LEEDS anarcho-popsters CHUMBAWAMBA are about to deliver yet another striking album in “Readymades” early in August 2002. The album is reflective and informed by dance-based textures as well as the band’s customary polemic and – once again – separates CHUMBAWAMBA from the hordes of grey, identikit pop pretenders. JAMES BLUNDELL finds out more when he speaks to the band’s ALICE NUTTER.
The new album seems a real departure from the “Tubthumping” and “Anarchy” sound – is it important to keep moving?
“We couldn’t sound like we did 20 years ago,” says Alice. “It’s important to take risks. If you don’t venture, you never get anywhere. When I reach 70 I’m getting tattoos on my face and taking up woodwork.”
“ We’ve always changed our sound throughout our career, releasing “English Rebel Songs,” an acapella album at the height of our punk stuff,” she continues.
“ Swinging with Raymond” is the only album I don’t really like but mainly I’m proud of most things we’ve done– we decided to throw away the Chumbawamba blueprint and not to do the big, shouty chorus and produce something softer. It’s a way to lampoon what’s going on. It’s not necessarily more accessible unless you want to listen to it quietly at home. Certainly live the atmosphere of the older stuff gives a party feel good time.”
“People have this perception of us as raggle taggle dog on a string anarchists and they always will I suppose - me loud and strident – Danbert (Nobacon) the quirky one – I guess I can be loud and strident – but…”
“Readymades” songs all have a political story behind them, like early Dylan or Woodie Guthrie before him. Indeed, they are steeped in a folk sound – yet still sound contemporary –where did the ideas for this come from – who or what are the band listening to today?
“Crass were a huge influence on us at the start,” enthuses Alice, “and I still think they’re brilliant but it would be really sad if we were still doing that now – we listen to a plethora of sounds from Ninja tunes to Nick Drake, Shockheaded Peters – all sorts of stuff.”
“If you came on our tour bus you’d hear all types of music – it’s very Catholic. The decision to use folk samples wasn’t taken easily – we don’t all listen to folk music but we thought it would be good to bring back that sound.”
“I love Woodie Guthrie. I bought loads of Dylan stuff on his 60th birthday – I was shocked at how like Woodie it is - it’s great. It would be great to bring back folk music but I don’t think it will happen.”
Where does the name Readymades come from – is it from the samples the songs are built round?
“Readymades” - the name came from taking objects like Duchamp - making meanings different – it was a nod to dada – they were a political collective – interesting group of people– against the First World War. We just thought it would be good, with us being arty and clever!”
What about other bands on the Leeds music scene?
“I suppose the biggest thing on the scene is John Keenan – who books stuff at the New Roscoe. Big thanks to him – he’s great and has done loads for stuff in Leeds since The Duchess Of York shut. We’re not really part of the scene as we’ve got kids – our contribution’s paying our way into the New Roscoe.”
We turn to talk of Chumbawamba’s well-documented dislike of the British Royal Family and the recent Golden Jubilee Celebrations.
Did you see Sir Fab Macca's impromptu performance of the Chumbas subversive slice of music hall, "HER MAJESTY" at the ass-licking Buck House Golden Jubilee performance and what did you make of it?
“No, I didn’t know about that one,” admits Alice. “It’s a shame that all these people like Ray Davies think it’s OK and that it’s just a gig – not political. Ozzy gets away with it because he’s seen as a loveable drunk and a bit thick… not knowing what’s going on.”
“We did loads of Anti Jubilee stuff like at the Brudenell social club we did a gig with Rob Newman with a bouncy castle for the kids – it was all about having a good time. When the Queen Mum died we had it all forced down our throats and we wanted to go against that.”
“If we’d been asked to do the palace gig we’d have said yes and tried to find a way to fuck it up,” laughs Alice.
“We were asked to do a Christian Greenbelt festival and they sent a list of all these things we couldn’t have – dancing nuns, gay male sex – and so we sent them a list back with all the things we were going to do – so they paid us five grand not to play!”
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Have people stopped expecting political content in Pop/ Rock Music? Everyone seems so complacent these days...
“People have been told that political content is boring and given a stereotype which is a shame,” Alice considers.
“There’s no pretence of doing it for love - Pop Idol and Pop Stars shows us exactly how it’s done– it’s so cynical – I’m fascinated by the process as much as everyone else but it’s a bit sad.”
Are you still involved with Anti Fascist Action? I know you were in the early 90s through being involved with bands and events at the York end. Bands today seem much less political. Does that annoy you when you compare say, Credit To The Nation to So Solid Crew?
“We did an Anti BNP gig recently – we still do that. We didn’t do it as a fashion statement – if you’re going to do something as a fashion statement – don’t choose politics.”
Alice is adamant about this and continues:
“I’m not annoyed at bands being not political – Matty from Credit was a great guy – he’s still doing demos in the studio but they haven’t come to anything. I never saw him as the saviour of rap music or anything but he was great.”
New Labour: the let down we all expected – or worse?
“We always knew it was going to be crap. End of story,” says Alice.
Why did you release THE ENEMY WITHIN record sampling THE SEX PISTOLS and the Bill Grundy affair? Was it a jibe at them because they've reformed to play again this summer?
“ We wanted it to be free so we did loads of stuff that wasn’t about getting into the charts.”
“THE ENEMY WITHIN” had beats so we didn’t release it under Chumbawamba’s name. It was just another idea. I love Steve Jones - he was the genius not just Lydon. Johnny Rotten was great – a real emblem for skinny white kids who weren’t great at football, a real outsider. With The Sex Pistols it was like in the Oasis power struggle between Noel and Liam – Oasis needs Liam as much as it needs Noel. It’s the chemistry.”
Is it just me or is John Lydon getting more and more embarrassing and are we to expect him in panto soon?
“Absolutely!” screams Alice. “He’s so cynical with this sneering front – he can’t just hate everything. He’s in his 40’s - it’s embarrassing talking about himself all the time – he’s so negative. Malcolm McLaren was so clever – he’s so enthusiastic about stuff, he was doing world music years before – he really believes in what he does.”
Finally, do you ever regret any of the "set pieces" you've previously pulled off, like the notorious John Prescott incident when Danbert Nobacon emptied a bucket of water over his head?
“God, that was the best night of my life,” remembers Alice. “We got access to the industry though selling all those records and we thought we’d use it. I was grinning the whole night, not just grinning. I remember holding my partner’s hand and feeling so great!”
“Our record company closed down on us - they asked us to apologise and we refused so they sent this letter of apology and disassociated themselves from us. We wouldn’t do the same again now, that would be boring, but we don’t regret it.”
“EMI were a major label but we’ve had bad experiences on Indie labels too. Although One Little Indian were bad at least they let us do the Leah Betts posters – the government brought out all these “Sorted” posters when she died and we brought out some that said “Distorted” – not many labels would have let us do that! “
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