How To Make Friends and Influence Cambridge Its a cold, miserable night in Cambridge but thats okay because The Mighty Terrorvison are back in town. From past experience I am fully aware that Terrorvision are one of the most blisteringly shit hot live prospects in the country and to say that I am excited is the understatement of the decade. And with that in mind, it is in the not so luxurious backstage area of The Junction that we catch up with Tony Wright singer, front man and general all around super hero with Terrorvision. I will try, and inevitably fail, to play it cool. Here we go
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Hello Tony, Whats it like to be back on the road with Terrorvision? This is our third night tonight, of this run. We were in Leamington Spa and we did Hard Rock Hell last week and we had some time in between so, why not? And how is it? Yeah, its great, cant complain. We had some time off so I dont think we got into that stage of just repeating the same thing night after night. But yeah, its good. I mean, were all happy and that. So what have you all been up to since Terrorvision first called it a day? Ive got a band called Laika Dog, Leigh did a few bands one was Malibu Stacey. We all kind of did our own thing really. We still do, some of us. You either do it or you dont, dont you? Theres plenty of bands that shouldnt but Like who? Not saying its obvious.
Okay. So what do you think it was about the How To Make Friends and Influence People album that people got? Well they did, didnt they? It was the first time that people got Terrorvision. It were the first time we got a gold disc so they must have got it more than the first album. Well, its good isnt it? Its honest. It was at a time when everybody was a bit serious. I mean, I dont think we write gibberish. I mean, we write lyrics so that weve got a song to sing about, not because we just want to be in a band. I think its obvious when you listen to it. And people heard it. If wed have had the radio play that other bands got for the album, I mean we did with Tequila Yeah, well get to that later I mean, well, itd have been good if they got behind us a bit on the radio instead of playing so much shit that they play. What was it that made you decide that Terrorvision had run its course for that time? Youve got to do these things. When you start, its as though youre all up for it and everyone around you is and you dont mind sharing every part of it with those people. But when you get to a point where some of them people are weighing on you but you cant just say look youre weighing on us, back off, then theyll be like okay Ill just back off and you pay us for the next ten years Its one of them things you sort of have to say, Okay, were going to break clean. And then theres people who Id work with again and theres people who I wouldnt work with again. I mean theres more to it than just members of a band. Like people involved. I mean you cant do a gig without people setting up the gear. Unless you set it up yourself but thats just stupid. We didnt really want to make an album for the people that we had surrounding us at that time. So we all went off and did our own things. It wasnt that we didnt have the songs but whats the point of putting out an album that you feel passionate about to someone who isnt as passionate as you about it? You know? I dont want to, like smile and be nice and say were from Bradford and all that. And thats what Rock n roll is. So its weird when youve got someone who beats around the bush in a Rock n Roll band. So, I mean, theres no one person or anything. Just well we werent going to make an album for those people who would have had a claim on whatever we did for the next five or ten years anyway. So thats why we kind of left it for a while. So. Tequila. What was all that about then? What do I think of Tequila? You mean the remix? I think its sound. I mean I dont not like it because its not metal. I mean people know us for it but before that we were that doo-wop band. To tell the truth it just goes by whatever your last song was by all accounts. We put out a single after that called III Wishes but I dont think it got to the shops. He bought it Did you find it? You must have bought the only copy. SuBos new album. Actually Im keeping £15 in my pocket for whoever the x factor winner is so I can buy their album. But I like to buy it once with the cellophane on so its not unwrapped and one to play. No, I dont do that at all. I listen to a lot of my old records really. I have an old car with an old stereo in it, well, stereo its only got one so its a mono, but I like to play my Led Zeppelin albums that were made around that time just really loud through the streets with the engine roaring. I like Butthole Surfers too; theyre on my I-Pod. Fantastic band. Brilliant Really good.
Is there ever going to be any new Terrorvision material? Well, not if its no good, no. But if its good then, of course, yeah. Like I say, we dont play music so we can lean on the bar and say, yep, Im in a band. We write songs, thats what you do, thats the person you are. You write songs. And inevitably you meet people who play music, and youre surrounded by people who like playing it. Thats the way its always been throughout history. Weve got no pressure to make an album and we wont put ourselves under pressure to make an album. But if we have a set of songs then, maybe Too many people make a record because they think they have to. Most bands should pack it in. We dont need another record, weve got it. You dont need to keep making the same record. People feel pressured into doing it. Music would be a lot better wouldnt it? If you just put out good albums. What are your highlights of your time in Terrorvision? I remember getting on the bus and I looked different on the bus that day. The reflection I got in the bus mirror, and I know wed been somewhere but I cant remember most of it to tell you the truth. I know Ive played at festivals and stuff like that and it was brilliant all the time but, you know, every days a blank canvas. Too many to mention really but I couldnt put one in front of the other. You know, Id tell you now and then Id leave here and Ill think, Ah, that one should have been my favourite. Ill be looking for you all night and I wont be able to find you and then before I know it, its been printed in R*E*P*E*A*T and its not true. Weve been all over the place and, when its people who dont know the language and still dance to your record is brilliant. Especially when they sing the words back to you. We did well in places like Spain and Italy where they can dance but not so well in the marching style countries. You cant really march to Terrorvision. Although you can chant, you can chant to Terrorvision songs. Are there going to be any more re-union tours? Well, it depends what happens. We never say never. We once said never and then we did. So, you cant say never twice. Never, never. That cancels the first one out; its like an oxymoron. Youve done a lot of cover versions live and as B-sides over the years. Of those, which are your favourites and what would you like to cover in the future? I like Moonage Daydream by Bowie. I really like David Bowie. We did 5ive once. Get On Up it was. Its hard because you think of them as cover versions because youve heard them before but wed have written them if we hadnt been covering them. They just didnt have the decency to wait until we were born a lot of the time. Like 5ive? Yeah. But I mean, tonight were not going to be covering any 5ive songs. I think were more JLS anyway. As long as you can dance to it. Well consider anything. Hell yeah. Finally, Is there any chance at all that youre going to play Didnt Bleed Red? Is it on How To Make Friends and Influence People? Thats it. 45 minutes and then the kebab house. No, but well do a few songs after the set because that album does fit on one side of a C90. Well play a couple of other tunes. But I dont think were doing Didnt Bleed Red. Although on the last set of dates, I think we did. Did you not go to Shepherds Bush? We played it there. Loads of times in one night. Six times in the main set and five times in the encore. And then we played it in the foyer to everyone who was leaving. You should have gone. Richard Bull www.myspace.com/officialterrorvision
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