, when I wake up in the morning, I’m so … and, I’m missing my girl-friend or miss my family or miss my mates or, you know, I just think: Stop being a dick … you know, because, because all I ever wanted to do is this, yeah.
What’s the future look like for The Sisters of Mercy?
You never know. It’s one of those things, one of those things that … one thing that I learned … about Andrew, is you should never ever second-guess him. ‘Cause if you always think ah, he’s going to do this or he’s not going to want to do that … then a lot of the time he’ll surprise you and it’ll be … you know, it’ll be … It’s always interesting, it’s never boring, put it that way. Sure is, there’ll be more gigs, and ehm, and some more festivals, hopefully, ‘cause we like doing festivals a lot, because of the big crowds and the food’s really good. Yeah, and we’re talking ‘bout the future .. we’ll be doing some more gigs and … just keep on keeping on, because if you don’t, someone else will …
So, it’s time to say good-bye. Some last words?
At this point it’s always good to have some kind of a witty thing to say, but yesterday was Ben’s birthday and we got really drunk and so my brain isn’t really wise …
...
,if you've never been there for years
... well, I've put in where I really couldn't get it ... If anyone should find reason to correct me, please don't hesitate ... You're welcome.
There’s been talk about a new record for ages now. Can you say anything about that?
No. No, we talk about it, we talk all sorts of stuff. It’s, ehm … we do, you know, record bits, try always out ... It’s an incredibly difficult time to be doing stuff like that and Andrew has … that’s something we sometimes disagree on … because I tend to think, if you … you know, I write these songs, you know, and people say: Why do you write songs? And I say: I can’t not do, you know, I have all these wittily things in my head and I have to put them down or put them on a, on a ... you know, record them in stuff. And Andrew’s take on it is that he, he … ehm …. it would cost us so much money to record a record, to keep it up to the standards of previous albums and stuff., that we would have to have a record company involved. We couldn’t do of our bucks.
You’re waiting for this famous 3-Million-Dollar-Deal?
Yeh, well, ...
… I don’t know but … well, I’m Mr New Guy … it’s like …But if it was up to you, you'd do it?
If it was up to me ... no, don’t know if I would. I’m not saying now, … but one thing is that the new songs sort of get out on the net now, you know, and with all the bootlegging of the Sisters … there’s always people taking the gigs and stuff… - And I’m not saying that’s alright! - …[You won’t do it!
] … But, there’s always people taping the gigs and they always get passed round on the net and stuff, and which I, personally, think not things that good, you know, …some ends to the new songs cannot get out that way and … yeah, I’d be fond to do some a bit shiny versions, but, ehm … you know, and we might really want it and we’ve toyed about it a lot and we’d like to have say we have recorded … and I’m sure we would have carried it up ... I’ve got some ideas, some things I wanna doIs it gonna be like, like with the Guns & Roses’ Chinese Democracy … it’s just gonna be an arrest for ever and ever again, with expectations sky-high, and you can’t but fail and …?
Well … we could but make it really, really good then. Ehm, base is … yeah, I mean that Andrew … historically, there’s never been anything announced as a new here’s-a- release, here’s-a-title, here’s-a-cover, anything like that … it’s always, you know, it’s been hinted at and he’s done studio, before I joined and they recorded stuff, but … it’s to get it to see the light of days, you know … ‘cause … and it’s awful, record companies – and not all of them – but record companies are … well, this is one of the things bands always say: Bands always say of record companies and journalists – I’m sorry – … but the thing is, I’ve met so many journalists and record companies now, they’re like … 90% of them are a waste of time and actually bad people. They are leeching off other people without any discernable talent of their own, you know, I mean, it’s not … like I say, it’s not all of them, ehm …
The ones with the money, then?
Sometimes, yeah. And so to enter into a working agreement with people like that, just eh, it just strikes me as, you know, ethnically wrong. Why, why …
I’ve got an idea for you. You should make a fan contribution, that kind of thing.
Make fans contribute a certain amount of their choosing and you use that money to make the best record, keep everything under your own … ?
I’ve talked to a lot of people about it and, ehm, … and I’ve thought about it a lot, and we’ve talked about it a lot ideas and stuff, ehm … my personal take on that, although it works great for some bands, and not I don’t think it’s a great thing … I don’t know, I kind of … I can’t … but think it’s taking the
best bill to sort of go: Hey, buy, buy our record … when they’ve not even heard it …
Yeah, I’m sure there’s ‘bout three million people who’d do it anyway … maybe more, probably more..
Three million? Well, if those three million people will all give me a 10er …. then, ehm, then, yeah, that’d be nice. But, I think it’s a very good idea in principle, but working it, I think, is very difficult.
You know, there’s sort, there’s almost no point realising anything anymore. With my other band …
, we released an album last year and we’ve sold like a thousand copies. It’s not that much, really little.And I went on one of the download sections of the torrent sides and it’s on … our album’s on about 60 of those torrent sites … I don’t know anything about them, rather … it’s on 60 of these torrent sites and on one of those torrent sites, six weeks after it had come out, 8,500 people had downloaded it … and that was like … but we’ve only sold a thousand. And I’m not stupid and naïve to think that all 8,500 of those people would have bought it, you know, because people trying, you know … whatever it is … well, and at first I was really like: What’s the f**king point? Why release anything? … but then, the more I think about is … you’re not gonna be up to change that, and that’s kids with this I-do-this-tasers, you know … they’re brought up to download and they don’t see it as wrong. It’s just what they kind of do. So it’s a question now of almost like embracing them, and think you mind … this is going to happen, so how can we profit from that, I mean not, necessarily, the financial profit, just generally as a band, how we can … you know … and if people going to download, the warming it up makes ‘em p … you know, if we say that’s cool, more people buy t-shirt or come to a gig or, you know … and it’s a part in things for our next album … there again it’s about my other band … for our next album, we’ll record it and we’ll just put the album on the net, on the website, and with the artwork, you know, if you want it, and you print it out form there …
For free?
For free. ... Ehm, if you want like a really nice copy, that’s got like, you know, hand-woven ruby by the bass player, you know, then like … right, than you buy that for 20 quid .. or, or whatever, … but otherwise, for the box standard, eleven songs and art work … just off it, you know …
but that’s, again that’s my tape and my old band …Well, it’s a tricky time for music business …?
It’s incredibly tricky.
Yeah, all the best of luck with that. … You’re going to Russia next night? You’ve been there before?
Yeah, we did Moscow in 2006 which was amazing, you know. We’re doing St. Petersburg and Moscow this time. Yeah, I can’t wait. But I’ll go anywhere, you know … if, if someone … yeah, we’re doing a gig in Beirut next month … but I, I, I just ... when I was a kid I saw all these bands … you know, and I still live and I see all of these bands, and I think, wow, that’s cool … and now I’m doing it and like, occasionally, when I wake up in the morning, I’m so … and, I’m missing my girl-friend or miss my family or miss my mates or, you know, I just think: Stop being a dick … you know, because, because all I ever wanted to do is this, yeah.
What’s the future look like for The Sisters of Mercy?
You never know. It’s one of those things, one of those things that … one thing that I learned … about Andrew, is you should never ever second-guess him. ‘Cause if you always think ah, he’s going to do this or he’s not going to want to do that … then a lot of the time he’ll surprise you and it’ll be … you know, it’ll be … It’s always interesting, it’s never boring, put it that way. Sure is, there’ll be more gigs, and ehm, and some more festivals, hopefully, ‘cause we like doing festivals a lot, because of the big crowds and the food’s really good. Yeah, and we’re talking ‘bout the future .. we’ll be doing some more gigs and … just keep on keeping on, because if you don’t, someone else will …
So, it’s time to say good-bye. Some last words?
At this point it’s always good to have some kind of a witty thing to say, but yesterday was Ben’s birthday and we got really drunk and so my brain isn’t really wise …
...
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Ozpat
- From the Lowlands
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- Joined: 16 Aug 2005, 13:14
- Location: In the place through which we wander.
Thanks a lot for that!Being645 wrote:ah, I mostly do what I shouldn't have ... can't avoid it ...LouLou wrote:aaah, you shouldn't have!Being645 wrote: So then, here's Part II
thanks
"as we walk on the floodland"
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eastmidswhizzkid
- Faster Than The Light Of Speed
- Posts: 9818
- Joined: 24 Mar 2005, 00:01
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- Contact:
what a fucking wicked interview!
an interesting and informative insight into the present-day and possible tomorrows of The Big Machine- 10/10.
it shows beyond doubt that 1) chris is a diamond geezer, who is sound as a pound,as well as being a bloody nice bloke; and 2) the energy and enthusiam which he and ben bring to the band has revitalised eldritch's enthusiasm and drive for it all to a level that fills me with hope. and it's cool to hear that they all get on as mates and are enjoying being a team. this is a proper band again.
**this really should be stickyficated here and sticky/linked from sisters chat as well IMHO- i nearly missed it myself and i can't think why anyone on this forum wouldn't want to see/hear this.
an interesting and informative insight into the present-day and possible tomorrows of The Big Machine- 10/10.
it shows beyond doubt that 1) chris is a diamond geezer, who is sound as a pound,as well as being a bloody nice bloke; and 2) the energy and enthusiam which he and ben bring to the band has revitalised eldritch's enthusiasm and drive for it all to a level that fills me with hope. and it's cool to hear that they all get on as mates and are enjoying being a team. this is a proper band again.
**this really should be stickyficated here and sticky/linked from sisters chat as well IMHO- i nearly missed it myself and i can't think why anyone on this forum wouldn't want to see/hear this.
Well I was handsome and I was strong
And I knew the words to every song.
"Did my singing please you?"
"No! The words you sang were wrong!"
And I knew the words to every song.
"Did my singing please you?"
"No! The words you sang were wrong!"