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Interview
by SashaS
18-1-2002
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| Lostprophets |
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Wales made ‘em
Lostprophets appear to be a genuine Brit nu-metal; if the world is ready, are they?
Lostprophets are a strange kind of a band: they hail from Tom Jones’s birthplace of Pontypridd (Wales) but could be from another planet, musically speaking, and thank Omni-One for it. Named after a Duran Duran bootleg album they have in common with them as much as Korn; their debut album, ‘The Fake Sound Of Progress’ has been out for almost score of months nationally but early 2002 is when the rest of the world is going to be exposed to it. Aside music, how cool is it to have a member named as the renowned tele-chef, Jamie Oliver, who is not, we hasten to add, a ‘Naked turntablist’.
One cold winter afternoon we spoke with Mike Lewis and Lee Gaze of the band; they were warmly wrapped and as much guarded about the band’s success, media buzz and all the expectations that have had to be revised, surely, in the light of the 11th of September. The question on everybody’s mind is, after all the comparisons with The Deftones and Linkin Park, is the world ready for a Brit version?
“People say and write a lot of things about us,” Lewis oppugns, “but we don’t pay much attention to it; I don’t think it is good for the band’s moral. Good or bad, there is too much hype about; we simply do what we want, play the way we want and gig our own way. Of course we had influences and some are obvious but there are so many different sides to what we do.”
Sound of hearing
These disaffected youths are certainly one of the most promising homegrown nu-metal bands that combine killer riffage with dark-hearted content but always with a touch of pop-nous. Just like Nirvana used to do… Comparisons and then some, how do they feel about it?
“Brilliant, it is so cool,” Gaze steps in, ”they were the best band to have emerged in the past ten years and that is a compliment. We are nothing like them but it is nice of people to mention us in the same sentence. It doesn’t really put any pressure on us because we know what we are doing and the way we wanna do it. “
If measure of confidence is related to arrogance, then ‘Prophets have it in abundance. Flown to Hollywood to see Jimmy Iovine, who wanted to sign them to Interscope, Lee reneged and insisted on shopping at the Rodeo Drive instead.
“True story,” Gaza smiles, “but they made me go to his flashy house with swimming pool and everything. We stayed a short while and then went shopping. But, I wasn’t arrogant, I knew we’d not sign with them because we wanted to remain independent. The simple reason being that we wanted to have a total artistic control which you have to have written in your contract with a huge corporation.”
Ode to freedom
Lostprophets are no mere copyists of Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, aiming instead for the pure catharsis of Fugazi. They songs are odes to dreams, aspirations, teen-ideology… With fame comes a responsibility, see what happened to So Solid Crew, from chart-toppers to Public Enemy No. 1 in a thrice?
“You can have fun,” Lewis argues, “and be responsible. You can’t simply wash your hands off… Ian (Watkins, singer) really cares about his lyrics… If you’ve seen us live you’d know that he is so intense and sings like a man possessed. He is the best man for the job who’s gonna be a huge star and he’s ready for fame. Great thing about him is that he’s straight, no drugs, alcohol or even cigarettes… Lee and I are the same.”
The album, originally issued by Visible Noise in November 2000, has been re-recorded for their new label, Sony’s Columbia, and it is to hit global stores soon after turning of the year’s page.
“We grew up in an atmosphere,” Lewis concludes, ”where people worked like mad all week and then drank themselves into oblivion at weekends. We react against it and have some great fun. For a long time we were the underdogs but now… things have certainly changed.”
Tour dates:
Lostprophets play NME Carling Tour (supporting Andrew WK)
26 January - Ambassador, Dublin
27 January - QMU, Glasgow
28 January - University, Newcastle
29 January - Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
31 January - University, Sheffield
01 February - University, Liverpool
02 February - University, Manchester
04 February - Metropolitan University, Leeds
05 February - De Montfort University, Leicester
06 February - UEA, Norwich
08 February - Pyramid, Portsmouth
10 February - Astoria, London
Euro-tour dates
12 February - Volkshaus, Zurich, Switzerland (with Staind)
13 February - Transilvania, Milan, Italy
14 February - Metropolis, Munich, Germany
16 February - Magnet, Berlin, Germany
17 February - Logo, Hamburg, Germany
18 February - Prime Club, Koln, Germany
20 February - Boule Noir, Paris, France
21 February - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland
23 February - KB Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark (with Staind)
25 February - NME Awards, London (attend)
26 February - John Dee, Oslo, Norway
27 February - Klubben, Stockholm, Sweden
SashaS
18-1-2002
Lostprophets’ album ‘The Fake Sound Of Progress’ is released worldwide early 2002 on SINE/Columbia
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