Chris Catalyst interview before the Helsinki gig

[Peter KJ]

Interview with Sister of Mercy guitarist Chris "Robochrist" Catalyst backstage before the gig @ Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland March 23 2009. Chris talks about hooking up with Sisters, working with Andrew Eldritch, and a possible new record.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4k0XZyUyMA
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaol-WX3ewM

Nice!

[Perki]

Thank you!

Innie nice?

"D'you wanna come and do a band?"

EDIT: Bloody hell this is interesting.

[AdrenaChris]

Nice. Probably wishful thinking and I don't actually think he said "there is definitely a new Sisters album recorded" like the video said, I think he just said they'd recorded songs. Still....singles, I'd buy 'em. Album? I'd probably buy that too. See you all down the record shops in 2015.

EDIT: I wonder if Eldritch has ever considered releasing a possible future album digitally? Not that I like the idea of that, just putting it out there. Maybe downloadable singles...though A) hard copies please and B) I doubt they'd do that.

[7anthea7]

I wonder if Eldritch has ever considered releasing a possible future album digitally?

You might want to have a look here. It goes way beyond the thread title... (And is only the most recent iteration of this eternally recurring topic. )

Make sure you sit down to it with a few beers - it'll eat a bit of your life.

[pikkrong]

lovely

(edit: I meant the interview and posting it here)

[streamline]

thanks for posting!

Chris seems like a nice guy

[Purple Light]

Thanks.

Really good down to earth interview.

[Being645]

Thanks for this interview. Chris really is a nice guy. And a good guitarist.

[Ozpat]

Thanks for posting!

[Moakahontas]

Translation, please?

[Chairman Bux]

Do you mean a transcription or a translation (auf Deutsch one assumes)?

[Moakahontas]

Do you mean a transcription or a translation (auf Deutsch one assumes)?

Auf deutsch, please.. or english as far as possible..

[Quiff Boy]

that's quite a job to transcribe that, even without then translating it... there's a lot of talking, pausing, joking etc

maybe the interviewer can help?

http://www.youtube.com/user/jannestrang

[stufarq]

A handwoven rabbit by the bass player? I'd buy that.

Anyway, apparently if we all start thinking that Eldo will never release another album then he will! Oh, hang on, we've already tried that. For the last fifteen years...

[Bartek]

so in the other words you believe for 15 years that Sisters will release something.

[Being645]

so in the other words you believe for 15 years that Sisters will release something.

- it's Logic.

[stufarq]

Only if someone changed the meaning of "logic" while I wasn't looking. Which is always possible.

[Purple Light]

There seems to be quite a small amount of views & responses to this topic & seen as though its probably one of the best info giving interviews with regards to records etc in recent history I'm quite surprised

Maybe a move to Sisters chat or a heads up about it on there?! Maybe not I dunno. Just a thought.

[Perki]

There seems to be quite a small amount of views & responses to this topic & seen as though its probably one of the best info giving interviews with regards to records etc in recent history I'm quite surprised

Maybe a move to Sisters chat or a heads up about it on there?! Maybe not I dunno. Just a thought.

Agreed - I was expecting a lot more fuss over this.

[splintered thing]

Chris is a super guy isn't he?
Great interview, excellent to hear such positive comments on everything...

By the way Chris, if you're reading this; you said you'd go anywhere... try to talk Andrew into coming to Australia, there's plenty of folk here who'd love to see you. The weather is good, we are friendly... there is good food...you could even stay for a holiday..........

[radiojamaica]

Thanx for the heads up, Peter! This is quite something in Sisters world

Top man, that Catalyst!

I wish I bought the Eureka Machines cd on the tour, but when I actually took steps to give my hard earned money, they ran out of the bloody discs. So the search goes on...

[Gimme_The_Ring]

Sounds to me as though Eldritch won't make a new album as he doesn't feel it'll be as good as the others.

Fair enough, he could never top Floodland.

[Being645]

Think as you will, I do like Vision Thing and the new songs as much ...

[Being645]

By the way, I've taken the effort to transcribe Part I of this interview
(as fas as my English allowed ...)

You’re in the middle of a tour now, yeah? How’s that been, yet?
Great, lots of fun, lots of fun. You know, I could do it every day for good. It’s eh … it’s ehm … it’s brilliant. We don’t have to think and I get paid for playing the guitar. And I get lots and lots of free Guinness …

So, you’re done enough to do sound checks, alright?
Oh no, we do sound checks.

You do? That’s good. Thought, you had some other gears as doing that.
Oh yeah, no, no, … we do sound checks. You know, this tour has been different for in the sense that I’ve been doing a lot more of the, say, administrative stuff and things like that. And so, that’s been really interesting to do and learned about a bit.

How’d you hook up with the Sisters of Mercy? The beginning …?
Oh, basically … it’s a long, long story. In short: they needed a guitar player and a couple of people recommended me. They knew I’m there, anyway, because I’d done some sessions, singing, with the old lead guitarist, Adam, a few years. And then .. yeah, they needed a guitarist and so they went to see a few bands around Leeds and, you know, … to find out a few bands and people. And we got a few mutual friends, so they came to see us one night at the Woodhouse Liberal Club in Leeds and, ehm, … and liked me, and liked what I did. And so I said: D’you want I come and do in your band? So, here I am.

What was your relationship with Eldritch and the Sisters before you joined?
Well, I had seen Andrew before very briefly, somewhere. But he wasn’t with me then, but only at the same place, once. But I never knew him before. But, like I said, I had known Adam before, the former lead guitarist, who is now in the MC5. (Lucky bastard …) … The Sisters were one of those bands, you know, I knew a couple of songs and I liked them but I didn’t know a lot of their stuff.

You were not a huge fan?
No, not at all. I knew sort of like the famous ones like This Corrosion, Temple of Love, Dominion and several and I always liked them. But, I never had anyone near who has lend me some stuff. And I said that to Andrew when I joined and I said: I have to admit, I’m not a massive ... I know a couple of things and anything, but I’m not a massive fan. And he said: Brilliant. He wanted someone to come in who didn’t have preconceived ideas about what it was going to be or what it should be like or what …

Yeah, it seems that Andrew Eldritch must get rid of the image he had in the 80s, in his heydays, if you will?
Yeah, yeah … I think, he pretty does.

You will know 'bout that. Well, what’s it like working with him, then?
Great. It’s great. You know, I don’t know if I’m destroying certain myths now, you know …

He’s a bit of a mythical figure…
You say that. You say, he’s a mythical figure, but to me his like … you know, he’s my boss … He’s not a mythical figure to me. He’s my boss, he’s my mate and, you know, we go on and get pissed and, you know, watch the foot and stuff like that and talk about cricket. You know, he’s, ehm, … he’s been brilliant. I think, these people, who, ehm … you know, if you don’t give him any s**t, you know … (Can I swear? – Yo...) So, if you don’t give him any s**t, then he won’t give you any s**t and I never have done and, consequently, we get on really well, both personally and professionally. Like I say bandwise, you know we click on a lot of the same bands and went to a lot of the same sort of music and, personally, I would say, we hang up … we hang out … and we go for a drink as well.

[7anthea7]

By the way, I've taken the effort to transcribe Part I of this interview
(as fas as my English allowed ...)

You English 'allows' plenty - excellent translation! And thank you!